*

2nd Issue

November, 1963

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

“CARPENTERS DEFEATED”

woodworking industry. The Executive Board of the
United Brotherhood declared: “The AFL gave the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners jurisdiction over
the woodworking industry of North America.

“That jurisdiction must be observed and protected
at all hazards and at all costs and under no circum-
stances or conditions can the AFL grant charters to other
groups in the woodworking industry.”

It was obvious that Hutcheson had no intention of
organizing the woodworkers as full members of the
United Brotherhood. Had he done so, his union would
have ceased to be a carpenter-centered union in which
journey carpenters would have been outnumbered by
the sawmill workers and loggers. His policy was to
police the industry, rather than organize it, with the
major objective in view of protecting an employment
pool for the carpenters.

This was clearly revealed when 16 delegates rep-
resenting 72,000 woodworkers within the Federation
of Woodworkers attended the 1936 convention of the
Brotherhood to ask for democratic procedures. They
were seated as fraternal delegates without vote, “on
probation” the Brotherhood’s officials arrogantly stated,
“to become acquainted with us and our methods of
doing business.” The woodworkers were given the status
of “non-beneficial” members, required to pay per capita

‘tax without representation. The Brotherhood’s lack of

consideration for their urgent needs drove the wood-
workers into the ClO.

As a result of their experience in the 1935-36
strikes, western woodworkers became resentful over
the autocratic leadership of the Brotherhood’s represent-
atives. Local leaders were ousted, local union charters
were lifted and membership decisions repudiated by
officials who had little understanding of conditions in
the industry. Woodworkers discovered that extraordin-
ary power was centralized in the hands of President
Hutcheson of the Brotherhood. Conventions were called
only when he pleased at long intervals. With the con-
sent of the Executive Board, which he dominated, he
could amend the constitution, issue and revoke all athens
ers, appoint all business agents and organizers and
dictate policy. He preferred to raid the membership of
unions already organized to any attempt to organize
the unorganized. He was notorious for his use of the
boycott to accomplish domination of unions whose in-
terests touched. upon those of the Carpenters. Hutche-

IF YOU’RE

GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

WHICH ONE OF THESE IS YOU?...
“LAST-MINUTE MIKE’

. . . who thinks there’ll be no problem in getting tickets.
He waits until the actual day of departure.
guy you see in waiting rooms on Christmas Day, still

waiting!)

or

“PLAN-AHEAD PETE”

. .. who knows by experience that one simple call to
GIRARPI’S can avoid all the sweat and tears.
one who KNOWS he’s going to get there in comfort

son’s concept of trade unionism was heartily detested
by the majority of western woodworkers.

IWA members found it necessary to issue “A Dec-
laration of Independence” in an effort to explain a
situation which had caused great public confusion. In
this statement the reasons for dissolving Carpenter af-
filiation were set forth as follows:

Woodworkers had been forced into the Brotherhood
without any right to vote on the question.

They were allowed no voice or vote in the affairs
of the Brotherhood and the election of officers.

They paid a heavy per capita tax without any re-
turns and. were required to obey the will of President
Hutcheson.

The Brotherhood could make agreements without
membership consent and order a strike without a mem-
bership vote.

No provision was made for amendments to a con-
stitution that was wholly unsuitable for the lumber
industry.

All petitions for democratic procedures had been
ignored.

This declaration concluded:

“Since all our petitions have been denied, since
we could stay in the AFL under no other terms, since we
believe that it is morally wrong to subscribe to taxation
without representation, and submit to autocratic rule,
and since we have exhausted the machinery of redress,
there was no other path left than that of secession.

“We have now set up our own International and
drafted a democratic constitution fitted to our needs. In
that constitution, we.as members have full voice and
vote in the disbursement of all monies, in the election
of all officers and complete control of our affairs and
destiny. We have elected from among ourselves officers
who understand our problems and our desires.

“We believe these to be our rights as workers and
citizens under the laws of the land. We pledge ourselves
to the perpetuation of this independence in the face
of all tyranny.”

This declaration, published early in the struggle,
clearly indicates that IWA members under attack were
acting in defence of principles which they considered

_vital to their interests. The issues went beyond those of

See “CARPENTERS DEFEATED” — Page 8

UNION TO LOSE
HEADQUARTERS

The National Union of
Bank Employees in Britain
are to sell their headquarters
in London and move into a
cheaper suburb in an attempt
to make ends meet. They have
also been forced to sell in-
vestments this year for the
second time in three years.

A special delegate meeting
is being called which will be
_asked to approve drastic in-
creases in subscriptions,
which were rejected by the
annual conference six months

(He’s the

(He’s the

ago.

and enjoy his Christmas dinner with the folks.)

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7

Morris States
Congress
Position

Joe Morris, Executive Vice-
President of the Canadian
Labour Congress and former
IWA Regional President, has
told the AFL-CIO that the
CLC intends to preserve its
right to determine its own af-

fairs.

He stated:

“T am confident that I speak
for. the vast majority of trade
unionists in our country and
for the Canadian people gen-
erally, when’ I emphasize that
the ders the Canadian
labor movement has given in
this matter has been based
firmly upon our intention of
preserving the right to deter-
mine our own affairs. To have
done less would have been
less than our duty required
or our self respect demanded.”

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