THE WESTERN CANADIAN Do) wd Mb NM) My) rf tt i it 3 | Incorporating Zhe &.G, Lumcbereworker Official Publication of the Jeterwatlonal Woodworkers of Amertea Regional Council No. 1 Vol. XXX, No. 5 VANCOUVER, B.C. ORGANIZED LABOUR SUPPOR 5c PER COPY a ea at: THEIR STRIKE — Members of the Canadian Air Line ist Issue March, 1963 | Flight Attendants Association have been on strike at Pacific Western Air Lines since Feb- ruary 25, seeking better wages and working conditions. Pictured here with the striking stewardesses is President Bill Wilson of Local 1-71, IWA, who was there to ensure that no loggers crossed the picket line. At Pacific Western Air Lines LABOUR BACKS STRIKE Three-week old strike of Pacific Western Air Lines by members of the Canadian Air Line Flight Attendant’s Assoc- iation seeking better wages and working conditions has been endorsed by all of organized labour. Approximately 70 traffic employees and 16 steward- esses are involved in the dis- pute. The strike began February 25, following the Associa- tion’s rejection of a concilia- tion board report recommend- ing a $15 a month increase for the traffic employees and no increase for stewardesses. Traffic employees are seek- ing a 15 per cent wage in- WHAT'S ‘J|INSIDE crease and the stewardesses want an average increase of $25 a month. Determined to smash the strike, Pacific Western Air- lines officials are using their executive staff to take over flights. PWA has also sus- pended six pilots for refusing to cross the picket lines and fired ten stewardesses. The top strike issue for the stewardesses, states Robert Smeal, Business Manager of the Association, is for im- proved working conditions. And these conditions need improving. PWA carries one stewardess on its DC6-b. It is - the Company’s policy to carry one stewardess for up to 40 passengers. Those occupying -non-revenue seats are not The DC-4 used by the Com- this trip when no other stew- ardess was available. In comparison, Canadian Pacific Air Lines has one stewardess for every 30 pas- sengers. No stewardess for CPA would be forced to look First person to cross the picket line set up by the Flight Attendant’s Association was John Davis, former Liberal ‘Member of Parliament for Coast-Capilano in the last ses- sion, and the Liberal’s candi- date for that riding in the present election. after more than 30 passengers for two reasons. First, it’s too much of a work load for one girl, and second, in the event of an accident CPA wants adequate personnel on hand | to aid the passengers. The wage rates of the two air lines are as different as” night and day too. CPA wages for a stewardess on Seat pe aireraft range $275 a month for begin- ners to $401 a month for sev- enth-year stewardesses. See “STRIKE”—Page 2 | attending ED THE THREE-DAY EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD FOR THE INTERIOR Interior Members Attend Unique -ducational Meet A unique three-day Educational Conference attended by sixty-nine Job Stewards from the four IWA Interior Local Unions was held March 7 - 9, in Kelowna, under the direction of the International and Regional Research & Education Departments. The Conference was plan- ned with the cooperation of the Interior Local Unions and the Regional Council for the purpose of better equipping the Job Stewards to carry out their responsibilities and du-’ ties to the membership. Three courses, Labour Law, Economics and Contract Analysis, were offered the students. The course on Labour Law was ably handled by Lawyer H. Hutcheon, who covered the various statutes and regula- tions which affect’ the work- ers. The course on Economics instructed by Elwood Taub, International Research and Education Director, drew keen interest for the manner in which he delved into all features of our economic life. The highly important course on Contract Analysis was handled with skill by Joe Miyazawa, Regional Research and Education Director, with discussions of the day-to-day workings of the Union Agree- ments. A novel feature of the Con- ference was that for the first time all the students took part in all the courses offered. This was accomplished by breaking them into three groups and rotating their courses, It is the hope of the Con- ference planners, that by sub- jecting the students to this more intensive study, they can be of more help in settling » minor plant problems now attended to by the Local Busi- ness Agents. At the Conference’s open- ing session, Regional Presi- Local 1-252 Members To Transfer A Regional Executive Board recommendation that the membership of Local 1-252, IWA, be incorporated for reasons of economy and efficiency, into other IWA Coast Local Unions, has been approved by Local 1-252 members in a_ referendum ballot. The 300 members will now be transferred into those Lo- eal Unions whose geographic locality is the same as the anid certifications formerly Id by Local 1-252. ‘ dent Jack Moore stressed the importance of workers’ edu- cation. He stated, “It is our experience that a well- informed and educated Job Steward is the cornerstone of our Union’s progress.” Regional 1st Vice-President Jack MacKenzie urged all the students, at the closing session, to go forth and trans- mit the knowledge gained in the past three days for the betterment of the member- ship. See inside pages for Confer- ence pictures. NGC Mediator Backs Labour OTTAWA. — H. Car Goldenberg, of Montreal one of Canada’s leading labor-management media tors, supported the oft-ex pressed trade union view that companies -should con sult employee representa tives before introducing technological change which displace or shif labor. iia = LT LT el] Firm Fined For Unfair Dismissal Northway Service Limited, of Prince Georg B.C., was fined $200 in police court in Prince George February 26. The fine was given because an employee was discharged for his union activities, Local 1-424, IWA, the bar- gaining agent for the employ- ees of this company, previ- ously received consent from the Labour Relations Board to prosecute this company for the unfair dismissal of this employee. The magistrate, in handing down the sentence, stated that, in his opinion, a mini- mum fine would be _ inade- quate in this case, as it would not discourage other employ- ers from similar unfair tac- tics. Therefore he set the fine. at $200.00.