-E PEOP

LABOR’S VOICE FOR VICTORY

VOL. L No. 10.

VANCOUVER, B.C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1942

Soint Committee Gives

Logging Industry Lead

ROUNDS, B.C.—There will be few if any
men absent from the Lake Log camp here
when it reopens on January 5 after the holi-
day shutdown. The men themselves will
see te that, for it is a matter of pride in
their joint labor-management production
committee, and they are rightly proud of

the job is demonstrated by their unanimous
vote to be back in camp on January 5.

In a war industry where the anti-labor
attitude of many employers consfitutes an
obstacle to production—in the Queen Char-
lotte Islands operators for the past year
have been refusing the union’s claim to
recognition—the good relations between the
management and the International Wood-
workers at Lake Log afford a striking in-
stance of what can be achieved when labor
is given equal share and responsibility in
production.

The joint labor-management production
committee at Lake Log is composed of five

what their committee has already achieved.

The fact that the company is donating
a victory bond to the production committee
to be drawn for the first day the camp opens
is an inducement, but the men’s conscious-
ness of what it means to Jumber production
and the war effort to have a full crew on

representatives of the IWA and five repre-
sentatives of the company. In the Queen
Charlotte Islands union representatives
earlier this year were being refused admit-
tanee to camps. But at Lake Log last week
the men heard Nigel Morgan, secretary of
their union’s district council, and Earl Olts,
the company superintendent, speaking to-
gether on the common problem of produc-
tion.

They learned, for instance, from statistics
submitted by the company, that production

(Continued on Page 7)
See LAKE LOG

“unions,

week was mobilizing its forces

tices, and speed up arbitration

ments to the act at its meeting

Tuesday, it is expected that it
early meeting.

declared:

“I have come to the conclusion,
in my personal opinion, that the
time is now-ripe to seriously con-
sider amendments to the act so that
employers will be compelled to
bargain with the sroperly elected
committees of their employees, and
where the majority of the employ-
ees can be shown to be bonafide
members of a properly constituted
trade union employers shall be com-
pelled to recognize the union as a
bargaining agent for his employees.
“I have heretofore refused to <o
that far because I felt that there
was a lack of stability in some
especially in the smaller
industries. I had hoped the act
would provide adequate machinery
for free bargaining. However, I
have come to the conclusion that
free bargaining cannot be properly
achieved against greater obliga-
tions placed on the employers.”

This week a majority arbitration
board handed down in the dispute
between Bloedel, Stewart & Welch’s
Red Band shingle mill and its em- |
ployees further emphasized the
need, in Pearson’s own words, of
placing greater obligations on the |
employers. |

Justice Robertson, and Justice |
Stuart, in giving the reason seal

their adverse majority award, said:

“Tt will be noted that section five
(Industrial Conciliation and Arbi-
tration Act) provides for collective
bargaining, that is, collective ne-|

gotiation. There is no express sec-|

Labor’s Proposals
Will Be Placed

Before Government

The organized labor movement in British Columbia this

for concerted action to Secure

amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act
that will guarantee to the trade unions their right to collective
bargaining, outlaw company unions and end unfair labor prac-

process in legitimate disputes.

Delegates to Vancouver Labor Council when they meet next
Tuesday will hear recommendations from their legislative com-
mittee and discuss proposed amendments to the ICA Act.

The British Columbia executive of the Trades and Labor
Congress of Canada, it is understood, also discussed amend-

this week. While the question

Was not raised at Vancouver Trades and Labor Council last

will be reviewed in full at an

Need for drastic amendment of the ICA Act was admitted
by Labor Minister George Pearson last September in com-
menting upon an arbitration award handed down in the dis-
pute between BCPlywoods and its employees, the majority
of whom were members of the IWA. At that time Pearson

tion in the act providing with whom
the company shall enter into a con-
tract. 7

“The policy of the act seems to
have left the company wuntram-
melled in this respect, which, of
course, is itS position under the
law. The undersigned members of
the board are of the opinion that
the employees have not shown any
sufficient reasons why the company
should enter into a contract with
the union.’’

An open letter to Labor Minister
George Pearson, published in the
current issue of The Fisherman, ex-
plains. what trade unions in this
province expect the act as amended
to provide. The open letter ad-
vances these three demands:

i. Collective bargaining through
unions of the -workers’ own
choice and recognition by the
employers of such unions irre-
spective of the date of their
organization, must be enforced
by law.

2. Unfair labor practices such
as the promotion of company
unions and discrimination against
union members, used by certain
reactionary employers, to avoid
collective bargaining and union
recognition, must be banned by
law and penalties must be en-
forced against practitioners.

3. The process of arbitration
for legitimate disputes about
wages and working conditions
must be speeded up to provide
rapid and just settlements.