OFFICERS MAKE
STATEMENTS

The resignation of Joe Morris as President and Director, Region
1, IWA, becomes effective May 28. He leaves British Columbia for
Ottawa the same week to assume his new duties as an Executive
Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress.

He will be immediately succeeded in office for the balance of the
presidential term by Regional 1st Vice-President, Jack Moore, as
provided in the Union’s Constitution. In preparation for the official
transfer of all presidential responsibilities, Jack Moore has been
acting as chief spokesman for the Negotiating Committee in cur-
rent negotiations with the Coast and Interior lumber operators.
Plans made by both officers in close association and with the
approval of the Regional Executive Board will enable continued ad-
ministration of the Union’s affairs without dislocation.

The statements of both officers to the Union’s membership on
the occasion follow.

ONE

As
THE WESTERN CANADIAN |

mca ty

Incorporating Phe @.C, Lambermorker Official Publication of the ateraatlonal Woedmorkers of APmertea Regional Council No. 1

1st Issue

PeNGOUVER B.C; 5e°PER COPY rn] May, 1962

VOL. XXIX, No. 9

Interior Local Unions Set
New Contract Demands

Interior IWA local Unions united with Coast Local Unions in
demands for a twenty-five cent an hour wage increase and extended
vacations, to increase employment, at the Wages and Contract Con-
ference held in Kelowna May 5-6. Negotiations commence on or
about June 1 to secure acceptance of demands for the revision of
the Northern and Southern master agreements which expire on

Inquiry
Nears
Finality

The dispute between the IWA
and the coast lumber operators
is now being heard by Dean N.
G. Perry, the Industrial Inquiry

August 31.

The Kelowna Conference was
fully representative of Locals 1-424,
1-423, 1-417 and 1-405 IWA as well
as the Regional Policy Committee
and the Regional Executive Board
members.

A comprehensive review of the
economic position of the Interior
lumber industry from the standpoint
of production, sales, shipments and
market prospects was presented to
the Conference by Research Direc-
tor Joe Miyazawa prior to considera-
tion of resolutions from the Local
Unions. The bargaining “package”
finally and unanimously agreed upon
expressed the views of the member-
ship with regard to the most urgent
priorities.

The demands formulated by the
Interior Wages and Contract Con-
ference are as follows:

NORTHERN INTERIOR
MASTER AGREEMENT
1. Wages

An across the board increase of
25c per hour.
2. Contractors &

Sub-Confractors
To provide for an Article stat-

ing that where a portion of an
operation is contracted or sub-
contracted, the company signing
the Agreement will undertake
that all wages and conditions
of the Master Agreement shall
apply to the contractors or sub-
contractors.

3. Health & Welfare
To provide a Health & Welfare
Plan similar to that in the Coast
Agreement.

4. Vacations With Pay

Three weeks additional paid va-

cation for all employees.

a) That all earned vacations
must be taken.

b) To provide for the stagger-
ing of holidays.

c) To provide that vacations be
taken during the summer
period. Where employees
desire vacations at some
other time, such arrange-
ments to be made by the
Local Union and the Com-

pany.
5. Graders & Scalers
To provide a rate of $2.30 per

See “DEMANDS” Page 2

Edmonton Picket Line
Fights Intimidation

IWA members who have been on strike for nine weeks at the
Edmonton operation of Western Plywood Ltd. for a forty-hour
week are now offering determined resistance to the Company’s
attempt to break the strike by intimidation.

An effort to operate the plant by
supervisory staff failed. The Com-
pany’s latest strike-breaking move is
to send a letter to all strikers in-
forming them that their employment
will be terminated unless they re-
turn to work immediately.

Local Union 1-207, IWA, states
Financial Secretary Keith Johnson,
has requested the Minister of Labour
in Alberta for permission to prose-
cute the Company for a flagrant act
of intimidation. Further legal action
to protect the rights of the strikers is
under consideration by the Local
Union and the Regional Officers.

A Gallant Fight

Nine weeks’ maintenance of a
solid picket line has kept the Ed-
monton plant closed down com-
pletely. The Local Union reports
that all strikers have shown a re-
markable and united spirit of deter-
mination and are prepared to carry
the fight to a finish. Not any of
them have surrendered to the Com-
pany’s threats of dismissal and re-
by scabs, The trade union
movement in Edmonton and district
has extended generous moral and
financial support to the strikers in

WHATS |
| INSIDE

addition to aid rendered by IWA
Local Unions in Region 1.

The Regional Officers have kept in
close touch with the situation, hav-
ing frequently visited the strike scene
when required. They have assured
the strikers that the Regional Coun-
cil stands behind the strike with all
its resources.

Hours of Work Attacked

It is generally recognized that the
main issue in this strike has vital
significance for all TWA _ Local
Unions. The fight is for the forty-
hour work week. As the forty-hour
week is established and maintained
in all other operations of Western
Plywood Ltd. and the parent Com-
pany, U.S. Plywood Ltd., the Com-
pany’s action in Edmonton is re-
garded as heralding an attack on
the forty-hour week at other points,

' The dispute was heard by a Con-
ciliation Board which gave a unani-
mous award in favour of the Union
on its hours of work demand to re-
duce the work week from 42 hours
to 40, In rejection of the award, the
Company repudiated the position of
its own nominee on the Board,

The Edmonton strike has excited
the interest of all plywood workers
in British Columbia. Plywood pro-
duction is at a record peak. U.S,
Plywood Ltd., the parent Company,
reports a $256 million volume of
business. Developments in Edmopn-
ton are seen as an attack by Ameri-
can interests on established Cana-

LISTEN TO—

Commissioner appointed by the
Minister of Labour when con-
ciliation proceedings were
brought to an abrupt halt. The
Minister took this action when
the Conciliation Officer recom-
mended only that no Concilia-
tion Board be appointed.

