MEMBERSHIP oe 1955 1964 ‘yi 1-405 _. 640 2036 & 1-417 _.. 483 1091 Local 1-423 _. 611 1247 In 1954, the Locals com- bined had 3 Business Agents. Now they have 7 Business ” THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER TERIOR LOCAL UNIONS During the Period of cent- ralization, new ground was broken when the Union cap- tured 61 new certifications. A heavy financial invest- ment was made by the Dis- trict Council, and later by the Regional Council in the IRO. As conditions improved, steps were taken by the Regional Officers to shift the financial burden on the Region grad- ually until the IRO no longer became necessary. The story of the IWA in the Southern Interior would not be complete without ref- erence to the hard-fought strike through the winter months of November, Decem- ber and January, 1953-54. With generous aid from the Coast Local Unions, the Southern Interior members stood the test of this struggle and emerged with a master agreement, which has laid the basis for the present contract and incorporates many of the features found in the Coast master agreement. This strike proved the militancy of Southern Interior members Since this strike every period of new negotiations has won new and important gains for them. The Interior Local Unions scored important victories when during the years they won union security, the forty- hour week, Health and Wel- fare plans and training pro- grams, as well as nearly all the main contract benefits gained by the more powerful Coast Locals. The Interior Local Unions have never relinquished their fight to wipe out any differ- ential between Interior and Coast wages and working conditions. The Interior em- ployers have opposed any such reform, hoping to retain a competitive advantage in their lumber sales. The strongest case was made by the Interior Local Unions during the 1964 broad nego- tiations, when it was shown that no justification exists for such a differential in compar- ative living costs, production costs or lumber prices. v oe Le Par tag a yy 1964 INTERIOR WAGES AND CONTRACT CONFERENCE . a winning combination Clayton Walls, whose inde- fatigable efforts helped to put the Southern Interior organ- ization on the map, reviewed IRO activities, upon its dis- banding in the following words. “In retrospect, it is very evident from the results at- tained that the vision and wis- dom of the 1953-1954 District Officers, District Executive Board and the Officers and Members of Locals 1-405, 1- 417, 1-423 whose decision co- operatively instituted the vol- untary Interior Regional Of- fice administrative plan. have been fully justified. Witness the growth, expansion, mem- bership participation and fi- nancial results achieved in the past ten years! “WE HAVE ACCOM. PLISHED WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO. However, to achieve the end of placing the three Local Unions back on their own initiative complete- ly, it took great effort and sac- rifice by all. We know the Lo- cal Unions with their capable staffs will continue to grow and expand in this great In- ternational Woodworkers of America upon the firm foundation that we have joint- ly built during the past decade.” Bargaining Tactics Contested in Court If during 12 months of con- tract negotiations an em- ployer fails to make any monetary offers, does that constitute bargaining in bad faith? That question will be an- swered by a Hamilton Mag- istrate after a court case here involving the United Glass and Ceramic Workers of North America and the Do- minion Glass Company Ltd., Hamilton. In one of the most involved labor court cases on record the union is charging that the company over a period of one year failed to bargain in good faith and make every reason- able effort to reach a settle- ment. This failure, according to the union. was a breach of the Ontario Labor Relations Act. The complaint was first dealt with by the Ontario La- bor Relations Board in 1963, which granted the Glasswork- ers permission to take the company to court. During the past 18 months the case was taken from Mag- istrate’s Court to the Ontario Supreme Court and from there to the Ontario Court of Appeal. During this entire period no witnesses were heard and the actual case was never tried because of a highly tech- nical legal battle between two top lawyers involving the wording of the charge filed by the union. The company’s contention was that bargaining in good faith and making every rea- sonable effort to reach a set- tlement were two separate things and that the- union’s complaint was void for du- plicity. Both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, how- ever, ruled that bargaining in good faith and making every reasonable effort were not to be separated. ; When the case returned to Hamilton Magistrate’s Court for trial, Oliver Hodges, Cana- dian Glassworker director, testified that the company had never made any money offers. He also felt that bargaining had been stalled which event- ually led the employees When performance means profit . . . OREGON MICRO-BIT is the best chain for your saw! Used by most B.C. chain saw operators. (about 75 white collar work- ers) to file an application for decertification. The Glassworkers lost the unit but decided to test the meaning of bargaining in good faith in court. The company’s claim is that negotiations were conducted during the 12 months and that there had been no neces- sity to make money offers. It is believed that this is the first time in Canada that the concept of bargaining in good faith is being put to the test. _After hearing the arguments from both sides, the magis- trate deferred a decision. = “Doc” Retires; Dowling Succeeds The United Steelworkers has appointed John L. Dow- ling, a long-time Hamilton staff member, to head the : Union’s safety and health : department. The position was formerly held by R. J. “Doc” Lamoureux, who was taken ill last October.