,

LUMBER

Vol. XXXVI, No. 12

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

VANCOUVER, B.C.

_ MESSAGE
EGIONAL PRESIDENT JACK MOORE

@ recently concluded convention of
n Canadian Regional Council No. 1 auth-
an increase in the Regional per capita
15 cents.

delegates to our convention, recogniz-
the increased costs of all items which the
2n must use to continue its organizational
and to carry on the services demanded
ine membership, agreed that 15c was not
necessary to continue our present ser-
but should also give us enough to expand
Services as the membership has de-

et:

the case of most Local Unions this 15c
ase to the Regional Council will be ab-
d without any proposed increase in the
idual dues paid by members.
Because of vast amounts of money used
| organize the unorganized in all parts of
Western Canada, we have built our organiza-
| tion to forty thousand members. Those areas
still left to organize are the most difficult and:
| probably will be the most expensive; however,
_ the job must be done if we are to protect our
present wage standards and working condi-
| tions, and if we are to have any reasonable
hope of substantially improving them.
In the spring of 1970 the Regional Council
| will be conducting negotiations on the Coast
and in the Interior of B.C., and a successful
conclusion. of these confrontations with the
employers depend in large degree on the
finances of the region.
The Regional convention, composed of well
_ over one hundred and sixty delegates, repre-
| senting every Local Union in western Canada,
_recommends to the members that they vote
| “Yes” on the per capita ballot which each
_ member will have the right to mark in the next
forty days.

ia
rf

by members of Local 1-206
.IWA Alberta, employed at
the Fort Macleod plywood

plant, has been settled.

The strikers at a meeting
September 28, approved by
over 94% the terms of a new
28-month contract negotiated
by Regional President Jack
Moore and Local Financial

Secretary Tom Sprlak.

paid August 1, 1971.

clude:

@ A Plywood Evaluation
plan to be instituted not later
than February 1, 1972.

See “STRIKE”—Page 3

RETURN REQUESTED die Gienrciai inks Didnt, B.c.

g| jeg ,
ne d is FORT MACLEOD
32ie1E/8] 3 STRIKE ENDS

| | Els

j The ten - month - old strike

Terms of the new agree-
ment call for an immediate
lump sum payment of $100.00.
On resumption of work all
employees will receive a wage
increase of 40 cents an hour, A
further increase of 25 cents
an hour will be paid August
1, 1970, and a final increase
of 25 cents an hour will be

Other items negotiated in-

5c PER COPY

<>?

BY CONVENTION DELEGATES

WORKER

OCTOBER, 1969

PER CAPITA TAX INCREASE
APPROVED FOR REGIONAL COUNCIL

Recognizing the grave financial position of the Regional Council, delegates attending the
32nd Annual IWA Convention October 6-10, in Vancouver, approved a constitutional pro-
posal to increase the per capita tax payments to the Regional Council by 15 cents per mem-

ber per month.

The Region, which had a $9,000 operating deficit last year, has not had a per capita in-

crease since 1965. The present tax paid by the-forty thousand members is 90 cents a month.
Five cents of this is allocated for negotiation and publicity expenses.

During the vote on the tax
increase an overwhelming ma-
jority of the delegates from

all Local Unions signified their

willingness to support the 15-
cent figure.

The proposed increase must
be now ratified in a referen-
dum vote of the membership.
Balloting will commence Oc-
tober 20 and the ballots are

-returnable not later than No-

vember 20. :
Other vital issues dealt with

_ by the Convention included a

lengthy debate on negotiating
procedures. Some delegates
expressed strong opposition to
the present method of con-
ducting negotiations on an in-
dustry-wide basis. They sug-
gested that the Union should
negotiate separately with the
companies and, if necessary,
to strike selectively against
the companies, rather than
have a complete industry shut
down.

The majority of the dele-
gates, however, supported in-

dustry - wide bargaining and
showed their support by en-
dorsing a resolution of Local
1-85 which called for the Re-
gion to continue the practice
of industry negotiations.

The week-long Convention
also dealt with a number of
other important resolutions,
reports, safety resolutions, and.
heard from numerous guest
speakers. Coverage of this will
be carried in the November
issue of the Lumber Worker
as well as Convention pic-
tures not shown in this issue.

SEAMEN
PRISONERS |

The Seafarers’ International
Union has filed a strong pro-
test against strict new regu-
lations that make it virtually
impossible for seamen to
leave their ships in the Wel-

land Canal area to see their:
_ families.

Under the new policy, fol-
lowed by the Canadian cus-
toms and immigration inspec-
tors, crews and passengers are
virtual prisoners on their ships
until cleared by Canadian cus-
toms, the union complains.

The new regulations were
introduced after the RCMP
reported a big increase in
smuggled American color tele-
vision sets in Ontario.

The practice was for cus-
toms officers on the Canada-
U.S. border to take the cap-
tain’s word as sufficient to
clear a ship, which gave the
crew from seven to eight
hours each trip to visit their

families in the Welland Canal -

area.

BOYCOTT
AT SAFEWAY

The B.C. Federation of La-
bour is once again requesting
the general public not to shop
at Safeway stores unless Safe-
way agrees to stop selling Cal-
ifornia and Arizona grapes.

The Federation intends to
put on a full-scale boycott

* campaign which will include

a leaflet distribution campaign
at. all stores with special em-
phasis on Safeway which may
also include the picketing of
Safeway stores. The leaflet-
ting and picketing will prob-
ably be organized by the
Citizens’ Committee to Sup-
port the Grapeworkers, a com-
mittee composed of church,
labour and other civic groups.

IN ELECTION RACE

JOFINSON STILL
OF REGIONAL COUNCIL

Keith Johnson, the first
Canadian in the past twenty-
seven years to hold a top
office in the International Un-
ion, is seeking election to the
post of International 1st Vice-
President which is now vacant
\due to the retirement of
Claude Ballard who held the
position for a number of years.

Keith is being opposed by
Les Miller, an American from
Longview, Washington.

Because of his ability and
broad knowledge of IWA af-
fairs, Keith was the unani-
mous choice of Regional

CHOICE

Council No. 1 two years ago
to contest the position of In-
ternational 2nd_ Vice - Presi-
dent.

Following his election by a
better than two to one ma-
jority, International President
Ron Roley showed his trust
in Keith by giving him the
highly important job of head-
ing up the Organization De-
partment.

Keith carried out his duties
in the Department so well that

See “JOHNSON”—Page 3

KEITH JOHNSON