Annual District Convention Of IWA Attended By 170 Delegates [CA Act Amendments Urged By Convention Production problems held the spotlight. when 170 delegates from logging camps and saw- ndnills throughout the province gathered here last weekend for the sixth annual convention of ‘dhe British Columbia district, International Woodworkers of America, holding their two-day uti lyf Commendinge workers in Camp syefi-8D| Queen Charlotte Islands, for heir determined stand against 2 _ $10-day shutdown. which menaced wreduction rates in badly-needed urplane spruce, Nigel Morgan, dis- ewrict executive secretary and inter— eniational board member, emphasized my hat labor-management. production ‘ommittees helped government, i -ffort, and are essential to full sartnership for labor in the war Labor management committees at Lake Logging Company’s op- erations are *‘Teally- getting on gates, and have been able to Settle many long-standing griey- in the inductry for the region, and have gone a long way towards stabilizing manpower, with a re- sultant improyement in produc- tion. Cash prizes are awarded for suggestions facilitating work, and the problem of absenteeism E | has been tackled jointly by men and management. Gomplaints that men had been aid off because of-an alleged short- Se of logs, when actually millions ‘= feet of logs were waiting, were ~~ i _j ‘card from delegates Archie Green- | vell representing Lake Cowichan tnd Don Barbour of Cumberland, who cited instances at Hillerest and Somox Lake camps, while from Al Dewhurst of Alberni came the sharge that operators “are stalling igainst union recognition’’ and ‘‘on 2 sitdown strike for another dollar 3 thousand.” | Unanimously endorsed was a resolution asking the government to establish a ministry of produc- tion te function as the “supreme planning, co-ordinating and ex- ecutive high command of the na- tion’s battle of production,’ the ministry to include outstanding representatives of industrial man- ‘agement, labor and government, ‘with equal representation from labor and management. “Total war production has not been reached and our war effort is suffering from material short- ages, lack of coordination and max- imum planning which is exempli- fied in unnecessary layoffs, idle machines, slow production and other evils,’ the resolution stated, adding that pressure of powerful corporations which insist on plac- ing their post-war competitive and imonopolistic positions against the needs of total war for national sur- ‘vival has held back maximum ex- & pansion and conversion of Canada’s jbasic war industries and plants. q Enactment of federal legislation to establish labor’s rights would, delegates felt, strengthen labor’s fight to increase production, and 2 resolution passed called for leg- islation which would guarantee to labor such rights as those con- tained in the National Labor Re lations Act of the United States. it was pointed out that while existing federal and provincial labor laws give employees the right to organize into unions, these laws contain no provision requiring the employer to recognize such unions, Declaring that “the spirit and intent of Order-in-Council 2685 has been flouted by many in industry and is failing in support from the government itself,’ the resolution Stated that “experience of the past two years has shown that two- thirds of our labor disputes are over the question of collective bargaining.” Three amendments to the Pro- vincial Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act were urged. These would compel employers to bargain collectively with the union of the employee’s choice and impose severe penalties for unfair labor practices, such as interference with employees’ Tight to organize, discrimination against employees for union activ- ity, establishment of company unions, and refusal on the part of employers to sign a contract following agreement being reach- ed by the two parties concerned. They would also shorten the period of time for adjusting labor disputes. Right of collective bargaining was also asked in a resolution sub- mitted by Local 1-71, referring to the 15-month old dispute between operators and employees in the Queen Charlotte Islands and blam- ing refusal of operators to negoti- ate with the union for the fall in production of airplane spruce. Other resolutiens called for: @ Exemption from taxation of union dues in the same Manner as insurance premiums are now ex- empt. @ Implementation of the recom- mendations of the 1942 parliament- ary committee on the Defense of Canada Regulations. @ Dismissal of Humphrey Mit- chell as minister of labor. @ Equal pay for equal work. @ Unity of organized labor to “complete the job of organizing the unorganized and mobilize all our resources for all-out prosecution of the war and winning of the peace that is to come.” é @ Double ration of tea, sugar and butter for all industrial worlk- ers, to maintain health with maxi- mum production. @ Implementation of the Sloan report on compensation, extending it to cover all industries. @ Resolute action to expose and ‘eliminate fifth column activities, especially among enemy alien na- tionals. Gloser fraternal relations were urged between the Canadian trade union centers and the Anglo-Soviet sessions in the Holden Building, under the banners reading, “Production on the home front— Action on the second front,” and “All-out mobilization to speed victory.” Trade Union Council, “so that Ca- nadian labor will be better able to coordinate its efforts along with the workers of the United Nations to fulfill their role of being the driving foree for an offensive pol- icy and the defeat of Hitler this year, and to play an effective, democratic role in world affairs afber the Axis powers have been defeated.” 