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Bi-weekly Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, International Woodworkers of America, Affiliated with Congress of Industrial Organizations

VOL. 9, No. 13.

VANCOUVER, B.C., WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7, 1940

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IWA UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BRIEF
GETS SUPPORT AND BRINGS BENEFITS

Bosses And AFL Chief Work
To Prevent Loggers’ Inclusion

Camp 8, V.L.&M.

Crew Celebrate

As Discriminated Men Reemployed

VANCOUVER, B.C.—Unemploy-
ment insurance — long demanded by
Canadian unions, and many times
promised “under pressure” by Pre-
mier King — has been enacted over
the protest and opposition of the
“Pressure Boys” who represented
Canadian Big Business, the Manu-
facturers’ Association and the Cham-
ber of Commerce. Having failed in
their attempts to block the measure,
they tried to pare what benefits were

included for the workers from the Act, in
which efforts they enjoyed the support of
Wendell Farris, the representative of the
B.C. Loggers Association and AFL chief-
tain Perey Bengough, who declared log-
gers and fishermen are in a class “that
has never been included in any effective
insurance plan anywhere on the earth.”

In answer to the statement of Ben-
gough, doughty AFL offitial, Nigel Mor-
gan, IWA District Secretary stated: “Log-
ging is not excluded from any of the
major unemployment insurance schemes,
including the Scandinavian countries,
Poland before the war, Great Britain,
Hire, Australia and the United States.
If Mr, Bengough would only study the
reports of the League of Nations — to
which he was a $80-a-day delegate of the
Dominion Government recently — he
might be able to understand this.” Mr.
Bengough did not even try to answer the
statement.

General endorsation and pledges of
further support for the 10-page Interim
Brief submitted by the IWA District
Council are coming in this week. A
number of woodworking plants and mills
are now to be included and as a result
of the strenuous fight of B.C, Members,
A. W. Neil, George Cruickshank, Alan
Chambers, James Sinclair and Howard
Green in particular, the concession was
gained that the question of inclusion of
loggers will be referred to the Commis-
sion immediately upon their appointment
to administer the Act with instructions
to review the case. George Cruikshank,
MP. for the Fraser Valley, in a letter
to the District Secretary this week, de-
clared: “I am confident after the argu-
ment we put forward yesterday that we
will, at a later date, secure inclusion of
the loggers.”

In the next issue we shall carry in-
teresting extracts from the debate in
the Federal Parliament.—Editor.

Canadian Steel Union
Wins Bonuses

HAMILTON, Ont—Intensified activity
of S.W.0.C, in this Ontarlo steel city
has netted wage dividends to all employ-
ees of the Steel Company of Canada.

‘The employees will receive nine days’
bonus pay based on their average pay
for the past six months, The wage divi-
dend Was increased from six days at the
first of the year and is directly attributed

_ to a recent demand by several hundred

employees of the company’s Canada
works for a concilation board,

_ Steleo's profits were recently reported
‘at a new high while production has also

VANCOUVER, B.C—IWA Pres. Har-
old J. Pritchett this week signified his
intention to apply to the U:S. state de-
partment for a visa to permit him to
enter that country with his family and
establish legal residence preparatory
to applying for citizenship,

Pritchett, sorely needed by the IWA,
sections of which are in negotiations for
new working agreements with their em-
ployers, will make this application to the
American Consul in Vancouver. Prit-
chett further declared: “It will also be

propaganda, to request a public hearing
so charges and accusations, emanating
from antilabor groups, can be discre-
dited and the continuous questioning of
my integrity and undermining of my
character can be stopped for all time.”
Thus was foreshadowed this week the
Possibility of a second “Bridges trial,”
in which the main centre of persecution
by labor spies would be the other great
CIO leader of the Pacific Coast, the Can- |
adian Harold Pritchett.
The IWA president returned to Can-
ada July 12 upon the expiration of his
last ninety-day visitor’s permit after an
attempt to gain an extension failed.
Pritchett had been admitted to the
United States on permits since his elec-
tion to the Federation of Woodworkers,
forerunner of the IWA, in 1936.

