So. 6) Sap he as oe a haa ea ae Tn alt stave. nile nee , IE gople Bee cuando! lJ ls = AYZp / SS ‘iY WN! | Syehl Srhlo FA 300 WORKERS & THEIR pie, 10 N7, Stet 5 , ZELLERBACH a.) o BOARD OF DIRECTORS | Sul —-m “.s. A. Shutdowns by U.S. firms in B.C. must be halted Cont’d from pg. 1 Tree Farm Licences by the B.C. government from which it gets its raw materials at public expense for practically nothing. ITT Rayonier also rolled up record profits in 1971. This giant U.S. monopoly was granted Crown forest lands totalling 2.9 billion cubic feet in Tree Farm Licenses. On top of that it has been granted billions more feet under Pulp Harvesting Licenses. This company exports large quantities of chips to its processing plants in CONSTRUCTION Cont'd from pg. 1 hours of work and other fringe benefits. The CLRA proposal of a 6.5 percent settlement reveals the plot cooked up between the Socred government, the Employers Council of which the CLRA is an affiliate, and the big corporations to impose a wage freeze on B.C. workers this year, holding the line at 6.5 percent. As part of this conspiracy against workers wage standards, | the Socred government under- took to force legislation through the last session of the Legis- lature to freeze all workers in the public service at 6.5 percent. This was to provide pressure on workers in private industry to accede to employers pressure for a 6.5 percent guideline. The. Mediation Commission imposed a 6.25 percent award on the hospital employees. Civic governments tried to impose a similar settlement on civic workers. Now the CLRA wants to impose the arbitrary 6.5 percent wage freeze on construc- tion workers. Building unions have served notice they will not accept the Bennett-employer wage freeze. In that they will have the over- whelming support of organized labor in B.C. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1972—PAGE 16 the U.S., depriving hundreds of B.C. pulp workers of jobs processing these chips in B.C. These giant monopolies were given huge tracts of public forest lands under provincial legis- lation to ensure continuous production in our ‘forest industry. Are they to be allowed to hold on to these public forests while shutting down their mills in B.C. and depriving B.C. workers of jobs? The answer to this must be NO. The public should demand that Ocean Falls and Woodfibre be kept in production. If the com- panies are not ready to do that the government should cancel the forestry licences they hold. And if its necessary to ensure the jobs of pulp and paper workers in Ocean Falls and Woodfibre and other opera- tions, then the provincial govern- ment should move in and take them over to ensure jobs and a livelihood for workers and their families. Not so long ago a large opera- tion in the Maritimes claimed it was losing money and set a date to close down. The government was forced by public protest to take over the plant, and today it is producing and showing profits. We should also recall the attempt in Scotland by the owners of the Clyde shipyards to shut down because the yards were “uneconomic and losing money.”’ The workers took over the plants and forced the govern- ment to keep them in produc- tion. These examples should. not be forgotten. There must be no shutdowns. U.S. monopolies must not be allowed to put maximum profits before the welfare of the workers and the economy of B.C. Workers and their families are not sacrificial lambs to be sacri- ficed on the altar of corporation profits. Close to 450 irate IWA fallers and buckers met in Parksville April 19 to bring to a head a grievance of two _ year’s standing. This grievance is the failure of the companies to implement the recommenda- tions of the Nemetz report which called for the negotiation of pricing and scaling on a regional level. The boss loggers have refused to carry out the Nemetz recommendations and have substituted a policy of an hourly rate which, because of lost time due to weather conditions, wind, etc., would result in a wage cut. Spanish women here May 4 Two Spanish women, both wives of political prisoners, will address a public meeting at John Oliver High School audi- torium, 41st and Fraser, on Thursday, May 4at8p.m. Representing the Comisiones de Mujeres, (Committee of Women) Victoria Rodriguez and Juana Leon Sanchez are coming directly from Spain to speak to gatherings across Canada under the sponsorship of the Canadian Committee for a Democratic Spain. Mrs. Sanchez is the wife of one of the Madrid leaders of the Workers’ Commissions. The women will talk about the conditions of political prisoners in Spanish jails and the daily problems which face _ their families. A by-invitation only reception for the Spanish guests will be held at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Inglis during their Vancouver visit. Aid for Vietnam appeal launched Dr. A.M. Inglis, chairman of the Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians, this week called upon the public gener- ally to step up aid for the people of Vietnam who are victims of the latest and most concentrated bombing at- tacks. He said the intensified fighting in South Vietnam and the stepped-up bombing in the North have sharply in- creased the suffering of the civilian population. Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians has been in the forefront of Canadian efforts to render humanitarian aid to victims of the war. The Committee has already raised and sent needed supplies to the value of $170,000. But new efforts must be forthcoming in light of the new emergency. ‘We urgently appeal to the Canadian public and all organizations and societies to contribute now for medical and humanitarian relief for the people of Indochina’’, Dr. Inglis said. Contributions should be sent to: Canadian Aid For Vietnam Civilians, Box 2543, Vancouver 3, B.C. Angry fallers hit: stall by forest companies The meeting suggested the formula for settlement of the long-standing dispute be arrived at by the IWA and FIR before the finalization of the industry contract.This would eliminate a grievance of long standing from cluttering up industry-wide negotiations. It was further suggested that all members who have been fired be reinstated and all court action be dropped to further facilitate a peaceful settle- ment. It was agreed that fallers sent to jail would be supported by the fact that not another tree would be felled until everyone was out of jail and back on the job. ; The workers at the meeting were opposed to the 30 day proba- tionary period which is used by the bosses indiscriminately. It was also agreed to engage legal counsel and a fund was collected for that purpose. On Monday more than 200 loggers travelled to Vancouver to attend court hearings which resulted in the judge setting aside the judgment for one week. At a rally that evening the fallers and buckers were unanimous in supporting the program formulated at the Parksville conference. It was decided there would be no change in that program unless a meeting was called and rank and file members approved of any changes. The lobby of the Vancouver Court House Monday morning looked like a union meeting hall as a couple hundred hefty loggers from Vancouver Island — even the Queen Charlottes surged and milled around the door of the tiny courtroom where 36 Franklin River loggers were being cited for defying an injunction brought down on them UNION $ Unions, large and small, are on the firing line in B.C. as May Day rolls around again. In this province the working man — from the bartender in the smallest hotel to the steelrigger at the top of the tallest con- struction site — are facing the Same reactionary force — Employers Council in a gang-up with Social Credit politicians. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, operating engineers, construction laborers, cement workers and teamsters united in the Building Trades Council are asking for a shorter work week and wage gains. Fifty thousand. workers are involved here. IWA, representing some 34,000 workers in the forest industry this year are standing four- square on the demand for a hike iM Wages, as well as long overdue fringe benefits. The largest com- pany in the industry, MacMillan- Bloedel, along with other lesser operators, are shedding tears over IWA demands through the newspapers where apparently this year they prefer to conduct negotiations. Close to 500 fallers, fed to the teeth with the stalling tactics of employers who in more than two _that would put them OPT last January at the beh MacMillan-Bloedel. ‘We'll probably. all be pered with injunctions’, sal logger cheerfully. He was from the Franklin Rv division, but every logger 01! Island faces the same problely Across the street in fromly “Fort Clyne’, scattered pick walked the sidewalks call signs. In answer to a joshing re from a reporter that anyone made $31,000 a year shouldnt picketing, the denials @ thick and fast. oa ; “Thirty-one thousand: haven’t worked for five MOPat and I'll be lucky if I make $4” this year.” eg ‘Any guy who makes that of money is a comp showpiece, and they give every break going so they play it up on the front page Vancouver Sun,” scoffed” other. ; One thing stands out ®” everything else. The falle fed to the eyeteeth with com stalling. They know that work — the most danger? the most demanding 1%) industry, — is a key to the® profits being chalked up 4 section of the forest comp” On the very day the ™ pressed loggers appeal court, the daily press fea story headlined “B.C™ ' Earnings Take Jump -~ they did! In the case 0 Forest Products, they Jum $1.4 million in the first qu@ 1971 from $400,000 in the quarter of 1970. That 18; than a 300 percent ‘jump: MacMillan-Bloedel’s P 1971 was ‘“‘only’’ $25,000,0 that, of course, is only 4F the story. OTLIGH! com’ pr lems plaguing this Vel, phase of the industry, W4 the sites along the coast@™ say this time they i. settlement once and for 4% Municipal employees | Lower Mainland 1au® demand for a ‘‘catchuP a with policemen and fir emel have been given raisin past months. So far nee Labor Relations Bureau (hi tors have offered nothing category. Vancouver’s insié 4 workers went on strike f Thursday morning a weeks of _ frus Hi attemots to negotiate "i ment with city coun tio” Municipal Labor bb cil! Board. At press time by departments manned union were picketed: rep Outside wore i sented by CUPE 4 $ as the PT went to ye decide on their C% action.