Pie an MARCH, 1975 Regional ist Vice-President Wyman Trineer and the three © members of the Southern Interior Negotiating Com- mittee, President Wayne Now- lin, Local 1-405; President Sonny Alexandre, Local 1-417; and President Bill Schumaker, EFFECTIVE, JULY 1, 1974 2nd Class Engineer THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Local 1-423, concluded an agreement February 12, with the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association which has revised and standardized Powerhouse rates for the fol- lowing categories: 30c to max. of $8.15 but not less than $7.85 3rd Class Engineer 1112c¢ to a max. of 7.5014 but not less than 7.39 4th Class Engineer 10c toa max. of 6.7714 but not less than 6.6712 Fireman (4th Class Ticket) Fireman EFFECTIVE MARCH I, 1975 2nd Class Engineer 3rd Class Engineer 4th Class Engineer Fireman (4th Class Ticket) Fireman 10c to a max. of 6.35 but not less than 6.25. 10c to a max. of 5.73 but not less than 5.63 Industry Rate $8.15 Industry Rate $7.5014 Industry Rate $6.7714 Industry Rate $6.35 Industry Rate $5.73 GRANTS AWARDED The Manitoba government has granted $4,000 to each of two community colleges to produce an electric car by 1976. The vehicle must be capable of speeds up to 30 miles an hour and have a range of 30 miles. It must also comply with the Highway Safety Act. The basie car is to be a standard automobile converted to electric propulsion. The objective is to demonstrate the use of a renewable energy resource with minimal polluting effect. Manitoba has substantial hydro power with more coming on stream. FORESTRY TOUR Thirty-two students from the University of Victoria, Uni- versity of B.C. and Simon Fra- ser University have been invi- ted on Festival of Forestry’s first educational tour of 1975. The tour, March 24-27, was conducted on Vancouver Island and featured visits to the Victoria watershed, Mesa- chie Lake, the Koklish Forest Nursery and Forest Services Museum ‘at Duncan. While in Duncan the students were the guests of Local 1-80, IWA, at a special dinner. At least two more similar tours are planned this year according to W.D. Moore, Chairman of Festival. “In an attempt to foster a broader understanding of our industry and the men who work init,’’ Mr. Moore said, ‘‘we are inviting more students from the departments of education so our future teachers will have a first hand experience of our industry.” FIRST MINISTER PASSES C. C. (Charlie) Williams, the train dispatcher who became mayor of Regina and CCF Min- ister of Labour in Saskat- chewan, died in Vancouver on January 31 at age 78. In his tribute, Premier Allan Blakeney said: ‘‘Charlie Williams was responsible for what, in those days of the 1940s, was the most enlightened labour legislation in North America. He brought in a trade union act, improved work- men’s compensation, legisla- tion for two weeks holidays with pay and eight paid statutory holidays. NEW POWERHOUSE RATES oy “a WON Gerry Stoney, President of Local 1-357 IWA, New West- minster, was re-elected to office along with his fellow officers in the Local’s recent elections. Officers re-elected are as follows: Gerry Stoney, President; Terry Smith, First Vice- President; Bill Hanson, Second Vice-President; Joe Leclair, Third Vice-President; Bill Simcoe, Financial Secretary; Marge Storm, Recording Sec- retary; Ed Dubas, Conductor; Dave Rauser, Warden; Hank Egelstad, Trustee. LIGHTER SIDE Sam, the machinery sales- man, says that success de- pends on the functioning of the glands — the sweat glands. * x — *& Chokerman Charlie points out that the girl who says she will go through anything for a man more than likely has his bank account in mind. * * * Latest advice from Sawmill Sue: Don’t ever tell your wife you’re not worthy of her — let it come as a surprise! (0 | BANK BY MAIL When you use our special bank-by-mail service there's always a branch of the Commerce as close as your mail box. CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE ' Several highlights have been. incorporated into Autoplan for 1975. Besides retaining generally low rates for another year, ICBC has included area equalization grants, no fault insurance for housewives, and the gradual removal of the drivers’ cer- tificate fee. Bob Strachan, minister responsible for ICBC, said the rates are held down because the plan is non-profit, has lower operational costs and returns the investment back to Autoplan: ICBC rates are equivalent to those of 1972 under private plans, yet private rates have increased as much as 40 percent in other parts of Canada. ; Because of soaring accident rates in B.C., the penalties charged drivers with poor driving records has been kept by ICBC. Strachan and ICBC officials stress that accident rates deter- mine the cost of claims. “‘If we can get the safety measure across . . . if B.C. becomes a province of safe drivers, then there is no question that we will continue to enjoy low cost car insurance,” said Strachan. The first step has been taken in 1975 for uniform insurance rates in B.C., with revenues from gasoline taxes used to reduce premium differences. Strachan explained: ‘‘By uniform rates I don’t mean that every vehicle owner will pay exactly the same premium, but I do mean that a specific owner of a specific vehicle used for a specific purpose should pay the same rate whether living in Vancouver, Vanderhoof or Victoria.”’ COMPARATIVE RATES — 1974 VOLKSWAGEN “BEETLE” Pleasure Only, Drivento Occasional over 25 and from use by under driver work 25 driver Victoria $ 90 $106 $116 Vancouver 109 135 los Nanaimo 99 114 146 Chilliwack 104 119 155 Kelowna 105 118 151 Pr. George 140 158 204 Edmonton 166 189 314° Toronto 181 208 351 Montreal 253 - 291 — 494 Moncton 204 231 399 Halifax 170 194 350 Charlottetown 188 216 394 St. John’s 241 276 459 COMPARATIVE RATES — 1974 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Pleasure only, Driven to Occasional over 25 and from use by under driver work 25 driver Victoria - $107 $125 _ $137 Vancouver 137 166 186 Nanaimo 126 143 | 180 Chilliwack 131 149 191 Kelowna 138 153 193 ‘Pr. George 190 210 265 Edmonton 195 222 366 Toronto 210 240 404 Montreal 299 343 578 Moncton 244 276 470 Halifax 201 215 414 Charlottetown 225 257 ° 466 St. John’s 295 336 556 COVERAGE: $ $100,000 third party liability, accident benefits, $100 deductible collision, $25 deductible comprehensive NOTE: The rates shown for cities outside of British Columbia are those published by the Canadian Underwriters Association in July, 1974. ° 4 NOW THE BAD NEWS Now the bad news. You probably won’t know whether to laugh or cry at the news that Switzerland is feeling the recessionary pinch, but it is. Unemployment soared 152% from September to October, the last month for which offi- cial figures are available. A total of — wait for it — 249 persons were officially declared unemployed at the end of October. This represents 0.008% — yes folks, 0.008% — of the national workforce, the highest level in 20 years. The recently released, all-revealing statistics also noted that 2,196 job offers remained open. That may sound like a lot of fuss about nothing, but, for a country conditioned by full employment since the 1950s, the rising rate of business failures — more than twice the num- ber recorded in 1973 — has assumed crisis proportions. ‘“‘There’ll be more unemployment in the months ahead,” predicted a gloomy federal official in Berne. ‘All of which goes to show that everything is relative.