REE SETS SAR ty me ARE REI fs

26,000 WOODWORKERS SAY:

‘Fores

‘Take over B.C. Tel.’
NDP urges Legislature

The B.C, Legistature last week
heard a renewed demand for
public ownership of the B,C,
Telephone Company when Alex
Macdonald, NDP MLA for Van-
couver lashed out at the failure
of the Socred govermment to act
against the giant U.S.-owned uti-
Itty monopoly,

Macdonald told Premier Ben-
nett the provincial government
could have an extra $8} million
without taxing the people of this
province one extra cent, He
pointed out that $8} million is
the amount-B,C, Tel, paid Ot-
tawa in taxes in 1964,

He reminded the Legislature
that Alberta, Saskatchewan and
Manitoba all have public tele-
phone s as a result of
which not only have lower
telephone rates but also pay no
federal taxes,

Recently the telephone com-

Vietnam protests hit Ottawa’s role

MONTREAL

By DAVE DENT
MONTREAL — Monthsofprep-

temperature of 10 degrees below
zero to protest U.S, involvement
tm the war in Vietnam,

Members of more than 20 or-
ganizations took part in the
demonstration sponsored by the
Emergency Committee for Peace
and Self Determination in Viet-
nam, which set out from the
centre of the city.

When they reached busy Sher-
brooke St. the demonstration
spread out to occupy four of the
street’s six lanes, Repeated
efforts by the small group of
police present failed to get them
onto the sidewalk, Arms locked,
20 abreast, it took the slow
moving column half an hour to
reach the U,S. consulate,

At 8 o’clock the same day, a
mass meeting was held at Pla-
teau Hall, :

Quebec NDP leader Robert
Cliche was the first to address
the capacity audience. Speaking
for the first time to this kind of
meeting, on an international
issue, he claimed: “The Amer-

ee

Xdes Etudieants du Quebec.

_ ieans don’t “understand that they —

pany announced revenues and
profits which were at an all-
time high. Even after 2 mammoth
allotment for deprectation of $21
million — 15 percent higher than
the previous year — net profits
rose by 14,8 percent to a record
$13} million!

“Telephone users in B.C, are
being taken to the cleaners,”
Macdonald charged. ‘Half this
companie’s $13 million aet profits
is being funnelled across the
border to the U.S, because this
is not an independent B.C, com-—
pany, but one controlled by a
giant U.S, cartel (Generali Tele-
phone and Electronics Corp. of
New York), which rums 74 sub-
sidiaries.” SS

Macdonald said that *compan-
fes owned by the cartel aeli
supplies and services to B,C,
Tel and their profits too flow -
over the lise, Why should divi--
dends flow over the border?
he demanded to know.

will never succeed in fmposing 2
capitalist society on the black and
yellow nations, Whea we de-
nounce impertalism, {ft is the

fessor Staughtan Lynd, who gave
a well-documented sceount of
American atrocities im Vietnam.

Among the speakers was
Sharon Sholsberg, president of
the McGill Students’ Sectety.

The last to give a full length
address was Daniel LaTouche,
president of the Union Generale
La-
Touche probably represented the
majority of those present,

He said demonstrations were
not enough and called for the
formation of a committee to send
material aid to the Vietnamese,
During the demonstrations and
meeting, 500 buttons were soldat
25 cents a piece, the proceeds
to go to Vietnam,

TORONTO

By STAN LYNN

TORONTO — “We have worked
well together; we must all work
well together in the future, We
are like small streams that
meander in their own course,
effecting no destiny, But to-
gether we are like the mighty
Niagara, We can be a power,

British Columbia's largest union,
ing about 26,000 forest workers in 8 coast locals met

demands for the upcoming negotiations.

"After scanning the IWA’s 16-
point docket of demands for im-
proved wage and working condi-
tions in a new contract, John
Billings, president of Forest In-
dustrial Relations, spokesman
and chief negotiator for the big
lumber barons, glumly observed
that negotiations with the IWA
this year might be ‘the most
difficult in years.”

Billings led off with the mis-
leading cisim that IWA demands
would cost the forest industry
$25 million or more 2 year, if
met,

IWA Regional President Jack
Moore made’short work of that
*hard luek” tate by potnting out
that recent surveys showed that
“seven major forest companies
in the province earned $553 mi}i-
lion in 1962 and by 1964 had
upped their total gross earuings
to $787 million, Or in other
words, after all taxes paid, these
lumber barons had netted them-
selves a 43.9 percent increase
in profit returns during the

Moore also pointed out that
MacMillan, -Bloedel and Powell
River alone, which had earned a
gross profit of $79.8 million in
1964, could themselves absorb
the entire cost of FWA demands
@and still wind up with a tidy
$40 million” for themselves,

Moore further pointed out that
MB&PR in recent times had in-

With these words, the Rev. A.H.
Fowlie of the Willowdale Uni-
tarian Congregation captured as
well as anyone could the moving,
enthusiastic spirit of the Toronto

vested $40 million or more in
Alabama, USA, plus additional
millions in Spain and other coun-
tries, investments which bring
no benefit to B.C, The IWA presi-
dent expressed the opinion,
shared by tens of thousands of
British Columbians, that it would
be better if such sums were cir~
culated in B,C., siace this is
where it comes from in the first
place.

TWA wage and other demands
to be incorporated in 2 new wage
contract, include the following
in part:

compileé by the IWA show that
productivity per man per year
in all sections of the industry
has increased by 50% or more
during the past seven years,
Simultaneously this produc-
tivity per man inerease hes
drastically decreased the wage
cost per unit of production,

In the sawmill section this
decreased wage cost per thou-
sand board feet has dropped
trom $21.78 to $17.31.

This is an angle the lumber
tycoons would just as soon not
‘talk about in wage negotia-
tions.

conference on “Canada’s Role in
Vietnam” on Feb, 19.

As a result of one of the main
conference decisions the “mighty |

LSTeR-Gi
YORE OE OUT
FROM UNDER MAA

' LABOR STATESMAN

"March 4, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE=

t profits justify demands’

the International Woodworkers of America, represent-
last weekend to draw up their contract

e A 50 cent an hour wage in-
crease on the present base rate
of $2.36 an hour,

e Three weeks vacation after
one year’s service, with pay
based on 8} percent of earnings.

Time off and increased percent-

age of pay would beincreased with
duration of service.

e Travel pay for loggers after
8} hours in place of 10 hours a5

~ at present,

e Implementation of acumula- —
tive sick pay plan; double-time
pay for all overtime instead of |
the present time-and-half pay —
provision; additional statutory —
holidays in the industry mills and —
camps, and increased differen=
tial pay of 15 cents an hoar, for
afternoon shifts, and 20 cents ot
hour on graveyard, H

e@ A contract provision gual-
anteeing that IWA members will
not be required to handle “hot”
products of strike-bound com-
panies, or to cross picket lines.

These and other IWA wage and —
contract demands were approved —
py the IWA wage and contract
conference held at the end of
February in Vancouver, Some —
26,000 lumber and sawmill work- —
ers in eight IWA locals are —
covered in the union’s Coast
master agreement which expires
in June, It is expected that ne-
gotiations on a new agreement
will get under way sometime this
month,

LS:

Niagara” spoken of by the Rete
Fowlie will thunder toward Ott@ }

"wa on Mar, 25-26 in s

demonstration linked to similsf
worldwide actions to be held # —
connection with Inte A
Days of Protest against the ¥:

nam war,

Morning  sesstons — peard ;
speeches on Canada’s role iB.
Vietnam. by two former

of the International Contror com |
mission, a university professoly
a leading member of the
General Students Union anda New
Democratic member of Parl —
ment, ;
A statement by Canadian authoF a
Farley Mowat was read to the
conference, t
Among its other decisions the 3
conference adopted a resoluti¢
which was wired to Prime Mi" —
ister Pearson: et
«Whereas the presence of thé i
United States in Vietnam and i —
undeclared war being waged thé '
constitute one of the mostb
acts of aggression in mode
history, and whereas the ©
adian government, through 40%
ning the mantle of peacekeeP®”
has been guilty of complictY
condoning these American ie
be it resolved that we dem t
of the Canadian government
it reverse its stand, that it?®,
nounce its present policy
willing complicity, and com
itself firmly to the stand that
Vietnamese people should cho?”
their own national, social
economic life inthe best tradi¥
of the right to self-deter A