EDITORIAL A VEXING PROBLEM A VEXING problem facing many locals of the IWA has become critical and is causing a dispute be- tween the IWA and the building trade unions. This prob- lem is the one of independent contractors entering IWA certified operations to perform maintenance work. Approximately fourteen years ago Local 1-217 ent- ered into agreement with such a contractor and as a result the regular maintenance crews in many opera- ations on the lower mainland have been drastically reduced. In Fraser Mills in the New Westminster local many tradesmen were returned to the production line ‘while the work they normally did went to outside contractors. This has caused a serious difference between IWA Local Unions. The building trades on the other hand have claimed that on many occasions such contractors have invaded the new construction field and denied their members employment at the craft rates of pay. Because of this conflict the Regional Executive Board has set up a committee to draw up an agreement with the building trades unions relative to the jurisdiction of the respective unions. It appears that a settlement was close to being realized when the officers of Local 1-217 signed an agreement with a new contractor even though the local had no members employed by the contractor and the contractor's employees were all slated to be working in the jurisdiction of New Westminster. If we in the IWA are going to preserve our good ‘relations with the rest of the labour movement then we must come to an understanding on ‘jurisdiction, not only among ourselves but with the other Unions in the prov- ince. _ -=<<.n PENSION Boos; i AO > MIDDLEMAN Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER is February 6. Deadline for ad copy is January 30, and for news copy January 31. A AATVAT * THE WESTERN CANADIAN u aU Published Twice Monthly on the First and Third Thursdays by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No. 1 EES? Editor . . . Grant MacNeil FFICERS: poe he iS aN ET . Jack Moore ack MacKenzie Jack Holst ....... Bob Ross RE A) 3: Ss eg Joe Madden, Walter F. Allen President ............-—-- Ist Vice-President 0.0... ee ee 2nd Vice-President ...... . 3rd Vice-President ...... Secretary-Treasurer International Board.Members ..... Address all cammunications to: FRED FIEBER, Secretary-Treasurer 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, 8.C, TR. 4-5261 - 2 ription Rates... .. $2.00 per_ annum Seine Representative .. G. A, Spencer d Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa, Authorities Bs Pree easment of Postage in Cash, 27,500 COPIES ‘PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Building Trades Score Local 1-217 President We appreciate the position and co-operation of your Re- gional Council and affiliated Local Unions by making a sincere effort to reach an un- derstanding on jurisdiction between ourselves and your Council. However, we wish to draw to your attention a recent action by Brother Syd ‘Thompson, President. of IWA Local 217, by signing an agreement with Concrete Reinforcing Engineering Limited. You are aware the past President, Lloyd Whalen, of Local 217, of your Regional Council, adopted a policy of signing outside contractors to agreements to perform con- struction in the sawmills and plywood plants generally un- der your jurisdiction. The first of such contractors was Stolberg Construction, then others. We wish to place ourselves on record as protesting the actions of Brother Syd Thompson, President of Local 217 of the IWA in continuing the policy of Lleyd Whalen by signing a contractor named Concrete Reinforcing Engineering Limited to per- form construction here in British Columbia. The above named contrac- tor shopped around the craft unions for a cheap agreement because he would not pay the construction rate of wages and was refused. We now find he has signed an agree- ment with IWA, Local 217 at much lower than the con- struction rates of wages. We regret very much that an affiliate of your Organiza- tion became party to an agreement establishing lower rates of wages than those paid by other contractors. This, we feel, is contrary to past and present trade union prin- ciples. We feel such actions can only benefit the employer rather than the employee. Yours fraternally, H. F. TAFT, Secretary. BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL Unemployment Figures Lowest in Seven Years Manufacturing and residen- tial construction strengthened the employment picture in December, with the jobless reckoned at 346,000 or 68,000 fewer than a year ago. The figure at mid-December was, however, 43,000 higher than a month earlier but the in- crease was described as un- usually small for the time of year. The actual jobless rate was 5.1 per cent of the labor force compared with 4.5 per cent in November and 6.3 per cent in the last two years respect- ively. At the same time, the gov- ernment is reported confident on the strength of special sur- veys that the February rate WHAT'S NEW? a Ey | am,‘ says the new Chef at él Lid A FINE ITALIAN RESTAURANT will be 5.1 per cent or the lowest in seven years. The trends show there is some truth in Conservative com- plaints that the Liberals left office at the right time and returned at the right time — and are busy taking credit for curing events that their pre- 1957 sloth helped create. Thanks to domestic and in- ternational trends, the econ- omy continues to throb more briskly and this is spelled out in the higher numbers of men and women at work. Manufacturing employ- ment, usually falling in De- cember, was maintained and layoffs in construction were relatively light due to recent strengthening in residential construction. =] At 138 EAST HASTINGS ST. - VANCOUVER 4, B.C. Tel.: 684-5631 “and if there is any finer Italian food this side of Roma, ll eat it! Let me prove it.” CLIP THIS AD AND BRING YOUR WIFE OR GIRL FRIEND to ‘EL LIDO’ anytime during the 2-WEEK PERIOD FEB. 1 - FEB. 14 AND I PERSONALLY WILL SERVE YOU. y Med LUXE ITALIAN MEALS FOR THE PRICE OF P.S.: Please allow for 2 extra notches in your belt. Our servings tend to be on the large side. COUPON 2 ror tue price of J Draws Praise At a recent meeting of our Executive Committee the very striking page entitled “Thou Shalt Not Kill”, pub- lished in the Western Cana- dian Lumber Worker, ist Is- sue, December 1963, was presented. : Our Executive considers it to be one of the best-in- formed and most clearly ex- pressed statements on the subject of driving responsi- bility which has come to our attention, and those present were unanimous in asking that a letter of congratula- tion be forwarded to you with our heartiest good wishes for the success of such educational efforts in pro- moting safe driving. We particularly like the suggestion that “We can say ‘no’ to a drink BEFORE we drive”. So often the caption is “If you drink, do not drive”, ignoring the fact that after a person has taken even one drink his judgment is af- fected to some extent and it is quite probable he will see no reason why he should not drive or why he should not take another drink. W. G. WILSON, Executive and Education Director, Alcohol Research and and Education Council. Employees Hit Ford Policy The announcement by Ford of Canada that two shifts a day are to be put in effect in the engine plant on Jan. 20 has brought mixed reac- tion from union circles. Henry Renaud, president of Local, 200 United Auto Workers union, reiterated an earlier charge that the com- pany’s hiring practices leave much to be desired since it continues to refuse to hire previous employees who have lost their recall rights in pref- erence to new workers. The men have lost their re- call rights because their Jaid- off time exceeds the length of time they have worked for the company. LOOK FOR THIS NAME It is your Guarantee that you can’t buy a better Glove ANYWHERE Union Made by JOHN WATSON LTD. Article | + * } - | | | 127 - 2nd Ave., E. Vencouver B.C.