THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

1st Issue August, 1966

‘THE WESTERN CANADIAN

LUMBER

WORKER

27,500 copies printed in this issue.

Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA

Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1

Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC

2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261

Editor — Pat ‘Kerr

Business Manager — Fred Fieber

Advertising Representative — G. A. Spencer

Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year.

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. eG?

GUEST EDITORIAL

WOLVES HOWL FOR UNION BLOOD

ames! without fail, when organized labor is forced to strike a rich com- pany or group of employers for a decent contract, the political and _ editorial

wolves begin howling for the blood of the union man.

A few months ago, the victims of politicians and editorial writers were the transit and newspaper union members in New York City.

Today, the targets of the outraged

- editorial experts and politicians — in-

cluding some who have counted heavily on labor's support at the polls — are the Machinists Union members who struck five major airlines on July 8.

The 35,000 strikers include mechan- ics, whose skills keep the huge jets plow- ing the skies with a fine safety record, and all the other ground personnel neces- sary to carry out fueling, baggage, ramp and cargo work.

The top pay rate for mechanics is $3.52 per hour, while the pay is much lower for less skilled classifications, which make up the majority of strikers. In the airline local union in Portland, Ore., for example, only 35 of the 250 members are mechanics.

Politicians and editorial writers loudly declare the airline machinists are con- ducting a “strike against the public” and a “gun-at-the-head” shutdown of airline service.

These self-styled experts on collective bargaining never get around to mention-

$3,000,000 BACK PAY

ing the $200,000,000 net profits banked iby the five airlines last year. Nor do they

point out that profits in 1966 for the

carriers are running well ahead of last year.

The Machinist contracts with the air- lines expired last December, but ma- chinery of the federal law kept the union members at work until three weeks ago. This included study of the dispute by a three-man Presidential Emergency Board, which recomended wage increases of 48 cents for mechanics and 34 cents for other workers over a 42-month period.

These acceptable to the airline employees, who in past years were asked to forego many economic benefts enjoyed by workers in other industries because the airlines were either in the red or in marginal opera- tions. ;

The union's, position is simple and justifiable: Now that the airlines have solved their economic problems, their employees are entitled to a fair share of the profits and to live as well as work- ers in other industries.

‘Collective bargaining can settle this dispute—with no interference from poli- ticians—when the airlines sit down and bargain in good faith from their position of economic abundance. But the com- panies apparently are relying on the poli- ticians to choke an infericr settlement

down the throats of the workers. —International Woodworker

recommendations were un-

The United Auto Workers’ dispute with the Kohler Com- pany has ended with the Com- pany agreeing to pay $3,000,- C00 to cover the loss of wages suffered by the 1,000 mem-

bers of the Union who struck the operation April 5, 1954. ‘ The firm stated that it was willing to pay about 14 mil- lion dollars into the pension fund of UAW Local 833, so that the pension entitlement of the reinstated former strik- _ ers could be fully met. ‘The agreement also pro- vides for considerable im- _ provements in wages and so- benefits for Kohler em- s, including an increase

cent for all workers |

vacation are guaranteed un- der the new agreement. The company has also taken over the payment of premiums for health and accident insur- ance, and the insurance pay- ments have been raised from 50 to 62 dollars per week for a period of 52 weeks.

The strike, which began on April 5, 1954, lasted for six years, After work had been resumed, the Labour Rela- tions’ Board decided that the Kohler Company had _ pro- longed the strike action by its unfair practices, In particular, it had not negotiated in good faith. After further negotia- tions, the Board decided to compel the company, which had indulged in unfair prac- tices throughout the duration of the strike, to re-engage the workers who had gone on

come

Box 917, Postal Station “A”

ELMER ATWOOD

A

DOUG EVANS

FRED IBIS

THREE IWA representatives who recently graduated from the two- month Labour College held at McGill University in Montreal. The three are Elmer Atwood, Fin- ancial Secretary of Local 1-405, IWA, Cranbrook; Fred Ibis, Busi- ness Agent of Local 1-424, IWA Prince George; and Doug Evans, Financial Secretary of Local 1-217, IWA, Vancouver.

CLC CONFERENCE

OTTAWA — The Canadian Congress announced it is calling a national conference here September 27-28 on in- junctions and the threat of compulsory arbitration.

President Claude Jodoin said the decision was made BY the CLC’s executive coun- cil,

The announcement came on the heels of a succession of protests on the injunctions issue. Union men have been incensed by the jail term handed out to 25 workers in Peterborough, Ont., and 10 in Vancouver for alleged defi- ance of injunctions.

Jodoin said the conference will. focus attention on the

inexpensive funeral

THE

Has much fo offer you

“legal hurdles” being thrown in the way of collective bar- gaining.

Labor men contend that the injunctions are a weapon in the hands of management to curb strike activity..

Provincial labor federa- tions and all unions affiliated with the CLC will be invited to send two-man delegations to the Ottawa conference. About 250 delegates are ex- pected.

Jodoin said that besides in- junctions the talks will deal with compulsory arbitration, national certification and residual rights of manage- ment. ..

If you are interested in a simple, dignified yet

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