| nion Charges Diserimination
eamens Manning
Vool Setup Scored

he

© Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, in presenting for
, #)orsation of council a resolution protesting “unnecessary
(es and indecision which will do nothing but injure the war

*t’ in reference to an applica-
for wage revisions made hby-
mion some seven months ago.
ini} srsing the resolution, the coun-
rill also request the CCL na-
“wl executive to intervene on
2 (if of the seamen.
i statement read to the meeting
.@ mith stated:
nm November of last year our
nization presented a brief to
YWLB asking that basie rates
phe crews of Park steamers
sacreased by $15 per month
§ cost of living bonus for ali
iifications. The cost of living
\B has been paid. On Decem=
{0 we received a letter from
chief excutive officer of the
si stating that they were wait-
Gr submissions from the em-
“Sitly in January we noted a
= by the shipowners to lower
mevage scales of the two ships
2d cited as comparisons. We
™ ipon sent another letter to
imf Neilson asking if anything
“ideen done in this case. In
sai days we received an answer
we S in part that “the crews
@Se vessels are recruited in
main from men who have
® the manning pool in Van-
r so the application does not
ine with which the board can
‘ly deal.”
would seem by this that a
m0 whe joins the manning
| @ loses his rights as a citizen
mada. Every time our or-
ation makes a move we are
a with a fight to determine
i government, if any, has
ge liction over the seamen.”
Statement that the crews
“ruited in the Manning pool
I correct, according to Smith,
Mee ated that the crews of the
<eamers are recruited in the
of the Canadian Austral-
Steamship Company by the
‘rm of the company and di-
| of the shippinse federation.

4
rr

I

Charges of discrimination against union men by officials of
a 2
= Manning pool were brought before Vancouver Labor Coun-
ingi is week by J. M. (Digger) Smith, secretary of Deep Sea
G
vi}

“They are then sent to the man-
ning pool to be- looked after by:
the taxpayers until the company
is ready to use them. This practice
Goes on except in cases where the
men in the pool are organized,
then the company takes men from
the dock who they hope are unor-
ganized,”

Simth’s statement charges men
have been blacklisted for union
activities by the shipping feder-
ation after being admitted to the
pool, Seamen have been told by
Pool officials that ‘the govern-
ment won’t stand for any
unions’.”

“The Carpenter company Signed
on & crew for S.S. Edna and re-
placed them in the Fiji Islands
With a Fijian crew at $24 a month.
This is the sort of treatment the
companies hand the seamen. These
men had provided themselves with
clothing for a six months’ voyage
but they were back in Vancouver
in two months.

“Park Steamers are Paying the
Seamen less while they are dodging
subs than they get while they are
in the pool,” the statement con-

tinues. “For instance, a fireman
gets $66 while in the pool, but
has to go to sea for $58.50. We

are asking $73.50.

“While drives are being staged
to get comforts for seamen we
find the shipping federation, the
manning pool and the federal
svevernment combined to see that
the seamen don’t get the com-
forts where they should get them
—ifrom the shipping company in
the form of wages. They are
more concerned with stopping
the seamen from organizing than

annual convention of the

of Canada have confidence in the
youth. We must not fail them.
Young people who are working and
fighting against Hitlerism must do
So with a single aim — the total
destruction of Hitlerism and the
Axis.

“Let us therefore, from this
conference of young people say
to our government: the youth of
Canada, of Great Britain. and
the United States look forward to
the early opening of a second
front in Europe. Ganadian
troops in Britain are chafing for
action, Government statements
have promised the Iaunching of
2 general offensive. We are ready
to make sacrifices to assure its
success. We pledge to our troops
as they prepare to go into action
that we will not let them down.
We support the offensive. Start
it now! — when it is most needed
to assure victory.”

The delegates cheered a telegram
from the Soviet Union praising
their organizational efforts,

“In Russia, 92 per cent of the
population are members of trade

Plans for a four-point program were laid down at the first
provincial Labor Youth Federation,
held last Sunday at Georgia Hotel in Vancouver.

“Our program must be based on four fighting points: educa-
tion, recreation, war services and youth campaigns,”
Walker, retiring secretary, told the Convention, “The people

Olga

unions,” stated Jack Henderson of
the Vancouver Trades Council.
“Even our Honorable Tan Mac-
Kenzie has stated after investigat-
ing 41 countries that Russia has
the best social legislation in the
world.”

“By the time the shipyard work-
er has worked a day overtime his
taxes are raised so much that he’s
earning about fifteen cents an
hour,” said a young welder from
the North Burrard yards. “He
wonders why he should work an
extra day if his extra earnings are
taxed on a higher percentage and
the whole day’s work nets him
about a dollar.”

Delegates unanimously agreed
that morale among workers in
industry is essential to high pro-
duction, and-that one f the func-
tions of the LYF was to help
boost morale. Education of fel-
low workers towards trade
unionism is another point in the
LYF program.

Duncan Russell, president of the
LYF and a welder in the shipyards,
introduced other convention speak-

LYF Parley Adopts
Four-Point Program

ers, including Jessie Storrie, of
New Advance magazine; WBoiler-
Makers’ Union president, Bill

Stewart, Bert Melsness, of the BC
Lumberworker; S. Singh, of Hast
India Youth Association; Hd Leary,
Vancouver Labor Council.

During the afternoon sessions
three panel discussions took place
oa war services, education, and
labor, :

“The Labor Youth Federation is
not just another youth organiza-
tion. It is an organization with a
purpose,” it was stated in the edu-
cation panel. ‘In our organization
young people should be trained
to be leaders — leaders in all fields
of endeavor, on the fighting fronts,
on the job, in the homes and com-
munities.”

In the war services panel, dele-
gates discused welfare and recrea-
tion of the armed forces, civilian
defense, and allied war relief.
Questions of recreation for war
workers were also considered.

