THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER SIMPSON CONTRACTORS SIGN CONTRACT Members of Local 1-184 IWA Saskatchewan, employed by logging contractors supplying logs to Simpson Timber Company, have approved a new three-year agreement which will increase their wages by 40 percent over the term of the contract. Fringe benefits gained in- clude two additional statutory holidays bringing the total to ten, an increase in the Health & Welfare payments from $50.00 to $90.00 per week which will be fully paid for by the employer, plus a number of other con- tract improvements. One of the key issues won by the Union Negotiating Com- mittee comprised of Regional 3rd Vice-President Stan Parker, Local 1-184 Business Agent Art Friske, and Com- mittee Member Neal Menard, MANPOWER OPENS NEW OFFICE Canada Manpower has opened a new office at 564 Howe Street in downtown Van- couver that offers specialized service to the mining and logging industries and their workers. In making the announce- ment, Canada Manpower’s Director of Operations for the Pacific Region, Gordon Hubley, said that a mining office had been in operation in Vancouver for several years, but it was felt that the time had arrived to offer a specialized service to the people in the log- ging industry also. Mr. Hubley said 564 Howe Street is another link in the chain of 14 Canada Manpower Centres that serve the coast logging industry. These offices are connected by telex and there is a daily reporting system. ‘‘Many forest industry offices are located in or near Vancouver”’ he continued, ‘‘as are many workers. In addition, workers from outside B.C. have Vancouver as their destination, so the new office will be the central point in getting employees and em- ployers together quickly and efficiently.” CONSUMER INDEX UP The consumer price index rose more than it usually does this July, pushed up by soaring food prices, especially for meats and vegetables. The index rose to 140.2 in July from 138.5 in June. It was 7.1 points higher than the July 1971 index. Restuarant prices, which had been soaring, rose only moderately in July. The big increase was in food bought for consumption at home. It cost $13.86 in July to buy a bag of groceries that cost $13.32in June. That’s a jump of $4 cents in just one month. That - same bag cost $12.96 a year The index is based on 1961 prices equalling 100. To put it another way: what a dollar was the following wording in the agreement covering in- dependent owners: “*Independent owners . STAN PARKER operating trucks and equip- ment shall as a condition of employment pay Union dues and health assessments. “In the event that in- dependent owners operating equipment do not submit dues and health and welfare assessments, the Company (Simpson Timber) shall make such deductions at the request of the Union.” The new agreement covers approximately 250 members working in the bush for the Simpson Timber Company. The same Union Negotiating Committee members recently negotiated a similar contract for the bush crews employed by contractors working for MacMillan Bloedel’s Aspenite mill in Hudson Bay. | prentices and is prepared to start immediately pro- | | viding sufficient applicants are received for this | | throughout British Columbia. ____ The IWA Regional Council strongly urges in- | d members to apply for the course so that th-while programme can be successful. pe BREACH OF AGREEMENT PLANNED BY TIRE COMPANY “Plans by Michelin Tires Manufacturing Co. of Canada Ltd. to build plants in the United States clearly breach agreements under which the company has received $15.8 million in federal grants’, Ed Broadbent, New Democratic Party member for Oshawa- Whitby, has charged. Michelin’s plans to shift pro- duction from Nova Scotia to the United States were revealed in its recent submis- sion to the U.S. Commissioner of Customs. The submission stated the proposed Michelin facilities in the U.S. would result in ‘a substantial reduction in the shipments (of—Michelin tires) from Canada to the U.S.”’ and that ‘‘ultimately it is likely that Michelin’s Canadian plants will serve mainly Canada.”’ The first federal grant of $8.1 million was given to Michelin by the Department of Regional Economic Expansion in 1968 under the clear understanding that 85 percent of the produc- tion would be to the United States. This condition was critical since the Canadian market was already fully occupied by manufacturers in Ontario and Quebec, Mr. Broadbent pointed out. Last May, an additional grant of $7.7 million for Michelin was announced by the Minister of Regional Economic Expansion. I “This whole incident bears out the fears often expressed by the NDP that federal regional expansion grants are being used to export un- employment for the slow- growth areas to Ontario and Quebec rather than to create new jobs for Canadians,” Mr. Broadbent said. “Tf Michelin floods the Canadian market with its products, thousands of jobs in Quebec and Ontario tire plants will be threatened without any benefit for Nova Scotia in its quest for more jobs.” Mr. Broadbent commented the Michelin affair is not an isolated case in the govern- ment’s program of welfare for corporations. He recalled that four federal grants totalling $8.1 million have been made to McCain Foods Ltd. for its plants in New Brunswick with the main goal of exploiting foreign markets for processed N.B. potatoes. “It was only last month that McCain Foods announced, with great fanfare, its plans for building new plants in Great Britain, Australia and the United States because it was no longer economical to export its products from Canada. “Obviously federal grants in the McCain case are being used to provide capital for expansion of the company abroad rather than to provide more jobs in Canada,’ Mr. Broadbent commented. and welfare. MISS ANNE-MARIE LAURSEN WINS LOCAL 1-423 BURSARY Miss Anne-Marie Laursen of Vernon has won the $500 Bur- sary awarded annually by Local 1-423 IWA Kelowna. The Bur- sary is awarded to the son or daughter or close relative of an IWA member having the highest scholastic marks in Grade 12, and who intends to continue on to University or College. Miss Laursen is the daughter of Mr. Arne Laursen, a long- time member of Local 1-423 employed at K.P. Wood Products Ltd. Lumby. Miss Laursen, in applying for the Bursary stated, ‘‘I enjoy languages, history and economics and hope that by attending university I can obtain an honours degree in Economics and the qualifications for a posting in the Canadian Foreign Service.” During her Grade 12 year Miss Laursen received “‘A’’ in English, ‘‘A’’ in History, ‘‘A’’ in Maths, ‘‘A”’ in French, “A” in Spanish, ‘‘C” in P.H.E., and “‘B”’ in Applied Design. She will attend the University of Victoria on a four year course Majoring in Economics. FROM PAGE ONE “NORTH WINS PARITY” @ No expansion to the 7-day work week. On top of the general wage increase, the Union Negoti- ators won an additional in- crease for fallers and buckers of 75 cents an hour effective September 1, 1972, and a further 35 cents an hour in- crease effective September 1, 1973. Certified Planer Graders also received increases over and above the general wage increase. Graders with ‘‘A” tickets received 10 cents an hour effective September 1, 1972, and will receive a further 5 cents an hour effective September 1, 1973, which will bring them 6 cents above graders on the coast. “RB” Ticket holders received an additional 10 cents an hour September 1, 1972, bringing them 1 cent above coast gra- ders. A number of other categories received adjustments ranging from 5 to 7 cents per hour. Other contract improve- ments included a clause in the Northwood-Canfor agreement prohibiting employees outside the bargaining unit performing work normally done by em- ployees in the bargaining unit. The Union Negotiators were also successful in having removed from both agree- ments all references to Saw- mill Evaluation. The Union is expected to meet soon with Tri-Pac. in — Quesnel and the Cariboo Lumbermen’s Association at Williams Lake to negotiate agreements. When this is accomplished it will conclude the main negotiations in Local 1-424 for 1972-1974. UNIONS MERGE : The two largest labour unions in the North American pulp and paper industry have merged to form the United Paperworkers International Union with a membership of. more than 350,000 more than 50,000 in Canada. The merger was formalized in Denver, Colorado, August 9 at the founding convention of the UPIU, following ratifica- tion of merger documents by separate conventions of the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers and the United Paper- makers and Paperworkers.