THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER, 1974

ordination of the International
Union.

One of the most important
contributions of the Research

Department has been the:

development of a system of
costing the contract demands
and bargaining gains during
the 1974 negotiations.
Unfortunately, the  in-
formation necessary to per-
form accurate costing was un-
available during previous
negotiations in Region 1. But
during the 1974 Coast Master
Agreement negotiations the
Research Department per-
formed full costing of the
package using data obtained
from Local Unions and other
sources. The Research Depart-
ment also carried out costing

for the Southern Interior and

Northern Interior negotiations.
This data was useful to the
negotiating committee as a
check on employers’ economic
arguments against various
union proposals. It also
assisted the Union negotiators
in assessing the relative im-
portance of their demands.

Because of the extensive
work which was completed for
the 1974 negotiations, a system
of costing has now been de-
veloped which will be useful in
future negotiations.

The Department was
responsible for additional tech-
nical matters connected with
the 1974 negotiations. The most
important of these was the
drafting of the Cost-of-Living
Allowance (COLA) clause,
which will protect the pur-
chasing power of the Wood-
worker’s pay cheque from the
ravages of inflation during the
coming year. The Department
also provided the negotiating
committees with information
on the economic condition of
the industry for use in
economic arguments with the
employers. :

In order to help the member- ~

ship to understand the tech-
nical operations of the union
the Research Department
participated in a number of
shop steward schools during
the first half of 1974, including
those sponsored by the Kam-
loops, Victoria, New West-
minster and Vancouver
Locals. Classes were held on
the economics of the 1974 nego-
tiations, cost-of-living allow-
ance clauses and grievance
procedure and arbitration.

The Research Department
has also assisted Local Unions
with technical information on a
wide variety of subjects re-
quired in the day-to-day busi-
ness of the Local. Requests for
assistance have ranged from
studies of market and price in-

whom the Local Union has
collective agreements to
in the defense of a
Local Union from lawsuit.

_ During the courtroom trial the
Research Department pre-

nted testimony based on
information

3 REPORT OF
OFFICERS’ REPORT COMMITTEE

The members of the Officers’ Report Committee have taken a close look at the Officers’

Report and foundit to be a generally good report. In dealing with the report the committee
makes the following comments. F

GENERAL

It was noted that three strikes are in progress within the Region and the Committee
urges all-out support of these disputes in order that favourable settlements can be
reached in the near future. The committee took serious note of the fact that 10,000 I.W.A.
members are laid off as a result of market conditions in the forest industry and the com-
mittee recommends that all levels of government be pressed to ensure full employment in
the industry.

: RATE-REVISIONS — COAST AND INTERIOR

The committee commends the Coast and Interior negotiating committees for their work

done on revising a number of categories in the past year.

COAST NEGOTIATIONS _.
The committee commends the Coast Negotiating committee for the final settlement and
the display of solidarity during negotiations. -
The committee is concerned over the number of outstanding problems to be resolved as
a result of this year’s negotiations.
It was noted on the committee that there was some disapproval of the percentage in-

crease instead of an across-the-board wage increase as directed by the Wages and Con-
tract Conference.

SOUTHERN INTERIOR NEGOTIATIONS
The committee finds that the Southern Interior settlement maintained parity and in

some areas surpassed the Coast. It is noted that a short strike took place to achieve these
results.

NORTHERN INTERIOR N EGOTIATIONS

The same settlement as the Coast and South with the exception of sawmill evaluation
and these negotiations took place with the industry being faced with declining markets.

Se PRAIRIE PROVINCES
The committee finds the Officers were remiss in not giving any details in regards to
negotiations.

EVALUATION
The Committee notes that all areas in the Region are now covered by some form of
grouping or evaluation and feels the time has come for a detailed report to be made to the
Regional Convention. :

As a result of the expansion of these programs further seminars are very important to
bring the membership up-to-date on these changes.

POLITICAL EDUCATION
The committee is very concerned with the lack of interest in political education and
action, taking place throughout our Regional Council, and reminds the delegates that all
gains made during negotiations could be lost with the defeat of the NDP government.
To this end, the Committee recommends that all Locals affiliate to the NDP, and also

the Regional Officers re-activate the Political Education Committee in this Region as
soon as possible.