Pritchett Asks Visa To Gain U.S.
Entry To Carry On IWA Duties

my purpose, in order to off-set insidious ||

WHO SUPPLIED THE ’

Deep resentment is being expressed this
week by members of the AFL Meat Cut-
ters and Packinghouse Workers Local in
Vancouver, against the most recent “dic-
tation” from the AFL bureaucrats — cut-
ting short the Burns strike and placing
their products back on the “Fair List”
of the Vancouver Trades and Labor Coun-
cil (AFL). The strike which went into
effect late in December, 1936, was the re-
sult of discriminatory action by the
Burns Co. in the firing of the Union
Executive, and as a result of the wide
support received from all quarters, crip-
pled Burns’ business,

The loss of some good war contracts,
and continued pressure of organized labor
to have Burns reinstate the 200-odd em-
ployees before the granting of any gov-
ernment contract, brought action. But
alas, just as pressure started to really
affect the company, the Bengough-Moore
dictatorship saved the day for this vicious
anti-labor firm, which labor has donated
thousands of dollars in the last four years
to fight. Bengough is charged with hav-
ing shown one of the local’s executives
a letter asking for a settlement on the
basis of the reinstatement of one man.
‘This “settlement” was naturally accepted
by the company, but was voted down al-
most unanimously by the union, although
Bengough pleaded for its acceptance for
over an hour. The member who took the
job was suspended by the union in line

with action taken in the case of all

FOR BENGOUGH’S LATEST A.F.L. SLIDE?

GREASE’ FOR

back to the Trades Council. This body
referred it to the Grievance Committee
which has not been called for over three
weeks, and in the meantime a letter was
received by the union from. Trades Coun-
cil President Tom Moore advising them
they had better rescind their previous ac-
tion or drastic steps would be taken.
Fearing a move to lift their charter, the
local has had to give in. But Burns are
not on the “fair List” of the CIO or any
honest union-man in spite of the AFL
officialdom’s blessing.

LAKE COWICHAN, B.C. — Set-
tlement with a 100 per cent victory
came last week-end in the dispute
with the V.L.& M. operation, Camp
8, which started last March when
the fallers and buckers went for a
10 per cent boost in pay. Shortly
after the increase demands had been
presented to the management by
the Camp Committee, the operation
was shut down and when it reopened
two weeks later, four of the men
active in the ‘wage-hoist movement

were “not required.”
Immediately steps were taken to pub-

licize the company’s actions and leaflets
issued with the result that efforts of
Black’s Agency to hire replacements
failed. The case was taken up by I.W.A.
Local 1-80 with the Provincial Labor De-
partment and Minister Pearson promised
no discrimination would be permitted,
and further arranged a conference be-
tween the employees’ committee and com-
pany officials, As a result of the decision
of the crew to stand solid against dis-
crimination and low wages, a 10 per cent
pay boost was effected last April, and
with the exception of one poor, miserable
“scab” from Lake Cowichan, fullest sup-
port of the struggle was gained,

More recent efforts to add to the erew
likewise failed. Camp 9 fallers crew
turned the job down last week; five sets
hired in Vancouver and taken by car to
the Lake returned to town when the }:-
sues were explained to them, as did i: «
4 falling crew of three hired in Dunca.
last week.

The result of this support was the re-
instatement this week-end of the four
discriminated men (who had meantime
been working on temporary jobs as per-
mitted by Minister Pearson); and the
subsequent declaration by I.W.A. Local
1-80 that “the camp is fair again and
clearance is granted the company for the
hiring of additional men, as a result of
completion of the reinstatement demand,”

The crew have requested the Lumber
Worker to express their appreciation of
those whose support made this victory
possible.

Solidarity At Malahat Log Makes
Discrimination Impossible

PORT RENFREW, B. C.— Another
gain is reported this week as the falling
crew, steel gang and cold deék crews
returned to camp without discrimination
and with a tidy little wage increase to
their credit. Fear of the layoff of those
active in the opening of negotiations
for a wage hoist and an Employees
Agreement, was put aside when the crew
made it known to the company that
they were standing together and pre-
pared to take collective action. The bal-
ance of the crew, mostly rigging men
are expected to be called about the mid-

Sstrike-breakers, and the matter referred ;

dle of the month.

Wage increases reported include chas-
ers, 35 cents per day; hookers, 90 cents;
chokermen, 67 cents; flunkies, 50 cents;
section gang 57 cents, loci firemen, 6
cents perhour; loci engineers 6 cents
Per hour; back riggers, 7% cents per
hour; and fallers and buckers, 5 cents
per thousand.

‘The wage scale now stands at chasers
70 cents per hour, hookers $8.40 per day,
chokermen $5.47, flunkies $4.40, section
gang $4.67, loci firemmen 60 cents per
hour, loci engineers 80 cents per hour,
back riggers 67% cents per hour and

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