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1st Issue
September, 1968

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

TO THE REGIONAL CONVENTION

“OFFICERS’ R

The Officers of the Regional Council welcome the
delegates to the 31st Annual Regional Convention.
There are many important decisions to be made at
this Convention, and we are confident that the dele-
gates will engage in a thorough discussion on the
problems of the organization and develop a pro-
gram that will continue to make the Regional Council
an effective co-ordinating body of the Local Unions
within the jurisdiction of the Regional Council.

ORGANIZATION:

Brother J. Clayton Walls, Assistant Director of
Organization, is going to make a comprehensive
report to this convention. The Officers wish to com-
mend Brother Walls for the excellent work he has
done in co-ordinating the activities of the organizers
and maintaining a very efficient organizational de-
partment. Brother Walls has consistently made writ-
ten reports to the Regional Executive Board, and
these reports are contained as a supplement to the
Board minutes, so it is already a matter of record
of the detailed activity of the organizers and attempts
to organize the unorganized within the Regional
Council.

RATE REVISION: :

An interesting development has taken place re-
cently, where negotiations between the Coast Ne-
gotiating Committee and Forest Industrial Relations
Limited have finalized adjustment in rates for cate-
gories in sawmill and logging. For a considerable
period of time an effort was made to negotiate ad-
justments in rates, and it was finally turned over to a
committee consisting of union and management that
conducted job surveys in sawmill and logging. These
surveys were reported to the Negotiating Committee
and F.I.R., and after several days of negotiations
substantial increases in rates were agreed to by
the parties.

COAST NEGOTIATIONS:

An interesting feature in 1968 Coast Industry
Negotiations was the fact that the Negotiating Com-
‘mittee and Forest Industrial Relations negotiated a
setlement for the Coast forest products industry
without third-party intervention.

After a strike vote was conducted in the coastal
area, the parties had marathon negotiations that re-
sulted in terms of settlement which were approved
by a substantial majority of the membership in this
area.

The base rate in the Coast Master Agreement
prior to June 15, 1968, was $2.76 per hour. With two
increases of 18c per hour to apply on June 15 in
1968 and 1969, there will be a base rate of $3.12
per hour.

INTERIOR STRIKE:
officers of the Regional Council wish to
commend the officers of the Interior Local Unions

and the membership for the magnificent struggle

was conducted for a contract settlement.

\ CELLULOSE
LP DIVISION

} LUNBER DIVISION
AR LIMITED.

On October 4, 1967, a strike started in the In-
terior that lasted for seven and one-half months and
was the longest strike ever conducted by the IWA
on an area basis for a master contract. The mem-

_ bership showed a solidarity all throughout this strike

that we are sure has convinced the employers that
in the future the IWA is a force to be reckoned with,
and the officers are likewise convinced that the
membership and officers of the Interior Local Unions
will continue to make every effort in future negotia-
tions to bring about parity with the Coast in wages
and conditions.

The records of the organization show quite clearly
that strikes are getting longer in duration and the
organization requires a substantial strike fund in
order to maintain these long strikes.

The basic rate in the agreement in the Southern
Interior prior to the strike was $2.26 per hour.

The following rates will apply as a result of the
Southern Interior settlement:

May 11, 1968 - - - - -

January 1, 1969 - - - -

September 1, 1969 - - -

January 1, 1970 - - = -

$2.60 per hour
$2.72 per hour
$2.85 per hour
$2.98 per hour

PARITY AT CELGAR LTD.

During Interior negotiations in 1967, negotiations
took place with Celgar, Ltd., in an endeavour to
bring about parity in wages for the membership
employed by this Company, and after a strike of
sixteen weeks, the committee was able to n2gotiate
an agreement to bring about parity for employees of
this Company. There. are about 500 members work-
ing for the Company at Castlegar, Nakusp, and Rev-
elstoke. Members working for Weldwood of Canada
Limited in Quesnel also have parity in wages with
the Coast workers.

BI.

FRED FIEBER
Secretary-Treasurer

EPORT"

FINANCES: ‘

In reviewing the financial position of the Regional
Council there are a number of matters which should
be considered.

There was a reduction in per capita income in
the amount of $22,100 due primarily. to the Interior
strike.

There was an excess of expenditure for the fiscal
year over revenue of $5,129.

The International Union reimbursed the Regional
Council in the amount of $4.335.38 on the expenses
of one Organizer. Local 1-184 allowed a reduction in
subsidy of $2,250 to assist in organization.

There was an exp2nditure under Conf2rence and
Negotiations of $41,293. However, of this amount
$34,304 was recovered from the Negotiating Publicity
Fund, leaving an: actual expenditure from the Re-
gional General Fund of $6,989.

As there will not be any negotiations in the In-
terior of British Columbia for a master contract, or in
the coastal area, in the next year, the Negotiating
Publicity Fund should build a surplus of $22,800 in
the next fiscal year.

During the last fiscal year organization and travel
expenses were reduced by $5,563. This covers travel,
fares, hotel and per diem. Also reduced were salaries
in the amount of $8,488, while the cost of hotel
rooms is generally increasing and salaries were in-
creased in accordance with industry increases on
the Coast. There was a change in procedure, where
we commenced paying subsidies to three Local
Unions and discontinued paying the salary and ex-
pense of one person in each Local Union.

In April 1966 the Regional Executive Board passed
the following motion: “‘MSC—That we set up a re-
serve fund of $1,000 per month retroactive to Janu-
ary 1, 1966 until we have an amount of $70,000.”

The bank balance for April 1966 in the General
Fund of the Region was $19,529.88.

The reserve fund on June 30, 1968 was $30,963.88.
This is an accumulation of 30 months at $1,000 plus
earned interest.

STRIKE FUND:

At the commencement of the Interior strike, we
had a strike fund balance of $3,876,992.05.

The Regional Council has advanced to the four
Interior Local Unions, for payment of strike expendi-
tures, an amount of $3,749,583.

IWA Local 1-424 has sent in receipts and vouch-
ers covering their expenditures, which have been
approved by the Board. They had total expenditures
of $92,583.04.

The officers of Local 1-405, 1-417 and 1-423 are
at the present time preparing receipts and vouchers
for submission to the Regional Office for the purpose
of auditing final expenditures on the Interior strike.

We do have at the present time the following
investments:

— $25,000 — Co-op. Trust —.7 per cent.

— $25,000 — B.C. Central Credit Union — 7 per

cent.

— $950,000 — Investors Trust — 7 percent com-

pound every six months.

There remains a previous investment of $7,000 in
Courtenay bonds at 442%.

This makes a total of $1,007,000 Strike Fund
money invested at this time.

APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING
PROGRAMS: :

The Coast Negotiating Committee, throughout the
last year, has worked out with Forest.Industrial Re-
lations Limited an Apprenticeship Training Program
providing for apprenticeship training of all major
trades in the Coast forest products industry. Import-
ant principles were established, and consolidated
into one agreement covering all trades, which will
result in tradesmen being properly trained in the in-
dustry.

In the Northern Interior of British Columbia, part
of the contract settlement provided that the parties
would negotiate an Apprenticeship Training Program
for all trades and IWA Local 1-424, at this time, is
working out the detailed application of an Appren-
ticeship Training Program.

Likewise, in the Southern Interior of British Col-
umbia part of the terms of settlement was that the
parties would work out an Apprenticeship Training

See “OFFICERS REPORT” Page 10