THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Vol. XXXIX, No. 3 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY MARCH, 1971 oy aan VIEW OF THE OVERFLOW crowd that attended Local 1- 85’‘s Annual Meeting March 14, in Port Alberni. LOCAL 1-85 SEEKS DUES STRUCTURE CHANGE Proposals to change the By- laws to increase the initiation fee from $10.00 to $25.00 and to change the dues structure to the equivalent of two hours pay at the base rate, were ap- proved at the 34th Annual Meeting of Local 1—85 IWA, March 14, Port Alberni. The two proposals which will be submitted to a referendum vote of the membership, drew wide discussion from the overflow meeting of over 300. The officers pointed out during the debate that the changes were necessary for the Local. They stated that the present initiation fee of $10.00 was giving the IWA the reputation of being a cheap union. They suggested the figure of $25.00 was more realistic and more in line with ~ 4 cTs.. PERMIT No. 2075 CANADA POSTAGE - POSTES VANCOUVER, B.C. the initiation fees of other unions. The officers argument for a change in the dues structure was that it was necessary to properly finance the Local. An added advantage; they stated, was that such structure would eliminate the need for the officers to request every two or three years, more money to operate the Local. Guests at the meeting who also attended the Annual Banquet and dance for the Local’s Shop Stewards and Committee Members the night before were, Regional President Jack Moore, Inter- national Secretary-Treasurer Bill Botkin, Regional 1st Vice- President Wyman Trineer, Regional 2nd Vice-President Jack Munro, and Bob Blan- chard, Conductor and Editor of Local 1-217, Vancouver. The comprehensive Officers’ Report highlighted the major events that shaped the Local during 1970. These included the numerous strikes during the year which had their affect on the Local Union, and Coast Negotiations. Indealing with Negotiations, the Report stated in part: See ‘LOCAL 1-85’? Page 2 TO CIRCUMVENT COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT _ CANADA MANPOWER 'USED’ BY KAMLOOPS SAWMILL FIRM Bil As Lee ee s A Kamloops sawmill company, Balco Forest Products Ltd., has been using the provisions of the Canada Manpower Training Programme to get week- end production work with the use of federal funds. The Company, which is under agreement to Local 1-417 IWA, works a five- day forty-hour week on a three-shift basis. It had attempted to institute a. seven-day continuous operation but the move was rejected by the Union. GERRY STONEY ELECTED 1-357 PRESIDENT The Plant Chairman of the Pacific Veneer Division of Canadian Forest Products, Gerry Stoney, was elected the new President of Local 1-357 IWA, New Westminster. Re-elected in the referendum vote were John Hachey, ist Vice-President; John Michael, 3rd Vice-President and Ed Dubas, Warden. Newly elected to office were Tom Morey, 2nd _ Vice- President; Bill Simcoe, Financial Secretary; Marg Storm, Recording Secretary; Henry Giesbrecht, Conductor; Walter Milan, Trustee. The new officers were sworn in at the Local’s March 28 meeting. Its next move was an ap- plication to the Board of In- dustrial Relations for an overtime work permit which the Board rejected. Last February the Company then approached Manpower with the suggestion that the plant be used on weekends to train men for key jobs under the department’s Training in Industry Programme. This type of programme is conducted by Manpower in anumber of industries across Canada to up-grade or re-. train workers. Manpower pays part of the wages of the workers while under actual training. So in effect it is cheap labour for the companies. One of the main stipulations is however that there must not be production work during the training period. Prior to the programme being put into operation at Balco, Company officials told Manpower that the IWA had been notified of the plan. On this assurance, which was a deliberate lie, Manpower gave its approval. However, the number of trainees supplied by Manpower was insufficient to carry out the Company’s scheme of operating on weekends. To get around this it recruited in- mates from the Minimum Security prison at Kamloops and people on welfare. It is strongly suspected that the Minister for Rehabilitation and Social Improvement, Phil Gaglardi’s Provincial Alliance of Businessmen, was also in- volved in recruiting the workers. With the aid of a few skilled OFFICERS OF LOCAL 1-85 IWA Port Alberni, are shown on the platform at the Local’s 34th Annual Meeting March 14. Group left, Lynn Larson, 3rd Vice-President; Bill Hawkes, 2nd Nice-President; Ear] Foxcroft, ist Vice-President; Walter Allen, President; John Squire, Financial Secretary; Hans Irg, Recording Secretary. transient workers plus the trainees, welfare cases and prisoners, Balco was able to operate on weekends at near capacity. Alarmed over the situation Regional President Jack Moore met with top officials of Manpower in Vancouver to discuss the problem. During the meeting it became ap- parent that they had been ‘used’ by the Company. This was obvious when they informed Moore that their only interest in the matter was to train key men for a new shift. They were completely astonished when told by Moore that the plant already operated on a three-shift basis and had done so for years. : In stating this Moore also expressed his displeasure that Manpower hadn’t seen fit to check with the IWA before implementing the programme. He pointed out that Balco Forest had a_ collective agreement with the Union and through ignorance Canada Manpower had aided the Company to circumvent its provisions. The following is a copy of the letter sent by Moore on the. subject of Balco Forest to Gaglardi, with copies to Premier Bennett, Labour Minister Peterson, NDP Leader Dave Barrett, Liberal Leaders Pat McGeer, and Manpower head Mr. S. McGill: Dear Mr. Minister: I am writing to you as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the constituency of Kamloops in which a rather far-reaching and disturbing occurrence is taking place. Balco Forest Products desired to operate their sawmill on a continuous 7-day operation. The IWA has con- sistently opposed 7-day con- tinuous operations primarily because of disruption of family life and in a minority of cases — but nevertheless substantial — the desire of many of our members to observe the Lord’s Day without being compelled to work in an industrial un- dertaking. We find now that Balco Forest Products, under the pretext of training future employees, have made arrangements with Canada Manpower to use federal funds to allegedly train certain people to become employees of Balco Forest Products. _I am informed by Canada Manpower that they were told See “MANPOWER” Page 3