ar aT ound the | Slipways By Charles Saunders HE thirteenth fatal accident in the shipyards this year occurred W* last Sunday when Frank Mack, a Chinese laborer, fell from aie staging while coming off shift. , \ NEW YEAR’S safety campaign has been planned by War- i time Merchant Shipping Company in cooperation with ie trade unions. One of the questions to be stressed is the wearing of ufety clothes. Very few shipyard workers are wearing the fard hats obtainable with a two-dollar deposit at all the yards. ir. Saunders, recently appointed by the Wartime Merchant hipping to look after health conditions, has eighteen of these ats in his office which have saved the lives of eighteen @ orkers. One look at these broken hats will give an idea wi what they saved the heads underneath. 9% One workers is keeping his hat as a souvenir after it aved him from probable death: Tt doesn't take a very heavy object falling on the feet to @ut a man off the job for weeks and perhaps cause serious #ajury. A boot with a safety-toe can be obtained that will }revent many Such accidents from having serious results. Uthough it is said to be impractible to have a doctor in each ‘ard, Qualified nurses and ambulances are to be provided. [ESASSEGETATION, especially on the North Vancouver j= ferries, is a source of needless inconvenience to thousands @i workers. The Wartime Transit Control has set up a special # ub-committee under the chairmanship of Harold Pritchett, | ecretary of Vancouver Labor Council, to find some practical ] emedies. First, there is the problem of overcrowding, which might }e solved if space was available to load two ferries at one ime, or by retaining the ferries for passenger service only, vhen the men are going off and on shift. Then there is the #iming of the ferries. The ordinary 20-minute schedule does 10t coincide with the shift times. Thousands of war workers nust and should be served. The problem of maintaining the egular ferry service and siving adequate service to shipyard vorkers must be solved. Suggestions along these lines would be welcomed by the ‘ommittee which is meeting with the Transit Control soon to make its report. Send your proposals to H. J. Pritchett, Room 703, Holden Bldg., Vancouver. iG RGANIZE the unorganized” is the main slogan of all 7 - trade unionists and yet they very often neglect to do those little things which present themselves: to their notice syery day. For instance ai the last meeting of Vancouver Labor Coun- sil, the delegates from the Tailors’ union requested that every anion member look for the union Jabel when buying clothing. This is a simple thing to do and certainly has a great effect. This reminded me of the fact that while thousands of shipyard workers eat in cafes every day very few trouble to ask the girl who brings them their food whether they are organized. As a matter of fact, very few of the restaurants adjacent to the yards carry the union label. If the boys would talk union organization to the girls while eating, call in the union organizer and convince the management that they prefer to eat in a union shop, the job would soon be accomplished. HE West Coast Shipbuilding Company runs a cafe for its employees, and members of the joint shop stewards com- mittee sit on the cafe committee. T had a meal there the other day with Art Staub, business agent for the Boilermakers in that yard. It was a fair meal, roast beef, potatoes and vegetables with pie for 40 cents. Many of the workers take advantage of the opportunity to get a hot meal at noon. If such cafes were run pn a cooperative basis in connection with each yard, there is no reason why facilities for hot meals could not be provided at low cost. It would prove a great boon to the workers, espe- cially in these cold, rainy winter days. Continued from Page One Union Leaders Protest Dictatorial Congress Action Opposing President Mosher’s action, the meeting en- dorsed the legally elected officers as the official officers of the union and voted to support any action they might take - uphold the positions to which the membership had elected em. President A. R. Mosher of the Canadian Congress of Labor this week created consternation in the provincial trade union movement by instructing Vice-President A. A. McAuslane of Vancouver to appoint a board to replace the newly-elected officers of the Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders Union, Local 1, Vancouver, a CCL affiliate, and administer the affairs of the union. Simultaneously with President Mosher’s release of a press statement at Ottawa, the Congress News, official CCL bi- monthly organ here directed by regional Congress officials, published a special issue carrying the names of those appointed to the board and giving President Mosher’s reasons for his decision to oust the new officers elected by referendum vote among the Boilermakers’ membership in mid-December. E. E: Leary, president of Vancou- ver Labor Council, a member of the editorial board of the Congress News, told The People this week, however, that he knew nothing of the special issue. Indignation and amazement “at this dictatorial overruling of the membership’s decision, “was ex- pressed by William Stewart, presi- dent-elect of ithe Boilermakers Union. “This action will not strengthen the confidence of the Boilermakers’ members in their union nor can it serve their best interests,” he said. ‘Tt will only create dissention and disunity which must inevitably be reflected in production. I fail to see how the union can be brought back ‘to a solid, sound trade union foot- ing’ by forcing the membership, through arbitrary appointment, to accept officials it has itself rejected and who, if the union is not now on a sound basis, must be held re- sponsible for that fact. “™he decisién has dangerous im- plications for the labor movement and, unless it is repealed through the protest of all trade unions af- fected, then the cause of labor or- ganization and trade union unity will suffer.” A joint statement issued by Wil- liam Stewart and Malcolm Mac- Ieod, secretary-treasurer-elect, de- elared: “We fail to understand the rea- son for the action of President Mosher in appointing an admini- strator for the Boilermakers Union. At no time to our knowledge has any question of or protest against the constitutionality of the elections been raised. “The first notice we received of the action was when the press in- formed us. “However, the action taken is, in our opinion, a complete negation of trade union democracy and an in- sult to the Boilermakers Union. Further, it is in complete contradic- tion to the principles for which we are fighting this war.” Press