THE B.c. LUM BER WORKER Page Three ON BULLETIN PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY BY B.C. DISTRICT COUNCIL ti Woodworkers of America "President HH. Bergren Vice-President E. Dalskog Secretary Nigel Morgan Mill Organizer - Don Cameron MANAGING EDITOR NIGEL MORGAN Room 506, HOLDEN Bioc., VANcouver, B.C. PHONE TRINITY 4464 LUMBER WORKER” Tn our District Convention in January @ program was laid down embodying the major objective of our Union during the coming year. This program em- bodied decisions which vitally affect the welfare and living standards of every- one of the 26,000 woodworkers in British Columbia’s lumber industry. The establishment of working agree- ments for collective bargaining with our employers is the first step towards a master contract with greatly improved working conditions such as our Union 4s working to gain in Washington and Oregon today—contracts which embody union recognition as a bargaining agency, hours of labor, holidays, hiring, seniority, elimination of contract bushel- ling work, wages with the 75¢ an hour minimum, safety committees, leave of absence, social security, termination, etc, The LW.A. in Washington and Oregon went through the same processes that we are passing through today, a some- what painful process, but one which we have to go through before we can get on to the higher. plane. The degree of Success of our brothers in the States of Washington and Oregon and the confi- dence and enthusiasm with which they face the future should serve as a guid- ing light in our negotiations with our employers and should tend to eliminate any confusion that might exist as to whether we are on the right track, and aid in the establishment of a higher degree of union solidarity. A number of camps in our District are entering into negotiations, or are in the process of negotiations to improve their wage scale. Faced with the rising cost of living, which means an indirect Wage cut, they were forced to act. Camps that have not already done so should Prepare to make their demands for wage increases, preferably in co-operation with their Local Union, which will aid in put- ting all camps on an even plane and Standard through pressure from below. The union, with its several thousand members scattered throughout the lum- ber industry on the coast, can be a real assistance in the drive in your camp or mill, For instance, see what the union has done at tHe Lake Log, Camp 3 and 6, Youbou, Englewood, and last but not least, the Queen Charlotte Island camps. In each of these cases union member- ship fees have been returned many times in additional wages. Yes, brothers, we might well ask what investment pays dividends proportionate to what that $1.25 union dues has done for the crew in these camps? The union maintains an organization which gathers and co-ordinates the ef- forts of its membership to improve con- ditions. It retains a lawyer and an “Aecountant to provide free legal and sta- tistical advice, It gathers and records Wage scales, price fluctuations on logs and lumber products and checks living ‘costs in relation to wages. Its forces _ 8nd finances are mobile and can be co- ordinated and concentrated in certain when conditions necessitate. It be made much more efficient and as a weapon to boost wages, job grievances and establish Int. Policy Committee Reports Good ‘The International Woodworkers Policy Committee meeting in Seattle last week laid plans for pushing negotiations “out on as broad a basis as possible with the need in future of attaining industrial wide contract talks with the operators. ‘The primary task of the Policy Commit- tee in its meeting was the drafting and adoption of a master contract to be used by the LW.A. District Councils and Local Unions. In his opening remarks to the Com- mittee, Pres. Pritchard stated, “Unless we understand ourselves the necessary steps for creating unity and developing our organization, then of course there will be confusion. Everybody agrees to- day that industrial wide wage contracts with wage increases, safety committees, seniority, shorter hours and improved working conditions will be a marvellous accomplishement, but we must remem- ber that the employers are better organ- ized today than ever before and such an objective as an industrial wide con- tract with wage increases will not come about by any wishful thinking, but rather through the establishment of committees connected and working with a strong union on a district wide policy.”, The IW.A, President went on record to explain that when the necéssary ap- paratus was established, necessary pres- sure could be placed on the employers to raise district negotiations to an even higher plane, “At that time,” Pritenett went on, “we would be in a better posi- tion to force the employers into industry wide negotiations which, if accom- plished, would mean complete union re- cognition and would be the signal for an intensive organizational drive to con- solidate the gain.” In the reports of progress of negotia- tions in the various districts, Karley Larsen, Pres. of Northern Washington District Council, stated that their Dis- trict Council is gathering statistics and Preparing for the negotiation of a dis- trict wide contract. Grays-Willapa District Council algo has set up a District Policy Committee, which is pledged to co-operate and give advice to Local Unions and camp com- mittees. Grays-Willapa Harbour Dit triet js strongly in favor of the elemina- tion of bushelling. Trainman Cuts Off His Injured Leg With Knife ASTORIA, Ore—(AP) — Brakeman Emest Towne, 54, pulled his crushed deg from beneath a logging railroad car today and amputated it with a pocket knife. He applied a tourniquet, made from his shirt, and waited thirty-five minutes for the next train over the Tidewater Timber Co.'s logging line. Hospital attendants said his condition was good and that his “excellent self- treatmet” prevented the loss of much blood. IZATION, WHICH IS THE ONLY WEAPON WHICH WOODWORKERS HAVE TO IMPROVE THEIR STAND- ARDS. THE OPERATORS ARE OR- GANIZED, SO MUST THE WORKERS BE IF WE ARE TO GET OUR SHARE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH THIS GREAT WEALTH-PRODUCING IN- DUSTRY CAN PROVIDE — FORWARD WITH A SOLID FRONT FOR A ‘BOOST IN PAY” AND “WORKING AGREEMENTS,” YOUR MEMBER- SHIP AND SUPPORT OF THE I.W.A. IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO PRO- GRESS, >. Progress B.C. DEATH RATE CONTINUES CLIMB The tragic toll of B.C. woodworking in- dustry increased another three this week, bringing the total up to twenty-two. Wil- liam Forsberg died 4n Duncan Hospital as a result of an accident at Camp 3, Youbou, on March 20th. James Juben- ville, a faller at Johnson & Graham’s camp at Sooke, was killed on March 28th. Hit by a falling snag, he was killed two and a half miles in! Woodworkers | {Re bush behind have been | Seventeen Mile killed in B.C’s | House. lumber in: Anti Heiska, a fall- dustry since | er, was fatally in- Jan. 1, 1940. jured at the Consoli- dated Timber Com- Harrison Lake, on March 30, pany, when hit by a limb about 14 feet long. The limb fell endways and appeared to have glanced off his skull, which was fractured. Several ribs were also broken as it glanced along his side. Evidently, the broken ribs had punctured his lung. Although Heiska lived four hours after the accident, he did not regain con- sciousness. He died on the boat en route to Harrison Hot Springs. An inquest will be held Tuesday, April 2nd. Besides these three lives lost in the in- dustry, a fourth well-known logger was killed, Herman Martin Carlson of Lady- smith, The 49-year-old rigger, who came here from Nago, Finland, 30 years ago, was killed-by.a hit-and-run driver on the Island Highway. He was employed at Camp 7, Fanny Bay, and leaves a wife, a son and two doughters. Hjalmar Ber- gren, President of the B.C, District Coun- cil, spoke at the funeral and loggers and millworkers acted as pallbearers. Gibsom’s Fallers Get Higher Kate According to reports reaching Union Headquarters last week, fallers at Gib- son Brothers Log Camp at Nootka gained an increase of 10c per thousand for bushelling. The fallers first made their demand on March ist, when it was refused by the management; but later on,-when a stronger demand was made with a larger proportion of the crew behind it, the raise was granted, bringing the rate up to 85¢ per thou- sand, The country where the operation is working is pretty steep and one of the chief drawbacks for fallers, as well as the rest of the crew, is the long wall to and from work. The cold decker at Consolidated Tim- ber Company, Harrison Lake, has shut down for a few days until the fallers get ahead. They are behind with grad- ing. ee ae Self-government is only for small nations, it seems. 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