THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

LUMBER

38,000 copies printed in this issue.

Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOQDWORKERS OF AMERICA

Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1

Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC

2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261

Editor — Pat Kerr Forwarded to every member of the IWA

Business Manager — Fred Fieber

Advertising Representative — G. A. Spencer

in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions.

ubscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. 2 Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post: Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. E>

GUEST EDITORIAL

A CENTURY OF PROGRESS

N° ONE can deny that in a material sense the working people of Can- ada, and their free trade unions, are much better off than they were at the time of Confederation. Wage and salary earners enjoy products and services un- dreamed of by our Canadian forefathers. Unions have grown from clandestine or- ganizations whose members were liable to persecution for their activities, to rec- ognized institutions in Canadian eco- nomic and. social life. Such social meas- ures as minimum wages, pensions, work- men’s compensation and unemployment insurance did not exist 100 years ago.

Labour's gains, whether in social leg- islation or in increased earnings, did not come through the benevolent actions of legislators and employers. They came through a combination of collective bar- gaining and political action. History has proved that labour unions are an effec- tive and needed instrument in these areas which have gained so much for workers in the past.

There are naive people outside the labour movement who feel that the job is finished; that unions are no longer needed; that the rights of workers now are recognized by legislators and employ- ers alike, and that unions will become obsolete in the enlightened decades of Canada’s second century. Such people, and they are many, lack any understand- ing of the power structure of our society, of the influence of large employers on legislation and, above all, of the fact that despite the great progress of the last century two truths have not changed: employers still regard labour basically as a cost factor in production; legislation still is written and interpreted so as to protect

property rather than persons. As the Congress said in its submission to the Rand Commission which is reviewing On- tario labour law: “Our present socio-eco- nomic system is one which by its very nature is biased in favour of the em- ployer and as a consequence against the wage earner and his trade unions.”

As Canada enters its second century, unions are more needed than ever before. They must meet new challenges presented by a changing economy, a growing num- ber of young people and white-collar workers in the labour force, an increased interest in collective bargaining by pro- fessional employees and, above all, the problems of automation and technolog- ical change. To face new problems, new union structures may be needed, and the Congress now, as directed by its last bi- ennial convention, is making an intensive study of its structure, seeking areas in which adjustment is necessary and con- sidering methods that may be required to meet new conditions.

Above all, in these changing times we must strengthen our relations within the movement and eliminate the possi- bilities of internal friction.

One of the most obvious steps in this direction is the merging of unions with similar interests. The principle of merger is one which the Congress has actively pursued since the basic merger of the two central organizations in 1956. There have been some developments, but not nearly as many as is desirable. This is a matter to which our organization and their members are going to have to give greater attention in the future. Strong organizations, well staffed, are going to

be absolutely essential. cee ees

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...

The Editor:

The Editor:

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. . - AND HERE’S GOOD NEWS FOR ALL YOU REST- LESS HARD WORKING LOGGERS . . . EARLY MORNING

SHIFT RESUMES TOMORROW

On behalf of the Children’s Jubilee Summer Camp Asso- ciation, may we thank your paper, as well as other press media, for helping us wit publicity this summer, which helped towards making this one of our most successful years.

We would like to thank trade unions, and other. or- ganizations, as well as indi- viduals, for helping us in work parties and donations in making improvements to our facilities, which will add to the health and well-being of our young guests.

In the event that any group would like to use our facili- ties for moonlight cruises, picnics, seminars, or other

functions, before and after the children’s sessions are held, we hope they will con- tact us at P.O, Box 3144, Van- couver 3.

In this Centennial Year — which is the 31st year of the operation of Camp Jubilee — we would like to thank you one and all for your help and support once again, and we can all share in the joy of knowing that many children have been_made aware of the beauties of nature away from the city this summer, and we look forward to more of this next year.

Yours truly, CARL ERICKSON, Publicity Chairman

I have read with interest your July edition.

I specifically would like to refer to your “guest editor- : ”

The editorial originally ap- peared in the November 1966 edition of The Miner’s Voice. It was reprinted without credit by the Prince George Citizen. When the Citizen re- printed it I was rather pleased, as you are, that a commercial paper should be so bold as to publish such an editorial as its own.

I am also pleased that you have found it useful to repro- duce it in your paper.

With best wishes.

Yours truly,

. J. FENWICK, Editor, The Miners’ Voice

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