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OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 1976

id al ee

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

LOCAL 1-288 PRESIDENT
BOB HALLBERG PASSES

Officers of Local 1-288 IWA
(Lumber Inspectors) an-
nounce with very deep regret
the death of Bob Hallberg,
President of the Local Union.

Bob, who had been President
for approximately five years,
died suddenly September 28,
from a heart attack.

He had worked over forty
years as a lumber inspector in
the forest industry. At the time
of his death he was employed
as a lumber inspector at B.C.
Forest Product’s sawmill in
Victoria.

He is survived by his wife
Phylis, two sons and one
daughter.

A memorial service was
conducted October ist, in
Victoria.

The Local Union officers and
Members as well as the

Regional officers and
extend their deepest
pathy to the family. Z

Vancouver Co-op Radio
(CFRO 102.7 - FM) announces
a new weekly labour affairs
program, B.C. OVERTIME.

UNION
HIRING
HALL

The possibility of the IWA
setting up its own Union hiring
hall, is now in the cards.

Convention delegates after
expressing their criticism of
the present hiring halls for
loggers, proposed that the
Union investigate the
feasibility of setting up a hiring
hall, administered by the
Regional Council in Van-
couver.

While the mechanics of the
plan have not been worked out,
the officers were instructed to
proceed with the ‘suggestion
and report back to the next
convention if a Union hiring
hall is not instituted.

The humanitarian work of
the Victorian Order of Nurses
received strong support from
the IWA when convention
delegates unanimously ap-
an emergency
resolution protesting the
provincial government’s in-
tention of removing the
V.O.N.’s subsidy October 1st.

The resolution pointed out
that the V.O.N. supplies a vital
and necessary ‘‘in house’’
service and removal of the
subsidy would be a drastic
blow to the aged, the sick, and
the handicapped, who depend
on the V.O.N.’s help.

The convention also fired off

a telegram to all provincial
pa leaders stating its
on the matter.

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Se. phe 4 x, ia alll We <3 2 ois iwow . . $3 r
BDH NS SR ee re.

This program may be heard

each THURSDAY night from
6:30-7:30 p.m. beginning Oc-
tober 7, 1976.

Each program will feature a
one-half hour documentary on
B.C. labour history, a
discussion with trade unionists
on current issues, and a look at
news matters of importance to
B.C. trade unionists.

All trade unionists within
Vancouver Co-op Radio’s
listening area (the Lower
Mainland) are encouraged to
listen to and comment on these
programs so that B.C.
OVERTIME can be responsive
to the needs of trade unionists.

Here is the October schedule
for B.C. OVERTIME.

OCTOBER 7 6:30 p.m.

CANNERY — a documen-
tary of working and organizing
in B.C.’s early fish can-
neries / followed by a
discussion with members of
the UFAWU
OCTOBER 4

THE AIB — a documentary
on the northern town of
Granisle’s six month strike
against the AIB; and, a
discussion centering around
Labour’s National Day of
Protest

OCTOBER 21 ;

ON THIS COAST — a
documentary on the working
lives of the deckhands and
longshoremen in early B.C.;
followed by a discussion with
members of the maritime
unions.
OCTOBER 28

EAST INDIAN —
documentary on the problems
of this immigrant group in
B.C.’s work force, followed by
a panel discussion.

For further information
please contact: Howie Smith or
Patty Wejr at 684-8494.

LIGHTER SIDE

Fred, the foreman, said he
just met an old friend of his in a
nudist colony — and she never
looked better.

LABOUR WILL FIGHT

MUNRO WARNS GOVERNMENT ON
“RIGHT-TO-WORK” LEGISLATION

A strong rumor that the
provincial government is
considering bringing in “‘right-
to-work”’ legislation in the
province prompted . Regional
President Jack Munro to warn
that such a move would be
violently resisted by organized
labour.

Speaking on the first day of
the Regional Convention,
Munro stated that if the
government contemplated
such a measure, the labour

movement’s reaction would -

make the October 14th

demonstration look like a
Sunday school picnic.

While the rumor is still only a
rumor, informed observers
point out that this year’s
convention of the Union of B.C.
Municipalities meeting in
Vancouver September 15-17,
endorsed such a resolution and
is pressing the government to
bring in the legislation.

The Union of B.C.
Municipalities is comprised of
the mayors, aldermen and
members of regional districts.

The majority of them are well
known for their hostility to
organized labour and. love for
the developers and special
business interests.

Fearful that this group might
get a sympathetic hearing
from the government, the
Regional delegates endorsed
an emergency resolution
calling for an immediate
campaign to oust the “‘right-
wing” elements from civic
government by. assisting and
electing people whose point of
view coincided with labour.

LONG SHINGLE MILL STRIKE ENDS

Local 1-217 IWA, Vancouver,
has won a signal victory with
the settlement of the four-year
strike at Canadian Forest
Product’s Huntting-Merritt
shingle mill.

The main issue in the long
dispute was the Company’s flat
refusal to reduce the em-
ployee’s daily working hours
from eight to six and one half.

The Company was strongly
supported by the rest of the
forest industry which feared
any breakthrough below the
forty- -hour work week.

However, the determination
of the Union forced the Com-
pany to alter its position.

Under the ‘terms of the new
agreement all former em-
ployees will be eligible to be
credited with 30 minutes off a
day which can be banked for
time off or taken in cash.

The ‘banking’ will be -in-
troduced in three stages of ten
minutes each over three years
until the full 30-minute period
is reached on June 14, 1979.

New employees will not be
eligible for the benefit.

A number of other major

concessions were also included °

in the agreement and are:

© Retroactive pay for
employees who worked for the
Company between June

15, 1972 and September 12, 1972.

e Areturn to work payment
of $200. |

© Coverage under the IWA
Pension Plan.

The employees voted 94 to 21
to.accept the agreement.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology caught up with
tradition on New Britain Island
when, according to a local
Health Officer ‘in 1975 the
figure of those killed in motor-
car accidents has replaced that
of falling out of coconut trees
as our commonest form of
accidental death.’’

| AGREEMENT WON AT

SUNGOLD —

Ta 1-206 IWA rinancial
Secretary Larry Featherstone
has reported that the ten-week
strike at Sungold Manufac-

turing Ltd., in Calgary,
Alberta, is over and a new
agreement has been
negotiated. ;

Terms of the new agreement
include:

© An increase of $1.50 an
hour across the board during
the two-year contract.

e Thirty-three cents of the
increase is retroactive to

January 1, 1976; a further 52
cents was payable July 1, 1976;
and the final 65 cents will be
paid January 1, 1977.

© A Health & Welfare Plan
completely paid by the Com-
pany.

A number of fringe benefits
were also won by the Union’s
Negotiating Committee which
was headed up by Regional
Secretary-Treasurer Wyman
Trineer and Local Financial
Secretary Larry Featherstone
who were ably assisted by

Plant Commitee Ghanian
Lawrence Leavitt, Vice-
Chairman Ed Leaming and
Recording Secretary Shirley
Weathen.

The Plant employs 120
workers and is a division of the
Genstra Corporation.

The Local Union wishes to
express ifs appreciation to
IWA member Don Jensen from
Local 1-217 Vancouver, for his
invaluable help during the
strike.

LOCAL 1-206 IWA MEMBERS who were on strike for 10 weeks against the saneata In-
dustries Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. Group from left, June Swanson, Ed Leaming, Loren Ford,

Darlene Knight, Augi Nelson, Rose Choma, Robert

Gratton, Bev Myers, Larry Feather-

stone, Financial-Secretary of the Local; Debbie Trent, Wendy Fraser, Marie Hamilton,

Carol Johnson.