PENSION
The committee notes that pensions are being paid to 840 retired members.

The committe also finds all Plans in sound financial condition, and recommends to the

Officers that they explore ways and means of protecting the present pension benefits from
inflation.

ORGANIZATION

The committee took note of the 2,200 members organized in the past year and com-
mends the organizational staff for a job well done.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
The committee finds that since the last convention a lot of work has been accomplished
by these two departments, and hopes to see further expansion over the next year.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
The committee commends the Officers for the establishment of this department. The
committee feels that the I.W.A. display should be enlarged to get a proper message across
to the public, and hopes that the Negotiating Committees will utilize this department to
the fullest extent to ensure proper and accurate press coverage during negotiations.

FINANCES . :
The committee is pleased to note that the Region is running in the black at the present

time, but due to lay-offs and increased costs facing the organization, we feel that the
Region should run within a very tight budget.

LADIES’ AUXILIARY 3
The committee wishes to thank the Ladies’ Auxiliary for a job well done in the past year

ane ee onnends that the membership encourages their families to become more in-
volved.

‘LUMBER WORKER’

The committee feels the ‘Lumber Worker’ has provided good news coverage to the
membership. However, the committee recommends that the paper be utilized more to
ensure that coverage of progressive legislation of the N.D.P. government be explained.

In conclusion, the committee finds that some directives from the last Regional Con-
vention have not been carried out. These programs should be reported on at this Con-

vention and become top priority.
RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Evaluation and Grouping Departments make a report to be studied by a committee
at the next Regional Convention.

2: That the Regional Officers and Executive Board draw up stronger balloting rules to
ensure the problems faced with the 1974 negotiations balloting are not repeated.

Submitted by the Officers’ Report Committee,
H. Jaeck, Chairman; T. Smith, Secretary.

damage claims against the —
Local Union.

The Department plans to
continue to provide these
services to the Local Unions of
Region 1 during the coming
year. In addition, the Depart-.
ment hopes to expand and
refine the economic data to be
used in the 1975 negotiations.
This is particularly important

-in view of the depressed

economic conditions facing the
wood products industry in
September, 1974.

EDUCATION .

Since February of this year
there has been increased ac-
tivity in education among the
various Locals of the I.W.A.
Quite a number of schools have
been held throughout the
Region.

The demand for Shop
Stewards schools is an ever-
increasing one due to younger

"and newer members coming to

the forefront in the various
Locals. People coming into the
industry and leaving the in-
dustry present a lot of prob-
lems to the various executives.
The constant changes in
leadership on the shop floor or
workplace requires a con-
tinuing ongoing steward
training program as_ the-
recently trained steward or
committeeman is _ constantly
being replaced by one with:
little or no experience resulting
in the need for a continuance of
these very essential schools.

Up to the present schools
have been held in Parksville,
Prince George, Williams Lake,
100 Mile House, Quesnel, The
Pas, Prince Albert, Victoria,
Red Deer, Houston, Fort St.
James, Fraser Lake, Vancou-
ver, Tahsis, Zeballos, Gold
River, Ucluelet, Cyper River,
Port Alberni, MacKenzie,
Dawson Creek, Golden, Fort

MacLeod, Grande Prairie and
Kelowna.

Our International office has
also been very active in con-
ducting classes throughout the
Region and has worked with
the various Locals and the Re-
gional office to that effect.

Arrangements are underway
for classes in other areas in the
Region. It is to be hoped that

.the continuing needs of the

various Locals with respect to
education can be met in the
months ahead and that the par-
ticipation by our members will
continue on a high level.

Work on the revising and up-
dating of the Stewards and
Committeemen’s Handbook is
just completed. It is to be ex-
pected that the new edition will’
be available fairly soon.
Material and information was
made available from the vari-
ous Federations of Labour and
Labour departments. Contri-
butions to the handbook were
made by many people in the
organization and it is to be
hoped that the handbook will
provide some substantial guid-
ance and information for our
Committeemen and Stewards.

See “OFFICERS” p-15