EDITORIALS The Best Course THE continuing conciliation procedure, chosen by the IWA Negoliating Committee, has distinct advant- ages for the Union’s membership. __ lt was made necessary by the deadlock reached in discussions with the employers’ representatives. The em- ployers insisted that the membership demands were all impossibly high.” Their counter-proposals aimed at subtracting from rather than adding to the present master agreement. The wage increase, suggested eatlier by the employers, was never stated in dollars and cents. No area of agreement could be outlined for there was no meeting of minds. The Conciliation Officer has undertaken to make specific recommendations for a settlement of the dispute. He has given a commitment to report on his recommen- dations soon. When his recommendations are voted on. by the IWA members involved and the clients of Forest Industrial Relations Ltd., both parties will know exactly Where they stand. The procedure presents some hope of either breaking the deadlock or indicating the area for genuine bargaining. The time factor is now important. Vacations will start early in June. The Negotiating Committee is re- quired to submit proposed terms of settlement to the’ membership for decision in a secret membership ballot. Any decision reached in this way should enable every member to vote. The procedure, now to be followed, is the quickest route to obtain a vital membership decision in a representative manner. As pointed out by the Committee, this involves re- doubled effort to prepare for such a vital decision. Every active IWA member must acquaint himself or herself with the issues, and make certain that all fellow-workers - are equally aware of what is at stake. A number of uncertainties are now eliminated. One thing is, however, very certain. Membership voting, to come soon, will indicate the members’ determination to get what they want and need. Their Business ype settlement reached by the unions in the pulp and paper mills requires examination. It is not to be regarded as a club over the heads of IWA members now negotiating with the same employers. The circumstances indicate a number of important differences from those confronting the IWA negotiators. The pulp and poper mill workers started their ne- gotiations with a base rate already ten cents above the base rate for the lumber workers. Eleven cents added to their base rate brings it to $2.29 an hour. The qualified mechanics in the pulp and paper mills obtained an additional substantial wage increase. These mechanics form approximately twenty percent of the crews.- Moreover, they secured an agreement to write into their contract a number of important benefits previ- ously agreed upon in their “bull sessions” with their. employers. It must not be forgotten that the work performed by lumber workers involves considerations not faced by pulp and paper mill workers. The seasonality of employ- ment requires wage rates that assure a decent annual income. Work hazards for many must not be over- looked. The settlement in the pulp and paper mills is strictly the business of the trade unionists concerned. Any comparison cannot detract from the merit of the demands presented by the IWA. The IWA must ne- gotiate its settlement of the present dispute in the light of the facts facing the men who work in the sawmills, plywood plants and logging camps. Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER is May 7. Deadline for ad copy is April 30, and for news copy May 1. . THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER SHE AIN’T A BAD COOK . . . ‘CEPT HER SOUP IS TOO STEWY AN’ HER STEW IS TOO SOUPY 25. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Conciliation Extended” Conciliation Board be ap- pointed, or 2) specific terms of settlement, or 3) only that no Conciliation Board be ap- pointed (inviting the possi- bility of an Industrial Inquiry Commission) . An indefinite extension of time, without any assurance of the outcome, is obviously not to the advantage of the Union. If the Conciliation Of- ficer recommended either the appointment of a Conciliation Board or only that no Board be appointed, we were faced with the possibility of pro- longed proceedings likely to prevent a membership refer- endum before the vacation period. Further, it was our conclusion that the Concilia- tion Officer had not pro- gressed to the point where he was prepared to recommend terms of settlement with any possibility of acceptance by either party. Finally,- your Committee gained a firm commitment from the Department of La- bour that, if allowed further time for his inquiries and study, the Conciliation Officer would recommend specific terms of settlement. Your Committee, therefore, agreed to an extension of time for Mr. Fisher on this under- standing. Mr. Fisher will report his recommendations on settle- ment terms to the Minister and both parties. Your Policy Committee will then be able to consider these terms and make a suitable recommenda- tion to the membership for acceptance or rejection by the means of a referendum ballot. We are assured that all pro- cedures will be finalized, at the latest, in the early part of June. The advantage of this pro- cedure is that all our mem- bers will have ample oppor- tunity to make whatever de- cisions they may deem advis- able. The Conciliation Officer promises that his report will be submitted in sufficient time Union Meets With C.F.P. On Alberta GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. —It was announced over the local radio station this week by Keith Johnson, Financial Secretary, Local 1-207 IWA that pending discussions will explore settlement terms in the IWA strike here. Simultaneously, the IWA Regional Officers opened dis- cussions with officials of the parent company, Canadian Forest Products Ltd., in Van- couver. es ee 4 Published: Twice Monthly on the First and Third Thursdays by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No. 1 Editor . . President —.. - Grant MacNeil REGIONAL OFFICERS: >’ lst Vice-President ---.--.. Jack Moore 2nd Vice-President . Jack MacKenzie 8rd Vice-President .. a Jack Holst Secretary-Treasurer .. ------ Bob Ross Int. Board Members ____ T. Wyman Trineer, W. Fred Fieber alter F. Allen Address all communications to: FRED FIEBER, Secretary-Tre 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver eG, TR. 4-5261 - 2 Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post and for Payment of Posieve te core $2.00 per annum G. A. Spencer Ottawa, 27,500 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE for decision by the Union’s membership well before ex- piration of the contract. I direct the attention of all IWA members to the fact that this procedure brings us closer than we had formerly expected to vitally important decisions. We must therefore re-double our efforts to in- form all our fellow-workers and the general public of the sound logic behind the de- mands stated by the mem- bership. Now is the time to prepare for a referendum vote in the coast lumber industry to de- cide the next contract’s wages and conditions. Strike _ The IWA strike at the plan- ing mill of North Canadian Forest Industries Ltd., sub- sidiary of Canadian Forest Products Ltd., is now in its ninth month. The IWA has recently been promised the active support of the Alberta Federation of labour and the Edmonto Labour Council. The persis- tent efforts of the IWA to fasten public attention on the issues finally prompted the Alberta Minister of Labour to publicly state that he would order mediation steps, if requested. Evidently, the plans of Canadian Forest Products Ltd to expand in Northern Alberta has also convinced that company that its labour relations policies need re vision to avoid conflict. Average weekly wages for — workers in manufacturing in January rose to $81.91 ire $76.53 in December but age hourly earnings down to $1.99 from 94+ month earlier.