THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER FROM PAGE 1 “DELEGATES ASK BIGGER BITE OF EMPLOYERS PIE” TRAVEL TIME “The loggers have had a raw deal on hours of work!” the delegates agreed. The sawmill and plywood workers declared as intoler- able the present travel time conditions which force log- gers to spend from ten to twelve hours on company property to earn eight hours’ pay at the work site. Any ex- cess over ten hours in the day now earns only straight time rates. “We'll strike rather than put up with these inhumane and outdated conditions any longer,” said the loggers. An 8% hour day from mar- shalling point back to mar- shalling point was set as an. emphatic demand. The coal miners’ victorious slogan in 1937, “portal to portal pay,” was dusted off for use by the loggers in 1966. SHIFT DIFFERENTIALS The present trend towards three-shift operations through- out the industry, disrupting family life and impairing health, brought a demand for increased differential rates as partial compensation. Workers on afternoon shifts should get an extra 15c an hour; those on graveyard shifts; 20c, said the delegates. Short 6%4-hour shifts were not included in this demand. VACATIONS WITH PAY In lieu of any demand for a shorter work week, the IWA has hitherto consistently de- manded reduced annual work schedules, to be achieved through longer vacations with pay. This means that the available work benefits a larg- er number of workers. Every worker, they said, should start with three weeks vacation after one year, stretched to four weeks after five years, and five weeks after ten years. The percent- age rate of vacation pay was stepped up for the reason that vacations for families are so much more expensive than formerly that they are beyond reach without extra money. — ee CONTRACTING The growing custom follow- ed by many firms of contract- ing out work usually per- formed by members of the bargaining unit was deplored. Too many IWA members are now deprived of contract pro- tection, the Locals said. This is nothing but a flagrant eva- sion of the contract terms by greedy employers, it was claimed. ; The answer to the problem was seen in a demand that would ensure full contract rights for all the workers in- volved should any work be farmed out. NO STRIKEBREAKING Not so long ago, IWA local unions were warned by the employers that refusal to handle “hot cargo,” or to cross a legitimate picket line, would be penalized as a breach of contract. The solution of this prob- lem is simple, said the dele- gates. Write into the contract a provision that respects a? -well .established IWA prin- ciple, not to condone anything that means scabbing on other workers! SWING SHIFTS Some plants have voted to swing the day and afternoon shifts, but some others have a headache over the issue. The best solution, said the delegates, would be to make swing shifts the rule in all plants, but to leave the grave- yard shifts as they are. DOUBLE OVERTIME The employers have found it cheaper to demand exces- . sive overtime rather than hire more workers. This adds to an already too heavy work load of those employed, and speeds their displacement when changes are made. Said the delegates, “If the employers must pay double rates for work over 40 hours in a week, on Saturdays, Sun- days and statutory holidays, more jobs and less unemploy- ment will result.” It was President Johnson who said such a step was necessary when too many are working over 55 hours or more a week, TECHNOLOGY New machines, new meth- ods of production, have chang- ed the face of the industry and are still doing so more rapidly. The aggregate employment remains high but employment in individual operations is down everywhere, except in plywood plants. The displaced men are downgraded or are taking a beating on unem- ployment insurance or social assistance. The conference demanded the opportunity to negotiate adjustments for crews to such changes so as to minimize displacement of workers. A proposal made by the Federal Manpower Ministry may open the way to continu- ous negotiation and finaliza- tion of such adjustment as authorized by the master agreement. This might prove a more flexible approach to the problem, some suggested. Anyway, they wanted action on the problem, and no more ; fooling around. STATUTORY HOLIDAYS The loggers don’t get Box- ing Day, a statutory holiday, and the manufacturing plants now have a “designated East- er holiday.” One more statutory holiday all round would straighten this out, the delegates said. They demanded Boxing Day for the loggers, and another Easter time holiday for the plants. SICK LEAVE The “speed-up” and the “double-up,” now so common, have increased the rate of ill- ness. Sick leave with pay is the. only answer to insure re- stored health, the delegates affirmed. Workers should have their rights in this re- gard defined in order to pro- vide for extended periods of illness, it was demanded. Such leaves should be cumulative, said the conference. LEAVE OF ABSENCE Lumber workers are under pressure to upgrade their skills in order to hold their jobs. Often this requires the opportunity to overtake edu- cational handicaps or to get special institutional training. To provide for this the dele- gates demanded provision for leave of absence up to six months, subject to prior ap- proval by the local union. From Page 1 12. LEAVE OF ABSENCE 13. workers. 14. 15. ASSURED SENIORITY ing seniority. 16. One year only. - industries. Ernie Freer Murray Drew ©@ Max Salter UML LLL LLL LLL LLL ddd ddddadddddaia VACATION PERIODS Many lumber workers are resentful that employers ar- range holiday periods at times which prevent full enjoyment by workers and their families. Correct this, they demand- ed, by a contract provision. which will make it possible for every employee to get his earned vacation at a time that best suits his circumstances. JOB EVALUATION After years of experience, the job evaluation procedures in the plywood section of the industry are.not keeping pace with technological changes in the industry, it was claimed by the plywood workers. Ac- count must be taken of new factors not now recognized by the standard manual. The conference agreed that steps to update plywood job evalua- tion should be included as a demand in the bargaining package. “Demands Up to six months’ leave without pay for educational or compassionate reasons. IMPROVED PLYWOOD JOB EVALUATION A better job evaluation program for plywood BETTER TIMING FOR VACATIONS Vacations with pay to be timed to meet the needs of workers and families. Drop contract references to “competency” in apply- DURATION OF AGREEMENT We know that the employers can meet these demands out of their huge profits. The large companies combined have steadily increased their profits to more than $200 million A year since the last settlement. The employers’ profits are soaring mainly because output per manhour has been increased, thus reducing their labour costs per unit of production, Meanwhile, our living costs have risen to an all-time high while our wages are lower than in other I.W.A. COAST NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE JACK MOORE, Chairman @ JACK MacKENZIE, Secretary @ Weldon Jubenville Syd Thompson @ ) Art Corey ) LLL LLL LL Lhd @ Maurice Corbeil Wyman Trineer SENIORITY Loud and long were the cries about the abuses prac- tised by employers in their interpretation of “compe- tency,” as it appears in the present agreement. Delete this word entirely as: it applies to -layoffs, re- hiring, and promotion, was the demand. Anyway, it was claimed, with a proper on-the-job training program all guess- work or favoritism in deter- mining competency can easily be eliminated. DURATION Rapidly changing conditions in the lumber industry pre- vent any reliable forecast of likely changes for more than a year, it was affirmed. The Coast Negotiating Com- mittee goes to the bargaining table on March 16th with in- structions to incorporate the above demands in a one-year agreement. The lighter side Patient: Doctor, I keep thinking I’m a dog. Doctor: How long has this been going on? Patient: Ever since I was a pup. Pete: My wife dreams every night that she is mar- ried to a millionaire. Harry: You're lucky, my wife dreams that when she t goes shopping. \ LLL WHEBHILLL LLL LLL LL La dddddllddddddlididdddidddddddddddddddadd