12 aw theweslier (LWor A.) 38,000 copies printed in this issue THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER amesiase sia lumber worker Published once monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA Western Canadian Regional Council No. 3 Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261 PatKerr Business Manager—Fred Fieber Advertising Representatives—Elizabeth Spencer Associates Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. HE national ‘and Dravincial: unions, by their savage and unwarranted attack on international unions during the recent Canadian Labour Congress - Convention, have done a tremendous disservice to the Canadian labour movement. ' As one delegate put it, “It appears that the national and provincial unions used us and the facilities of Congress to hold their own convention to .dictate standards for future CLC membership eligibility.” These nationalistic flag-wavers have conveniently forgotten that it was the international unions who protected and aided them during their formative years. That it was the early sacrifices of the international unions that made their existence possible and it was the trail blazing contracts won by the inter- national unions that they used as a guide. The IWA, whose democratic structure and autonomy is second to none, bitterly resents their petty, partizan attitude. Promoting nationalism and flag waving G WAVING NOT NEEDED @ROAOWAY PajNteRS Cro =) are exercises teh feoour movement can ill afford. These practices have never improved the wages and working conditions of the workers and in the long run have only created dissension. fase If these promoters of nationalism believe there are international unions affiliated to the Congress whose consti- tutions don’t measure up to the stand- ards set by the CLC then, we say, name them but don’t use them as a pretext to attack international unionism. At the same time we suggest some of these national and provincial unions could do with some “house cleaning” of their own constitutions. And while they are at it they might also try negotiating the same wages and working conditions for their members that the international unions have ob- tained. What will happen if they persist in their present folly is that a number of international unions will pull out of Congress and labour in Canada will be more divided than ever. NDP DISCLOSURE ACT GOOD SOUND LEGISLATION By ALDERMAN HARRY RANKIN -_ The Public Officials and .Employees Disclosure Act recently passed by the provincial legislature is a sound piece of legislation. The NDP government is to be congratulated on enacting it. The Act requires public offi- cials such as MLA’s, mayors, aldermen and school trustees, as well as certain public em- ployees designated by the cabi- net, to disclose their business interests. In the case of public officials these disclosures are open for public inspection. The purpose of the Act is to protect the public against public officials who would use their public office to bring about actions or decisions that would benefit them financially. Those found guilty of an offence under the Act are liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than $10,000. That is not severe, considering that many times that amount — be eatin 0c nara shady lings by public officials who could use their position to fill their own pockets. Opposition MLA’s, some elected municipal officials and some newspapers (speak- ing of course, for business interests) bitterly opposed the Act. They called it Gestapo (police state) legislation and an invasion of privacy. They piously. asserted that honesty can’t be legislated. And they claimed that many good men and women would now resign from their elected positions or refuse to be candidates for public office in the future. To call such an Act “GESTAPO” legislation is just too ludicrous for words. This charge comes from people who look upon the public purse as something to be milked for the benefit of vested interests and who would themselves be the first to use the powers of the state to stamp out opposition. To claim that the Act is an invasion of privacy is to ignore the fundamental fact that the public has a right to know what business interests its public officials have and to Eee them accordingly. Search warrants are also an invasion of privacy but they sometimes become necessary in the war against crime. And of course it isn’t possible to legislate honesty, but it is possible to protect the public against dishonest - people. That's why we have laws against crime. The laws them- selves don’t make honest people but the deterrents in- volved in punishment give society some protection. It may be that some public officials will resign once the new legislation comes into effect which will be on May 31. If some do have some secret business dealings that can’t bear public scrutiny that’s their problem. They shouldn’t hold their own conclusions. This Act should now be followed up with legislation that will require disclosure of the source of election funds for anyone running for public office. It should also place limitations on the amount of money that may be spent on behalf of any candidate or party. That would ensure that election publicity isn’t reserved only for the candi-- dates and parties backed by big money. A GASSER A local yokel was bragging to another that he was an expert on stuff to drink. A friend got a bottle and told him to ‘take a slug” and tell him what it was. The bragging one took a big gulp and came up gasping: “That’s gasoline!” The friend calmly answered ‘Yes, I know, but is it Ethyl or regular?”’ Seein’ as you’re wet already ..... get a line on it! MAY, 1974 G WHALEN slip back down.an’ SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY INVITATION TO VISIT FOR IWA MEMBERS Dear Brother Munro: On several occasions, we have discussed you or some of your associate officers visiting with Regional Council No. V, so you would be in a better posi- tion to understand the pro-. blems of our area. At our Regional Executive Board Meeting in session, Fri- day, March 22, 1974, in Memphis, Tennessee, the Regional Officers made a recommendation that we extend to you and any of your associate officers a most cor- dial invitation to visit in our Regional Council at your ear- liest convenience. In addition to this, the following motion was passed: MSC: That an invitation to Regional Council No. 1 officers or if any members in Regional Council No. 1 are travelling through the South on their holi- days this summer, that they get in touch with the Regional Council, let us know the route they are taking; and we will arrange for them to visit the Local Unions, Representa- tives, or officers of Local Unions convenient to their. route. I would also appreciate if in an early edition of your Regional Council paper that you extend this invitation to all your members on behalf of Regional Council No. V. Looking forward to hearing from you on this matter, Iam” Fraternally yours, J. L. Baughman President, Regional Director KNOW YOUR RIGHTS The B. C. Federation of Labour has published and is distributing free a guide to employee rights in British Columbia. . The guide is published as a public service by the Federation to assist working people,” members and non-trade unionists, in obtaining their rights under labour legislation in the province. The guide covers a wide range of employee rights such as minimum wage limits, hours of work, annual and statutory vacations, discrimination, maternity leave, working conditions and a number of other provisions regulated by law. The guide also sets out the rights of employees to join trade unions and offers the assistance of the Federation to anyone attempting to organize a union. both trade union HERE ARE YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA THE B.C. FEDERATION OF LABOUR Copies of the guide, called “Your Rights as an Employee in British Columbia” are available from the B.C. Federation of Labour No. 210 - 517 E. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone — 879-3568.