thewestern, canadian

VOL. XLIII, No.4

lumber worker

VANCOUVER, B.C.

NOVEMBER, 1975

FOR YOUR OWN SAKE

UPPORT THE NDP

B.C. FEDERATION DELEGATES
BACK BARRETT’S GOVERNMENT

The 20th Annual Convention
of the B.C. Federation of
Labour, hefd November 3-7, in
Vancouver, saw sanity prevail
in the House of Labour after a
number of individuals at-
tempted to raise a storm of
protest against Premier Dave
Barrett and. Labour Minister
Bill King for, legislating B.C.
strikers back to work.

Barrett and King’s critics,
obviously more interested in a
personal vendetta than the
welfare of the province, at-
tempted to have a motion of
censure moved by the Conven-
tion against the two Ministers
and all others in the govern-
ment that voted for the Bill.

The move, however, was de-
feated when the leaders of the
more responsible organiza-
tions of the Federation such as
the IWA, Steel and the B.C.
Government Employees
Union, flatly refused to go
along. °

They pointed out that Barrett
and his NDP government had
given the province the best
social legislation in its history
and they were not prepared to
give aid and comfort to the
Socreds by attacking their
friends.

Their strong support of the
government was also reflected
in the Report of the Political
Education Committee chaired
by Regional President Jack
Munro, which reads as follows:

Your committee believes
that the events of the past year

WLS HOTNESS TRADES SNS}

RETURN REQUESTED
. Vatenaver B.C

THE LUMBER WORKER
2859 Commercial Dr

t
'

make it very clear that our
report, the decisions of this
convention and the subsequent
action by affiliates of this Fed-
eration are of very great im-
portance to all working people
in the province of British Col-
umbia.

It is not the purpose of your
committee to discuss legisla-
tive and administrative activi-
ties of our provincial govern-
ment. That is the function of
other committees of the Feder-
ation and will be dealt with at
other times during our conven-
tion proceedings. We simply
want to present to delegates to
the convention our analysis of
the current political scene, its
implications for working
people and our recommenda-
tions for a program of action.

It has become very obvious
that the corporate interests in
the province of British Colum-
bia, working through their
political and media tools, have
launched an all-out campaign
to defeat the NDP government
at the next provincial election.
The constant campaign of vili-
fication and distortion in the
daily press, the weekly press
and on private radio stations,
both in their alleged news re-
porting and in their open-line
programs makes it virtually
impossible for the average
ines to obtain any kind of a
clear and balanced picture of
the record and program of the
NDP government. The defec-
tion of three Liberal MLA’s to

the ranks of Social Credit,
obviously at the behest of their
corporate masters, represents
another step in the campaign.
It is impossible to estimate the
number of millions of dollars
which has been or will be
poured into the campaign
coffers of the Social Credit
Party through the back door
from business interests not
only in British Columbia, but
undoubtedly emanating from
other parts of Canada and even
beyond our borders. Obviously,
in the face of a campaign of

See “FEDERATION” page 3

ss

=

L.W. RESUMES
PUBLICATION

For the past number of
months the Lumber Worker
has been forced to discontinue
regular publication due to the
exceptional conditions existing
in the B.C. forest industry
which resulted in layoffs for a
great number-of IWA mem-
bers.

However, now that condi-
tions are returning to normal
the paper will resume publica-
tion on a regular basis.

In this issue are reports of
three Local Annual Meetings,
which while not current, have
been published out of courtesy
to our Prairie members.

SETTLEMENT
NEAR

The IWA Coast Negotiating Committee and Forest Indus-
trial Relations Ltd., were still meeting to iron out some of
the contract language in the revised Hutcheon Report, as,
the Lumber Worker was going to press.

It is expected that the parties will reach agreement
quickly and finalize the contract. The Committee regrets
the delay in signing the Report but state that the extra time
was necessary to ensure its complete clarification.

IWA members having retroactive money coming to them
can expect payment in the first pay period of the month
following signing of the Agreement — re the Hutcheon
Report. This means the money will be received well before

Christmas.

Southern Interior members are still voting on acceptance
of their agreement. Northern Interior members have ap-
proved and signed their new contract and can expect. their
retroactive money shortly.

PREMIER DAVE BARRETT

_ EDITORIAL |

OME political experts are forecasting a close

fight between the New Democratic Party and
the Socreds on December 11th.

Their predictions are based on the assumption
that the Liberals and Conservatives will be unable
to field candidates in all ridings and in a two-way
battle, the NDP candidates will lose in the areas
that are not Socialist strongholds.

The possibility that the Socreds could be elected
must be prevented at whatever the cost. Organ-
ized labour which has a strong stake in the out-
come of this election must now work as never
before for the re-election of Dave Barrett’s NDP
government. ;

The danger of the only decent government this
province ‘has ever had going down to defeat, is too
real to ignore. Too many people appear to have
forgotten the Socred’s twenty years of arrogant
government; their callous indifference to the
needs of the aged, the disadvantaged, and the ill;
their undercover deals to give away the natural
resources of the province to large foreign interests
and their blunt refusal to live up to any of their
election commitments.

See “EDITORIAL” page 2