3 Delegates endorsed a proposal that locals of the union should “adopt” the Canadian Forestry Corps and -set up committees to supply the men with cigarettes, tobacco and other comforts. Harold J. Pritchett was unop- posed for another term as presi- dent with four nominees for two vice-presidents’ positions, Hyjal- mer Bergren and Ernie Dalsikog, present vice-presidents, and Mark Mosher and Jack Parkinson. Bert Melsness and George Mit- chell were nominated for secret- ary-treasurer, and Darshan Singh Sangra of Victoria and Jack Lindsay of New Westniinster as trustees. Among those who addressed the delegates was President Birt Show- ler of Vancouver Trades and Labor Council, who urged a closer un- derstanding between Vancouver Labor Council and his own coun- eil. “We were meeting unofficially long before the big fellows got to- gether,” he said. “We always feel that we in Vancouver are miles ahead of the rest of the country.” Following the opening of the con- vention by Mayor J. W. Cornett, delegates also heard Rey. A. CG. Cooke, who delivered the inyoca- tion; Edward Parkinson, assistant regional superintendent of the Un- employment Insurance Commis- sion; A. T.- Alsbury, president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation; and Mrs. V. McRae, representing the Labor Youth Federation. John Stanton, legal council for the organization, reported on the past year’s work, and Bert Mar- cuse, director of Pacific Coast Labor Bureau, gave an explanation of questionnaires circulated among loggers to establish living costs. Wine out of ten woodworkers, Marcuse charged, lacked medical care because of their inability to afford payment. “Tt takes healthy, unworried workers to defeat Hitler,” he de- elared, stating that the constant aim of the Pacific Coast Labor Bureau had been to prove the need for more adequate wage scales among woodworkers and to raise rates in ‘every mill to the level of the highest in the district. International representatives who attended the convention were Pres- ident Worth Lowery and Vice-Pres- idents Red Fadling and Carl Wynn, and George Brown, assistant direc- tor of organization. A\rbitration Arbitration hearings in the ears. ©) CF Dis Boarc Ooute dispute between Queen Char- lotte Island loggers and operators arising from operators’ consistent refusal to grant union recognition, were adjourned until February 6, after the board, consisting of Judge M. A. Harper, chairman, Arthur Turner, MLA, and R. H. Tupper, had veceived evidence of several members of the International Wood- workers’ Union in two-day sessions this week. Asked what advantages a union agreement would give the men, Nels Madsen, chairman of the pro- duction committee in his camp and of the camp committee, said pro- duction would be boosted because of the improvement in relations be- tween the management and men that would follow upon elimination of the main point in dispute. With- out fear of discharge for union ac- tivity, morale would be raised, he added, . Madsen told of the men’s deter- mination to keep Camp A35 open when operators ordered a shutdown for a period of a month around Christmas. Wigel Morgan, executive board member, had wired the men stating that production of airplane spruce was 50 percent below normal, he said, and had commended them for their stand against a shutdown. Camp Foreman J. ©. Carstair had handed him a seven-day sep-| aration notice, he stated, but no reason for the discharge had been given on the form, and when he asked the cause of separation, the foreman had called him an agitator. John Stanton, appearing for the IWA, asked the witness if he was aware that he could lay a charge against the foreman under the crim- jnal code for dismissal on such grounds. There were no witnesses present, Madsen replied, and such things were difficult toe prove. Madsen told of fighting in Spain for two years, and said he was one of the first to go from Canada to fight on the side of the Loyalists. In further evidence, he declared that the men’s sentiment was al- most unanimously against the gov- ernment-proposed agreement. Sev- enty men had yoted against it and only three for it, with one spoiled ballot. Around seventy-five men were in camp at that time. Testimony of other witnesses told of poor food, unsanitary conditions and bad living conditions. CG. H. Locke, KC, appeared for the companies. John Stanton Barrister, Solicitor, Notary 503 Holden Bldg. 16 BE. Hastings St. MAr. 5746 L y DANCE EVERY SATURDAY in the CROATIAN Educational Home 600 Campbell Ave. @ Ladies - - - - 25c @ Soldiers 25¢ @ Men in Civies - 35c LABOR YOUTH FEDERATION ok co qa DR. W. 207 West Hastings Street J. DENTIST CURRY Tel. PAc. 1526 — Dock and Shipyard Workers’ Union ANNUAL BALL - Hastings Auditorium January 29 PRIZES 1.— $50.00 3.—$10.00 2.— $25.00 4.—Something Scotch REFRESHMENTS | TICKETS 5@c — at Room 703, Holden Bldg. &