NNONTANA NtrWS

By R. V. PFTERSEN executive secretary

A FTER more than two and a half '^ years, the Interstate Commerce Commission has ruled that the prorata rules esta.blished by freight carriers on concealed damage claims are unlawful.

NLBMDA, together with 16 other trade groups, successfully challenged the validity of those rules. The decision does not guarantee that all claims will be paid, or paid in full, but it assures that claims will be judged on merit.

More than three fourths of the establishments inspected by the Occupation Safety and llealth Administi:ation still are not in compliance with the Act. OSHA says it conducted a total of 26,302 inspections in 28,662 estalblishments in the first te.n months of the current fiscal year, and found only 247o of the establishments to be in compliance.

In the remaining establishme,nts, 75,864 violations or standards were alleged in t8,449 citations to employers, with proposed penalties totaling 91.? million. (Only one inspection has been reported to date in the retail industry in our area.)

Research Institute of America reports that employers are beginning to contest proposed citations, proposed penalties, or both. The OSHA Review Commission has reduced penalties in 48% of all cases brought before it. In some cases the commission agreed that the standards had been violated, but canceled penalties because of the "opinion that the principal purpose of

The board of directors meeting was highlighted witi these actions: the act is to obtain compliance with its requirements in order to engur"e a safe and healthful work-place. Relatively minor monetany penalties do little to effectuate this objective.',

(1) A resolution encouraging the mobile home manufacturing industry to promulgate and adopt the Uniform Building Code and the Unlform Mechanical and Plumbing Code.

(2) Approval of WMBA,s Learning Resources Center's involvement with cassette tapes for loan or purchase for members interested in their use for management or employee upgrading.

(3) Bob Slettedahl (in the absence of NLBMDA director Carl Knoll through illness) issued a strong plea for directors, individual support of thti Industry Development Division prog?amming by signing up as direct sup- porting members.

(4) Approval of the formation of a Dividend Group, Workmen,s Compensation for the State of Washington.

(5) Election of F. O. Garrigus as district direetor for McMinnville to complete the unexpired term of Richard Riley, and election of Raymond Morgan and Arch Perln, past presidents, and honor. ary members.

Arrangements were completed during the past month to effectuate the transition of Montana Lrunber & Hardware Co., Lewistown, to United Building Centers. Thus the Winonabased UBC adds another to its string of Montana yards. Yard personnel remains unchanged, under the management of Arnold Nelson.

Builders Discount Center, new trade-style for Lindsey Lumber & Building Materials at Kalispell, has accomplished sigaificant expansion in northwestern Montana with acquisi- tion of the Jensen's Building Centero at TVhitefish, Columbia Falls, a,nd Eureka, all to tre operated as Builders Discount Centers under present management personnel.