THE WESTERN CANADIAN LU WORKER AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. Vol. XXXVI, No. 8 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY a 2nd Issue April, 1967 ae - Ma ; ; : * a a CANADIAN FOREST PRODUCTS’ Stave Lake Cedar employees at the mass meeting held April 24 in Mission, to discuss the Company’s refusal to hold talks at settling the problems that forced the crew to walk off the job April 17. IWA LOCAL 1-206 MEMBERS at the education seminar sponsored by the Local Union April 15-16, at Fort Macleod, Alberta. (For story on seminar see page 8.) UNIONS SUPPORT COPE CAMPAIGN The B.C. Federation of La- bour’s campaign to raise money for its political educa- tion program is in full swing. A number of unions have al- ready made donations and other organizations are in the process of contributing funds. The program is fashioned after the Committtee On. Poli- tical Education (COPE) pro- gram which has been so suc- cessful in the U.S.A. The The fe nounced it will wish to affiliate their local (or part of the membership of their local) with COPE, monies raised by special events, such as collections at plant gates, raffles and the like, can be used to affiliate with the NDP. If the local does not wish to affiliate at this time, the federation recommends that the local make a donation to its provincial education fund- which is used for a continu- ing political education pro- gram, Your union may wish to do both. Special education confer- ences have been held last month in most areas through- out the province, and local unions are now being asked campaign over the top. federation has an- make speak- PSi> Se i renin SO ers available to local unions on political action questions. ‘Recording secretaries are asked to contact the federa- tion if any advice or assis- tance is required. Latest Gallup polls show that the New Democratic Party now stands on the threshold of forming the next provincial government. On the national scene Gallup polls indicate that the NDP has now replaced the Tories as the number two party in Canada according to the number of potential votes. . The trade unionist and his family have much to gain with the election of a NDP government. The callous and indifferent attitude of the So- cial Credit group in the re- cent legislature toward the pressing problems confront- See “COPE”—Page 3 C.F.P. THREATENS _ STAVE LAKE CREW WITH LEGAL ACTION Officials of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. have served no- tice on the Union that unless the employees of the Com- pany’s Stave Lake Cedar op- eration in Dewdney return to work immediately, legal ac- tion will be taken to force them back. The employees, members of Local 1-367 IWA, walked off the job April 17 to protest the atrocious safety condi- tions and inhuman attitude of the plant manager. UNIONS MERGE © Top officials of the United Steelworkers and the Inter- national Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers have announced that the two or- ganizations will merge July 1 under the Steelworkers’ name. "Executives of the Canadian branches of the two unions, which for 18 years have bat- tled for members among the country’s thousands of mine and metal workers, signed an agreement also calling for amalgamation July 1. The merger adds Mine- Mill’s 13,000 members — all but a few in non-ferrous in- dustries — to Steel’s current membership of more than 135,000. Speakers at the brief cere- mony at which the agreement was announced commented on the history of differences be- tween the unions, but execu- tives from both groups said the new, enlarged union would provide unified repre- sentation for its members. Harvey Murphy, Mine-Mill Canadian vice-president, sug- gested that the amalgamation might set a trend. ‘If we can unite, almost anybody else can,” he said. Steel’s international vice- president, Joe Maloney, said: See ‘UNIONS”—Page 3 The Company has consis- tently refused all Union re- quests to negotiate the prob- lems that prompted the crew to take the job action. It stub- bornly insists that no talks will be held until the men re- turn to work. IWA officials are shocked that a company — even Cana- dian Forest Products—would so openly condone the actions of a company official who took such a perverse and almost criminal delight in intimidat- ing the people under him. ‘The atmosphere and condi- tions in the operation were so bad prior to the walk out that it was known as Dewd- ney’s “Belson.” Not only was the crew subjected to the worst kind of abuse from the manager, but the wives also were forced to listen to his derogatory remarks over the telephone. Nearly every agreement negotiated between the top officials of the Company and ‘the plant committee was dis- carded by the manager obvi- ously with the knowledge. of the head office. One new employee in the plant. ignorant enough: to smile and wish him “Good morning” was told, “You don’t smile in this mill, mis- ter, because I know how to take the smile off your face.” No opportunity was lost by him to ride rough-shod over both the crew and his super- visors whom he delighted in ‘calling “his dogs.” Employees were suspended indefinitely for the slightest infraction and hounded with the warn- ing that the suspension might end in termination of the job. On one occasion the Com- pany missed a regular pay- day and several of the em- ployees asked the manager if they could get an advance to cover immediate debts. He agreed to their request -but told them that due to the difficulty of issuing cheques under the Company’s new pay system he would arrange for them to draw $100 at the bank against their next cheque. What he failed to mention See “THREAT”—Page 2 REGION TO HOLD SPECIAL CONFERENCE MAY 19TH A special Regional confer- ence has been called for May 19 at Woodworkers’ House in Vancouver, to deal with in- ternal problems created by the joint application of Local 1-85 IWA and the Interna- tional Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers, for certification of Tahsis workers employed at the new mill at Gold River. Approximately 140 dele- gates from the 16 IWA Local Unions are expected to attend plus the Regional officers, In- ternational Executive hoard members and Regional execu- tive board members.