THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

“REPORT”

government-supervised strike
vote.

Negotiations have also been
completed at Western Ply-
wood (Cariboo) calling for
19c per hour wage increase
and other benefits.

On the Coast we were able
to negotiate increases in ply-
wood wage rates by incorpor-

ating an accelerated wage
curve which gave various
categories anywhere from Ic
to 13c per hour wage increase.

Weare still negotiating with
Forest Industrial Relations on
certain changes to the Ply-
wood Manual, which we also
feel will be of great benefit
to the plywood workers.

Membership Increased

The organizing drive by the
IWA has produced significant
victories and has been the
contributing factor in increas-
ing the membership strength
of the Regional Council.

The Officers do not intend
to go into detail on the or-
ganizing drive, as Brother

Walls, Assistant Director of
Organization, will be present-
ing a full report for your con-
sideration on our organiza-
tional activities since the last
convention. Suffice to say that
we have expended much of
our energy and finances in

this field.

Apprenticeship Training |

Your Regional Officers fore-
saw the trend that would take
place on vocational and ap-
prenticeship training of
tradesmen in the industry.
The. Provincial Conference,
held October 3, 4 and 5, 1962,
was attended by the Regional
Officers, and the position of
the Union was outlined to this

Conference.’ It became obvi-
ous that apprenticeship train-
ing would be a requirement
in the province of British
Columbia.

With the change in the in-
dustry to new equipment and
technological changes, it be-
came obvious that the trades-
men in the industry would be

REGIONAL CONVENTION DELEGATES, LOCAL

required to become more
highly skilled to meet the
changing times.

With the change in legisla-
tion, whereby an apprentice
became an employee within
the bargaining unit, it placed
an obligation on the Union to
negotiate proper wages, hours,
working conditions and train-
ing requirements for trades-
men.

The Provincial and Federal
governments are making
available vocational training
schools. Legislation has been
passed which could require
all tradesmen in all industries
to become certified, so the
proper thing to do is to nego-
tiate an agreement on appren-

ticeship training that will ade-
quately take care of the
tradesmen’s problems. The
Regional Council in conven-
tion and at the Regional Ex-
ecutive Board adopted poli-
cies and principles which
must be contained in an ap-
prenticeship training program.

1-363, COURTENAY >

“il

ay

we

Discussions have taken place
with representatives of the
employers, and a number of
conferences were held with
the tradesmen in the Coast
lumber industry in a contin-
ued effort to bring about
proper apprenticeship train-
ing. ;

New Procedures Needed

It is imperative that we
negotiate training procedures
for all tradesmen in the in-
dustry; and further, that in
future negotiations every ef-
fort must be made to bring
about a proper wage struc-
ture for tradesmen. Also, at-

tention must be given to
hours of work, working con-
ditions and jurisdiction of
each trade in the industry.
The Regional Executive Board
has set up a committee to
study the tradesmen’s prob-
See “REPORT” — Page 9

Excellence
Grows
With

Experience

Pies hi yee. a

PIERRE PARIS & SONS

51 West Hastings Street
Vancouver 3, B.C.
Family Teamwork in Craftsmanship since 1907