SEPTEMBER. 1971 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER vs | RAIDING TACTICS WILL PROBABLY BE DISCUSSED _ A LOOK AT LABOR By GEORGE DOBIE Editor’s Note: The following article has been reprinted with the kind permission of The Sun. Pur- pose of publishing the article in the Lumber Worker is to show that not only is the IWA’s criticism of the top officers of the Pulp and Paper Workers of Canada for their conduct to the rest of labour, valid, but also that this criticism is being expressed by rank-and-file PPWC members. The scatter-gun raiding tac- tices of the Pulp and Paper Workers of Canada are ex- pected to occupy a major part of the union’s annual con- vention this fall. The Canadian union was already under criticism from within over these tactics when it was recently rapped on the knuckles by the B.C. Labor Relations Board. The government board turned down the PPWC ap- plication to represent smelter workers at Kitimat because it had falsely misrepresented workers who were in good standing with another union, the United Steelworkers of America. Kitimat was the PPWC’s crowning failure after un- AT COWICHAN BAY successful attempts to extend representation in the forest industry and the loss of their ‘and Paper Mill Workers at Port Mellon and Elk Falls. His final decision is likely to last certification in Alberta. be made shortly before or The criticism came from Frank Jameson, a former executive officer of the union and former vice-president of the Canadian Council of Unions. Jameson, a member of the Crofton local — one of eight held by the PPWC in B.C. pulp mills — criticized the leader- ship for firing shots in all directions in the hope of bag- ging something, or anything. “History has proven that even the best of strategists have brought. about their own downfall by opening up too many fronts, and biting off more than they could chew,”’ Jameson says. Jameson reverted back to the rank-and-file last year when he lost a bid for the presidency against Stan Shewaga. It was a three-way race which also toppled former president Fred Mullin. Jameson says he will be running for an executive post with the union again this year but is not sure as yet whether it will be for the presidency. He could be tempted to run for the presidency again if it is a two-way fight with Shewaga who is expected to seek re- election despite the abortive- raids under his leadership. These failures include giving up an attempt to take over the International Woodworkers of America at Houston and Chemainus, and International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite GEORGE DOBIE during the PPWC’s annual convention which will be held Oct. 4-8 at Fairmont Hot Springs. What transpires behind the convention’s closed doors — the PPWC has never held ‘open’? conventions since its formation in the early 1960s from a breakway from the international pulp union could be of great importance to how the slow-growing move- ment toward independence from the _ internationals develops in the west. Many leaders in the interna- tionals recognize strong rank- and-file feelings about in- dependence and are leaning toward adoption of more Canadian autonomy. Jameson 1s critical of the over-all expansionist policy of the present leadership and specific shortcomings in organizing, such as the use of “old sign-up cards” at Elk Falls and not doing enough follow-up work at Port Mellon. Jameson points out that the leadership has never received a mandate from the members to go beyond the pulp and paper industry in its repre- sentation of industrial work- ers. At the Fairmont convention, he will submit a resolution to expand this area to. cover pulp and paper and allied industry but restrict action outside the forest industry. He happens to believe that there should be one big union in the forest industry that will come about one day through amalgamation, but until then the PPWC must be prepared to compete with the interna- tionals to represent workers in the modern-day, multi-purpose forest complexes. Jameson is not an opponent of raiding (‘‘All-unions do it if they think they have a chance to take over a group of workers’’) . . . but he says the best way to build a strong union is to concentrate its efforts in its own industry and consolidate its holdings. Outside its own industry, Jameson believes the PPWC’s role is to assist trade unionists to form their own independent Canadian unions through the Canadian Council. “I feel very strongly about staying out of other industries and getting back on track,” says Jameson, who claims to LOCAL 1-80 AIDS SPORTS FISHERMEN pion. By KEN McEWAN Editor, Local 1-80 Bulletin Local 1-80 IWA indirectly assisted Cowichan Bay fisher- men with their dispute with deep sea freighters loading logs in Cowichan Bay. The Local’s Pollution Control Committee drafted two form letters. One was to federal Fisheries Minister Jack Davis and the other was to Ray Williston, provincial Lands and Forest Minister. The letters asked them for action in keeping Cowichan Bay reserved as a_ recreational area. About 75 letters each were duplicated and turned over to IWA members of the Salmon _ Club. The idea of individual who ORGANIZATION DANGEROUS TO INDUSTRIAL UNIONS President Stanley A. Little of the Canadian Union of Public Employees expressed this opinion of two workers d out of Ontario unions because of new legis- lation permitting them to do so on religious grounds. They were pawns of the Christian Labor Association of Canada, “‘a right-wing reactionary association which, if 4s — will destroy industrial unions as we know them as Canada.” “ letters is to get more attention from those concerned, rather than one petition with many signatures. The letter told the two Government Ministers that Cowichan Bay is world re- nowned as a recreational area and that log booms around the ships are located over a migra- tory fish channel. It was also pointed out that deadheads from the booms posed a hazard to boaters and fishermen. The letter urged the ministers to use their influence to keep Cowichan Bay a safe and clean recreational area for the majority of the people. The only reply to the letters to date have been from the Minister of Lands and Forests, Ray Williston. He said the loadings from B.C. waters of the deep sea ships of U.S. logs was the func- tion of the Federal Govern- ment under the Navigable Waters Act. He said this is also true of migratory fish chan- nels. He said he would take any opportunity, to discuss the matter with appropriate Federal officials . . . i — are ae Sie DEEP SEA SHIPS plug Cowichan B have considerable support for his views with convention time approaching. Jameson says he is con- cerned that the LRB’s Kitimat decision makes the PPWC look inadequate and that it did a poor job. ‘Tm also definitely con- cerned about the amount of money spent on organizing this year,’ says Jameson. ‘“‘We are FRANK JAMESON critical about the amount of money that goes across the border from Canadian mem- bers of U.S. union. ‘“What’s the difference between sending it across the line and blowing it the way we have?” asks: Jameson. He says he isn’t aware as yet of details of the expenditures. (Inter- national Pulp vice-president Pat O’Neal recently estimated the PPWC spent $50,000 on its Kitimat raid alone.) GP ete ee ay spoiling salmon fishing for residents.