® Union Merger “BOOST PAY A BUCK A DAY,” IWA THEME FOR MAY DAY, 1940, can only be made a reality with the support of EVERY WOODWORKER in B.C. And that means you, and you, AND YOU, Mr. Woodworker ! It is time we took stock of our conditions and joined hands to make a powerful industry-wide crusade in every camp and every mill to win higher wages, better working conditions and to organize the unorganized into their trade union. Under the slogan “War for Democracy”’ overseas, exploiting, “profiteering Big Business interests ably supported by their “Charlie McCarthy” government, are carrying ona fierce war against Wages, Conditions and Living Standards of the Canadian people challenge and big responsibilities. Seven months of war has reduced the real wages of every Canadian worker, for the cost of living has risen by leaps and bounds. Is it not true that we have to pay new war taxes on bread, meat, milk, gas, light, tobacco and beer; not to men- tion the sharp price upturns on boots, elthes, socks, gloves and other necessities of life? But on the whole ‘wages remain where they were in pre-war days, and no once can deny that they were far too low even then. In the camp of the industrialist, there is a different picture. They have got big war-orders and all doing fine. In fact, every bank, cor- poration, mining, fishing, lumbering and manufacturing concern in the country is reporting all time records and predicting even higher profits for the future. For the past 11 years of black depression the bosses have kept our wages down and pleaded poverty and poor business, Now enjoying a paradise of mounting profits, they say that it is disloyal and unpatriotic to ask for higher wages. Plans are already being launched by Big Business to use the War Measures Act to hamstring labor, to block unionization drives and to break strikes. A dictatorial war economy is being foisted upon our people to transfer the Canadian pro- ductive power to new and destructive purposes—hand in hand with that. pol- icy goes the paring down of necessary social services, and curtailed consump- tion of food, clothing and the necessi- ties of life, so that they can be diverted (Continued on Page 3) Fishermen Complete With the merger this week of Salmon Purse Seiners union and United Fisher- men’s union one of the most powerful and influential fishermen’s unions on the Pacific Coast comes into being. The merger is regarded as representing a long step towards labor unity in the B.C. fishing industry. “The merger is a step towards unity in the fishing industry, for which we have worked some considerable time and the success of which we are highly pleased,” George Miller, secretary of the Salmon Purse Seiners' union told the B.C, Lumber Worker today. “With the merger finally approved many of the problems encountered will disappear leaving us free to solve other questions and make greater gains, which under former conditions we would not have started on,” said U.F.U. Sec. Burgess. ‘The union leader also expressed con- fidence that the membership would in- crease to 1500 in a very short time. The union also plans to move next ‘week into new quarters at 138 East Cor- dova Street, which the union is pur~ ehasing. GARMENT WORKERS STRIKE AT WINNIPEG WINNIPEG, Man.—Sixty-five em- ployees of Freed and Freed Ltd., pants manufacturers, walked out on strike last Wednesday, charging their employers were not paying L. Vassil, business agent of the Garment Workers’ union, is- This May Day, Labor faces a great IWA BC. Lonse BULLETIN VOL. 9, No. 7 VANCOUVER, B.C., MAY 1, 1940 OS> No. 230 SPLITTING TACTICS OF AFL PHONIES START MOVE FOR. NEW CANADIAN UNION CENTRE P.O. BOX 205 ‘entlexsor Afpate id Me Truk on Liber Corres ef Conte May Sth) EB LONDON. Turing the month of Soptenter the 5th Annual Convention of the Trafes ond Labor Congrono of Canada will "bs held in London, om our Gounoil will be hostr to botmesn 500 ani 600 Delegates, reprosont— ing every craft and industry from Vencouver to Hal ifaxe Many important mtters axe on tho agenda for deliberation, nom of which Hava been subjects for recent newspaper reference, ewh ao tho major iosue of confirming the aotion of our Executive in. polling from the Organication all Cenedion affiliates of the 6, ing out our promise to our Industrial friendo, that wo. would accomplish this fact at the Convention held in Magara Falle therety oar: last yeare As an Exployer of Lator, you will apprecinte the importance or oxganized labor teins dizvatal unex anna and friendly Leadership Great Lakes Seamen And CIO Win Wage Increase TORONTO, Ont.