THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER MINISTER‘S REPORT FALSE WELFARE RECIPIENTS LOSE OUT AS BENNETT BRAGS OF SURPLUSES R. M. STRACHAN, M.L.A. Leader of the Opposition Opposition Leader Robert Strachan stated that the New Democratic Party is be- ing flooded with queries from social welfare recipients who have been told by local social welfare offices that they know nothing about the alleged in- creases in rental allowances announced over one week ago by the Minister of Social Welfare. Mr. Strachan said the Minister’s statement is com- pletely misleading and many social welfare recipients ex- pecting an increase of 50% in their rental allowances on July 1st are going to find that they will receive nothing. The old-age pensioners found that the recent $30 alleged pension increase was a cruel hoax, he said, and many social wel- fare cases will find the same thing. The Minister said that “supplementary rent allow- ances” would be administered locally and that this was a new procedure. This is not true, said Mr. Strachan. These allowances have always been granted at the local level and the Department’s Policy Man- ual confirms this. All that has happened is that the Min- ister has laid down a maxi- mum rate, which may or may not be paid in any given case. A practical illustration of \s ROBERT STRACHAN WHAT? .. . AN’ GET IN DUTCH FER OVERTIME? PARTIAL VICTORY Local 1-417 president Bob Schlosser reports that the Lo- cal Union was partially suc- cessful in winning an arbitra- tion dispute with the Thomp- son River Logging Company, at Clearwater. He stated that a barker op- erator, Henry Plugoway, was fired by the company on the grounds that he had failed to properly maintain the barker. The Local Union was able to show that no clear cut in- structions had been laid down by the company covering maintenance work and that there was insufficient evidence to prove Plugoway was to blame. The board while agreeing with the Local’s argument decided, however, by a unani- mous decision that Plugoway would not be returned to the barker but would be given the job of chipperman. He was also awarded the sum of $300 for lost-time wages. HANEY BUSINESS GUIDE ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” HANEY BRITISH COLUMBIA the effect of the alleged new policy follows. A family of three now receives $150 ($100 for living expenses, $50 for rent). On July 1st they may or may not receive an in- crease for rent of up to an- other $25 depending on how much actual rent they pay and depending on the atti- tude of local administrators. Experience has shown that, particularly in municipalities, supplementary rent allow- ances have been consistently refused and there is no rea- son to believe that this atti- tude will change merely be- cause a maximum rate has been set. Mr. Strachan concluded by saying that this new gimmick completely bypasses the real problem that the whole social assistance rate structure is below the level required to provide a decent standard of living. Three people are ex- pected to live on $100 per month (excluding rent), he said, and the Minister pro- poses no increase in this pit- tance while the Premier boasts about millions of dol- lars in surpluses. NEW CLC -BOOKLET The Canadian Labor Con- gress has just published a 20- page booklet summarizing some of the major policies, adopted at biennial conven- tions. Secretary - Treasurer Don- ald MacDonald says the need for such a booklet was made evident by numerous re- quests for authoritative infor- mation with respect to Con- gress policies. The booklet, entitled “Principles and Poli- cies of the Canadian Labor Congress,” has been sent to every Congress affiliate. Copies are available at 15 cents each from the CLC, 100 Argyle Avenue, Ottawa. Auuinnanianl "0 ALL RIGHT, U.B.-IF IT'S SAFETY THEY WANT, LET'S GIVE IT TO THEM...AS AN OPTION, OF COURSE ”” U.S. UNIONISTS FACE FINE FOR CROSSING PICKET LINE A union has the right to fine members who cross a picket line and work during a strike voted by a majority of the members, the U.S. Su- preme Court has ruled. In a 5 to 4 decision, the court overturned a lower tri- bunal’s ruling and held that fines against members who refuse to abide by a decision of the union to strike did not violate the -National Labor Relations Act. The majority, led by Jus- tice William J. Brennan, Jr., and including Chief Justice Earl Warren and Justices Tom C. Clark, Abe Fortas and Byron R. White, held that the fines were not an un- fair labor practice and did not coerce employees. Brennan said that while the Landrum-Griffin Act made it unlawful for a union to fine or discipline a member “for exercising any right to which he is’ entitled,’ Congress didn’t intend to prevent a un- ion from fining a member who crosses a picket line. “National labor policy,” he wrote, “has been built on the premise that by acting through a labor organization freely chosen by the majority, employees have the most ef- fective means of bargaining. The policy therefore extin- guishes the individual em- ployee’s power to order his own relations with his em- ployer.” Brennan continued that “integral to this federal labor policy has been the power in the chosen union to protect against erosion of its status under that policy through reasonable discipline of mem- bers who violate rules and regulations governing mem- bership.” The case grew out of strikes involving the Auto Workers at Allis-Chalmers Manufac- turing Co., Milwaukee, Wis., in 1959 and 1962. Members who crossed picket lines were found by union trial boards to have engaged in “conduct unbecoming a union member” and were fined $20 to $100. Allis-Chalmers filed charges with the National Labor Re- lation Board saying that at- tempts to collect the fines con- stituted coercion of the em- ployees. The board rejected the charges but a lower fed- eral court found the union guilty of coercion, This de- cision was overturned by the Supreme Court. BIG HELP “My car was stolen last night.” “Get a look at the fellow?” “No, but I got his license number.” so convenient . . . keep track of .expenses with a CURRENT ACCOUNT © you receive a monthly statement with your cancelled cheques. © open your account with us today. at CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE OVER 1260 BRANCHES TO SERVE YOU.