ention approved ae z increases subject to ‘Strike. Fund money being available: For single an increase from aad $35.00 to $55.00 per week. Married with working spouse an increase from $35.00 to $55.00 per week. Married with dependent spouse an increase from $50.00 to $70.00 per week. Dependents an increase from $5.00 to $7.00 per week. TWO STRIKES GIVEN © SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IWA members who have been on strike for some period of time at Russell, Manitoba, and Moose Jaw, Saskat- chewan, have been given special consideration in the Strike Fund assistance. Convention delegates, after hearing of the hardships these members have Scffered at- tempting to win from their anti-union employers im- proved working conditions, voted to provide Strike Relief assistance of $150.00 per week for married or equivalent members, $10.00 per week for each dependent, and $105.00 per week for single members. In approving the motion it was clearly indicated that this would not set a precedent for future strikes in Region.1. PENSION PLAN MONEY WANTED FOR MORTGAGES A resolution from Local 1-357 New Westminster, calling on the Regional officers to under- take a feasibility study of making money from the IWA- Forest Industry Pension Plan available to [WA members for mortgages, was approved by the convention. The resolution noted that the Pension Plan has over one mil- lion dollars in the fund which is presently controlled by trust companies. It suggests that it could be put to better use by providing members with mort- gage money for housing. SHORTER HOURS SOUGHT BY UNION How drastically will the intensified mechanization in the woodworking industry reduce employment levels? Too much, convention dele- fates believed,’ as_ they strongly supported a resolution from Local 1-85 demanding a committee be set up to look at the overall position of shorter hours, existing formulas and to report back to the next Regional convention. In the discussion it was sug- gested that one means of partially offsetting the reduced employment and rising profits the companies would make would be to reduce the hours of work while increasing workers’ incomes. AUTO WORKERS VETO - AID TO CHRYSLER Gerard Docquier, United Steelworkers of America Canadian director, says Ot- tawa should give no aid to fi- nancially-troubled Chrysler Canada Ltd. unless the com- pene spore a “gameplan future that does not tie the welfare of its employees just to automobiles.” “If Chrysler can’t compete and if the public doesn’t want He also said that “Chrysler and the United Auto Workers should file with the govern- ment specific plans to diminish the company’s reliance on cars and explore other products it can make in its plants with the skills of its workers and engineers: for example, pollu- tion control equipment, public transit systems, railway cars and buses. “Government commitments to purchase these kinds of pro- ducts would keep Chrysler’s 14,000 Canadian employees on the job,” he said. Docquier said the Steelworkers’ union has a direct interest in saving Chrysler and its jobs because of large amount of steel used in cars and automotive parts. He said Chrysler should be “assisted in every way by the t in getting into a ee ee SWEDISH VISITORS Bertil Jonsson, President of the Swedish Woodworkers Unie (ante) and Albert Nilsson, the Union’s Secretary-Treasurer (on Jonsson’s left) are shown with the burl clock presented to them by officers of Local 1-85 Port Alberni, from left, Henry Nedergard, 3rd Vice- President; Earl Foxcroft, President; Mike Kokura, 1st Vice-President. FIRST AID REGULATIONS READY ..Combined efforts of the trade union movement to prevent a serious reduction in first aid services in the Province of British Columbia have finally been successful. The revised first aid regulations which are now available from the Workers’ Compensation Board, have retained requirements for Industrial First Aid Coverage. ..Also the training of industrial first aid attendants which has been almost exclusively in the hands of St. John’s Ambulance, is now being diversified into several areas. Several new training schools have opened with the sanction of the W.C.B. One of these new schools has also received the endorsement of the B.C. Federation of Labour. Namely, Roswyn - Industrial First Aid Training School at 8187 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C., phone 321-4222. Classes can be arranged to suit almost any schedule. CLC-FED WINTER SCHOOL The annual CLC-B.C. Federation of Labour Winter School will be held during the months of January and February, 1980, at Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, B.C. A number of interesting courses have been planned for the weeks of January 20-25, January 27 to February 1, February 10-15, and February 17-22. There are a number of courses to choose from with subjects that are available to all IWA Local - Unions and it is to be hoped that the members take advantage of them. Due to the very good response to the IWA week-long school in Harrison and the co-operation of the IWA CLC Education Department, we have been able to secure an extra week. There will now be two week-long schools at Harrison in 1980. The first week will run January 20 -25 and the second week will be from February 17-22. Delegates will have to register early to avoid disappointment and should also indicate their choice of second course if the class is full. Further information with respect to the various details of the school fees, etc., will be made available by the CLC and the IWA Regional office. Following is the program schedule of courses: JANUARY 20-25, 1980 *Arbitration Collective Bargaining Leadership Training *Union Counselling IWA Leadership Training CUPE Job Evaluation ~ BCGEU Leadership CUPE Advanced Stewards Training *Instructors’ Training *Pre-Retirement Training Advanced Stewards Training Parliamentary Procedure and Public Speaking JANUARY 27-FEBRUARY 1, 1980 BCGEU Leadership Training *Instructors Training *Labour Economics Parliamentary Procedure Collective Bargaining and Public Speaking *Arbitration Leadership Training Advanced Stewards Training *Union Counselling *Job Evaluation *Time Management *Labour Law FEBRUARY 10-15, 1980 **Instructors Training (Building Trades) *Labour Council Officers Seminar ***Ranking Officers Seminar **Time Management *Labour Law Parliamentary Procedure and Public Speaking FEBRUARY 17-22, 1980 *Seminar for Labour Appointees to Boards and Commissions USWA Leadership Training *Socio-Economic Planning Seminar CPU Leadership Training Political Education **L_abour Advocate Seminar BCGEU Leadership Training *Labour Economics *Occupational Safety and Health (Public Sector) *Occupational Safety and Health (Private Sector) ** Advanced Arbitration International Affairs Seminar BCGEU Leadership Training *Labour Economics Quality of Work Life *Public Relations and Labour Journalism *Women in the Work Force *Labour History CLC Labour Education and Studies Cantos Conreas “*CLC Labour Education and Studies Centre Courses for Full-Time Staff ***CLC Labour Education and Studies Centre Courses for Ranking Officers and Staff