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THE WESTERN CANADIAN

WU Ly Lt

Incorporating “/e B.C. Lumberworker Official Publication of the Jaternatlenal Woodworkers of rbmertea Regional Council No. 1

VOL. XVII, No. 24

VANCOUVER, B.C.

Se PER COPY

2nd Issue
December, 1961

1-71 Loggers Outline
Years Program

The Annual Delegated Meeting of the Loggers’ Local, 1-71, held
in Vancouver, December 20-21, drew a fully representative attend-
ance from coast logging camps and with business-like efficiency
dealt with a wide range of loggers’ problems submitted in the

officers’ reports and 160 resolutions from the various camps.

It became obvious, during the dis-
cussion on by-law changes, that the
majority of the delegates agreed with
the statement of Regional Secretary-
Treasurer Fred Fieber that the pro-
cedures adopted by the Local Union
to meet unusual circumstances had
proved wholly democratic. Hence-
forth, the annual gathering will be
designated as the “Annual Delegated
Meeting”. Not only the representa-
tion from coast logging camps, but
also the discussions gave evidence of
a lively interest on the part of a far-
flung membership in the Local’s
affairs and policies.

The 70 delegates in attendance
disposed of an impressive agenda in
the two days allotted for the pro-
ceedings. Although lively debate
arose On various issues, the recom-
mendations of a competent Resolu-
tions Committee were almost invari-
ably adopted with a high degree of
unanimity.

Highlights of the convention were:

Recommended Local Union by-
law changes including one to in-
crease the initiation fee to $10.00.

Adoption of an Executive Board
recommendation to the effect that
one Health and Welfare plan cover
all lumber workers in the eight coast
Local Unions involved in the coast
negotiations,

Approval of an Executive Board
recommendation with respect to the
preservation of the forty-hour work

WHAT'S
INSIDE
PADERS (os..3.-5: 2
Milestone... 3
Views ............ 4
Quacks ...... 5
Brief ............ 6
Locals. et
Calendar . 8

week, and requiring mutual consent
for overtime.
Decision to continue annual dele-

‘gated meetings for the Local Union.

Renewal of the demand that
loggers be allowed to deduct from
their taxable income moneys spent

See “PROGRAM” Page 2

Per Capita
Tax Raised

The AFL - CIO convention
voted a 2-cent increase in the
monthly per capita tax paid by
national and international unions.
This decision raises the per
¢apita tax from 5 cents to 7
cents a month.

The increase was recommen-
ded by the Constitution Com-
mittee and approved mainly be-
cause of new commitments
undertaken to expand the “or-
ganization of the unorganized”.
Normal operating costs have
also increased.

AFL-CIO Urges
Increase In
Organizing

Each affiliate of the AFL-
CIO has been urged to step up
its organizing activity and to
assist companion unions in their
organizing campaigns. The re-
cent convention pledged a
greater commitment of man-
power time and money to the
purpose than ever before.

Closely co-ordinated organizing
programs were declared necessary to
prevent the employer from turning
potential union victory to union de-
feat through a last-minute scare-
and-hate program.

Organization Director Livingston
made a significant report in which he
Stated that labour has not been
standing still. More than a million
and one-half workers have been or-
ganized since the 1955 merger, he
stated. These gains have been largely
offset by membership losses through
technological changes and plant
shut-downs. He added that the trade
unions have not been moving ahead
as fast as they should.

Untapped Potential
President Meany stated that
labour’s greatest organizing poten-
tial outside of the retail and service
trades, which are expanding, is in
See “ORGANIZING” Page 2

Labour’s Door Now Open
To Expelled Unions

The AFL-C1O convention resolution which dealt with the proposed re-
admittance of the Teamsters’ Union and other expelled affiliates stated:

“Resolved, that the Executive Council is instructed, if, as and when
any of these unions make proper application for re-affiliation with the
AFL-CIO, to give consideration to such application in the light of the
existing rules of the Federation, and the facts concerning the current
situation within such union, and to proceed with such re-affiliation under
conditions that will fully protect the rights of all affiliates under the AFL-
CIO Constitution and assure the complete observance by such union of
all the provisions of the AFL-CIO Constitution and the rules, laws, stan-
dards and policies of the Federation.”

MESSAGE

OUTLOOK

By JOE MORRIS
i is impossible to agree with industrial leaders in their sugary fore-
casts for 1962. From the trade union viewpoint the situation is
one that still requires a massive national effort to get the economy
off what labour has termed “the roller coaster of frequent recessions
and aborted recoveries”. The outlook is no less challenging than
disclosed at the opening of 1961.

The most chilling feature of business forecasts has been the bland
acceptance of mass unemployment as an accompaniment to recovery.
Increases in sales volume, production and profits are all anticipated.
The predictions give little thought to any substantial alleviation of
joblessness which affects ten per cent or more of the working force.
The economic consequences of unemployment have again been
brushed under the rug.

The word recovery is a misnomer while one in every twelve among
Canadian workers is idle. Continuing mass unemployment is one of
the chief obstacles in the way of genuine economic recovery.

Many of the expectations of an upturn from recession are based
on a sharp increase in output per man-hour of work. The result is
that production outruns any increase in jobs. Employers prefer to
return toward full work-week schedules, before recalling any large
number of laid-off workers or hiring new employees.

While unemployment increases, the available work force is in-
creasing rapidly. Young people are seeking entry into employment
in Jarge numbers. Technological advances are displacing an increas-
ing number of workers.

The rate of economic growth is too slow to provide any effective
remedy for this waste of human resources and loss of consumer
buying power. The achievement of a dynamic expanding full em-
ployment and full production economy is a matter of the greatest
national urgency in 1962. This situation should be given the highest
national priority.

Organized labour cannot rest until every unemployed worker in
Canada, able and willing to work, is back on the job at decent wages
and with good working conditions. We have to make clear that the
one thing we cannot afford in Canada, our greatest waste, is the size
of unemployment and idle capacity.

We may well ask ourselves—why do we have mass unemploy-
ment? It is not because all our people have satisfied their needs for
adequate living standards. We need increased facilities to safeguard
health, better housing, better education and modernized homes. The
simple fact is that our productive capacity has outrun our purchasing

ower.

Thousands of Canadian families have tremendous needs but they
lack the means to translate their needs into effective demand. Any-
thing that restricts the right of the workers to move ahead in terms
of better wage income adds to the negative forces that promote re-
cession.

When we look at the income distribution, we realize that the

See “OUTLOOK” Page 4

LISTEN TO

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