THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

APRIL-MAY,. 1978

Filling a government back-bench
seat in the Legislature is, if not the
worst job in the world, certainly the
worst job for politicians in Victoria.

Opportunities for these people to
speak in the House come few and far
between, and when they do, the
speeches have to fall between two
limits that leave little room for
thought or originality.

On the one hand, the Member rep-
resents constiuents that are usually
unhappy because the government
isn’t doing something. for them, or
because it is doing something to
them. In these cases, to be fulsome
in defence to the government can
lose the critical balance of votes that
send him to Victoria.

On the other hand, government
members are often enough provided
with examples of the peril of being
even a bit critical of the government.

That Cyril Shelford has had to pine -

away on the back bench is no reflec-
tion on his ability, which is un-
questionably greater than some
cabinet ministers; it reflects his

reputation for failure to toe the
Government line.

So what's a body to do? Lacking a
cabinet portfolio, they don't have
_the opportunity for dramatic an-
nouncements. The safest bet is to
denounce, one again, the record of
the past government. But such
speeches were of limited news value
in January, 1976. By May of 1978,
they became a colossal bore.

It is not to be wondered at, then,
that these back-benchers are so
often to be found at the bottom of
the “issue barrel’.

Minister of Labour Allan Williams
wants no part of so-called “right-to-
work” legislation, whose intent it is
to cripple Organized Labour (leaving

teh # ace

people who drag lumber from a
green chain in a one-to-one struggle
with, e.g., Calvert Knudsen: three
guesses who wins). To his credit,
Williams has argued against this
Legislation wherever the occasion
demanded.

The majority of the Cabinet, | be-
lieve, support Williams; some _ be-
cause they understand the issue and
genuinely oppose it, others because,
while they have such far right-wing
dreams, they know and want to
avoid the industrial chaos that
would follow first reading of such a
bill.

But some back-benchers; depriv-
ed of all other action; lacking cabinet
responsibility for government ac-
tion; representing a constituency of
nervous small businessmen on the
make; find such an issue just right.

IWA members should share with

business people the information
printed in Tom Fawkes’ booklet on
“Right-To-Work” laws. Then pros-
perity, or survival, derives from that
of our member’s. A community of
people living on low wages is not the
easiest place in the world in which to
sell hardware, shirts, food, haircuts,
or even cars.
’ Our Members, and those business
people who place their own survival
above the achievement of 19th. cen-
tury doctrines, should let these
back-benchers know that we know
what is going on.

It has to be remembered that
back-benchers have one advantage
— their obscurity makes it possible
to make one speech before the
friendly “right-to-work”’ group, and

totally different speeches else-
where.

We should, in that respect, make

them temporarily a little less ob-
scure.

The 1977 annual report of the
Workers’ Compensation Board
of British Columbia was tabled
in the B.C. Legislature by the
Minister of Labour, the Hon-
ourable Allan Williams.

The report indicates that
149.653 work injuries, indus-
trial diseases and fatalities
were reported to the Board last
year, representing an increase
of 5.19% over 1976. Reported
fatalities totalled 176. Expendi-
tures for compensation claims
amounted to $122,741,298.

Assessable payroll from the
Board’s 64,362 employer ac-
counts in 1977 came to
$11,491,000,000 (provisional
determined

ess

from the 1977
$15,600.

Major events during the year
included the February ap-
pointment by Mr. Williams of
the new four-man Board of
Commissioners. Dr. Adam S.
Little was named chairman,
Jerome B. Paradis, vice-chair-
man, Sam H. Brown, commis-
sioner‘and Dennis Davis, com-
missioner.

The new Board initiated a
comprehensive administrative
budget system, effective Jan-
uary 1, 1978, designed to im-
prove financial reporting and
promote cost consciousness.

The revised WCB Industrial
Health & Safety Regulations,
which became effective Jan-
uary 1 of this year, were com-
pleted late in 1977 after nearly
four years of preparation in

ation with management
labour in B.C. The regula-
tions represent minimum
ts for health and

standards in industries

within the scope of the

maximum of

= be soe at _|
Workers’ Compensation Act.

Late in the year, construc-
tion was completed on the
Board’s $18 million rehabilita-
tion complex, the Leslie R.
Peterson Rehabilitation Centre
in Richmond. Named after the
former B.C. attorney-general
and labour minister who was
instrumental in the realization
of the structure, the centre
houses the Board’s rehabilita-
tion clinic and residence for
injured B.C, workers.

LIGHTER SIDE

“Looking for your cashier,
eh?’’ said the detective. “Is he
tall or short?”

The bank president moaned.
“Both.”

* * *

Men are hardier than
women. Just look at the
number of ‘John Smiths’ in
the telephone book and see how

many ‘‘Pocahontas’”’ you can
find.

inte
ee

LOCAL 1-80 MEMBERS attending Job Steward School
sponsored by the Local Union March 20-23, in Duncan.

Courses included Public Speaking, Parliamentary

Procedure, and the handling of grievances up to arbitration.
Heading up the School was Frank Wall, Regional Education
Director, who was ably assisted by Ken McEwan, Local 1-80
Business Agent and Bob Blasina, Regional Council legal
counsel. John Walters, Director of UBC Research Forest of
Maple Ridge, was guest speaker.

~~

be Se

ART GREEN (left) takes part in introductions during Public
Speaking class. Research Forester John Walters in his ad-
dress stressed the need for forestry to be the first in im-
portance in provincial priorities.

Ken McEwan photos

INDUSTRY IN DANGER

The Canadian director of the International Ladies Gar-
ment Workers Union has warned more than 200,000 textile
workers could be thrown out of work in the next 10 years if
Canadian negotiators at the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade allow more cheap imports to flood the country.

“We can’t compete with workers in Korea, Taiwan,
Singapore, China and the Philippines who make 25 cents to
40 cents an hour,” Si Bresner said in his opening address to
the ILGWU’s first Canadian convention.

“Unless the government wakes up to the situation soon,”
he warned, “‘the industry will be destroyed. This is a labour-
intensive industry, one of the largest employers in the

country, and we can’t afford to lose all these i i
of high unemployment.” ee