THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER, 1974 OFFICERS OF LOCAL 1-367 IWA Haney are shown with Regional Ist Vice President Wyman Trineer (second from left) at the Local’s Annual Meeting September 29 in Haney. Group left, Mike Campbell, Recording Secretary; Trineer; Joe Fowler, President; Erik Wood, Financial Secretary; Gordon Claypool, 1st Vice President. HANEY OFFICERS WIN RE-ELECTION Top officers of Local 1-367 IWA Haney, were re-elected by acclamation at the Local’s Annual Meeting September 29, in Haney. Elected were Joe Fowler, President; Gordon Claypool, 1st Vice-President; Mike Frey- linger, 2nd Vice-President; Jack Vance, 3rd Vice-Presi- dent; Erik Wood, Financial Secretary; Mike Campbell, Recording Secretary; Dennis Huber, Warden; Ron Chequis, Conductor; Clem McCormick, Six-Year Trustee. Guest speaker at the meeting was IWA Regional 1st Vice- President Wyman Trineer who congratulated the officers on their Annual Report which he Stated, “‘reflected the fine job they were doing both in the Local Union and the com- munity in general.’ He went on to discuss the various wage settlements ‘made throughout the Regional Council. These were fine settlements, he stated, and were achieved by the new spirit of cooperation between the Local Unions and Regional Council. He touched briefly on the re- cent federal election and sug- gested that the poor showing of the New Democratic Party re- sulted more from the people wanting a majority govern- ment rather than any dis- enchantment with the NDP. Other business of the meet- ing included the election of delegates to various confer- ences, approving the Officers’, Trustees’ and Financial Re- ports, and making a presenta- tion of the Local Union Scholarships to the two win- ners. Winners of the Scholarships, which are awarded to high school graduates intending to continue their education, were Lorraine Kellock and Clark Granger whose parents work in the industry. The comprehensive Officers’ Report indicated that the finances of the Local were good and the membership level had remained constant. The report noted with pride that there had been no fatalities in IWA operations ,. - RANKIN FEARS NEW ASSESSMENT ACT during the past year and at- tributed the fine work of the Safety Committee for this splended achievement. The Local, the Report stated, ° had devoted a good deal of time and money in building up the Union’s public relations in the community. It took an active role in the United Appeal Fund raising campaign and spear- headed the drive to establish an eighty-four unit senior citizens’ housing development in the Maple Ridge area. ‘Through these projects the Local has built up the image of the organization to the point that it is now highly respected by all. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE IWA and the forest industry attending the Rate. Determi- = we Se nation Seminar September 28, in the Coach House Inn, North Vancouver. Purpose of the Seminar was to acquaint those in attendance with the study done on six coast pilot mills. SAWMILL | WAGE RATE SEMINAR A a REPORTING TO THE SEMINAR were these four representatives of Union and Management. They are ‘from left, Keith Bennett, . Vice- President of Forest Industrial Relations; Frank Paul, Forest Industrial Relations evaluator; Tony Vanderheide, IWA evalu- ator; Bob Blanchard, IWA Regional 3rd Vice-President. WINNERS OF LOCAL 1-367 SCHOLARSHIPS are Clark Granger who won the $200.00 Academic award and Lorraine Kellock who won the $200.00 Vocational award. The awards were presented at the Local’s Annual Meeting September 29, in Haney. By HARRY RANKIN Homeowners could be faced with enormous increases in taxes next year. It all depends on how and when the provincial government implements the new Assessment Act and the Assessment Authority of B.C. Act, both passed at the last session of the legislature. The new Assessment Act provided that in future, assess- ments on property and im- provements in B.C., will be based on 100 percent of actual value. Until now taxes for school purposes in Vancouver, for example, have been based on only 41 percent of market value today, but in practice the assessments of industrial and commercial properties have usually been far below their actual value with the result that they do not pay their fair share of taxes. If your taxes next year were based on the new assessed values and if no changes were made in the mill rate, your taxes could double or worse. The matter is supposed to be decided at the fall session of the legislature. It, in turn, is to hear a report of a property tax study committee headed by Carl Liden, MLA, which is currently holding public hearings. It has been obvious for some time that the commit- tee cannot possibly complete its report in time for the legislative session. Premier Barrett in his current public speaking tour of the interior has assured his IWA MEET SU their full support to the New A resolution submitted by L calling for the Regional Counci gates who voiced the opinion people. IWA Regional Convention delegates once again pledged in forthcoming elections won wide approval from the dele- party capable of looking after the needs of the working audiences that the tax reform will not be implemented if the committee’s report is not ready and if it appears that tax increases will be too great. We cannot anticipate what the committee will report or what the government has in mind by way of further tax reform. But we do need assurance from the govern- ment that next year’s taxes on homes will not continue: to spiral upward as they have in the past years. The Legislature can ensure that taxes on homes will-not be increased in 1975. Basing assessments on actual market value is sound in principle. But whether or not it is good for homeowners depends on how it is imple- mented. If and when the government implements its tax reform legislation it should be accom- panied by specific steps to carry out its election pledge that school taxes will be removed from homeowners within five years. Any basic tax reform must also include the provision that taxes on homes should be limited to those services directly related to homes such as water, sewers, garbage collection, police and fire protection. Revenues needed for general purposes other than this should come either from taxes on commercial and industrial properties or from increased provincial govern- ments grants or both. PPORTS NDP Democratic Party. ocal 1-357 New Westminster 1 to back all NDP candidates that the NDP was the only