ee _ THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUM AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST CERICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. WORKER Vol. XXXVI, No. 5 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY ES Ist Issue March, 1968 WITH INJUNCTIONS IWA FACES GRAVE CRISIS STRIKING MEMBERS OF LOCAL Products Ltd. 1-405 1.W.A. =] TSEsaene Nelson Daily News employed by Kootenay Forest conducted an orderly parade through downtown Nelson March 8, to focus attention of the general public on the Company’s intent to “open its opera- tion at the City of Nelson and obtain workers where it could.” That same day Judge Leo S. Ganser in County Court ordered an interim injunction limiting the amount of pickets at the Company’s operations in Nelson to 12, pending a trial. He further ordered that no more than 6 men may be within a 300-foot radius of the K.F.P. office building, and no more than 3 in any one place. The restriction of 3 men to any one place was one less than the four requested by plaintiff counsel. Judge Gansner “pressured” the plaintiff to apply for an early trial and atter considerable persuasion the counsel for the plaintiff gave the Judge his undertaking that he would apply for a trial within 10 days. “NAKED TRUTH" = é JACK MOORE © gional President widespread distribution to trade unions of Plas Labour Minister Bill 33 in the Legislatu anxiety about the Bill's Peterson’s speech defending re does nothing to ease IWA compulsory features. On the contrary, it makes the outlook even more dis- quieting. Significantly, the Minister adjourned the debate to silence the opposition temporarily in order to sweeten his sugar-coating of a bitter pill for B.C. trade unions, and intensify a carefully-cultivated prejudice against trade unions. _ The Minister’s chief concern, as stated, was with the government's plans for expansion in hydro fone at Natal, the Roberts Bank superport and coal opera- _ Met at any point did he express concern for the of the workers and their families. "dovetails into the government's over-em- pil het gett to the neglect of social “ot segteanalg ‘en health and ft in implies wage controls without any prices, rents, or profits. cannot be concealed by any Aiapsicd to dictate contract - GENERAL STRIKE NOW OUT Organized labour has dis- carded for the time being any thought of instituting a gen- eral strike to defeat the gov- ernment’s proposed new la- bour mediation Bill 33. The decision was adopted by the 350 labour delegates who attended the day - long strategy conference called by the B.C. Federation of La- bour March 5 to discuss the Bill. Labour now proposes to launch a massive publicity campaign to have the Bill dis- allowed or modified and is seeking support in its objec- tive from such agencies as the AFL-CIO, Ottawa and the In- ternational Labour Office in Geneva. Little aid is expected by the Federation in petitioning Ottawa to have the Bill dis- allowed or from the ILO which has been notified of the restrictive legislation planned for B.C. workers. The ILO, an international organization comprised of management, labour and goy- ernments, of which Canada is a member, adopts statements of policy as conventions which are referred to the member nations, One of the ILO’s conven- tions opposes the principle of compulsory arbitration as a See “STRIKE” Page 3 By STAFF REPORTER Negotiations requested by the Southern Interior opera- tors with conciliator John Sherlock abruptly ended on March 12 due to the uncom- promising attitude taken by the employers. The I.F.L.R. Association representatives refused to amend in any respect their proposal for settlement made prior to the conference. Two counter-proposals made by the IWA Southern Interior STOP PRESS At press time, the IWA is informed that the B.C. Legis- lative Assembly, 6:00 p.m. March 14, had unanimously adopted a resolution urging both the IWA and the employ- ers’ association to return to the bargaining table and re- main there until a settlement of the strike is reached. The resolution was moved by Opposition Leader R. M. Strachan, MLA, and seconded by Labour Minister Peterson. When advised by the De- partment of Labour the same evening, IWA Regional Presi- dent Moore stated that the Ne- gotiating Committee had re- peatedly proposed that genu- ine bargaining should con- tinue until a settlement would be reached. He expressed willingness to comply with the resolution of the Legis- lature. Negotiating Committee, in an earnest effort to reach a satis- factory settlement, were curt- ly dismissed by the operators in a stubborn face-saving de- fence of their public utter- ances. No logical reasons for this attitude were given, said the IWA negotiators. While the talks were in pro- gress, counsel for the Associ- ation was engaged in applying for injunctions to remove IWA pickets at various opera- tions. The situation for which the employers .must now accept _ responsibility was described by the Committee’s spokes- man, Regional President J ack Moore: “The Southern Interior operators are obviously not interested in settling the strike on a basis that will en- sure harmonious and stable labour-management relations in the future. Some day they must honestly consider terms of settlement — the sooner the better for theix own _ad- vantage. They cannot con- tinue efforts to starve their employees into enforced ac- ceptance of substandard living conditions and. expect any loyal effort on the job to maintain high productivity. “Canadian industry has never witnessed less enlight- ened labour-management pol- -icies. Free men in this day and age cannot be Whipped See “IWA” Page 2 TALKS START MARCH 18 The IWA Coast Negotiating Committee meets with Forest Industrial Relations Ltd., representing the Coast employers, March 18 for the first of the bargaining talks for a new Coast Master Agreement. The Union is seeking a fifty cent an hour increase on a one year contract plus a number of other improvements to existing conditions. The present contract expires June 14. ROY SMITH, president of the Canadian Area Regional Office of the International Longshoremen’s Union, is shown addressing delegates attending Federation conference March 5, called to plan strategy to defeat the Socred’s pro- posed new Labour Bill 33.