Merry
Christnas

This traditional season’s wish is .extended with
warmth and sincerity by the Officers and Members of
Regional Council 1, International Woodworkers of
America, to all our readers and their friends. May- happi-
ness and joy glow brightly in the homes of all those
reached through these columns. :

We record with pleasure the fact that IWA local
harmony with the spirit of these greetings, are joining
with the parents to make Christmas gayer and more mem-
orable for the children.

_ The activities of the IWA and affiliated unions at
this time give a fresh depth of sincerity to the season’s
greetings from the Union. The spirit which animates the
Union at this time is not a one-day out-burst of sentiment.
It typifies the spirit of brotherhood which finds expres-
sion three hundred and sixty-five days in the year and
makes one man’s cares the concern of all.

The Union is not unmindful that the dread spectre

of unemployment threatens the welfare and security of
many homes. With all the resources at its command, the

IWA is fighting to secure immediate and adequate pro-
tection against this menace.

The Christmas wish of the IWA stands as a re-
dedication to the purpose of the Union to safeguard the
well-being of its members and their families.

Provocation

HRISTMAS gift of the organized employers to trade

unionists in British Columbia has been a new threat

of legislative oppression. Instead of promoting “peace and

good-will” in the province’s industrial life they have
chosen to provoke strife.

No other interpretation can be placed on the demand
of the B.C. Federation of Construction Associations that
amendments to the Labour Relations Act should deny
to unions the right to negotiate the check-off.

_ The reasons given are not the true reasons, as every
‘experienced worker knows. The real reason for the de-

mand is that the employers hope to deal the unions a
crippling financial blow. It is not a move to establish

fair play as they pretend. It is part of the campaign now
mapped out to destroy trade unionism.

The next obvious step on their part will be to de-
mand “right to work” laws in order to ban union shop
conditions from the province.

The Provincial Government has already taken the
right to the check-off away from the organized civil
servants. The denial of collective bargaining rights to
government employees is a clear indication that the
‘Government is anti-union in its outlook. Although the
government employees have: submitted to the will of the
Government regarding affiliation, there is no indication
that any rights will be restored. There is good ground
for the belief that the government is giving favorable
consideration to- the more general demand of the em-

ployers.
A most hopeful sign is that trade unionists are

refusing to be cowed by the threat, as was intended by
the employers. They accept the move as confirmation of
the belief that the organized employers are prepared to
use a government which they virtually control to ex-
terminate militant and independent trade unions. Conse-
quently, trade union plans for the founding covention of
a New Party are proceeding with even greater en-
thusiasm.

It will not be the first occasion, over a period of one
hundred and seventy years, when the dogged determina-
tion of trade unionists has triumphed over joint con-
spiracy for their downfall by governments and employers.

Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN
LUMBER WORKER is December 15th. Deadline for ad copy is Nov-
ember 25th, and for news copy December 2nd.

erate tale Mies

PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY ON THE FIRST
AND THIRD THURSDAYS BY
International Woodworkers of America

(AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No. 1

REGIONAL OFFICERS:

President +--+ neg Joe Morris
ist Vice-President ... Jack Moore
QNd Vice-President ~....---rsecr-ccveccnssnsenececcsnnssnneenserseneses Bob Ross _
Brd Vice-President ..-..——-----csccccereecreereerrerrnenene Ered Fieber
Secretary-TIeASUrer ......-.-----c——---n---s-eens George H. Mitchell

I ] Board Member ....2.....sec-ene— ... Walter F. Allen
Internationa ee teiteeon

<2

Address al] communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer
2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C.
TR 4-5261 - 2
Subscription Rates.__...._.-$2.00 per annum

Advertising Representative...... G A. Spencer

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa
27,500 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE

Jobless
Totals

Climb

As each month progresses
unemployment statistics take on
a grim, but familiar pattern—
up, up and up.

The latest Dominion Bureau of
Statistics figures show jobless
totals in October at a new post-
depression high.

An increase of 41,000 over Sep-
tember produced a new total of
368,000 out of work. That’s 5.7
per cent of the working force
compared to four per cent in Oc-
tober, 1959. A year ago 250,000
were unemployed.

Fund Down

The sharp rise in jobless
figures comes shortly after re-
ports that the unemployment in-
surance fund is on the road to
bankruptcy. Unless the govern-
ment moves quickly the fund may
be exhausted before the winter is
over, the reports indicate.

British Columbia was _ hardest
hit by unemployment. In the
Pacific province 7.2 per cent of
the working force are without jobs
and looking for work. Quebec and
the Atlantic regions report 6.3
per cent out of work while On-
tario has 4.7 per cent jobless.
Only 2.3 per cent were unem-
ployed on the prairies.

Key Topic

Unemployment is expected to be
the key topic of conversation in

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Africa will name the terms.

South Africa States
Commonwealth Terms

South Africa wants to stay in the Commonwealth, Prime
Minister Hendrik Verwoerd is reported to have stated but South

The reported terms are that South African membership would

be based on the non-interference of Commonwealth members with
th: domestic affairs of the other members. South Africa would not
permit herself to be subjected to any form of humiliating treatment

in connection with the Commonwealth membership question.

the present session of parliament.
The figures, much to the govern-

ment’s embarrassment, were an-
nounced only two days before the

session began.

Labour economists in Ottawa
said the most disturbing feature
of the latest statistics was that
the usual winter increase in un-
employment seems to have started
much earlier than usual. Ordin-
arily the figures don’t start climb-
ing until December, they pointed

out.

Aid For Small

Businesses

Reliable Ottawa sources indi-
cate that the new guaranteed
loans for small business concerns
will be made available by Christ-
mas.

The recent legislation provides
that the banks can take a mort-
gage on real or personal property,
movable or immovable as security
for such loans.

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