—(CUNS).—Canadian workers, both A.F.L. seamen. and C.LO. steelworkers organized in the Steel Workers Organizing Com- mittee, won a smashing victory to improve their working conditions and obtain wage increases to cope with the rising cost of living in two strikes here last week. Both strikes were won with the united support of labor against the attempt by the government and big business to blackout the workers’ rights to collective bargaining. Five thousand Great Lakes seamen, members of the Canadian Seamen’s union, won pay increases up to $71.50 monthly, representing in some instances a gain of 15 per cent, following a week’s strike, The CSU agreed to submit other con- tract provisions to a conciliation board after the shipping companies made addi- tional concessions at the height of the strike. The strike was a definite victory for the union, which defeated the combined efforts of the government and shipping companies to illegalize such action. J. L, Cohen, K.C., noted labor lawyer, was named as union representative on the board which is expected to begin hearings almost immediately. Cohen’ Is also representing Teck-Hughes gold miners on a board at Kirkland Lake. Local 222, U.A.W.-C.LO., endorsed the seamen’s strike at an overflow meeting and approved a resolution condemning the “anti-labor” action of the federal labor department in publicly asserting that the strike was “illegal” at the exact time when the shipping companies were about to negotiate with the union. This action prejudiced the democratic collec- tive bargaining rights of the seamen, the resolution declared, as the companies withdrew from negotiations, believing that the government was supporting them, Four hundred employees of Fittings Ltd., Oshawa, members of S.W.0.0. Lodge 1817, won a 7% per cent pay in- crease and other improved conditions after a three weeks’ strike. Fittings Ltd. has a, clause in its con- tract providing for a wage boost as of next’ Dec, 1 based on the rise in the cost of living. Time and a half will be paid for overtime and a grievance committee has been accepted. LETTER SHOWS C.I.0. OUSTER PROMISED TO ‘INDUSTRIAL FRIENDS’ A recommendation for the affiliation of the International Woodworkers of America, largest single union in B.C., to the All Canadian Congress of Labor was ordered for submission to all LW.A. Locals ia District -No. i ‘bythe quarterly meeting of the District Council at Nar naimo Jast Thursday. Affiliation of the United Mine Workers 25,000 Canadian members is already completed and other CIO affiliates in Canada are expected to follow shortly. Affiliation with the ACCL is the first step in a series of important moves to establish a. COMPLETELY SELF-GOV- ERNING LEGISLATIVE AND ORGAN- IZATIONAL CENTRAL BODY TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE GREAT PROBLEMS AFFECTING CAN- ADIAN LABOR. Light was shed this week on what's behind the AFL order for the expulsion of all CIO affiliates and militant trade unionists in Canada, with the distribu- tion of photostatic copies of an appeal to an Ontario employer for financial assistance to organize the recently held 55th Annual Convention of the Trades and Labor Congress. The letter sent out under the signature and seal of the Sec- retary of the London (Ontario) Trades Council on behalf of the Convention Com- mittee, a part of a photostatic copy of which is produced on this page, states amongst other things, “@XPELLING FROM THE ORGANIZATION ALL CANADIAN AFFILIATES OF THE CIO, THEREBY CARRYING OUT OUR PRO- MISE TO OUR INDUSTRIAL FRIENDS, THAT WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH THIS FACT ....” This evidence shows that the expulsion order, which has de stroyed all CIO attempts to maintain Can- adian unity, was carried out as a result of collaboration and understanding be- tween certain reactionary AFL repre- (Continued on Page Two) Ladysmith Sub-Local 80 LW.A. Meets the first Thursday of each month in the Finnish Hall at © 8 p.m, Ed. Wennerlow, Organizer, #