_ A resolution to split Local
1-405 IWA into two separate
locals was referred to the Lo-
cal’s Executive Board for
study and action by delegates
attending the 10th Annual
Delegated Meeting of Local
1-405, August 23, in Nelson.

The resolution, submitted
by the Kicking Horse Sub-
Local in Golden, pointed out
that because of the large
area the Local was difficult to
service and the only answer
was to divide it into two local
unions.

The sixty delegates repre-
senting operations in both the
East and West Kootenays, de-
voted the first day to dealing
with a number of resolutions,
approving both the Financial
and Officers’ Reports, elected
delegates to the various con-
ventions, and hearing from
two guest speakers.

The second day was given
over to a study of the contract
demands sent in by the Sub-
Locals prior to submission to
the Interior Wages & Contract
Conference.

Guest speakers were Ray
Haynes, Secretary of the B.C.
Federation of Labour and
Jack Munro, IWA Regional
3rd Vice-President.

Haynes in his address scor-
ed the business community in
B.C. for being gutless and al-
lowing the Social Credit bag-
men to dictate to them how
much money they had to con-
tribute to the Party to keep
out the NDP.

He went on to say, “There
has been much griping of late
that the trade union move-
ment by open convention de-
cision and in full view of pub-
lic scrutiny, has contributed
nickles and dimes to suport
the political party of their
choice. A free choice of our
members to choose a political
party to support is a most im-
portant element in a free dem-
ocratic society. It is the hidden

campaign funds that produce |

the sinister element in Can-
adian politics.”

He concluded by saying,
“The labour movement does
not suport the NDP on the
basis that it requires govern-
ment assistance. It prefers to
rely on its own skills and re-
sources to deal, on an equal
footing, with employers.”

Jack Munro, in his address
also pointed out the value of
having a government that rec-
ognized labour has rights.

He gave a vivid description
of the problems faced by the

IWA in the province of Man-
itoba prior to the election of
the NDP. At that time, he
stated, the IWA representa-
tives were treated with con-
tempt by officials of the La-
bour Relations Board who de-
liberately went out of their
way to give unionists a bad
time.

He said that following the
election of the NDP, the La-
bour Board officials did a
complete about face and wel-
comed the union represent-
atives with open arms.

He stated this new attitude
did not reflect the Board’s
true thinking but its officials
knew that they. would not
keep their jobs under an NDP
government by thumbing
their noses at labour.

He added that all indica-
tions now pointed to a marked
improvement for the working
man in Manitoba and the
IWA confidently expected to
increase its members there.

Delegates elected to the
Regional Convention in Octo-
ber and all special meetings
were, Art Damstrom, John
Paluck, Wayne Dickson, Fran-
cis Nelson, Elmer Atwood,
Henry Weinerth, Carl John-
sion, Wayne Craig.

International Convention
delegates elected were Jack
Munro, Francis Nelson,
Wayne Nowlin, Carl John-
son, Wayne Craig.

Other important resolutions
dealt with by the meeting call-
ed for:

© The Regional Convention
to endorse the principle of one
union for all workers in the
forest products industry.

© The Local to continue its
affiliation to the New Demo-
cratic Party.

© The provincial and fed-
eral governments to enact
proper legislation to control
all forms of pollution and to
be fully responsible for en-

‘forcement.
© The government to in-'

crease the fees for alien non-
resident hunters and fisher-
men and use the ‘increased
revenue on conservation and
enforcement.

The federal government
to make lower interest rates
available for housing.

© The government to set up
a Royal Commission to invest-
igate plywood and lumber
price fixing.
® The federal government
to have the basic exemption
raised to a level in accord with
today’s cost of living.

The comprehensive Officers’
Report warned that while the
Local was now in a fair finan-
cial position a dues increase
might be necessary if large
per capita increases were ap-
proved for the International
and Regional Council.

Special emphasis was placed
in the Report on the num-
ber of contractors and sub-
contractors operating in the
jurisdiction of the Local Un-
ion. It suggested that a con-
certed effort would have to be
made throughout the Regional
Council to have these people
brought into the IWA.

Safety was also highlighted
in the Report which noted
with pleasure that there had
been no fatal accidents in the
Local during the past year.
The Report mentioned, how-
ever, that there had been an

‘increase in minor injuries and

warned members to refrain
from accepting light duty if
injured on the job.

The members were also
warned not to accept Health
& Welfare Benefits in lieu of
W orkmen’s Compensation
Board entitlement.

The urgent need for great-
er membership participation
in political action was given
a good deal of attention in
the Report. The Officers
stressed that the only way
labour could hope to see the
repeal of the present anti-
labour legislation in British
Columbia, was to elect a gov-
ernment not committed to big
business. The only party
pledged to give labour a fair
shake was the New Democrat-
ic Party, the Report stated.

The report concluded by
stating, “There are many im-
portant issues which your of-
ficers have not covered in the
Report, however, we feel it
is more important to come to
grips with the many problems
that face us today instead of
elaborating on issues of the
past.”

On the evening of the 23rd,
the Local held its Annual
banquet and dance which was
attended by the delegates,
their wives, friends and guests
from outside the Local Union.

This occasion was used to
honour two long-time mem-
bers of the Local, Walter

Seminiuk and Ezner DeAnna, .

who have left the industry to
take up new jobs elsewhere.

LOCAL 1-405 PRESIDENT Wayne Nowlin reads the Of-
ficers’ Report to the Annual Meeting while Financial
Secretary Elmer Atwood and office secretary Shirley
Daquesne follow in their convention books. In the back-
ground is 2nd Vice-President Art Damstrom. 5

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