THE CANADIAN LUMBERMEN’S ASSOCIATION reported
this month that the hardwood plywood industry in eastern Canada

was in “critical condition” because of large imports from Japan.
cd

AND END to the granting of B.C. tree farm licences for at least
five years has been forecast by Lands and Forest Minister Ray
Williston in Victoria, recently. e ZB

QUEBEC LABOUR MINISTER RENE HAMEL, of the
newly-elected Liberal government has given the Quebec Superior
Council of Labour a sweeping mandate to recommend changes in

the archaic labour legislation now on fhe statute books.

THE UNITED STEELWQRKERS OF AMERICA, on strike
at 10 Dominion Bridge Ltd. plants in five provinces since August,
have successfully fended off management attempts at splitting the
striking locals. a y A

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT will call a full session of
parliament amidst growing fears that this winter will see the
heaviest unemployment since the depths of the Depression. To
back this up the Government is sending out hints that a Govern-
ment programme to deal with unemployment will be the main

order of business.
* *

AFL-CIO PRESIDENT, GEORGE MEANY has placed top

_ priority on labour’s participation in the 1960 U.S. presidential

campaign and has issued a strong plea for election of the Kennedy-
Johnson ticket. m r o

“CONFUSION AND IRRITATION” and extensive and disrup-
tive investigations characterized the first year of the Landrum-
Griffin Act, according to a report approved by the Labour Relations
Law section of the American Bar Association at the A.B.A.’s
annual convention in Washington, D.C.

Convention Delegates

Back Public Power

Woodworkers in Western Canada declared their belief
that the development, transmission and distribution of elec-
trical energy should be made a matter of public ownership,
when the question was debated by delegates attending the
recent [WA Regional Convention in Vancouver. The reasons
for this belief are as practical and as compelling as those
which have placed water systems under public control, it

was stated.

The resolution also called for
the control of all new hydro-
electric power sources by the
Crown, rather than by stock pro-

moters. The objective in view was
the establishment of a province-

wide power grid system, entirely
under the control of the B.C.
Power Commission.

This defined the Union’s posi-
tion on such issues as the Peace
River Power Development Co.
plan to furnish power for the
Lower Mainland of B.C. and the
proposed acquisition under public
authority of the BCER.

Because of the circumstances,
the interests of the delegates cen-
tred on the reasons for the policy
statement. In summary these were
as follows:

© Development of new sources
of hydro-electric power will
be necessary to avoid a
“brown-out” ten years hence.

she ¢ The convention expressed the
; ® Provision of low-cost electri- | belief that existing utility compan-

and varied uses of low-cost
electricity.

© The natural resources of the
province, the rightful heritage
of the people, should not pass
from under public control to
provide huge profits for stock
promoters, but rather lower
prices, for consumers.

© The BCER now enjoys the
right to distribute power in
the densely populated sections
of the province, ( the most
profitable) while the taxpay-
ers of the province, represent-
ed by the B.C. Power Com-
mission are limited to the dis-
tribution of power to the
areas not considered economic
by privately—owned concerns,
but where power distribution
is essential for provincial
development.

city is a basic requirement for

+ industrial progress, as well as
farm and home modernization.

© The type of economic plan-
ning that is only possible un-
der Public authority is essen-
tial to give industry the many

WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

DELEGATES LOCAL 1-363, COURTENAY

hospitals, diking and draining,
highways, and forestry access
1oads.

To this should be added a plan-
ned program of municipal-provin-
cial public works, it was stated.
“Build Secondary Industry”

Attention was given to problems
of investment, and steps to en-
courage new investment were ad-
vocated in order that secondary
industries in the province might
be encouraged.

ies could be transferred to public |.

ownership under a Crown Cor-
poration with infringement of the
employees’ rights of collective
bargaining, Reference was made
to the experience in Ontario, Que-
bec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Constructive

Programme

Aired On Unemployment

Constructive program for the alleviation of unemploy-

ment and unemployment distress was outlined for submission

to the Provincial

overnment by the delegates attending the

IWA Twenty-third Annual Regional Convention in Van-

couver, September 27-30.
The convention resolution on
the subject stressed the point that
unemployment had been steadily
increasing throughout the summer
months, thus creating a menacing
_ situation for approaching the win-

ter months.

Not Now Seasonal
The term “seasonal” as applied
to the present unemployment cri-
sis was 1

eglected. The delegates

insisted that the hard core of the
Present unemployment is due
mainly to technological progress
in the nation’s industrial life, and
the evasions of governments and
employers alike.

On the provincial field, the con-
vention urged the early com-
mencement of a program of social-
ly necessary public works to in-
clude such projects as schools,

Ist Issue
Oct., 1960

With an obvious bow in the
direction of the Republic of
China, the delegates spoke for the
greater attention to potential mar-
kets in all countries where such
markets are known to exist.

Reduce Hours of Work

Reduction of the hours of work
was advocated as a means to
spread the available employment.
This was coupled with such pro-
posals as that of three weeks’ va-
cation with pay for all with five

years’ employment, as well as pro-
vision for the re-training and re-
education of workers displaced by
automation.

Recognition was given to the
necessity of aiding those now suf-
fering distress by reason of unem-
ployment. To ease this side of the
prcblem, more generous measures
of social assistance were advoca-

ted, and steps to feed, shelter, and
clothe the indigent more suitably

than at present.

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