Alberta, B.C. coal miners facing CCL-boss ‘front’ | In Wage By SYD THOMPSON fight Contract for 10,000 Alberta and B.C. ‘miners, organized: in District 18 UMWA, expire on February 16. taking place. held in November. The union is not asking for a general wage increase across the board. Pursuing a policy adopted by many nght wing trade union leaders in the U.S. and Canada, the district leadership stressed the need for pensions, social security, and improved working conditions. It is true that these demands are very important but they do not, and must not, take precedence over much needed wage increases. It is reported that the issue, of wage increases was. heatedly de- bated at the November conven- tion. The progressive delegates, at that time. pointed out that due to the increased cost of living a wage increase was essential; and that around this issue the member- ship could best-be rallied to also obtain the proposed demands. Those opposed to the District pol- icy further pointed out that not asking for a wage increase would be taken as a sign of weakness by the hard-boiled coal operators and would likely result in the com- panies demanding a wage reduc- tion. : Only by a very small majority was the district leadership able to win the convention to its policies. The main demands of the min- ers are as follows: 1. To increase the W Fund from 5e to 20e a ton. 2. Abolition of all contract work and daily rates of $14.05 for all men working on the coal face. Contract miners at present average more than this; the daily wage for miners working by the day in the Drumheller domestic fields is $10.74, and in the Bitu- minous fields $10.95. 3. Holidays with pay at a flat rate of $140.00 a year, after I year of service. The present agree- ment calls for 1 day holiday for each month. However, if more than 1 day work is missed during the month the worker concerned is disqualified for holiday pay for that month. This results in a continual loss of holiday pay. 4. The establishment of the 5-day week, from Monday to Fri- day. The miners now have the 5-day week but should a break- down occur or a shortage of box cars create an idle day during the week the men are then com- pelled to work on Saturday. The miners want to establish Satur- day as a holiday, with time and a half when requested to work 5. Supplies and services to be free. At present, lamps, powder _ for blasting, wash house, black- smith, and, other services, are be- ing paid for by the men. : 6 The companies, in conjunc- tion with the provincial and fed- governments, to be respon- eral _ sible for improvements in the Negotiations between union officials and coal operators for a new agreement are now The wage demand of the miners were formulated at a five-day wage scale convention The counter proposals of the overators have now been made public. New deal means more lunch 10,000 coal miners in Alberta and British Columbia want a new deal, insuring larger pay envelopes and greater social security. The coal operators, with the aid of CCL union bureaucrats, want wages lowered and the United Mine Workers’ Union reduced to a coal operators’ “labor front.” Negotiations to bridge the gap have started. 7. If contract work is not abolished, elimination of inequali- ties as regards rates existing pe- tween the different mines. As predicted by those who at the November convention opposed the district leadership policys of no wage increase at this time, the op- erators in their counter proposals have rejected all the union de- mands. They are showing a cal- loused unconcern for the welfare of the miners reminiscent of pre- war days. This is especially true of the Domestic Operators; and these profit hungry gentlemen are now proposing the following: e@ A reduction in wages for all unskilled workers. e@ Abolition of the Welfare ‘Fund. e@ Further consolidation of the. Contract System by incorpor- ation of the flat wage portion of the daily rate into the con- tract rate. e Return to the 6 day week dur- ing the period from Septem- ber 1 to March 1. @ Certification of the UMWA un- der the infamous Alberta anti- labor Bill 91. @ The UMWA to accept legal res- popgrerides - by | bcorporstion | ALWAYS MEET AT... DANCING - PENDER AUDITORIUM _ Renovated—Modernized—Hall Large and Small for _ | Every Need CONVENTIONS - Triple Mike P.A. System — Wired for Broadcasting — Excellent Acoustics — fe A 339 WEST PENDER STREET . eee MEETINGS under the Alberta Companies’ Act, e Restrictions on the total amount of Union dues, fees, and assessments to be paid. These proposals by the domestic operators make it clear that not only are they out to gouge more profits out of the miners but also to weaken and eventually smash their militant union. In talking with many miners in of the domestic fields, employing around 1,800 men) there is appar- ent a strong feeling of resentment against District 18 and the Nation- al CCL leatiership. The miners feel that the actions of certain trade union leaders are partly respon- sible for the belligerent attitude now being shown by the operators. At a public meeting in Drum- heller last November, Pat Conroy, national CCL secretary-treasurer, and Bob Levitt, District 18 presi- dent, speaking to 600 miners, never mentioned the need for wage in- creases nor for improving the gen- eral welfare of the miners. In- /stead, Dr. Conroy, with the endor- sation of Levitt, in a red-baiting “speech equal to anything ever pro- || duced by the Chamber of Com- merce, threatened the miners with all Communists. That the miners }are aware of what, this boss-in- spired poison will do their union was shown when they verbally forced this scab-herding red-baiter to sit down in the midst of his speech. The miners are well aware that this disruptive work by trade