Charges Denied By Union Declaring that a responsible union official should first as- eertain the accuracy of his grounds, Secretary William Turner, for Lodge 756, Aero- nautical Mechanics Union (IAM), this week issued the following statement in reply to charges made in copies of cor- respondence circulated by Ralph P. Bell, director general of aircraft production: “JT have just received copies of correspondence exchanged between Raiph P. Bell, director of aircraft production, department of muni- tions and supply, and John Mc- Graw, personnel director of Boeing Aircraft of Canada, which, I un- derstand, Bell is circulating to cer- tain people in what appears to be an attempt to discredit this union. “This correspondence charges that Lodge 756, Acronautical Me- chanics’ Union (TAM) flouted an order-in-council by refusing to work Boxing Day unless paid double time. This union has never at any time placed its interests in a selfish manner above the needs of an all-out war effort in any question of production or wages. Qne would certainly assume that before a responsible government official makes such statements a5, “With fellows fighting and dying in the air ... and them refusing to work unless they get paid con- trary to the terms of their agree- ment.” he would first ascertain the accuracy of his grounds. The fact is that this union has scrupu- lously lived up to the terms of its agreement. It has and will continue to have the interests of our boys overseas as its first con- sideration and has no intention of flouting any order- in-council and so harming their interests. “Tf Bell will take the time to read PC 8682 he will find this in Clause B: “'The provisions of any collec- tive labor agreement that are con- sistent with Subsection A (the six legal holidays) of this declaration of policy should be suspended for the duration of the present war by mutual consent of the parties thereto but, pending such suspen- sion, shall remain in force and continue to be observed.’ “Since last August this union has been negotiating with the company for a new agreement. How then can our present agree- ment which names all statutory holidays and has not yet been revised in line with PC 8682 flout the order-in-council, as Bell charges? ‘Hurther, I would emphasize that while Bell states that ‘Boxing Day is not, and I repeat not, and never has been a statutory holiday and we will not pay double time for work on that day,’ on Boxing Day, 1941, the union agreed to work for time and a half, and last Boxing Day, at the company’s request, only those departments it was found necessary to work received double time. “Many former members of our union, employees at Boeing Air- eraft here, are now in the armed forces, while other present mem- bers are veterans of this war or are serving in the reserve army. The union has supported the blood bank, the victory loan and other Campaigns. Resolutions pledging increased production have been backed by establishment of the first labor-management committees in this province. “Are these the actions of a sel- fish organization? Or is it rather that Bell is allowing his prejudice as revealed in his statement to the War Labor Production Conference Letters Cireulated By Airerait Head STRICTLY PERSONAL December 24th, 1942 (Transcribed Dec. 26th) Mr. John McGraw, Personnel Director, Boeing Aircraft of Canada Limited, Vancouver, B.C. My Dear John: This will confirm my telegram just despatched, as 45 lows: “Your letter to R. J. Younge December 19th has just been brought to my attention. Boxing Day is not I re- peat not and never has been a statutory holiday and we will not pay double time for work on that day. You may advise your union from me that we are amazed at their attitude on this matter. I wonder what our boys flying and fighting over France and the Middle East would say if they knew that the men and women in Vancouver were adopting this attitude.” To say I am surprised at the attitude of the men at Boeing on this matter would be putting it mildly. I am not only surprised, I am ashamed. This is the most petty thing I have ever encountered since I entered this office, and you can tell your men straight for me that I am abso- lutely ashamed of their attitude on this matter; with fellows fighting and dying in the air and them trying to raise a quibble about a day that is not, and never has been a statu- tory holiday in Canada, and refusing to work unless they get paid contrary to the terms of their agreement. I am sending a copy of this exchange to Bob Haddow in Montreal, tellmg him that I think this is a perfectly disgraceful exhibition on the part of the members of his organization. When a union deliberately flouts an Order-in-Council of the Federal Government establishing what are statutory holidays, I think it is high time to call a halt. Yours sincerely, SRAIGPH: PP. BEE? Director-General, Aircrait Production Branch. RPB:GG:AS c.c to Mr. Robert Haddow BOEING AIRCRAFT OF CANADA LIMITED Vancouver, British Columbia December 18th, 1942 Mr. R. J. Younge, Executive Asst. to Labor Liaison Officer, Department of Munitions and Supply, Ottawa, Canada Dear Sir: Last year we worked most of our employees on Boxing Day, after which there was considerable negotiations, last- ing approximately three months, as to what rate of pay should be paid. Our union claimed that since it was a