THE BC LUMBER WORKER Page Five pat Bi-weekly Bulletin Published by B.C. DISTRICT COUNCIL Woodworkers of America Managing Editor NIGEL MORGAN 506, Holden Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Phone, TRinity 4464 — Room Make Payments to: “ILW.A., B.C. D.C." ficient strong protest isnot made, that the ban may become permanent. Immediately upon receipt of the above _ information the District Officers met and decided to despatch a firm protest to Secretary of State Casgrain, Ottawa. We now appeal to you to support our stand by taking immediate action too. Call your Local, your Executive, your Camp or Mill togther and forward a protest by wire or airmail as soon as possible. Wire or airmail individual protests and have influential members of your community, your MPs and M.L.A’s do likewise. THIS IS A STRUGGLE FOR FREE- DOM OF THE PRESS... LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED TO PROTECT IT. AS THE "TRIBUNE" SO OFTEN SAID, “DEMOCRACY MUST LIVE!” DISRUPTERS SCORED. "The struggles of the workers in the lumber industry to establish and’ build their own democratic, industrial union has been hard; the sacrifices have been great. Not only have I.W.A. members faced brutal attacks from the employers, sell-out tactics of the AFL bureaucracy sneaking behind their picket-lines, but we have had within our own ranks those who have set themselves up as “oppo- sitionists” to the program and policy of the overwhelming majority, What little " regard these “oppositionists” have had for the democratic processes of the IWA, or the welfare of the 100,000 members of our great organization, has been ex- hibited from time to time. Last week an effort was made by this same group to drag the internal affairs of our union into the public press in order to discredit and harm the duly elected leadership, and thereby the membership of our Inter- national. An attempt was made, with the aid of the “PAID PRESS,” to insinuate that because the I,W.A. International Executive Board democratically decided with the support of 10 out of 14 Board Members, not to continue an agreement for an “Organization Drive” which ex- pired on January 31, 1941, that disaffili- ation from the C.I.0. was being mooted. Such insinuations are not only deliber- ately untruthful, but are extremely harm- ful to the prestige of both the I.W.A, and the C.I.O. Needless to say, our District is con- fronted with enormous difficulties in or- ganizing the unorganized and forwarding the program of the IWA and the CIO. Facing, as we do, a united anti-union employer, fully supported by reactionary governments, coupled with the fact that Canada is at war, we must maintain the highest degree of unity and harmony which, we are happy to say, exists within our District and which is necessary with- in our International Union. Our member- ship, while small in number, has com- pletely fulfilled its obligations to our International and the CIO and in spite of obstacles mentioned, is making defi- nite progress. We are deeply concerned with the welfare of our International Union and deplore the continuous dis- ruption and internal strife caused by the so-called opposition block, We are now in receipt of a scurrilous communication from Vice-President Low- ry, who purports to speak for the IWA, but in reality speaks for organized dis- ruption. Mr. Lowery’s actions as spokes- man for the opposition are well known to the membership. This opposition block in the first place expressed their re- Iuetance in transferring our affiliation _ ‘from the Carpenters and Joiners to the _ CIO, and followed it up with a campaign of sabotage against efforts of our Inter- national to Increase its revenue suffici- ently to meet its financial obligations, __ even to the point of urging the member- in complete violation of our Consti- to refuse to pay per capita tax. well remember the unhappy incident the opposition block opposed the nited effort of five districts to negoti- an agreement embodying improved and working conditions and, above reign of terror that has been in- over a period of the last few by Mr, Lowery and his ilk, at i _time collaborating with reac- top officials of the AFL on a so- rogram, but actually trying FIR-BELT CONFERENCE (Continued from Page One) was scheduled. The conference will con- sist of two delegates elected from each local union, one delegate representing the cutting crews and the other representing the mill workers. It was also recommended by the policy committee that the International anti- busheling Committee meet with the Fir Belt Wage Schedules Committee when the latter body met in Seattle Thursday and Friday, Feb. 13 and 14. The task of the Wage Schedules Com- mittee is to work out a standardized scale of wages for the fir-belt industry. All recommendations of the Fir-Belt Policy Committee are subject to ratifica- tion by the membership. Three district councils Plywood, Southern and Northern Washington— were officially represented at the policy committee meeting. In lieu of having not yet elected policy committee members, the Boommen & Rafters’ District Coun- cil was represented by observers, In reporting for their district councils, Karley Larsen (Northern Washington) and Harry Taylor (Southern Washing- ton) informed the committee that all con- tracts in the two councils were open and that the districts are ready for nego- tiations. The Plywood District Council has been in negotiations. Harold Evans reported that the Plywood District contract can be opened within fifteen days for amend- ments. Evans said the council is in a position to move at any time. Carl Winn of the Boommen & Rafters reported that all the contracts of his dis- trict would be opened by April 1, At the close of the policy committee meeting a committee was designated to visit the convention of the Columbia River District Council, in session last Saturday and