Si te ene nS 2nd Issue, October, 1961 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER From Page 2 W 7 Program to remedy rising unemployment must be taken now by those in power, both provincially and federally. It is ex- pected that the convention will issue a special statement on the question, directing public attention to the present official neglect of the unemployed. The B.C. Federation of Labour will hold a special Conference on Unemployment October 22. The recom- mendations of this conference will be presented to the Federation’s Annual Convention. The Federation’s conclu- sions will be placed before the political convention for endorsation. These will be intended to spur immediate pub- lic action. This procedure means that the Federation’s convention will virtually have the opportunity to write the Party’s statement on the most pressing problem of the day. NEW LABOUR LAWS WILL BE SPECIFIED The plank in the proposed provincial platform of the New Democratic Party, dealing with labour laws, is frankly based on the declared legislative aims of the B.C. Federation of Labour. In its present form the labour plank states: “A New Democratic Government will strive for a society in which all workers will enjoy job security, dignity and freedom.” The workers of the province have been receiving an inadequate share of the total wealth produced. It is the aim of the New Democratic Party to see that every citizen in the province, no matter what his work or ‘profession, will share fully in the benefits of a well-planned, organized and automated industrial economy. Anti-labour legislation such as Bills 43 and 42 will be repealed. A Trade Union Act and other new labour legislation will provide fair treatment for all workers, a higher minimum wage and improved industrial relations. Legislation will be passed to enforce payment of wage claims and to make companies responsible for wages owing by their sub-contractors. There will be a complete overhaul of the Workmen’s Compensation Act to ensure that all cases will receive a fair hearing and will be processed without delay. The New Democratic Party makes a pledge to all government employees that they will enjoy full and free collective bargaining rights.” Discussion of this plank in the Local Unions and in the seminars has already resulted in proposals for additions to this plank. While the program was designed to lay down only general principles, there has been a desire that all proposals be “spelled out” in specific terms. Discussion of labour’s legislative aims at the Federation’s convention will no doubt shape any such conclusions for trade union delegates at the political convention. POWER IS THE CURRENT POLITICAL TOPIC The. plank on power in the proposed program states that a New Democratic Government will proceed immedi- ately with an integrated power program based on the pro- gressive public development of the energy resources of the province in order to bring the benefits of low-cost power to individual and industrial consumers. All power generation, transmission and distribution systems in British Columbia must come under the direc- tion of one public power authority which will plan an inte- grated over-all power system to include both the Columbia and the Peace developments, it states. “Our cheapest source of power, the Columbia, must be developed first. This low-cost power must be used in British Columbia to create new industries and the thous- ands of new jobs which are required to expand our indus- trial production rapidly and to end mass unemployment in our province” is the program’s declaration. As the program must necessarily take the long-range view, a special policy statement will be required to deal with the present situation resulting from the controversy between the provincial and federal governments. Labour will be asked at both conventions to assess the following facts as stated by the Leader of the Opposition, The order, manner, time and use of our hydro devel- opments will determine the extent the people will benefit from them. Statistics now available make it clear that the Columbia River can provide B.C. with cheaper power than is available from any other source. Premier Bennett seems determined that the Peace River will be developed to provide B.C. with power, and that if the Columbia is developed at all, the power from the Columbia will be sold to the United States. This means that we would be selling our cheapest power to the United States, while retaining the more ex- pensive Peace River power for our own use. It is an economic fact that industry will go where the cheapest power is available. If we export or sell our Columbia power then industry See “PROGRAM” Page 4 Shelter Plans Illegal Have you built your bomb shelter yet? If you hayen’t, you had better check carefully before you start work. According to Hamilton Building Commission- er Fred Veale, the shelter which the government wants you to build is contrary to the National Building Code. The government designed shel- ter calls for wooden beams to support the cement roof. The government’s response: “Oh, we know they are contrary to the building code, but they’re just for emergency use.” The emergency? — a nuclear explosion. If that doesn’t shake those wooden beams, perhaps the government spokesmen can tell us what will. 0 See SOB REPRESENTATIVES of the organizing activities in each IWA Region met in Miami Beach during the recent Executive Board meeting to discuss their mutual prob- lems. Present were: left to right: Malcolm Trach, Region No. 4; Howard Gar- diner, Region No. 5; D. C. Gundvaldson, Region No. 3; Clayton Walls, Region No. 1; and Jack Horan, Region No. 2. —Woodworker Photo HI! yOU THERE WITH THE DAYTONS YOU'RE HIRED! . Te GP EER ue. ite DAYTONS THE BEST BOOTS MONEY CAN BUY SHOE MANUFACTURING CO. (B.C.) LTD. 2248-50 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. Logger Boots + Safety Boots = Ss —3 {ow “y ae