12 ‘Local 1-207 IWA, Alberta, has made a significant break- through on wages and fringe benefits in the new two-year agreement negotiated with the Neonex Leisure Products Ltd., in Red Deer, Alberta. Under terms of _ the agreement, the base rate was raised immediately from $2.35 an hour to $3.00 an hour. A further 15 cents will be paid . April 1, 1974, and a final 25 cents an hour October 1, 1974. Last winter. the 190 em- ployees had also received increases due to the Com- pany’s fear that the Union might win certification of the operation. At that time the base rate was $2.10 for males and $1.85 for females. In an. attempt to keep the Union out the Company raised the base rate to $2.35 an hour and eliminated female rates. The fringe benefit highlights include: e@ Provision that the con- tract may be reopened if the Products Ltd. to Crestbrook Forest Industries because of environmental and Canadian ownership considerations. Williams said that the government has had under consideration for several months a request from Crest- brook to acquire all of the assets, including the Crown cutting rights in the Kootenay Lake basin, from Kootenay Forest Products. Kootenay Forest Products is a major employer in the City of Nelson where their sawmill ane plywood plants are loca- ted. With respect to environ- mental protection, Williams said a recent study for the Envionment and Land Use Secretariat indicated that in the Purcell Range there is a pressing need for redirecting the provincial policy in order to preserve the wildlife values of the region and to avoid serious destruction of the landscape. He said the Purcell study showed that the annual cut already allocated to industry in the basin considerably exceeds the allowable cut on good and medium forest sites in the . following Public Sustained Kootenay and Windermere. The only exception was in the Lardeau P.S.Y.U. The other major factor in the decision was the question of Canadian ownership. Over 50 per cent of Crestbrook Forest Industries is owned by Mit- subishi — Honshu of Japan. Mitsubishi dominates the for- est econmy of the East Koote- nays and this transfer would have given them the dominant role over the whole Kootenay Lake basin in the West Koote- nays as well,”’ said Williams. “It is the government’s opinion that so dominant an equity position in an important region of the province should be -in Canadian hands,’’ he said. Williams denied in the Legislature that the govern- ment is interested in pur- chasing Kootenay Forest Pro- ducts. : The sale is the second of its kind blocked by the govern- ment. Last year it turned down an attempt by the American Weyerhauser company to pur- chase the Celgar Ltd. pulp mill at Castelgar, and a few months later the government bought the Celgar mill along with Columbia Cellulose’ Ltd.’s other B.C. operations. TRADEWINO WRAY TRADEWIND REALTY LTD. Office and/or retail store space immediately available in new air-conditioned building, suitable for large or small enterprises. Best comparable prices in town Including air-conditioning, heat, light, and parking. 3 year lease offered. Call now, T radewind Realty Ltd., 2903 Commercial Drive, Vanc., B.C. 872-0321 plant productivity increases. e IWA Pension Plan coverage fully paid by the employer. e Alberta Health Care Plan, Alberta Blue Cross Plan and life insurance of $6,000 plus A.D.&D. © A Weekly Indemnity Plan providing 70 percent of the employee wage rates. © Union security clause of 30 calendar days for new employees. e Ten statutory holidays plus Christmas Eve afternoon. e Time and one half for hours worked in excess of 8 hours in any one day and double time for all hours worked in excess of 12. © Time and one half for the first 4 hours worked on Saturdays and double time for the balance and Sundays. e Two 15-minute periods per day. Other provisions won in- clude: Seniority recognition, job posting, severance pay of one week per year if laid off through technological change, maternity leave. Leave of absence is also given to employees appointed or elected to Union office for their term of office. One year leave of absence with seniority continuing, is granted to employees wishing to attend a recognized educa- tional institution. 4 The contract also provides that employees can respect legally established picket lines set up at the plant. Employees with over two years service to receive two weeks vacation at 5 percent of regular earnings and: em- ployees with over four years service to receive three weeks vacation at 7 percent. Employees called in on emergency are entitled to 4 hours pay and are not required to stay on the job after the emergency is over. Contractors and _ sub- contractors will not perform production work. Negotiating: the agreement for the Union were Regional 2nd. Vice-President Stan Parker, Local President Arne Christensen, Local Financial Secretary Bob DeLeeuw, who were assisted by Plant Com- mittee members Clayton Stark, Brian Aanmoen, Diane Wells. rest Show your solidarity with striking farm workers BOYCOTT GRAPES DON'T SHOP SUPERVALU Saskatchewan’s economy in 1972 substantially outpaced the performance of the previous year, and 1973 is expected to maintain the momentum, the Saskatchewan government’s. annual Economic Review reveals. For example, total personal income in Saskatchewan jumped by almost 8 per cent in 1972 over 1971, to $2.72 billion, and is expected to reach $3 billion in 1973. Annual per capita personal income aver- aged $2,967.00, an increase of 9 per cent over 1971. Agriculture was mainly responsible for improvements in the economy in 1972. Total cash receipts from farming operations were over $1.2 billion, 31.2 per cent over 1971. Net farm income was even bet- ter — $649 million — 63.5 per ‘cent higher than in 1971, and is expected to reach $940 million in 1973. | The review notes a continu- ing decline in Saskatchewan’s population, from 916,000 in mid-1972 to 908,000 in mid-1973. However, the labour force grew by 4,000 from 1971 to 1972, to 352,000. The province’s unemployment rate was 4.3 per cent in 1972 and is expected to decline to 3.9 per cent this year. Housing starts also in- creased markedly in 1972, with 4,845 units compared to 3,560 in 1971, and 1,740 in 1970. The esti- mate for this year is 6,000 housing starts. A 12 per cent increase in retail trade raised the 1972 figure to almost $1.28 billion, with the 1973 figure forecast at $1.4 billion. Think about aCommerce Available in multiples of $10.00 — no maximum. Growth Savings Certificate for yourself . or as a gift. <> CANADIAN IMPERIAL ea ee Bs ik Pag reitaan « BANK OF COMMERCE