In his latest report to the Union,
chief spokesman for the Negotiating
Committee, Jack Moore, stated that
he could not predict the length of
the inquiry nor any recommenda-
tions that might be made by the
Commissioner. He warned the mem-
bership that the time is drawing
close when decisions must be made
to accept or reject such recom-
mendations.

He said in part:

- “The Negotiating Committee is
now engaged in presenting the
Union’s demands with supporting
argument and evidence to Dr. N. G.
Perry, Dean of the Faculty of Com-
merce, U.B.C., the Industrial In-
quiry Commissioner. As we informed
IWA niembérs previously, all con-
ciliation procedures came to an end
when the Conciliation Officer recom-
mended that no Conciliation Board
be appointed. This indicated that no
satisfactory basis of settlement had
been found in the three-way discus-
sions between the officer and both
parties. Consequently, there were
no settlement proposals to submit
to the membership of our Union.
The New Procedure

The Minister of Labour immedi-
ately invoked powers conferred on
him by a section of the Labour Re-
lations Act which provides for the

SEE “INQUIRY” Page 3

Dispute Now
In Hands

Of Region

Developments at Hillcrest
Lumber Co. on Vancouver
Island where loggers have been
denied their customary trans-
portation to and from work
have taken a new tur. At a
meeting on May 7, between the
Regional Officers and repre-
sentatives of Local 1-80, IWA,
the Regional Council was for-
mally requested to assist in a
settlement of the dispute.

Conferences between the Region-
al Officers and the representatives of
the Company are now in progress
with the object of breaking the
deadlock on the issue which re-
sulted from the Company's adamant
withdrawal of transportations faci-
lities.

The loggers involved have stead-
fastly maintained that the Com-
pany’s action has deprived them of
established rights and that their
action in reporting for work, as for-
merly required, was justified in the
circumstances.

Their point of view is now receiv-
ing every consideration in the pres-
ent effort to resolve differences of
opinion.

JACK MOORE

I acknowledge the importance of
the responsibilities now placed upon
me by reason of the resignation of
our Regional President, Joe Morris.
I assume these responsibilities with
the firm resolve to discharge them in
a manner worthy of the Union I am
proud to serve.

On this occasion, I pay my tribute
to the shrewd and faithful leader-
ship of Joe Morris in our Union’s
affairs. All of us will miss his wise
counselling and resolute purpose in
the pursuit of IWA objectives. The
quality of his service to our Union
since 1937 will not be forgotten. He
leaves for his Ottawa post with our
heartiest good wishes for continued
success in the advancement of organ-
ized labour’s cause.

His elevation to high office in the
Canadian Labour Congress is not
only a tribute to his personal qual-
ities, but is also a compliment to the
Union whose successful activities
attracted national attention to its
President. This is acknowledged by
him.

I am indebted to Joe Morris, my
fellow-officers and members of the
Regional Council for planning which
now enables the continued execution
of the Union’s plans without any
cessation or interruption.

In my capacity as Vice-President,
I have had the closest possible asso-
ciation with the retiring President,
to familiarize myself with all the
details of the Union’s administra-
tion. I am grateful for the good
wishes and expressions of confidence
tendered me by members of the
Union. This encouragement has been
inspiring. To the best of my ability,
I will strive to deserve this confi-
dence.

My chief concern at this juncture
is the progress of our Union’s nego-
tiations at the coast and in the in-
terior of the province. The excellent
team-work resulting from our Wages
and Contract conferences and car-
ried on by the Negotiating and Pol-
icy Committees has not been in any
degree broken by the transfer of
responsibility in the President’s
office. Our negotiating program is
proceeding as planned by the
Union’s membership and will not
suffer delay or slow-down. We have
always chosen to rely on well co-
ordinated team-work for results, and

JOE MORRIS

I have requested the Western °
Canadian Regional Council to
accept my resignation as its Presi-
dent, effective May 28th.

In compliance with the terms of
our Union’s Constitution, I will be
succeeded in office immediately by
the Regional Ist Vice-President
Jack Moore. With the approval of
the Regional Executive Board, we
have jointly planned the transfer of
responsibilities in a manner that
will assure the Union’s membership
of uninterrupted discharge of the
duties attached to the post which J
will now vacate.

My resignation becomes neces-
sary because of my election as an
Executive Vice-President of the
Canadian Labour Congress. I am
required to undertake new duties
immediately after the effective date
of my resignation.

When honoured by nomination as
an Executive Vice-President of the
Canadian Labour Congress, I
accepted in the belief that my elec-
tion would provide me with a wider
opportunity to serve in the national
field the trade union aims consis-
tently upheld by the IWA. I have
had the support of my colleagues on
the Regional Council and Executive
Board in this step. The obligations
which I now assume on behalf of
the Canadian Labour Congress in-
clude the obligation to advance the
welfare of IWA members. I will re-
main a member of the IWA with no
lessening of interest in the welfare
of my fellow-members.

I leave for my new work with the
warmest memories of the loyal and
fraternal co-operation extended to
me as an IWA officer while serving
the Union in various capacities.
Since 1937, I have formed many
friendships which I esteem and hope
to retain even though personal con-
tacts may be less frequent than in
the past. I am indebted to the IWA
for an experience which will stand
me in good stead in Ottawa. I can
only say a simple “thank-you” for
all the good will I have experienced
during the past years in the IWA.

I vacate my present post with full
confidence in the capabilities of my

successor, Jack Moore. In his rise
to his present post, he has demon-
strated a competence and devotion
to IWA interests that command the

See “STATEMENTS” Page 2