THE WESTERN CANADIAN

LUMBER

WORKER

38,000 copies
printed in this issue,

Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA

Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1

Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC

2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261

Editor — Pat Kerr

Business Manager — Fred Fieber

Advertising Representative — G. A. Spencer

Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions.
Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year.

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. ia?

GUEST EDITORIAL &

- WHIPPING BOY

Editor’s Note:

This editorial from the Prince George
Citizen of November 29, 1966, was reprinted
before in the Lumber Worker, but it is well
worth repeating now to show that even a
pro-employer newspaper like the Prince
George Citizen recognizes the valid right of
workers to fight for their legitimate share of
the profits they produce.

UyeNism is our society’s traditional

whipping boy. The profiteers and
their commercjal press aides are shuffling
the blame for rising costs on the working
people of the country. The unionized
sector of the work force is the special
attack target of the price manipulators.

The labour movement stands accused
of lighting the flame in inflation. But
unions didn’t start the fire.

At the start of the economic boom
corporation profits climbed to new
heights. Wages didn’t keep pace. It was
predictable that workers would fight
back in a ‘bid at least to recoup their,

losses brought on by the higher taxes
and soaring prices squeeze.

Let’s face it, Canadian workers as
consumers are being victimized by one of
the greatest exercises in profiteering in
the country’s history. Price increases
which have been steadily rising have
taken place at a time when profits are
already at an all-time high. The grab
boys are not the workers but our captains
of business and industry.

Wages are the big bugaboo. Since
1960 the average hourly income of
labour has increased by 43 percent. Cor-
porate profits, in the same period, soared
to 56 percent.

This discrepancy between corporate
profit and take-home packet is the rea-
son for the militancy of the work force.

The core of our social philosophy is
private gain and every man for himself.
Can the workers be blamed for demand-
ing a slice of Canada’s affluence?

SAWMILL RATE REVISIONS

In line with a substitute
resolution passed at the 1966
Regional Convention, the
Coast Negotiating Committee
started discussions with For-
est Industrial Relations Ltd.
on July 5, 1967, in order to
revise the rates of specific
sawmill categories.

The Union submitted the
following proposals:

1. An upward revision of 40c
per hour for the category
of Carrier Driver and the
category of Forklift Driver.

2. An industry-wide “equal-
ization” of 15c per hour for
operators of lifttrucks with
“blocking” devices.

3. The establishment of an in-
dustry-wide rate for:
(a) Log Gang Sawyer of
$3.54 per hour.
(b) Cant Gang Sawyer of:
$3.33 per hour.

4. The estabishment of a
joint Union - Management

CORRECTION

The two letters dealing with
the “right to work” subject
published in the 2nd issue of
June, were reprinted from
the “Pictorial” Smithers, B.C.,
not the Smithers News as
stated,

Committee to study the job
content and rates for the
following categories:

(a) Re-Sawyer

(b) Bull Saw Operator
(c) Crane Operator

(d) Crane Chaser

(e) Sawmill Truck Driver.

The Parties met again on
July 13, 1967, and Mr. John

Billings informed the IWA
Negotiating Committee that
industry-wide rate revisions
would not be considered dur-
ing the term of the present
agreement, but instead offer-
ed to discuss the implementa-
tion of a joint job evaluation
program for the coastal saw-
mill industry.

U.I.C. CLAIMS $295,301,513

According to figures, re-
leased in the House of Com-
mons $295,301,513 was paid
out in unemployment. insur-
ance in Canada last year.

Unemployment assistance

was shared equally by federal
and provincial governments
and totalled $325,383,786. The
balance in the unemployment
insurance fund at the end of
1966 was $287,012,486.

ALBERT EINSTEIN OUT

In New York City a re-
cruiting firm for executives
discovered that if Albert Ein-
stein, one of the greatest gen-
iuses of the 20th century,
were looking for a job in U.S.
business or industry today
he’d probably be thumbed
out. Careers, Inc. submitted
Einstein’s resume, omitting
his name, to 18 technical com-
panies. Only seven of the 18
said they’d be interested in

interviewing the famous No-
bel Prize winner. But Careers,
Inc. also submitted to the 18
companies the qualifications
of cartoonist Rube Goldberg,
who turns out zany drawings
of impossible machines. Four-

teen of the 18 companies .

found him worth considering
for a job. Thomas Jefferson’s
resume interested only four of

the 18 companies. — From
Cavil-cade.

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