Delegates discussing LYE work
in relation to labor and trade
unions commented on the lack of
a sound policy on the part of the
federal government, and condemn-
ed the attitude of Labor Ministr
Humphrey Mitchell.

“A&A sound labor policy is of prime
necessity for total war,” seemed
to be the general Opinion.

different type of celebration—in
who had died as martyrs in their
fight for political, economic and

witi winning the war.’

Smith stated that the application
made by the union for Wage re-
visions had been tossed from one
fovernment to another and the
union still has received no satis-
faction in its attempts to ascer-
tain which government has juris-
diction over the seamen.

inue

t-l Camps

Back

live For Production

B draft agreement calls for
B recognition and the closed

dues checkoff, seniority
— holidays with pay, grievance

‘fety committees, and labor-
ment production commit-
=- important clause is that
m* for payment of wages from
Pac the men leave town. Av-
;ength of time travelling to
€zolated camps from Vancou-
around seven days,
negotiating committees
mlected by the conference—
© handle any talks with the
=sment in the Massett area
the other for Wancouver.
fs of the Vancouver nego-
*, cOmmittee include Prit-
i Nigel Morgan, E. Dalskog,
ry-treasurer of Iocal 1-71,
andy” Turner of Massett In-
= © Baychuk of Cumshewa.
Eotiations between these

= and Robert Fillberg of

Aero Timber Products will begin
soon, Pritchett stated. Preliminary
discussions were held between him-
Self and the camp superintendent
while at Massett.

“Tam confident that if this
agreement is established between
the TWA and Aero Timber, a sound
basis will be laid for future labor
relations in the entire QCI area
that will have a corresponding ef&
fect on production,’ Pritchett
stated.

“Improved labor relations will
solve many of the manpower
problems now plaguing the in-
dustry. There will be less absen-
teeism. With improved morale
will come a better appreciation
of the critical need for airplane
spruce — a true war conscious-
ness—and that will reflect im-
mediately in production increases
that will, I am confident, surprise
everyone, the operators in par-

religious freedom.

More significant, and of perhaps
greater importance, than the main
Indian celebration was a second
convention which took place on
Sunday morning in the Temple.
Present were more than one hun-
dred members of the newly-formed
and rapidly-growing East India
Youth Association, many of whom
have broken away from the re-
strictions of the Khalsa Diwan
whieh prescribes the wearing of
beards and the traditional turban,
but adhere to and are developing
the traditional Sikh ideals of free-
dom,

“We, the young people of various:
communities, are the builders of
tomorrow’s world,” Piara Singh,
youthful president of the Associa-
tion and International Woodwork-
ers of America shop steward, told
the meeting. “The young spirit is
a democratic spirit, crushing out
any sign of fascism in every shape
or form.

“We have formed a nucleus

which we hope will expand and

then tackle a great many prob-

lems confronting our own com-

munity. We must organize the

East Indian youth in Canada,

instill in them the spirit of Cana-

dian culture, educate them to be-

come better citizens of this

adopted country, and to take an

active part in the social, eco-

nomic, cultural and political life

of the community. Our aim is to

work for the victory of the demo-

cratic nations of the world fight-

ing against fascism.”

Darshan Singh, organizer of the
Association’s Victoria branch, em-

ticular,

phasized that “any continental

While some parts of Vancouver were celebrating May 24
weekend, the East Indians in British Columbia were gathered
at the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh Temple for an entirely

East Indian Youth Hold
Provincial Convention

honor of their Indian comrades

land offensive against Japan must
be organized on the soil of India,
and it cannot be organized and
Successfully carried through with-
out the active cooperation of the
Indian people. General Wavell can-
not reconquer Burma with India
Seething in revolt behind his lines.

“Allied victory in Tunisia has
radically altered the world politi-
cal situation. The democratic
powers are definitely on the of-
fensive. .. . But the people of

India are prevented from organ-
izing their own defense by the
present autocratic British rulers
of the country. ... The respected
popular leaders of the people
have been thrown in jails at

a time when they should be or.
Sanizing their country’s de-
fenses.” :

In the evening the Association
Sponsored a public meeting in the
Beacon Theater. The subject: “In-
dian and Canada”: the speakers,
Communist-Labor Total War Com-
mittee representative Tom Mac-
Ewen, Liberal Pat O’Donahue, Rey.
Bryce Williams, Khalsa Diwan sec-
retary Nagindar Singh Gill, and
Association members Hazara S.
Garcha and Darshan Singh.

Once again, Darshan Singh told
the huge audience (among which
Were hundreds of Past Indians,
who, though British Subjects, are
denied the right to vote, enter cer-
tain professions and sections of
the armed forces), that the war
must be won, and that it must be
won by the whole-hearted cooper-
ation of the people.

Extra Meat Rations
Conceded For Loggers

Success of the campaign carried on by International Wood-
workers of America for additional meat rations was seen in the
announcement from Ottawa that when coupons for meat ration-
ing become effective, appropriate measures will be taken to

ensure substantial supplies for log-
ging, mining and other camps in
remote areas.

In some districts transportation
facilities are such that it is diffj-
eult, if not imposible, states the
WPTB announcement, to obtain
supplies of some unrationed foods
for which to a certain extent, meat
is used as a substitute. Where
such conditions apply, the oper-
ators of the camp may bring the
facts to the attention of the ra-

tioning administration and con-
sideration will be given to setting
appropriate heat quotas.

Whether these proposed adjust-
Ments will work out Ssatisfacorily
is not yet known, but union offi-
cials see in the announcement a
change for the better.

This section, which followed
after hundreds of resolutions from
union meetings in BC logging
Camps, as well as from the man-
agements themselves, had been
sent to government bodies.

ie