statements on President Mosher’s actions were released by officials of several unions here af- filiated with the Canadian Congress of Labor, among them Harold Prit- chett, secretary of Vancouver Labor Council and district president of the IWA, Charles Saunders, presi- dent of the Dock and Shipyard Workers, and Nigel Morgan, na- tional executive council member of the Congress. The statement issued by Harold Pritchett said: “It is not the prac- tice of the officers of the Vancouver Labor Council to interfere in the internal affairs of any affiliate, but we are under oath to uphold the constitution, and where the officers and members of a local of the Ca- nadian Congress of Labor, in strict adherence to the constitution, con- duct a democratic election I cannot understand the. action of the offi- cers of the Canadian Congress of Labor, and I personally am waiting further information on the action of the Boilermakers Union. “J will never condone the au- thority of an elected union official being usurped whether national, district, or local.” “As president of a union whose members are employed in the same industry, I must deplore the action taken by President Mosher. I fail to find any valid reason why a democratically conducted election should be overridden in this man- oer,’ Charles Saunders stated. “Interference by the national of- fice with the autonomy of the Boilermakers Union, placing it into receivership and thus thwarting the decision of a democratic ballot of the membership, will be deeply re- gretted and resented not only by the Boilermakers, but by all trade unionists,” declared Nigel Morgan. “This procedure is a dangerous precedent, against which Congress affiliates should guard themselves. The action is a sad reflection on those responsible and particularly the defeated candidates for office in that union, who are conspicuous among the dictatorially appointed administration. “T hope the matter will be ap- pealed to the national executive council where it will have my sup- port.” The statement issued to the press by GCL President A. R. Mosher in announcing appointment of a board to administer the affairs of the Boilermakers Union said: “This action was considered necessary, not only in the interests of the union and the Congress, but of the war effort. Vice-President MecAuslane was authorized as ad- ministrator to select from the local union’s membership such assistance as he may consider necessary for the proper administration of the union and in accordance with this authority he has selected an ad- ministration board of twenty. “The action taken in this in- stance is not a new departure but one that has been put into effect on previous occasions when circum- stances warranted.” Elaboratinge on this statement, the lead story carried by the Con- gress News ina special issue stated: “Vice-President McAuslane, in carrying out the instructions of Na- tional President and Executive, has appointed the following Board: “PD. O’Brien, chairman; W. Rob- ertson, R. Stephen, R. Johnston, D. Thompson, L. Campbell, Joc Ral- ston, Jack Kyle, Angus Harley, Roy Campbell, T. O'Neil, Joc Winship, Joe Gareau, Joe Harris, Ken Ken- nedy, J. Melville, IT. Thomas, J. Dewar, R. Ross, B. Juiliane, T. Bradley, A. Coombs, W. Shearer, B. Griffin, A. Liddle. “Al offices were declared vacant, and the new administration will suvervise the selection of qualified shop stewards. “The following decisions were ar- rived at by President Mosher, through representations made to him by members who are believed to have the good of the organiza- tion at heart, and who have been members of the Canadian Congress of Labor over a period of years: “1. The closed shop conditions formerly enjoyed by the union are now practically non-existent, and the memership in Burrard North has dropped to almost 50 percent of the dues paying members cov- ered by the contract. In varying degrees, this condition exists in , other local shipyards. “2. The executive board believes that this condition has been brought about through the strivings of po- litical factions within the organiza- tion to dominate it and control it. The appointees are instructed to carry out the non-partisan, non- political policy of the Canadian Congress of Labor, and all honest members of the union are asked to give the administration their wholehearted support in bringing the union back to a solid, sound trade union footing. “3. The Congress is determined that its local chartered unions are not going to be used as a sound- jing board or conveyor for warring political factions and the political maneuvering, to the detriment of the trade union movement and or- fanized labor as a whole. “4. The recent vote taken, where less than one-quarter of the mem- bership participated, is a demon- stration that wranging and internal strife can bring about disinterest inside of a powerful organization, and if allowed to continue, could only result in disaster. “3. A warning is also issued to the members that certain elements have been endeavoring to break away to form a dual union. We are asking that every honest member report any such activity immedi- ately to the administration. “6. The Canadian Congress -of Labor has pledged its full support of Canada’s war effort, and this policy will be followed in its true meaning, rather than allow warring political factions to benefit under the aegis of these principles. “Business agents have been ap- pointed by the Congress, the follow- ing being the appointees: ‘“W_ Robertson, Boilermakers; D. Thompson, North Burrard; A. car- ley (South Side); T. O'Neil, Hamil- ton Bridge and West Coast; Ken Kennedy, North Shore Salvage; [R. Stephen, treasurer; W. Robertson, recording secretary.” $4000 Raised Here For Aid to Russia “While our cheers may be very heartening to the Russian armies, the plight of the ci- vilians can be more practically helped by the clothing and medical supplies which our funds will help purchase,” an official of Canadian Aid to Russia stated this week in announcing that a total of $3,800 had already been received at Fund headquarters, although the Aid to Russia drive officially opens Jan. 1. In the national campaign $271, 251.02 has been received from all sources, according to J. S. McLean, national chairman. 5 “The money keeps rolling in, Roy Hunter, publicity director of the provincial drive told ‘The People. “We hope to reach our objective by the end of January, and are making plans now for the campaign.” Canadian Russian War Relief, now a subsidiary of Canadian Aid to Russia, recently shipped a fourth consignment of 28 cases of woollen clothing, boots, bandages, and medi- cal supplies direct to Russia.