EWA Asks Q@CI Certification

Act May

Apply |

To War Industries

Application for sole collective bargaining agency for loggers
in the Queen Charlotte Island spruce camps of the Kelley
Logging Company, Church Creek, Skedans Bay and Beatty
Anchorage; for the J. R. Morgan Logging Company at Huxley
Island, Fallers Camp and Camps 1 and 2 at Cumshewa Inlet;
and for Pacific Mills Camp A-35 was made to the Provincial

Department of Labor last week
by ITWA-CIO Local 1-71. These
camps, in which the IWA has
claimed over 90 per cent member-
ship for practically two years, are
the camps in which collective bar-
gaining with the union has been
refused, resulting in the Arbitra-
tion Board hearings which con-
cluded this week.

Since the new amendments to
the Industrial Conciliation and Ar-
bitration Act were adopted in
February, question has been raised
as to the extent to which the col-
jective bargaining provisions of the
ICA Act are applicable in war in-
dustries such as the Queen Char-
lotte Island spruce camps and the
mines and smelter at Trail, where
by Federal Order-in-Council, the
Industrial Disputes Investigation
Act has been extended to cover

all war industries. Minister of
Lsbor Pearson and the Provincial
Department of Labor are known
to favor application in these indus-
tries of the amendments as far as
the right to collective bargaining
and the oullawing of company un-
ions is concerned in BC.

In a letter to the IWA this week
Minister of Labor Pearson stated,
‘We now have the matter before
Ottawa and I understand the La-
bor Department at Ottawa agrees
with my position, but up to date
we have not had the opinion of
the Justice Department. However,
I see no objection to having the
membership in these camps check-
ed and I hope by the timie the re-
port is made to me, that we shall
have some definite information re-
garding the matter of the juris-
diction of our Act”

Coast Seamen Press

For Higher Pay Rate

Members of Deepsea and Inland Boatmen’s Union have
asked the National War Labor Board for an increase of $15
per month for seamen, and union officials state that unless
action is taken by next Tuesday, the matter will be placed be-

fore Vancouver Labor Council.

“The seamen’s union sent a brief
to the Regional War Labor Board
in November asking for an in-
wrease in wages for seamen. The
amount asked was $15 per month
as well 2s cost-of-living bonus and
war bonus,” stated J. M. Smith,
union secretary.

“The brief was sent from the
jocal board to the National War
Labor Board in Ottawa in De-
cember. We received a letter from

NWLBE ssying that the matter did
not come under their jurisdiction
because the seamen are now Tre-
cruited from the manning pool,
and therefore come under the di-
rector of merchant seamen.

“We have written two letters to
the NWLB asking who has juris-
dicti6n in the matter, and we in-

tend to press for wage increases.

The wages now paid are ridiculous
as compared with those paid by
US shipping corporations.”

Continued

National Labor Code

ceedings have been enlivened by
many exchanges between witnesses
for both sides. A strong case has
already been made for compulsory
collectivi: bargaining. This was
strengthened by the Construction
Association’s brief which also sup-
ported collective bargaining laws

and spoke of the excellent wartime | are given the run-around.

relations between employers and
the building trades unions.

From reports gathered in the
main industrial centers in Canada
there is every indication that many
unions are yet to be heard from.
In most cases, briefs now being
r 4

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prepared will follow the lines al-

ready laid down and will stress
the following:
e Grievances, especially con-

crete grievances of the union sub-
mitting the brief.

@ Criticism of present methods
of conciliation by which workers

@ Arguments in support of
equalizing the cost-of-living bonus
and making the full bonus applic-
able to all workers, plus the need
of a national minimum wage of
55 cents an hour.

@ Compulsory collective
gaining on a federal scale.

@® Arguments in favor of perma-
ment legislation and not regula-
tions for the “duration,” since a
genuine federal labor code will be
needed as greatly after the war
as it is now.

@ Concrete examples in the con-
trast between prices upon which
the cost-of-living index is based
and the actual average price that
housewives have to pay.

@ Examples of the advantages
of good working labor-manage-
ment relations particularly where
labor-management production com-
mittees are established.

bar-

Skeena Labor Unites Fo}
Nominating Conference

PRINCE RUPERT.—“It’s about time we got around to this,”
was the sentiment most often expressed this week among
Prince Rupert trade unionists as they discussed the convention
being held here June 13, at which labor organizations from
all over Skeena Riding will join in drawing up a platform and
nominating a candidate to carry the banner of united labor in
the Skeena Riding in the next federal election.

One reason for the
support undoubtedly the
striking success scored in Prince
Rupert's civic elections last De
cember. On that occasion, the
Clyic Labor Federation, represent-
ing all trade the CCF,
Fishermen's Co-op and Teachers’
Association, elected six out of its
candidates for aldermen,
proving the irresistable power of
united labor.

*Our aim is to see the same

unity achieved in the federal field,”
Charlie Vizer, president of the
Central; Labor Council (CCL),
which is calling the conference,
told The People this week. “Once
the convention is convened, it will

wag

unions,

seven

appoint its own officers, adopt
its own mame, and proceed to
function under its own author-

ity. All labor unions throughout
Skeena Riding have been invited,
as well as such organizations of
the people as the CCF, House-
wives’ League and others. Each
is asked to send three fully ac-
credited delegates to share in the
deliberations of the conference.
The platform will be adopted on
the basis of resolutions placed be-
fore the convention by the various

bodies taking part. For example,
the Boilermakers’ Union have a

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outspokencommittee of seven at work pre-

paring a draft program which
they will submit to the conven-
tion.

“The candidate will naturally be
chosen by a democratic yote of
all delegates.- We all want to be
pulling in the same direction when

the time comes because this is]_

the ony way to win any race where
teamwork counts.

®Naturally the decisions of such
a convention cauid not be auto-
maticly binding on the groups tak-
ing part, but judging from local
experience it looks as if we have
all learned to work together very
solidly. Our problems are 50 press-
ing that this has got to be done.”

Skeena Riding has thousands of
organized workers — lumber work-
ers, fishermeh, shipyard workers,
construction workers, railwaymen,
cannery and cold storage men,
pulp and paper workers, all with
urgent problems.

Ottawa so far has offered no
solution to many of these, and

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