ie, cee a aot MAN'S OPINION THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER TRAINING PROGRAMME Eight Millwrights Score By JACK HOLST Regional 2nd Vice President Eight millwrights in Local 1-424 IWA have successfully completed their test for an apprenticeship certificate. Each millwright was indentured under the Apprenticeship Branch, Department of Labour, in accord- ance with the program negotiated by Local 1-424 with the assistance of the Regional Council last year. Certificates will be issued to these mill- wrights at the end of May or early June. The certificate entitles them to an ad- ditional 21 cents an hour, raising their rate to $3.00 per hour June Ist, 1965. I am pleased and satisfied from my ob- servations, travelling with the Examining Board, that the program is on its way to success and that the millwrights in the North- ern Interior have proven they can meet the requirements and the standards established by the test drawn up by the Apprenticeship Branch of the B.C. Department of Labour. The experience proves that millwrights with practical experience and who are given the opportunity to study the material pro- duced by the Apprenticeship Branch, can pass the test successfully. All millwrights were extremely pleased that their efforts had brought rewarding recognition of their qualifications. The test is in written form and was used as an experiment to determine whether the ae examination would prove to be prac- tical. : Only in one instance was it necessary to conduct an oral examination. The person so examined had language difficulties; but he passed the test with flying colors. This was a first, and an experiment by the Examining Board. We started in Williams Lake. The first millwright to write the test was Ed Baker. Officers of Local 1-424 were extremely pleased with the results and the fact that they were the first Local to have a program which upgrades the millwrights. It is the first Local to have millwrights who are now quali- fied and will be certified in the near future. In addition to their new status, these millwrights will receive a wage increase of 21 cents an hour because their certificates prove their qualifications. This is a just re- ward for their efforts.. Those who passed the test were: Edwin Wilfred Baker, Williams Lake — Lignum Ltd. Paul Emile Benoit, Quesnel—Weldwood of Canada, Ltd. Stephen Kozak, Prince George—Catter- mole Timber Ltd. Harvey Albert Gassoff, Quesnel—Weld- wood of Canada, Ltd. William Clarence Parr, Quesnel—Weld- wood of Canada, Ltd. (Former plant chair- man). Valere Watteyne, Quesnel—Weldwood of Canada, Ltd. Jean Guya Roux, Prince George—Eagle Lake Sawmills Ltd. Roy 8S. Trifunovich, Quesnel—Weldwood of Canada, Ltd. HAPPY GROUP OF MILLWRIGHTS at Prince George cheerfully declare that the test to get Apprenticeship Certificates was easy for men with experi- ence who did their brief period of homework. Front row from left: R. S. Trifunovich, Valere Watteyene, Donald T. Burns, back row from left: H. A. Gasoff, and G. H. Smith. ship test is gS es pe OM wide OA” gs we WILLIAM C. PARR, (right), first Millwright in Quesnel to pass Apprentice- congratulated by Jack Holst, Ross ony Recor pana Lecal 1-424 IWA. He is employed by Weldwood of “& -} — Regional 2nd Vice-President and formerly the IWA Plant Chairman. STEPHEN KOZAK, (right), first millwright in ‘Prince ‘George to win an Apprentice-hip Certificate is congratulated by Jack Holst, Regional 2nd Vice- President. TWO SUCCESSFUL MILLWRIGHTS meet with -examiner and decide that test was not to be feared by any experienced millwright. The extra twenty- one cents an hour made the test well worthwhile, they said. From left: Examiner, Dick Michner; Paul S. Benoit; William C. Parr. "Raise Pensions!” “The New Democrats were not successful in their last ditch stand to have the old age security pension raised to $100 a month. They claimed that the present $75 a month is no longer adequate in view of the fact that the cost of living has risen by one-third since 1949 and that Canada’s increased productiv- ity warrants the payment of $100 a month. “Revenue Minister Benson countered with the argument that such an increase would cost 820 million dollars. This seems like a lot of money. The fact remains, however, that a reduction of 1 percentage point in unemployment would in- crease Canada’s productivity by over 4 billion dollars a year. A quarter of this would find its way into the federal treasury so that revenues would increase by a thousand million dollars annually. This would more than pay the cost of raising old age pensions to $100 a month.” —T. C. Douglas, M.P., New Democratic Leader in Parliament pca ‘FLY B.C. AIR LINES’