statutory holiday, they were entitled to double time. It was finally settled without precedent and agreed to by the Treasury that they be allowed time-and-a-half for Boxing Day. Now the question is with us again this year and our union has informed us that unless they are advised by us ahead of time that they will get double time, they do not want to work. We therefore are working only our Final Assembly. line and Pre Flight crews and are proposing to pay them double time. I would like to add at this time that we are still having negotiations with our union regarding our entire agree- ment and have not as yet been able to get them to agree to the terms of P.C. 8682. Yours very truly, BOEING AIRCRAFT OF CANADA LTD. “John MeGraw” Personnel Director. JMCG:RB:AS c.c. to Mr. Robert Haddow Dec. 26/42. Claim Inefficiency Slows Production Boeing Aircraft Plant No. 3 at Sea Island, has closed §, practically one whole shift in the sheet metal shop, i g& learned this week. Although none of the workers affected § laid off but received transfers to other departments, maj those transferred are reported to have given in their noi} at Montreal on May 7, 1942, ‘This war in the factories that, is not going to be won this war is “Our answer as a union is that this war can be lost on the pro- in such an important war indus- try every effort should be made to keep the plant on a full production schedule and point out that it takes from one to two years to train per- sons for this work. They also claim ment in the carpenters’ shop which makes the die frames for the sheet metal shop. Employees, who have long been dissatisfied with what they describe | as “the utter waste of time forced ' upon us by inefficient management,” this week charged: @® Several hundred assemblies tractors with only -partial tooling facities. © Interplant and intershop com- munication is entirely inadequate, | causing costly delays. and the loss ef parts and prints. Several hun- dred templates have been lost and never reached the shops, causing many thousands of parts to be made incorrectly. @® Whole assemblies are being held up for days while the inspec- tion department checks tolerances on parts that do not require fine accuracy, turning them back for unnecessary reworking, with a con- sequent loss in man hours and dis- Satisfaction on the part of the workers. Employees claim that lack of tool- ing is the biggest drawback in Plant No. 3. Parts are being made by hand when blanking dies would turn them out faster and cheaper. Reason given by the management for inadequacy of tooling facilities is that the original estimates were exceeded and until further allot- ments are granted tools cannot be made. Meanwhile, tools are being made by hand on the benches at considerable additional cost. In support of their contention that the inspection department is causing unnecessary reworking of parts, employees cite the instance of the large number of girls em- ployed at reburring, claiming that a great deal of this work is un- necessary. Since the part may be the inside of a bracket where the burr would not affect the finished part. Another example of rework cited is that of several thousand brack- ets which, because of a faulty jig, had to have two holes in each welded and redrilled, involving the loss of 150 man hours, because no first part check was made. It is charged that these facts have been brought to the attention of the management but that there has been no improvement. $2.15 per Gallon IPAINT 22 Malis’ 156 West Cordova St. Buy now while buying is good ! Workers at this plant feel that@ that this layoff will entail curtail. | have been farmed out to sub-con- | SpanishW] VeteranD Bill Petrie, well-known i labor and progressive movem > British Columbia and a vf of the Mackenzie-Papineau talion, was found dead in his at 5013 Payne on Tuesday week by Alf Padgham, with jhe made his home. ; Born in Aberdeen, Scotlai 1894, Petrie was a stonemas trade. At the time of his he was employed as a labo: gf North Burrard shipyards, an a member of the Dock and && yard Workers’ Union. No rel¢ reside in Canada, but he a sister in Scotland. Petrie was a veteran of two § having served in the artillery the Imperial forces during § First World War and foughi volunteer with the Mack Papineau Battalion, part o International Brigades in the ish War. He went to Spain iz } among the first Canadians i F DANCE at the EMBASSY 1024 Davie OLD TIME Mon., Tues., Wed. in 0 MoD) Wed. MODERN and OLD-TI' DANCING WEDNESDAY and SATUR: Hastings Auditorium 828 E. Hastings MODERATE RENTAL RA You'll Enjoy Our : HOME COOKING at the Shelly Coffee She 121 West Pender | I 5 A HAst. 0240 766 E. Has! | Hastings Steam Ba Vancouver, B.C. Always Open — Expert Mass | in Attendance 8 a.m. to ll p.m... . 40c and FOR SALE New Hampshire Pullets and Baby Chicks JOHN BOWLES Phone 51-M Cloverdale, L- LARGE FARMS TOM BINNIE SMALL FARMS and Fire — INSURANCE — Auto going to be-won by young men of courage and daring who risk and lose their lives that you and I may continue to live in a free country,’ to gover his action? duction lines, and we do not in- tend to lose it. To get maximum. production we expect not con- cealed attacks, but sincere co- operation. Bell’s duty and respon- sibility is to help us obtain it.” 1574 Paeifie Highway (2 Miles South of Pattullo Bridge) R.R. 4, ‘New Westmins!