12 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 38,000 copies printed in this issue. Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOQDWORKERS OF AMERICA Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1 Affiliated with AFL-C1O-CLC 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261 Editor — Pat Kerr Business Manager — Fred Fieber Advertising Representatives — Elizabeth Spencer Associates Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post-Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. E>? EDITORIAL SUPPORT THIS MAN! 1 DOUGLAS has agreed to accept the NDP nomination for the forth- coming by-election ichan-The Islands. The people of that riding, recently deprived of one of Canada’s most able parliamentarians by the death of Colin Cameron, are indeed fortunate to have been offered the services of T. C. Douglas. There can be little doubt that thousands of electors who are not generally sup- porters of the NDP will take this oppor- tunity to secure Tommy’s services. But members and supporters of the NDP have. even more to be grateful for in Tommy’s decision to accept the nom- ination, and must therefore provide for him their last ounce of energy and their last dollar in financial support for the in Nanaimo-Cow- election. Delegates to the IWA convention in Vancouver have already made a sub- stantial donation to Tommy’s election fund. That is as it should be, for no group owes more fo “T.C.” than trade unionists, and no group can expect to benefit more from his reappearance in the House. Every Canadian stands to gain from Tommy’s participation in our Federal parliament, and we can therefore expect many Liberal and Conservative votes. But we cannot expect money or elec- tion workers from those quarters. Such essential contributions, never more richly deserved by any Canadian, must come from the usual sources. Critics of the IWA, who like to dwell on our internal differences, will find no division of opinion on this score, nor will they find the IWA wanting in our grateful supply of every possible kind of support. Given that support, Tommy will re- turn triumphant to Ottawa, and that will come as close as anything possibly could to reconciling us to the tragic loss of Colin Cameron. __. CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE I’d hate to be stuck up on one of them carriers .. . the foreman knows exactly what yer doin’ all day! UNSAFE BRIDGE CLOSED BY WORKERS' JOB ACTION Construction workers’ pro- tests about unsafe working conditions on a_ $2,500,000 bridge reconstruction project have caused it to be closed to traffic. UNION MEMBERSHIP Involved in the walkouts were members of the Labour- ers, Carpenters, Ironworkers and Operating Engineers Unions. Labourers Interna- tional Union, Local 183, was a leading spokesman in the disputes. Local 183 Business Man- ager Gerry Gallagher and Safety Director Norbert Pike finally demanded that Metro- politan Toronto Roads Depart- ment close -the bridge to traf- fic. They insisted this was necessary for the safety of both the workers and the pub- lic because vibrations and other conditions threatened a collapse of the old and rotten concrete bridge decking. A management-run organi- zation, the Construction Safe- ty Association of Ontario, then surprised almost every- one by giving full support to Local 183’s demand. The CSAO throughout the dis- putes had repeatedly tried to give advice to the general con- tractor, Raney, Brady Limited but the contractor rejected the advice. WORKERS INJURED Several workers were in- jured by falling pieces of con- crete and boards. Safety in- spectors and Roads Depart- ment officials issued several stop-work orders and orders to correct unsafe conditions after the various walkouts. The bridge carries traffic across the Don Valley Park- way in the area known as Leaside. The contractor has started an action before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, seek- ing leave to prosecute. Its re- ‘ building became necessary when chunks of concrete from the decking started falling from the structure. It was de- cided at the same time to enlarge it from four to six lanes. PLAN TO REOPEN If the contractor is able to rebuild the southern half of the bridge before winter, the Roads Department plans to reopen that section then. Otherwise, it will have to wait until next spring. The unions are apt to oppose reopening until the whole job is com- pleted. The contractor has started an action before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, seek- ing permission to prosecute Local 183 for allegedly illegal work stoppages. UNIONS UP MEMBERSHIP For the first time last year union membership in Canada passed the two million mark. Last January total union membership was reported to be 2,010,000 in a labour de. partment survey. This figure represents 33.1 percent of the non-agricultural workers jn Canada. es Bato