LUMBER &. x j Bs: ‘THE WESTERN CANADIAN © WORKER AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. Vol. XXXVI, No. 17 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY BROADWAY chk=2s30 PRINTERS LTO. 1st Issue September, 1968 LABOUR By JACK MOORE Regional President | ABOUR DAY was instituted as a nation- al holiday to remind the public of labour’s worth in building the nation’s economic strength. Within labour circles it is customary to review trade union progress and forecast the foreseeable future. As Labour Day this year immediately precedes the IWA Regional Convention, the Union’s accomplishments during the past year furnish the background for con- vention decisions charting the Union’s course for the year ahead. IWA membership strength in Western Canada has continued to climb. It now exceeds 38,000. On our 25th anniversary, 1962, this figure was 32,000. This growth indicates that our Union has aggressively continued to organize the unorganized in B.C. as well as in the prairie provinces despite active employer opposition in the small operations, which remained unor- ganized. Equally impressive is the increase in IWA base rates on which our wage struc- ture rests. The recent Coast settlement establishes a base rate of $3.12 on June 15, 1969. In 1962 our base rate was $1.92. We have increased earnings by $1.20 an nour in six years. _ Over and above this rate increase across the board, rate revisions have in- _ creased category rates over a wide range as high as an additional 30 cents an hour fin some instances. We have secured progressive in- ‘creases in tradesmen’s rates until today _ the top rates approximate $4.25 an hour. ¥ THEY MARCHED TO VICTORY—See Page 3 As we list all the benefits affecting working conditions added to the contract during this period, we may well claim that the Coast Master Agreement excels any woodworkers’ contract in the world. The Interior base rate, which was 50 cents an hour below the Coast rate, has now been raised to $2.98 an hour January 1, 1970, 14 cents an hour below the coast rate and with contract expiration date in June. JACK MOORE Likewise, hourly wage rates in the Al- berta and Saskatchewan notoriously low- wage areas, have been brought into a healthier relation to the B.C. rates. Wage increases secured in six years, 1962-68, surpass the wage increases for the 13-year period 1949 to 1962 by 36 cents an hour. The growing strength and solidarity of the Union reflected in negotiating pres- sures has set a record of which the West- ern Canadian Regional Council may well be proud. As we look to the future, the preserva- tion of IWA unity assumes paramount im- portance that we may take full advantage of the accelerated momentum of the last six years to move forward into still greater accomplishments. As the composition of our member- ship is constantly undergoing change with many new members not associated with past struggles, greater pains will be necessary to involve them more closely in the Union’s future negotiations. As our demands originate with the membership and our recommended set- tlements must always find majority ap- proval, we must more thoroughly weld the membership into a cohesive whole. The great majority of IWA members have stamped their approval on the gains that stand to the credit of a union that traditionally has functioned by the rule of the majority. Our Union can only maintain its vitality as it makes adequate preparation to up- hold majority rule.