THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

.% es

JANUARY, 1970

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

LUMBE

Ri WORKER

38,000 copies
printed in this issue.

Published once monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA
1

Western Canadian Regional Council No.

Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC

2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261

Editor — Pat Kerr Business Manager — Fred Fieber

Advertising Representatives — Elizabeth Spencer Associates

Forwarded to every member of the IWA in West¢rn Canada in accordance with convention decisions. =>”
Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year.

= Se ese

Te request of the Canadian Labour

-Congress for trade unionists to
focus attention on the development
of a cohesive social policy for Can-
ada, merits the complete support of
not only the labour movement but all
Canadians.

Congress is asking its affiliates
during its Annual February Citizen-
ship Month to make social legislation
a subject of discussion at their meet-
ings and also to pressure the federal
government by means of a card cam-
paign, to review the entire system.

With unemployment rising as a
result of government inflation curbs,
Congress is suggesting what is need-
ed is “a review of the entire system
of social security to determine its
adequacy as to coverage, benefits
and allocation of costs” as well as the
need for effective integration.

On top of this Congress is giving
high priority to the demand for the

implementation of an adequate guar-
anteed minimum income for all Ca-
nadians.

Congress notes with alarm that
there is a dangerous trend on the part
of the federal and some provincial
governments to slash social welfare
programmes. Even the Prime Min-
ister has been quoted as saying that,
“In the field of social welfare pro-
grammes it is my belief that we have
enough of this free stuff.”

This is an amazing statement for
Trudeau to make when it is reported
that twenty percent of the Canadian
population is living in dire poverty
and an additional twenty percent re-
ported living in a state of deprivation.

It is little wonder that Congress
has called for the trade union move-
ment to demand a review of the social
welfare system and bring in correc-
tive measures for the protection of its
recipients.

NEW MINISTER NECESSARY

BaTIsH COLUMBIANS require not

only a review of the social welfare
system but also an impartial investi-
gation to determine the competency
of Phil Gaglardi to hold the office of
Minister of Welfare.

All he has shown to date is com-
plete callousness for the unfortunate
welfare recipients whom he obviously
holds in contempt. His reckless
charge that many of the present
cases are ‘‘deadbeats” remains un-
proven and his allegation has _ only
succeeded in throwing the entire wel-
fare department into a turmoil.

Not content with this, he has also
threatened to slash some essential
services which in his opinion are un-
necessary frills.

-- During his public life Mr. Gaglardi
has demonstrated a remarkable con-

tempt for those opposed to his views.

He. displayed such an air of arro-
gance to the opposition in the Legis-
lature. while Minister of Highways,
that he was easily the most hated
person among government members.

It is amazing that Mr. Gaglardi,
who professes to be a Christian, can
display such an unchristianlike atti-
tude to others. Perhaps his ideas of
Christianity differ somewhat from
ours.

This difference is, in our opinion,
however, sufficient reason to have Mr.
Gaglardi removed as the head of the
Welfare Department. It is tragic
enough for the thousands of men and
women to be jobless and poverty-
stricken without being hounded and
humiliated by a person whose com-
passion for their plight appears to be
non-existent.

It’s also a sad commentary on the
morality of voters who can over-
whelmingly re-elect to office a man
who, short months before, was dis-
missed as a minister of the crown
for misusing his trust. —

It’s an even worse reflection on a
government that can lower our par-
liamentary traditions by re-appointing
him as minister. Few governments
would have the unmitigated gall to
contemplate such an action, let alone
carry it out.

AWARD AND OVATION?

CAN‘T MISS

WHALEN

BUT MOTHER .. . EVERY TIME JOE’S LAID OFF FROM
SOAP OPERAS!

TH’ SAWMILL I’M LAID OFF TH’ TV SET AN’ MISS ME et 4
¥
f
)

PLUGGED IN WITH GOD

On New Year’s Day when I awoke, |

And found to my surprise \ 4
Everything I went to buy ‘s }
The price was on the rise! \

Then all at once it come to me
Why things have gone so high,
Because the Premier runs a line
Away up in the sky.

The good life’s taken quite a turn, »
For pensioners and such, :
But then they haven’t long to live re

So that don’t matter much. Sa
And likewise those who earn their keep MQ |
By working by the clock, :

1

Are not supposed to know enough F :
To raise their voice and squawk. :
et

4
As long as all the wealthy boys ;
And Companies by the score, , |
Can fill their pockets to the brim, y |
Now who could ask for more? |

If they should want to raise their price +4
They simply get the nod, )
We have no right to question them —
They’re all pluggeod in with God.

D. P. (Percy) Ferguson

Local 1-85 TWA. | |

APPLICATIONS WANTED ‘7

Tommy Douglas was awarded the Dr. Tait MacKenzie
Medal by the Ottawa Academy of Medicine on December
13. The five hundred doctors present gave Tommy a

‘standing ovation at the presentation. Mr. Douglas was
guest speaker at the 1969 annual meeting of the Academy.

A Vancouver machinery
dealer tells us that he expects
to get rich—they’ve discover-
ed parking space on his pro-
perty.

Bert Hepworth, Director of
Education, Canadian Labor
Congress and registrar of the
Labor College of Canada, is
urging unions to submit appli-
cations early for admission of
prospective students to the
next session.

The term runs from May

- 3rd to June 26th.

The College offers an eight-
week residential program coy-
ering about half a semester of
university-level studies in the
social sciences.

Application forms and course
ails are available from the
CLC Education Department,
100 Argyle Avenue, Ottawa 4.

SURVEY ON MALNUTRITION

A national survey on mal-
nutrition will begin in Sep-
tember 1970, Health Minister
John Munro told the federal-
provincial conference of health
ministers on Nov. 26. The sur-
vey to e two years, will
include 20,000 Canadians from
all walks of life, as well as
1,000 pregnant women.

The survey is designed to
“provide basic information on
the nutritional well-being of

‘will be passed on to the prov-

Canadians for the planning of :

‘public health programs and

for the development of food
and drug regulations.” i

The health minister said the
survey will help determine |
the extent and effects of poy-
erty in Canada. When even i
tentative findings of malnutri-
tion emerge, the information

inces and joint discussions ay
held on possible remedies. i
: