AL Nee tS eS APPEAL FOR JUSTICE T* appeal in the name of the Regional President urging IWA Local Unions to support two strikes conducted by Local 1-417 IWA is an appeal to fight a dangerous trend. Local 1-417, Salmon Arm, has been compelled to challenge a wave of employers’ opposition to trade unionism in the Interior of the province. The two operations on strike are only two of many where the employers have denied the most elementary rights of organization to their employees. The issues in _ these strikes centre on trade union recognition and the freedom of collective bargaining. In a number of other operations, the fight for justice has also required the Union to call for action by the courts. If the anti-union employers prevail, the Union will suffer a disastrous setback in the Interior where forestry operations are rapidly expanding. A setback in the Interior will cause incalculable damage to coast workers, in view of the growing com- petition of Interior production. It is well to note the circumstances which provoked a strike at the North Kamloops mill. After the operation was certified, the employer re- fused to bargain with the IWA. The Union‘s representa- tives were never given the opportunity to meet the em- ployer face to face. In the absence of bargaining talks, the Local Union appealed for the services of a Conciliation Officer. Even the Conciliation Officer could not persuade the employer to meet the Negotiating Committee. In despair, he recommended the Southern Interior agreement. The employer never even bothered to ask for super- vision ‘of the strike vote, which gave a decisive majority for strike action. Since the strike has been in progress the employer has stalled the Union’s attempts to negotiate a settle- ment, although the IWA has expressed readiness to discuss the issues with him. or The employer is attempting to employ strikebreakers, principally from among younger people who have gained little appreciation of trade unionism. This flagrant violation of the Labour Relations Act appears to have received little official attention and is being duplicated by other employers in the area. It’s the kind of fight the IWA cannot afford to lose. WIPE SLATE CLEAN NOW that the “sound and fury” of the Union’s election campaign is over, it is the part of wisdom to wipe the slate clean and get on with the Union’s job. The members have rendered their verdict. The voice of the members has been heard on the side of unity in Regional Council. Hatchets that were sharpened for the election contest should now be buried to permit har- monious co-operation in the solution of urgent problems affecting the membership. What does it profit the Union that old arguments should now be kept at hysterical pitch to retard progress in the betterment of conditions? Never was it made clearer that the majority of the members knew WHAT they were voting for in deciding WHO they would support. The members of the IWA in Western Canada have called for prompt, constructive and united action through the Regional Executive Board on the pressing problems of job security. hly as the official publication of the <=>? ublished SW TSNAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA, i i -C1O-CLC ional Council No. 1, Affiliated with AFL : Matern Cantal Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 2nd Issue Nov. 1964 PRESIDENT'S |DESK On with the job By JACK MOORE SINCERELY appreciate the confidence shown in me and my colleagues by the membership referendum for election of Re- gional Officers. I will endeavour to be worthy of this confidence and serve the interests of IWA members faithfully in the manner they have determined by will of the majority. The interest shown by members of our Union during the referen- dum was most gratifying. I believe that this interest provided evidence that our members are deeply con- cerned because of the urgent problems facing our organi- zation in every operation. They are more concerned about solutions for these problems than personalities. They are weary of delaying arguments and demand action at the Re-— gional level that clearly denotes unity of purpose. To the best of my ability, I will work for such unity in the constructive effort planned by our Regional Convention. I must add my personal appreciation of the excellent and efficient work done by so many members of the Local Union balloting committees as well as the Regional Tabulat- ing Committee. The task of conducting the referendum ballot throughout so many opera- tions was not an easy task. The size of the vote is proof that the work was well done. It again furnishes proof that the IWA func- tions well as a trade union democracy. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? T IS most gratifying that the vote is a mandate to carry out the policies which I have advocated. I will make every effort to ensure that this mandate from the mem- bership is implemented without. delay. We know now that principles embodied in our Constitution were upheld by the mem- bership. It is the will of the membership that policy decisions shall be determined by majority rule. Individual members have the right to criticize the policies and personal- ities of the Union’s officers and Executive Boards — and in the IWA he has this un- questioned right. This does not include the right to undermine the Union as an insti- tution. This means that each IWA member should support wholeheartedly and intel- ligently the Union’s collective bargaining goals arrived at by democratic processes to express the majority opinion. I believe it to be the will of the member- ship that Local Unions should endeavor to achieve effective co-ordination at the Re- gional level on issues of common welfare. The existence of master agreements, made possible through industry-wide bargaining, requires that we should strengthen these QUOTE I I Savings have always been | the basis of economic prog- | ress; access to credit is, toa | degree, a substitute for sav- | ings. The experience of man- | aging, controlling and using | one’s own savings and credit ! can give a person a sense of I self-dependence that few other experiences do. | 1 —Perry Voorhis The haunted hall agreements by working together for in- dustry-wide standards with an industry- wide pressure. IMMEDIATE AND URGENT PROBLEMS Rapidly changing methods of production with the introduction of new machines and automatic processes compels us to act promptly in protection of the job security of our members. We must use the means at hand in our master agreement to complete the rate re- vision for new jobs and those with changed content. It is our responsibility to prevent the downgrading of workers while jobs are being up-graded. The industry’s plan to re- vise rates in the logging section should be completed as quickly as possible that we may give early attention to similar prob- lems in the sawmill section. Successful rate revision of this kind will require co-or- dinated effort to gain reasonable uniform- ity and the maximum protection for all the workers concerned. I note that the Board of Industrial Re- lations has announced a hearing for First Aid Attendants. It is most unfortunate that the problems of First Aid Attendants in our in- dustry have been temporarily shelved be- cause of disagreement over methods, The op- portunity now exists to clear up any mis- understanding on this score and get our. own First Aid Attendants everywhere in the industry a better deal. TRAINING PROGRAMS OVERDUE Our Regional Convention issued clear- cut instructions with regard to training pro- grams. I now propose that we immediately follow those instructions as they apply to the Millwrights’ Apprenticeship Training Pro- gram. Any further delay will seriously jeop- ardize the job security of many millwrights who have earned seniority. Men with no seniority are now training for the new tech- nological requirements that enables them to challenge successfully the competence of men with first-class skills now being rendered obsolete. ‘ We cannot pretend that men can sud- denly acquire these new skills without some training. Such training should be made available without loss of wages. It will carry with it the opportunity to quali- fy for a higher rate on the job. As stated before, our plans provide for practical tests for experienced men who may dread writ- ten tests. _ On such an important issue there are bound to be differences of opinion. Our pres- ent job is to set aside futile argument, and make the best of our bargaining strength by pooling the best ideas from the workers in- volved to get a workable working plan. One important feature of this plan is that it opens the door to more comprehensive planning for all those seeking admittance to the new skilled categories. | | I 1 | “You don’t remember the Wobblies. You were too ; young. Or else not even born yet. There has never been anything like them, before or since. They called them- | selves materialist-economists, but what they really were | was a religion. They were working-stiffs and bindlebums | like you and me, but they were welded together by a : | I Se vision we don’t possess.” (From “Here to Eternity” by James Jones.)