Sunday, and inform the delegate of the committee's action. to destroy the International Woodwork- ers of America (CIO). Our understanding in the matter of the organizational agreement between the IWA and the CIO is that the agreement terminated January 31, 1941, and that no satisfactory agreement has been reached between the officers of our International and the CIO. We, as an autonomous International Union, administer the in- ternal affairs, including the organization- al work of our International, and it is grettable that Mr. Lowery and his opposi- tion block, whilst expressing undying sup- port for the CIO, are attempting to fur- ther disrupt and discredit our Interna- tional Officers and our Union in the eyes of the membership and of the general public. The B.C. District Council deeply appre- ciates the assistance and support given by the GIO, and will continue, as always, to advance the interests of democratic industrial unionism, embodying the auto- nomous rights founded in the CIO, and reiterate our support of the majority of our offiers and executive board. We offer our fullest support in putting an end to such organized minority disruption as expressed by Vice-President Lowery and his opposition block and advance the in- terests of the International Woodworkers and the CIO. CET LONDON Jewellers DIAMOND BROKERS 70 West Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C, The London Jewellers has reopened under new management. We take pride in the work we do and cater especially to workers. We specialize in Waltham, Elgin and Hamilton watches and all our work is guaran- teed or your money refunded. Mail orders are attended to promptly. LABOR AND THE LAW By ATTORNEY JOHN STANTON Although Regulation 21, which was dis- cussed in the last column, might well be considered the most outstanding re- pressive and dangerous of all the De- fense Regulations, there are several others which deserve attention. It is important to note that some of these regulations, if regarded merely as they are written, appear quite reasonable and justifiable from the viewpoint of protecting Canadian citizens from enemy action. But when these same regulations are studied in the light of their actual use, they are far from being the legiti- mate protective laws which they first seem to be. Thus we have Regulation 6. It pro- vides that persons shall not trespass on, or loiternear, a “protected place,” which means in effect a place where essential services are performed, including defense industries as well as fortified areas. At first sight such a regulation is not only reasonable but vitally necessary. But let us see how it has been applied. In practice any large plant may have itself declared to be a protected place by the Minister of Justice, even though an in- significant part of its output might be considered as “essential services.” Armed with the minister’s order, an employer is at once provided with almost unlimited power. to prevent his employees from taking effective strike action. For if those employees, in the course of a dis- pute, resort to strike action and there- fore to picketing, any picket can be charged with loitering near a protected place . . . and convicted, as was the ex- perience of 46 United Auto Workers at Windsor recently. Of course to charge a picket with such an offense is to stretch the law beyond its apparent intention, the more so in view of Regulation 29, which specifically states that it is not an offence to take part in or peacefully to persuade others to take part in a strike even if by so doing one prevents or hinders the per- formance of essential services. Despite these facts, we now have in the Province of Ontario some 46 decided cases in which pickets have been convict- ed of unlawful loitering merely because the factory in which they worked had been able to have itself declared a “pro- tected place.” RAINIER HOTEL 309 Carrall St., Vancouver Phone: Marine 0639 Managers: John P. Vybiral Chas, Barry SSeee 6 go ACTIVE WOMEN AT COWICHAN HELP BUILD I.W.A. LAKE COWICHAN.—Ladies Auxiliary, Local 0, IWA, got off to a splendid start in this year’s work, with two well-at- tended meetings held during February, and two successful social affairs, Officers for the coming year were elected, with the exception of a recording secretary, at the meeting held on Feb- ruary 19, and will be installed at the next meeting, to be held on Wednesday, March 5, at the home of Sister Rendle. After the next meeting, the day of meet- ings will be changed to Thursdays, in- stead of Wednesdays, as formerly. The Local has active committees on the job to take care of organizing, press and publicity, socials, etc, and special committees are appointed as required to attend to other business that may come up. Music for the dances is provided by Okie Olson, Len Painter and Neil Eckert, talented loggers of the vicinity, and re- freshments are served by Auxiliary mem- bers. An end to millionaires’ profits and luxuries! . . . A decent life for labor! BINGO & DANCING at the Swedish Community Hall} 1320 East Hastings St. BINGO 8:30 DANCING 9 to 2 Music by HELGE ANDERSON EVERY SATURDAY ADMISSION 25 CENTS 7 APPRECIATE YOUR PAT- RONAGE. Rent one of our halls for your meetings, socials or banquets. Modern Dance Every Wed., Saturday, featuring the Alberta Ranch Boys, sensational Cowboy Swing Band. Hastings Auditorium 828 East Hastings St. High. $248 Vancouver, B.C. NOTICE! ARE YOU GOING AWAY?—Suits or Overcoats stored, 25c a month. Pressing done while you wait. Buy your next Suit or Overcoat from us, Bargains in New and Left-over Clothing. SEVEN LITTLE = 336 Carrall St. Seymour 1134 OS 0 GED 0G 0G 0 SD 0 GD 0 Regular $16.50 value for i 5.50 Besides your saving, for every pair sold the I.W.A. receives $1.00. Vancouver E> 0) E> 0 <> 0D 0 GEO. 10563 West Pender Street OGEED 0 GEED 0 0D EE () GED ) GED () E> 0) GDP 0 0).