By DON CAMERON, Organizer Local 1-217. f@ result of increased activity in Lower Mainland sawmills regard- Workmen's Compensation Board ens Regulations, it has been possible {the LW.A. to take action in a num- ‘ber of cases. Representations to the Compensation Board have been made to check a number of violations of cer- _ fain regulations necéSsary for the pro- fection of health, limbs and even lives, ‘from the viciousness of mass production "and its subsequent driving and speed-up in the lust for higher profits. Complaint was made to the Board concerning an exceedingly unhealthy and dangerous conditions which exists in and around the Sanding Department at B.C. Plywoods Ltd. This condition ‘was investigated by an Inspector from the Board and definite instructions given the Superintendent of this company, which were as follows: _ The company was to purchase a new respirator for each operator on the belt sander, which was to be issued free of charge to those who requested them and to be for their sole use, Also the com- pany was to enlarge the blower system, thus taking a greater percentage of this dust away, the dangers of which it is not necessary to explain to any man who has worked around such machines, The breathing of sander dust for eight hours a day has proven very detrimental to the health of several employees in this Department, causing the loss of body weight, the nauseating habit of continuous expectoration and the lower- ing of the body resistance to other ail- ments. ‘Complaint was also registered with the Board over the First Aid Facilities at Fraser Mills, Recently an accident oc- curred in which a worker had his hand torn off and had to wait for approxi- mately fifteen minutes before receiving proper First Aid treatment. The ambu- lance from New Westminster arrived ai about the same time as the Company's First Aid Attendant, due to poor phone connections and a quarter mile distance between the First Aid Shack and place where the majority of workers are con- centrated. Many times in past years similar incidents and possibly worse have occurred, the patients sometimes having to traverse this quarter mile by foot or being aided by their fellow em Don’t Miss the THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER Lumber Takes Record Toll Reports reaching Union Headquarters this week brings the fatality list of logging accidents up to last year’s grim record already. Amongst those reported killed since our last publication are: (1) Max Kechik, 40, who was killed when a windfall fell on him at the Campbell River Timber Company's Camp, crushing him to instant death. Kechil is survived by a wife and two children, living at Lochdale, near New Westminster. (2) Howard Haney, C.P-R. Camp employee, who was killed near Cranbrook, B.C., when a chain used for hauling logs struck him. (8) William Wilson, 28, Campbell River logger who was instantly killed at the Camp Four operation of Bloedel Stewart Welch. According to reports reaching here Wilson was killed by a rolling log. (4) Soo Yen, 52, died as a result of injuries sustained when he was struck by falling tree at Sooke, Vancouver Island. The Chinese logger was working on the Cameron Lumber Company operation. Despite persistent appeals by the International Woodworkers of America, B.C. District Council, and a well-reasoned, timely 65 address on the floor of the B.C. Legislature for the last two ses- Workers fave been killed in sions by veteran CCF member Sam Guthrie, Liberal Minister Pearson continues his policy of refusing even an investigation into the cause of the ever-increasing fatalities. In 1938 sixty-three logging acci- | loggers lost their lives, in 1937 sixty, while over the ten-year period dents in B.C. | 1927-37 five hundred and’ sixty-seven woodworkers were killed, since January | 1766 permanently disabled, and 33,397 sufficiently injured to re- Ist, 1939, quire compensation. Predictions are that 1939 will even surpass last year’s alarmingly high fatality record. These government figures prove that about one-quarter of the number of loggers employed, are killed or receive injuries causing permanent dis- ability in every ten years. In recent years as a result of the efforts of our organiza- tion to expose and end this ruthless slaughter, the Provincial Government set up 2 Safety First Branch of the Department of Labor. However, since this committee was set up there has been no reduction in the number of fatalities, or serious accidents, but on the contrary an increase, And further, there 1s not likely to be any reductions until the Labor Department recognizes “labor” and gives those who are the victims of these industrial accidents rightful consideration and representation on this Committee. The Safety First Committee at present is representative of the Depart- ment of Labor, the Compensation Board and the Boss Loggers’ Association, the latter deciding the policy, the policy of speed-up, and the open shop, which is enforced by blacklisting, discrimination and intimidation, the pitchforking of hundreds of new recruits into the industry every year without consideration for the large numbers of young men in the prime of life who are being killed and crippled for life; while at the same time experienced loggers are left walking the streets, ‘This situation can be remedied only through our successful efforts in building an organization; in the establishment of efficiently functioning safety committees on the job, democratically elected representatives of all departments in the respective camps and mills, working in co-operation with the Compensation Board, the Depart- ment of Labor and the employers. Before it is possible for such a committee to func- tion, it is easily realized that we must have an effective trade union organization to give the committee members full protection and to inspire the workers on the job with the spirit of co-operation. making the slogan of SAFETY-FIRST a COLLEC- TIVE instead of an INDIVIDUAL responsibility. NAS Charles Hogstrom, $4, was killed Fri- day in a slide at Al Devaney Log Co.'s operation at Wakeman Sound. Hog- strom was crushed by a slide while running from the bunk-house to the head smashed in as a result of the impact. He is survived by his mother in the old country and a brother in vancouver, and was a former Camp Delegate of L.W.A. Local 1-71. The second report coming in by radio states that Gitoshi Suginonori, a Japanese logger, 28 years of age, was killed at Hillcrest, B.C., yesterday. Fur- ther details are as yet not available. This high death-rate in the woods and its grim spector will continue to menace thé stalwart sons of Paul Bunyan until we build a union pow- erful enough to eliminate defective equipment, the speed-up, and the careless handling of human life and limb by “profit-drunk” employers. True, many of these accidents are unavoidable, but the fact remains that too many loggers are being killed; the rate is increasing every year, and with but a little more time and a little greater care, many of time we did something to organize ourselves so that once and for all we can put an end to this senseless slaughter. It’s a cinch if we don’t help ourselves, nobody else will, par- ticularly when there’s profit in the old game! ployees on some cumbersome vehicle over very rough tramways. Such treat- ment is a menace to the welfare of these workers, and in the particular instance the employees presented a petition, signed by practically the entire group of employees, requesting more adequate facilities. To this petition, the Company- dominated and referred to the man’s very life was feared for, due to the shock, It is the definite opinion of the hun- dreds of men acquainted with the con- ditions prevalent at this plant that a sysem of phones strategically located should be immediately installed for the purpose of calling First Aid and that an additional Station should be estab- lished closer to hand, the present one being located far from the greatest num- Ler of employees at work. Justly incensed by such treatment, indirectly-controlled Medical Committee issued the following statement: “Your petition was received and thor- oughly discussed, and your Committee are of the opinion that ambulance ser- vice to hospital cannot be improved up- on. The question of a First Aid Station closer to hand is found to be imprac- ticable. However, the matter of First Aid treatment is now being thoroughly (Continued on Page 7) PALACE CAF 47 WEST CORDOVA STREET 938 GRANVILLE ST. 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