aces ® FEBRUARY, 1970 IWA members of Local 1- 207, employed by North Can- adian Forest Industries Ltd. Plywood Plant in Grande Prairie, Alberta, have voted to accept a new 2-year agree- ment. The Agreement was nego- tiated by Arne Christensen, Local president; Ronald W. Stenvall, Local financial sec- retary; and Plant Committee members, Keith Finnen, Law- rence O’Toole, John Johnson and Maurice Burgess. 50c Increase The 2-year agreement pro- vides for an across-the-board increase of 22c per hour ef- fective February 13, 1970, with further increases of 20c per hour February 13, 1971, and 8c per hour August 13, 1971. In addition a plywood job evaluation program will be in- stituted February 13, 1970, which is equal to an 8c per hour across - the- board in- increase. Wages for Maintenance em- ployees were increased by an additional 6c to 28c per hour. THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER GRANDE PRAIRIE CREW WINS NEW CONTRACT. 9 Paid Stats The agreement also provides for a 9th Paid Statutory Holi- day; 3 weeks vacation after 6 years of service based on 6%2% of total earnings; 4 weeks after 20 years at 814% of total eanings; increased shift premium to 10c per hour. The Group Insurance Plan is amended by increasing the Weekly Indemnity to $55.00 “per week for 39 weeks; Life increased to $5,000.00 with $5,000.00 A.D.&D. Major improvement was made to the Leave of Absence Article together with other contract improvements. Christensen Spokesman Arne Christensen, Presi- dent of Local 1-207, acting as spokesman for the Union Ne- gotiating Committee stated that this settlement was the best ever negotiated in the plywood industry in Alberta and would leave the employ- ees involved considerably higher paid than other ply- wood workers in the province. Wages in the second year of the agreement will range from $2.79 to $4.15 per hour. IWA PLANT COMMITTEE which assisted in the contract negotiations recently concluded by Local 1-207 with the North Canadian Forest Industries Lid. Plywood Division, Grande Prairie, Alberta. Group left; Lawrence O'Toole, Secretary; Maurice Burgess; John E. Johnson; Keith Fin- nen, Chairman. Wer NDP effort to get "DOWN THE DRAIN™ get the federal government to launch to find a phosphate-free, non-pollut- '. 1-423 ORGANIZING DRIVE . GAINS NEW CERTIFICATION The intensive organizing drive now underway in Local 1-423 IWA, Kelowna, has paid off by the Local winning cer- tification for the Chateau Homes Company, which man- ufactures prefabricated hous- es. The standard Southern In- terior contract was signed by the Company January 15, and its terms are retroactive to January 1, 1970. All the em- ployees gained wage increases ranging from 50 cents to 90 cents an hour. Other benefits won include Health & Welfare and Medi- eal coverage which was not provided prior to signing of the Agreement. &. IWA INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD, comprised of International and Regional officers, are shown at the special meeting in Portland called for the purpose of working out a proper per capita tax figure for presentation to the membership. THE MOLLY MAGUIRES’ STORY NEW FILM “MUST” FOR UNIONISTS REVIEWED By MORDEN LAZARUS In 1970 it would be hard for even the most lively imag- ination to depict what life was for many immigrants who came to seek a better life in the Americas during the last century. The union-sponored films, WITH THESE HANDS, and THE INHERITANCE, re-live the period for some of the im- migrants — those who were swallowed up in the needle trades. Fearful Times Now a film has come along to revive the fearful times a century ago when miners, driven to the limits of despair by conditions in the Pennsyl- vania coal fields, took to ter- rorism as a last resort against the mine owners’ tyranny. , This is a grim, disturbing, heartrending picture. The story it tells is so close to actual happenings in the 1870’s that it can be viewed as history. Because it is in colour, as harsh as the pic- ture is, it still understates the reality. How can you really tell the story of families who lived PULP UNIONS SEEK $1.02 WAGE HIKE Canada’s two major pulp and paper union councils, the Quebec and Eastern Canada Council and the Central Can- ada Council, are serving the companies with new labor contract demands covering about 40,000 mill workers from the Atlantic seaboard to Pine Falls, Man. They are seeking a pay increase of $1.02 or 34 per cent to bring the base hourly rate to $4 next year. Present hourly base rate is $2.98. Both Councils are composed of locals from the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers and the United Papermakers and Paper- workers. in unheated, barewalled hov- els without windows, who sel- dom had more than thin gruel without milk or sugar to eat, but whose men had to work in the coaldust-laden pits? Sheer Slavery . This was not work; it was sheer slavery — and this is in effect what the movie pro- duced by Paramount is telling us. The Molly Maguires were Irish immigrant miners who developed their own secret society with its own system of murderous revenge to counter the subhuman con- ditions under which they were forced to toil by absentee mine owners. The mine owners finally de- vised their own countermea- sures to break the workers’ conspiracy. They included the effective use of an engaging, strong, bold, devious and un- scrupulous a spy as you could imagine. Pinkerton Detective The spy, McParlan, who in- filtrated the Mollies, is played as though he really liked his odious job by Richard Harris, the big, plotting leader of the Maguires, Black Joe Kehoe, is played by Sean Connery. Samantha Eggar supplies the female interest, but how do you enjoy a love affair with a Pinkerton detective? It’s a very expert cast all round. There is little question that the Molly Maguires played an important part — terrible as it was — leading to the rise of trade unionism in the United States, and indirectly, in Can- ada. This country had its own exploited mineworkers ‘in British Columbia and in Cape Breton. Even today being a mineworker is no cup of tea. There are many _ tense scenes in the picture — as when the miners go to get their pay and find that, after deductions by the company stores (known as pick me’s) they have virtually nothing to take home. Always in Debt This situation is even under- stated in the picture. Miners went for years without draw- ing any cash — always in debt to the company. What else was there to do ‘but drink to cloud over their misery? So the saloon became the clubhouse — and there the Molly Maguires planned their dire deeds. It’s a film every working- man should see. Your Will is a Most Important Document For assistance in preparation or reviewing your WILL, visit one of the experienced trust officers at: CO-OPERATIVE TRUST OMPA 16 East Broadway Telephone 872-7844 NY OF CANADA Vancouver 10, B.C. Owned and Controlled by Credit Unions and Co-operatives in Western Canada Federally Incorporated. Member of Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation.