~ Local 1-71
’ Amended Work Act

Protests

Recent amendments to the regulations under the Hours
Work Act made by the Provincial Board of Industrial
lations has drawn a strongly worded letter of protest from
Local 1-71, IWA, to the Minister of Labour, because of the

disastrous affect the amendment will have on employees in
the logging section of the forest products industry.

. The following is the complete text of the letter:

The Honourable L. R. Peterson
Minister of Labour

Province of British Columbia
Parliament Buildings

VICTORIA, B.C.

Re: Amendments to Hours of Work Act

SIr? :

“Local 1-71, 1.W.A., averages approximately 3500 members, of
which more than 90% are employees in the woodworkin industry
engaged exclusively in logging. For this reason, our Local has long
been known as the “Loggers’ Local’, The recent amendment to the
Hours of Work Act made by the Provincial Board of Industrial Rela-
tions to extend exemptions in all areas of production logging cannot
fail to be detrimental to our membership.

The logging industry has always been considered one of the
most hazardous. What could be construed to be normal occupational
hazards have been greatly increased over the past few years through
the introduction of new production techniques and mechanization.
The trend toward mechanization already has resulted in the introduc-
tion of combination work categories formerly unheard of and in a
pronounced reduction of logging crews. The factor of mechanization
alone means that with new logging methods, fewer men are producing
more, but with an increased individual work load.

There has been a trend on the part of the small logging operator
to speed up production and reduce working forces by any means at
his disposal. This is natural when one considers that many small
operators are not financially able to purchase the newer types of log-
ging equipment, and in order to compete with the larger corporations,
are forced to take other measures to increase production and reduce
costs.

The payment of overtime rate for production work under these
circumstances is economically justified because the overtime penalty
paid to a small crew is more than balanced by normal cost factors,
such as fare allowance, statutory holidays, higher than Provincial
requirement vacation credit, etc, which would have to be paid to all
employees in a larger crew,

This same fact is also true“in the larger operations, and when
combined with the mechanization of such camps, results in an increased
advantage over the small operator who, therefore, loses the small fee
he may have made through unwarranted reduction of his working
forces.

It should be readily seen that this produces a vicious circle and,
if unchecked, leads to enhaustive work loads and excessive hours of
work in order to sllgal higher Company profits at the expense of
the individual worker.

The recent amendments to the Hours of Work Act, long
sought by the employers for the reasons stated above, have not only
nullified the provisions of the Act as it applied to loggers, but also
deprive the loggers of the benefit of negotiated provisions in their
Union Contract pertaining to their Hours of Work. By opening the
door to compulsory overtime in most important categories of logging,
the new regulation cannot fail to increase unemployment by further
reducing the working forces. It is also our opinion that the new
regulation cannot fail to increase logging accidents and fatalities. This
should be self-evident when one considers the hazardous conditions
of rugged terrain and inclement weather under which loggers work,
when added to the factor of increased excessive hours of work and
heavier work loads.

It is obvious from the wording of your explanation of this matter
printed in the “Vancouver Sun”, that you have very little knowledge
of logging categories, production methods or work requirements.
Your statement that the extended exemptions cover preparatory and
maintenance work is not factual. The exemptions in actual fact cover
a greater majority of production logging categories.

We can only conclude that such a perversion of a Provincial Statute
indicates a determination on the part of your Government to use the
laws of the Province, and enforcement agencies, to erode long estab-
lished vights of industrial workers. No other explanation of incidents,
such as the vecent extended exemptions under the Hours of Work
Act is possible. The actions of your Government continue to demon-
strate conclusively your disregard for the social and economic welfare
of the working people of British Columbia.

We realize that this protest to you will receive scant attention,
but we would be remiss in our duties if we did not place the position
of the loggers on record in this matter.”

Yours very traly,-
W. H. WILSON,
President.

UIET PLEASE!

yer: “What did tell that man just id
os bere you just now
have you to tell him to hurry?”

MMMM CMO NNO OMCMMMOMOMUMMMOMMNOUNNOMMNNOMANONTOOMNONUMN NUNN

{

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Scored
By Medical
Journal

Exploding with right-
eous indignation is the
staid, mild and well-
mannered British Med-
ical Society.

Official AMA spokes-
men, at the cost of vast
sums, have been pedd-
ling the idea that the
British program of “so-
cialized medicine” is
vicious compulsion,
dragging the nation
down to the point where
frantic doctors are madly
fleeing the country.

The British Medical
Journal, official publica-
tion of the British doc-
tors, bluntly charged
that the AMA’s attacks
on the British health
program was “vulgar,
cheap and nonsense.”

“We have watched
with some dismay the
growth of the AMA’s
public relations activities
and the colossal sums
spent by it to defeat
what our American col-
leagues call ‘socialized
medicine’,” the Journal
said. “This dismay is at
the probably inherent
weakness of American
medical services if such
a vast effort has to be ex-
pended.

EO NM

hie

ICCC

6" UPPER
No. 6473-A

CARRIED IN STOCK
SIZES 6 THRU
11 VEE”

DAYTON SHOE MFG. CO.

1ASTINGS ST., V

FRINGE BENEFITS

In 1854, the Governor of the new. colony of Sydney Town,
Australia, recommended improved labor conditions among
the clerical staff of Merchants and Ships’ Chandlers. These
were subsequently adopted.

The following notices were posted:

On the recommendation of. the Governor of this Colony,
this firm has reduced the hours of work, and the Clerical
Staff will now only have to be present between the hours
of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. The Sabbath is for Worship,
but should any man-of-war or other vessel require victual-
ling, the Clerical Staff will work on the Sabbath.

Daily Prayers will be held each morning in the Main
Office. The Clerical Staff will be present. a;

A stove is provided for the benefit of the Clerical Staff.
Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended
that each member of the Clerical Staff bring four pounds
of coal, each day, during cold weather.

No member of-the Clerical Staff may leave the room with-
out permission from Mr. Ryder. The calls of nature are per-
mitted, and the Clerical Staff may use the garden below the
second gate. This area must be kept in good order.

No talking is allowed during business hours.

The craving for tobacco, wines or spirits is a human weak-

see and, as such, is forbidden to all members of the Clerical
: {

Now that the hours of. business have been drastically re-
duced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 a.m.
and noon, but work will not, on any account, cease.

The new increased weekly wages are as hereunder:

Junior Boys (to 11 years) 1s 4d (20c)
Boys (to 14 years) 2s 1d (30c)
Juniors 4s 8d (65c)
Junior Clerks 8s 7d ($1.25)
Clerks 10s 9d ($1.60)
Senior Clerks (after 15 years

with the owners) 21s ($3.15)

The Owners recognize the generosity of the New Labour

Laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to com-
pensate for these near Utopian conditions.

AFETY BOOT

Our most popular

‘style of

safety steel

toe boot. Six

inch oil tan

upper with Neo

Cord (oil

resistant) sole
and heels.

MISALIVED