union leaders can only serve to encourage the boss to seek a re- | duction in wages and to lower the general welfare of the worker, The the Drumheller field (the largest, ‘a campaign of expulsion to oust} to launch Carr arrest utilized War pact —-TORONTO Unreserved condemnation of espionage activities, coupled with a blistering attack against the warmongers who have seized upon the arrest of Sam Carr, onétime national organizer of the LPP, to drum up greater war hysteria, and utilize this arrest to launch furthur attacks against the labor movement, the National Executive Committee of the LPP has released the following statement: “The Carr case is being calcu- latingly used for political black- mail against peace by the ene- mies of peace. The monied “hate- Russia” gang the “fight-Russia” warmongers have timed this op- eration to make capital for Wall Street’s war program out of an alleged case of transmission of unauthorized information to a wartime ally. “Behind all the melodramatic ballyhoo of the big business press and radio—which are busily pre- judging the present case—lies a sinister fact: The rich men who rule Canada are themselves con- spiring to commit this country to a foreign-inspired and dictated pact for war-to Wall Street’s- war against the Socialist Soviet Union. It is more than significant that Prime Minister St. Laurent is at this moment reported preparing to leave for Washington to receive his orders regarding the North At- lantic Pact, just as his predecessor, Mr. Mackenzie King, received in Washington the orders which led to the launching of the “spy scare.” “The LPP has made plain its position, in its reply to the Roy- al Commission’s frame-up char- ges, in July, 1946. We condemn the use‘of espionage and disasso- ciate ourselves unreservedly from any who engage therein. We con- ‘demn unhesitatingly the criminal, hypocritical commotion of war hysteria by the engineers of the “spy scare.” “As we made clear in our state- ment of April, 1946, Sam Carr was at that time excluded from ail office in our party, and has not been a member of the LPP since that time. “The Canadian people, with sound good sense, refused to be stampeded by the hair-raising in- citements to a new war, which ac- companied the publication of the Royal Commission report. Today, three years later, they are fed to the teeth with synthetic witch hunts, devised to distract them from the real urgent issues of homes and jobs and health and unity for peace. They will not al- low themselves now to be tricked into acceptance of the North At- lantic suicide pact by prefabricat- ed ballyhoo about a “spy menace.’ The true friends of peace will fight for peace the harder from now on.” Shipowners seek return to days of Capt. Bligh —MONTREAL Wage cuts of $30 to $50 per month and a return to the good old days of Capt. Bligh were offered seamen last week upon re- opening of public conciliation hearings. Claiming that ithe increases in the cost of living only affected shipowners, and that the seamen were the best paid in the world, J: A. Mathewson, spokesman of the Shipping Federation proposed that the seamen take $30 to $50 wage cuts per month. He com- plained because the Canadian Sea- men’s Union had raised a skilled seamen’s wage from $55 a month to $170 a month (56 hours a week). The shipowners attempted to cut the heart out of the agreement by proposing that seamen give up many of the working conditions they won many years ago. They objected io paying seamen their wages while in foreign ports, They preferred to hold the men’s wages and if the seamen were nice boys, the captain might let them have a few dollars! “I don’t think,” said CSU presi- dent Harry Davis in reply to the shipowners’ proposals, “that the companies are serious in offering $30 to $50 wage cuts, unless they are seeking to force a strike and then build up a terrific propaganda campaign like they did last year when the officers went on strike proposals of the operators amply bear this out. The Alberta daily press is active- ly campaigning on behalf of the companies with statements by company managers that mines may have to shut down due to high operating costs; and that the demands of the miners, if grant- ed, will mean further increased costs to the consumer. Profits of coal operators show that substan- tial wage increases can be grant- ed without increasing the price of coal. and were accused of sabotaging the . Marshall Plan.” The seamen’s leader went on to point out that, “It is a strange and alien philosophy that Mr. Mat- hewson has propounded. It is the philosophy of feudalism rather than modern industrial democracy, Not the relationship of employer and free worker but of master and serf. The companies are dreaming of going back to the” days of Cap- tain Bligh and a policy which re- sulted in mutinies.” Failing to ram his ideas down the throats of CSU representatives, the Shipping Federation spokes- man has returned to the “red her- ring” gag, arguing that he won't deal with the CSU as long as it has Communists in its ranks! Quinn pledges fight against Sales Tax —ROSSLAND. Spearheaded by the Rossland- Trail LPP clubs the campaign for the repeal of the Sales Tax at the coming session of the Legislature is gaining wide support in this key B.C, mining area. CCF-MLA elect J. O. Quinn has advised the LPP that he will fight for the repeal of this burdensome tax, and support taxation policies calculated to make the big monopolists pay their, full share of taxation. Resolutions and wires have been — sent Premier Johnson from Trail and Rossland demanding repeal, and a petition campaign sponsored by the LPP is receiving wide sup- port in the West Kootenays. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — FEBRUARY 4, 1949 — PAGE 2 st das