THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

NDP-LABOUR SOLIDARITY: NDP leader Ed Broadbent is seen here presenting a cheque for $1700 to the Children’s Christmas Fund set up to purchase gifts for children of strik- ing Inco workers in Sudbury. The NDP donation represented a $100 contribution from each NDP MP, and was officially re- ceived by the family of Gary Patterson (above), one of, the workers who have been on strike against Canada’s nickel

giant since September 15, 1978. é

[Ete ege need

By FRANK WALL Regional Education Director

Registrations continue to pour in to the Canadian Labour Congress Office for its Annual Winter School at Harrison Hot Springs.

At the time of writing there are more than 30 applications for the I.W.A. Leadership Course — January 21-26, 1979.

It is fortunate that a number of applicants have indicated their second choices on the registration forms as it is quite likely that there may be too Many registrants for the I.W.A. course and at that point the indication of a second choice of course is of vital im- portance.

There is to this point in time one official registrant for the Instructor’s course and one or two verbal indications of participation but by the time that this reaches you it is to be hoped that there will be suffi- cient support for this course.

The total program for the school this year is both exciting and innovative to some.degree. With seminars on Democratic Socialism February 4-9; Time Management — January 21-26; Public Relations and Labour Journalism — February 11-16; Labour College Graduate Course — February 4-9; one can readily see that there is much that has been done to introduce courses out of the or- dinary to the regular school format.

This year should prove to be one of great importance to the labour movement in this prov-

ince. AS you may be aware there is the great possibility of a Federal and a Provincial election this year. It is in set- tings such as the upcoming Winter School that unionists have a great opportunity to mingle and discuss problems that they perceive effect them and their families and friends, with each other.

It provides a great oppor- tunity to discuss their future, the future of this province and the country as a-whole.

It enables people to do some Serious thinking about their fu- ture and the role labour can play in the days that lie ahead.

It is my hope and wish that those of you who are fortunate enough to attend the Winter School in 1979 may come away from Harrison with further re- solve to continue to assist your organization in whatever way possible and to become as ac- tive in as positive a way as is possible in your own local unions.

If the school is to be termed a success, then it has to result in a greater application by the student on his return to his local, of his efforts and talents, to the memberships needs. It can be a period of time, during that week, that can help the student reinforce some of his ideas and thoughts about the Union Movement. If that can help him to pass it on to his fel- low workers if it enables him or her to apply some of those things learned at the school.

Then the school will be a real success.

Ly

The 35-hour week is now the prior aim of the British unions in the move to reduce un- employment. In fact, the sub- ject was widely discussed at the recent congress of the TUC in Brighton.

The immediate aim of the TUC, and particularly of President David Basnett, also General Secretary of the General and Municipal Work- ers’ Union, is to obtain the 38- hour week from the govern- ment with full wage compensa- tion, particularly for manual workers, in exchange for his

bo se

support for a policy of wage re- Straint.

As for the Confederation of British Industry (the em- ployers’ Organization), it is opposed to any reduction in working hours which, accord- ing to it, would increase wage costs and would undermine the ability of British industry to compete and would lead in the end to more unemployment.

Following on the positions adopted by the Belgian and German unions, that of the TUC shows that the 35-hour week is increasingly becoming a “European claim’’.

By TOM FAWKES What do eight west coast fishermen, 52,000 woodworkers from across western Canada and 11,700 striking Steelwork-

ers have in common? Twenty-

five tons of fish that’s what! To be exact twenty-five tons of herring caught near Lady- smith on Vancouver Island brought to Vancouver and frozen for shipping across the country to Sudbury, Ontario where the Steelworkers are on strike against the giant INCO multi-national.

The whole thing is an exercise in national solidarity, the kind of national solidarity that makes the Canadian labour movement what it is. In total there are about twenty- four thousand people effected by the INCO strike when one considers the families of the striking workers as well, and the twenty-five tons of fish will be distributed to the strikers and their families.

The whole thing was put together during the B.C. Fed- eration of Labour convention in mid-November with the fisher- men’s union (UFAWU) agree- ing to send the. boats out to catch the fish and the IWA agreeing to pay towards the cost of processing and shipping the fish. There are a number of other unions contributing towards the processing and shipping bill which will be in

NOTICE

Anyone knowing the present whereabouts of Arthur Keyes, formerly of Galino Island, is asked to please contact Mrs. June Dobbin, care of Robert Randell, General Delivery, Honeymoon Bay, Vancouver Island VOR1Y0 or phone Mrs. R. Randell at 749-3736.

ee eS XG Fees # Fe REGIONAL 1st Vice-President Bob Blanchard inspects the catch

JANUARY,

eK,

of herring which the IWA paid to ship to the striking Steelworkers in Sudbury, Ontario.

eir time

to catch the herring. Group left, Lou Buzikievich, John Soloway, Peter Wishinski (Skipper and owner of the vessel); Bill Wishinski,

Harry Beale, Rich Wishinski.

excess of three. thousand dollars.

For those of us on the west coast and the prairies who are not accustomed to eating herring in any other way than pickled, or swimming in sour cream, along with our beer and cannot imagine anyone eating the fish any other way, the Steelworkers inform us that a

PHOTOS BY DON JANTZEN

large number of their mem-

bers in the Sudbury local are

originally from the east coast where herring is consumed as a main course fish and those

members looked forward to the arrival of the-fish——-.._..

It wasn’t turkey but it was

better than what the boss was. going to give them.

COPIES OF GAZETTE WANTED BY LIBRARY

TORONTO (CPA) — The University of Toronto Industrial j= Relations Library requires copies of the Labour Gazette for .j :

the period 1939 to 1950 inclusive. :

* Anyone who has any issues in this period and would like to have them made available for research purposes, please contact W. Wray Roulston, Chief Librarian, Centre for In- dustrial Relations, University of Toronto, 123 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada, M5S 1A1.

STILL FORCED TO WORK

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN |

1979 has been designated by the United Nations as Interna- tional Year of the Child. The UN in making the announce- ment reminded the world that “Mankind owes to the child the best that it has to offer.”

While the UN was making its proclamation, the Interna-

tional Labour Organization in Geneva, issued a report stating that fifty-two million children under the age of 15 years are forced to work, some in deplor- able conditions.

While the majority of these working children live in the developing countries, one million are exploited in the developed countries.

These children work princi- pally in agriculture, small localized industry in the rural regions, craft workshops or small family shops. Very often they work in conditions highly detrimental to their health. Many of them have never been to school.

According to the ILO report, 29 million children work in Southern Asia, 9 millions in East Asia, 10 millions in Africa

and 3 millions in Latin America.

INQUIRY

ON FORCED. - RETIREMENT

The B.C. Human Rights Commission will conduct an in- quiry into the issue of manda-

tory retirement at age Labour ome

Code will continue to rovi

anti-discrimination eee for people between the ages of 45 and 65, adding that in his opinion mandatory retirement at the age of 65 is a good idea.

a =

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