awe & 2) Vee Pie THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Published once monthly as the official publication of fhe INTERNATIONAL Western Canadien Regional Council No. ? Atfitia 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver,6.C. IPhon Business Manager — Bob Schiesser Advertising Représentativ Forwarded to every member of the 1WA In Western Canada in accordance withicon\ Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. EDITORIAL sha INEPT LEADERSHIP HE PPWC officers got off to a good start in this year’s negotiations. Instead of looking to the IWA to support them during their upcoming negotiations they have raided us at Terrace. The raid was unsuccessful but that means nothing in the final analysis. The fact remains that during a time when they should be looking’ for cooperation from the IWA they turn around and mount a “nuisance raid” at Terrace. For anyone standing on the sidelines it is difficult to understand the idiocy demonstrated by the Executive of the PPWC. Raids cost _time and money. When a union is headed into the hardest set of negotiations it has faced in years it should know that now is not the time to start raiding; it is time to sit down with other unions that will be involved in negotiations and at least try to come up with some areas where cooperation is possible. No union, and that includes the IWA, can afford raids just before negotia- tions. It makes one wonder what calibre of leaders the PPWC has. It should be interesting to see how the PPWC Executive will explain the raid at Terrace. If they had won the raid then explanations would come easy, but the B.C. Labour Relations Board didn’t even allow the PPWC avote on the issue, which means they applied with less than fifty percent. Now the explanation becomes a little more difficult. How does any leadership justify the time and expense of a nuisance raid just prior to negotiations .. . it would certainly be an interesting con- versation to hear. ; A good suggestion for the leadership would be to get their heads: back on straight and start representing the membership in a more dedicated and intelligent manner instead of glory seeking through expensive and useless raids. The PPWC may have cruised through negotiations in the past by riding on the back of the IWA but this year it’s a different ball game and it is going to be every union for itself at that table. The Canadian Labour Con- warned the economic hardships facing Canada this year will be worse than 1974. . In its annual memorandum to the federal government, March 24, the CLC said there is a strong possibility ‘‘we may have an inflation rate of about 12 per cent accompanied by an unemployment rate of over seven per cent,” It predicted virtually no real increase in economic growth _ for the year and a continuation in the sharp decline of exports. In response to rosy forecasts for the country’s economy the CLC said “Many Canadians have been misled and lulled into a state of complacency by reports in the media which - often overlook the important fact that we need much greater and hence job creations : in any other country in order to meet our problem of = labour force expansion.” The rejected the ne gate adler ; shortage of 4 zg out that at the end of I-time job vacancies 71,200 while the total of unemployed per- DICTS DIANS wea : ee As a longer-term approach to curbing unemployment the memorandum urged immedi- ate expansion of the country’s secondary- manufacturing industry to process a much lar- ger share of primary and semi- _ processed products before they enter export markets. ‘‘Far too high a proportion of our indus- try is concentrated in highly capital-intensive undertakings which employ relatively few workers,”’ it said. The CLC called for improved manpower policies and pro- grams to promote healthier labour markets, thus reducing unemployment and easing inflationary pressures. ‘‘Until manpower centres across the country are fully capable of matching unemployed workers with vacant jobs ... imbal- ances between supply and demand will continue and thus contribute to maintaining a high unemployment rate,” it said. Additional tax reductions to lower and middle income ear- ners and an immediate $50 monthly increase for old age pensioners were proposed to stimulate consumer purchas- ing power in a ‘short-term approach to reducing unem- ployment. The CLC advocated prompt adoption of an adequate guaranteed annual income (GAI) to cover all people deprived of a decent standard of living as a means of stimulating economy. The Congress opposed wage and price controls saying wor- kers must catch up in 1975 to encompass not only for infla- tion but also to redress ‘‘the inequitable shares of income as between wages and salaries on the one hand and corporate and other forms of income on the other.” “We have taken a strong position that wages of all wor- kers, whether organized or unorganized, should be fully ‘indexed in relation to the Con- sumer Price Index,” the CLC brief said. LIGHTER SIDE Sawmill Sue thinks she will never understand men. Seems that a logger friend of hers — who hadn’t kissed his wife in five years just shot a fellow who did. MARCH, 1975 Come to think of it...I ain’t seen th’ superintendent since we started working th’ side hills! Tax rebaters will be receiv- ing increased attention from the B.C. Department -of Con- sumer Services following the introduction of a Regulation under the Trade Practices Act. Phyllis. Young, Minister of Consumer Services, declared that: the Regulation will allow courts to look into tax rebate schemes where the consumer . receives such a small amount from the rebater that the result is judged to be “harsh or inequitable’ to the taxpayer. “It’s not a total answer,” said Ms. Young. ‘‘Ottawa has. all the power in the world to put these rebaters out of business, but the federal authorities are taking forever to crack down on these outfits.” The Minister observed that the new power will help con- sumers and the Department fight the worst cases of rebate buying where effective annual interest rates rise far above consumer loan rates. “This is not the first year that tax buyers have operated in this province,” the Minister said. “But this year there seems fo be a new twist to their operations. In previous years, a person who sold his refund for an agreed percentage — say 50% — usually received that 50% in cash immediately, as the ads promised.” “This year people are selling’ their refunds in the same man- ner and we think under the same impression. But, instead of getting their full percentage now, many of them are only getting a small part of it now and have to wait for the rest of that 50 or whatever percent until the whole refund cheque is received by the tax buyer from Ottawa.” “Because of the economic downturn we are experiencing today,” the Minister stated, “we fear that many more people may be victimized by these unscrupulous operators than ever before.” “There are people who have been laid off their jobs recently, have refunds coming, and may be tempted to go to these people.’ “‘We urge everyone to avoid all tax rebaters.”’ “Mail. your forms to Ot- tawa,”’ the Minister said, ‘‘and wait for the whole refund. You : have earned it, it is your money.” RADIO STATION “HOT” The B.C. Federation of Labour has- declared CKLG “hot”’. The Federation’s decla- ration is in support of Local 686 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, on strike since February 1st at the Van- couver radio station. In declaring CKLG “hot’’, the Federation is urging all trade unionists and other fair- minded British Columbians to completely boycott this radio station until the management recognizes their employees’ right to union representation through negotiating a first col- lective agreement. The Federation is calling upon all trade unionists to support the striking workers by refusing any dealings with CKLG. Many advertisers have already cancelled their adver- tising on CKLG. The Federa- tion asks all remaining adver- tisers to show their respect for the right of workers to trade union representation by can- celling their advertising until a first collective agreement is negotiated. 2 aie