VOL. XLI No. 3 VANCOUVER, B.C. March, 1973 ) MS Bloedel, LOCAL 1-85 IWA Executive Board iP eeting March 9 prior to the Local’s Annual Meeting. Top row (left to right): E. Roest, B. Forbes, E. Clarke, H. Robertson, H. Freer, H. Nedergard, M. Kokura, H. Sester, R. Stryvoke, V. Boucher, D. Clark. Bottom row (left to right): B. Muir, H. Jonasson, E. Foxcroft, W. Anderson, L. Larson, B. Gagnon. " SOMASS CREW SHUTS DOWN PLANT TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING PROBLEM Members of Local 1-85 IWA Port Alberni employed at the Somass Division of Macmillan shut down the operation March 9 to support the heavy duty mechanics fight .~ to obtain the same job rates in the mill as those paid to heavy duty mechanics in the logging camps. The job action has resulted in the Company holding: “‘high level’’ meetings with the Union to resolve the impasse. The dispute developed last year when the Company designated Somass as a heavy duty shop and insisted that the apprentices obtain heavy duty mechanic tickets. The order was complied with but after the mechanies had obtained their tickets, the Company refused their request for the logging camp heavy duty mechanic rates on the ground that the jobs were not similar. The officers of the Local » attempted to resolve the eS: : ge | $: er, Wes | 2} um eS a i] =8 ie | | eERES g is Ww ; SE!) @50as we | ca “a ig ORK THE LUMBER W 659 Commerc ORE 2 RETURN REQUESTED matter but the Company remained adamant in its position. The problem finally came to a head when seven of the mechanics were suspended March 9. This action aroused the rest of the crew who im- mediately walked off the job in support of the mechanics. Following the walk out, the Company notified the Local oficers that no further’ talks would be held until the crew returned to work. The officers then arranged for a mass meeting of the crew March 12 in the Paramount Theatre in Port Alberni to ensouls the situation. At the meeting Local Presi- dent Earl Foxcroft and Plant Chairman Mike Kokura gave a, run down on what had taken place and the number of meetings held with the Com- pany ‘in an effort to resolve the legitimate grievance of the mechanics. _ After wide discussion from all sides the meeting voted to return to work on the afternoon shift provided the officers could get assurance from the Company that it would meet with the Local and Regional officers in a genuine effort to solve the problem. These meetings are now being held and progress is being made to have the job rate based on the principle of the ticket rather than the type of work. IWA BACKS BILL 42 The IWA Regional Executive Board voted at its last meeting February 27-28, to support the Provincial government policy of preserving the province’s prime land for the purpose of farming. The B.C. Federation of Labour also called on all trade unionists to take part in the Federation’s program in support of the Land Com- mission Act. In making the announcement, the Federation described the Act as ‘‘one of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced in this province’’. Secretary- -Treasurer Ray Haynes stated: “Our Executive Board, including our Executive Council plus representatives of all labour. councils around the province, met on Sunday and discussed the Land Commission Act. The board unanimously, and in the strongest possible terms, endorsed this legislation. We . believe this legislation is vitally necessary to the future of B.C. to protect and preserve the land in this province for our children and their children. We are going to make sure that trade unionists and other in- terested citizens hear the facts about the importance of this legislation. “In the past few weeks we have seen a carefully or- chestrated campaign by the land speculators and their paid spokesmen to misrepresent the Act to the people. We are going to do everything possible to see that the truth overcomes these deceptions. Our Federation will shortly issue and distribute factual material and labour councils will be holding public meetings in com- munities throughout the province. In this way, we hope to do our part to rally public support for the Land Com mission Act.” FOR IWA PENSION PLAN MINISTER TO STUDY UNION REQUEST TO RELAX REGULATION Regional President Jack Moore reports that the Honourable Robert Stanbury, Minister of National Revenue, indicated before a joint IWA- Forest Industry delegation in ~ Ottawa, March 20, a willing- ness to have his department investigate the possibility of relaxing the federal pension plan regulation which locks in participants in company pen- sion plans. Under the regulation, IWA members in present company plans will have their money ‘“‘frozen’’ when the Forest Industry Pension Plan becomes: operative next June 15. The Union has argued that these members should have the option to leave their money “frozen”? until retirement or withdraw it now. The forest industry also agrees with the Union and consented to form a joint delegation to press the matter with the government in Ottawa. The delegation, headed by Jack Moore and John Billings, President of Forest Industrial Relations Ltd., pointed out ‘to the Minister and his senior civil servant Mr. E. A. Chater, Director, Registration Division; Department of National Revenue & Taxation, that such a temporary lifting of the regulation was granted in 1966 when the Canada Pension Plan went into effect. They suggested that the government consider a similar relaxation on the basis that the IWA-Forest Industry plan will change the status of par- ticipants in the company plans as radically as the Canada Pension Plan did. From _ the favourabley reception accorded to thenby the Minister all the members of the delegation were op- timistic that their request would be granted. . Other members of the delegation included Local 1-217 President Syd Thompson, Local 1-357 President Gerry Stoney, Local 1-118 President Murray Drew,~ Regional Pension Director Jack Wash- burn, Keith Bennett of FIR, Harry Cooper from MacMillan Bloedel, and Jack Hall from Crown Zellerbach. LOCAL 1-324 CONTRACT BOOSTS BASE RATE BY $1.19 Local 1-324 IWA Manitoba, has negotiated a new two-year agreement with the Northern Manitoba Timber Cutters Limited, which raises the base rate by $1.19 cents an hour and provides for the same fringe benefits as those negotiated-in the Rivers Sawmill contract. The new agreement covers approximately three hundred members who will receive a sixty cent an hour increase April 1, a further thirty-five cents an hour April 1, 1974, and an additional twenty-four cents an hour October 1, 1974. The Union negotiators comprised of Regional 3rd Vice-President Stan Parker, Local President Bill Benson, Local Findcial Secretary Donald Parker and crew member Val Basso, were also successful in’ getting the em- ployers to agree to the scaling of tree length wood using the cord measurement. ‘SHOPPERS MART UNFAIR The B.C. Federation of La- bour is requesting organized labour to support the Retail Clerks Union members stri- king a number of Shoppers Drug Mart stores for their first collective agreement. Federation Secretary-Trea- surer Ray Haynes states: “The strike came about after two years of frustration with the Shoppers Drug Mart or- ganization who did everything possible through the courts and harassment of its employees to prevent the union’s organiza- tional drive. Negotiations were totally meaningless as the company made no attempt to negotiate or reach a settlement with the union. For many years the labour movement has em- phasized how important it is to organize the unorganized, par- ticularly those in the retail in- dustry. This strike therefore deserves the full support of the labour movement.”