M-17 ATTAINING AUTONOMY

WHEREAS: The membership in British Columbia is still under the heel of an undemocratic and dictatorial regime headquartered in the United States: and

WHEREAS: In spite of all attempts by the Provincial Council officers and Executive Board to reach a resolve acceptable to the membership in British Columbia, the International continues to totally disregard the democratically arrived at demands of our members: and

WHEREAS: The Provincial Council officers and Executive Board, on behalf of the membership, have led the struggle for an autonomous and democratic Carpenters Union:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the BC Provincial Council of Carpenters officers and Executive Board continue to take any and all necessary steps to ensure that the will of the membership is carried out, including but not limited to the following:

• Seek support from any and all organizations or institutions.
• Make any applications that will advance the members' desire to establish autonomy.
• Conduct future votes of the membership as required or necessary to advance autonomy.
• Pick the time, and establish a procedure for Local Unions to withhold per capita tax payments to the International, subject to legal advice.
  

M-18 ATTAINING AUTONOMY

WHEREAS: The BC Provincial Council of Carpenters' resident officers have continued the fight against the International through personal perseverance and the support of the Provincial Council Executive Board and affiliated Local Unions: and

WHEREAS: the justification application to the Canadian Labour Congress will soon be drawing to a conclusion:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That this Convention endorse the actions taken thus far and give our leadership the continued support necessary to accomplish our goal of autonomy.

M-19 CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS JUSTIFICATION APPLICATION

WHEREAS: General President Douglas McCarron of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., has continually refused to acknowledge the democratic will of the members in British Columbia, and would rather put the BC Provincial Council of Carpenters and its affiliates under trusteeship in order to impose his will on our members; and

WHEREAS: The BC Provincial Council of Carpenters has been forced to apply to the Canadian Labour Congress for the justification to affiliate directly to the CLC in order to protect the democratic rights of its members and to fulfill their demand for autonomy:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the BC Provincial Council of Carpenters stay the course in the fight for autonomy, and the minute the justification application succeeds, immediately affiliate to the Canadian Labour Congress and sever all ties to the UBCJA.

M-20 CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS AFFILIATION

WHEREAS: In October 2001, the BC Provincial Council of Carpenters and its affiliated Local Unions (BC Carpenters Union) applied to the Canadian Labour Congress for justification to seek autonomy from its parent organization, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (the International); and

WHEREAS: The International continues to insist on removing members' rights to vote for union officers, contracts, and proposed structural changes to the union; and

WHEREAS: the International's history of meddling in internal affairs of Local Unions, District Councils, Provincial Councils, and benefit and pension plans is well documented; and

WHEREAS: The International has shown clearly a myopic U.S.A. - first attitude in its lobbying for trade tariffs against Canada and its workers; and

WHEREAS: The denial of the General President and his toadies of the General President's involvement in the tariffs against Canadian softwood lumber has clearly shown them as out-and-out liars and exposed their feeble attempts at "spin doctoring" the issue after the fact; and

WHEREAS: when the BC Carpenters' situation is explained to our fellow trade unionists in other unions, they instantly see the situation for what it is, and are willing to support the BC Carpenters in any way they can; e.g. letters to the CLC President and Executive Board from the Prince Rupert Labour Council and the North Okanagan Labour Council; and

WHEREAS: Justice delayed will be justice denied to the BC Carpenters Union the application for justification is allowed to drag on:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That this convention uphold the BC Carpenters Union claim for justification, and support allowing a direct affiliation to the Canadian Labour Congress;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the BC Carpenters Union solicit letters of support and resolutions to the CLC Convention from our brothers and sisters in the trade union movement regarding our application for justification; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That this and/or similar resolutions be forwarded to the CLC Convention being held on Vancouver in June of this year.

M-23 INTERNATIONAL PER CAPITA TAX

WHEREAS: British Columbia Carpenters Union members have paid obscene per capita taxes to the International for decades without any representation; and

WHEREAS: The British Columbia Carpenters Union members' dues are being used against them in civil lawsuits initiated by the International; and

WHEREAS: The General President is on record in The Carpenter magazine as supporting the softwood lumber tariffs, which have had a direct negative effect on our members and our neighbors; and

WHEREAS: The General President and the General Executive Board members continue to show no respect for the Carpenters Union member in BC:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED; That this Convention recommend to all BC Local Unions that, subject to legal advice, payment of the International's per capita tax be placed in a trust fund until the disputes with the International are concluded.

M-31 CANADIAN AUTONOMY IN THE CARPENTER MAGAZINE

WHEREAS: The truth about BC's fight for Canadian Autonomy has not been addressed truthfully in The Carpenter magazine:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That issues of On the Level be sent to all Canadian Local Unions until we achieve Canadian autonomy.

M-32 THE CARPENTER MAGAZINE

WHEREAS: The Carpenter magazine and its farce of a Canadian edition is a lie and a sham:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That we urge all members who receive The Carpenter magazine to mail it back, postage due, to the office of James Smith, UBCJA Vice-President for the Canadian District, at Suite 807, 5799 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M2M 3V3, clearly marked as "junk mail."

M-33 THE CARPENTER MAGAZINE

WHEREAS: The Carpenter magazine was once the proud voice of all union carpenters; and

WHEREAS: Starting with the January/February 2001 issue, an insert called The Organizer was added for Canadian members; and

WHEREAS: James Smith, UBCJA Vice-President for the Canadian District, stated in the January/February 2001 issue, "The Organizer will cover issues that affect Canadian UBC members. Written from a Canadian perspective, it will provide a clear national voice for union members across the country. We'd also like your feedback, so feel free to send us a letter, by mail...by fax...or by e-mail..." and

WHEREAS: In the May/June 2001 issue of The Carpenter magazine, the General President's editorial page stated that the UBCJA "is part of a new coalition that is petitioning the U.S. government for duties on the import of Canadian softwood lumber" and

WHEREAS: Seven letters from BC Local Unions and Councils protesting and objecting to the international attack on Canadian woodworkers were mailed and faxed to James Smith and were not printed or mentioned in The Organizer the rest of 2001, nor yet in 2002; and

WHEREAS: The November/December 2001 issue of The Organizer contradicts the facts as stated in the May/June 2001 issue, when James Smith published this lie: "The union does not and has not supported imposing duties on Canadian softwood.":

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That this Convention demand that the truth be published in The Carpenter magazine, that the UBCJA International not only has been instrumental in imposing the softwood duties for the enrichment of American companies and workers but also has aided in the original softwood agreement that imposed penalties in 1996, and continues to lobby for additional penalties in the future; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The truth about the UBCJA International's involvement in attacking Canadian forest workers, including some of our own members in BC, be published in On the Level; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That The Carpenter magazine be branded as a propaganda tool of the international, not reflective of Canadian members' views.