‘Four

THE BC LUMBER WORKER

March 19, 1941

FRASER MILLS NEEDS UNIONIZING
TO IMPROVE WAGES,

CONDITIONS

FRASER MILLS, B.C.—Recently a complete shift at the veneer plant
was laid off because of lack of shipping facilities and also to allow the
company to install new equipment for the speed-up of production. The
old peeler at the plant turned thirty revolutions a minute, and they have
pored the form for a new peeler which is reported to ‘be capable of doing
eighty revolutions per minute. To handle the increased output the tables
have been lengthened, and a new automatic clipper has been installed.

The main result of this reorganization
of the veneer plant has shown itself in
the lay-off of a complete shift, and it
will be found when the plant is in full
swing again that a fewer number of men
will be turning out more than the previ-
ous crew, thus increasing the profits
and the number of unemployed workers.

Another bone of contention at this
same mill is the mythical “blower sys-
tem,” which the company has been prom-
ising both the workers in the veneer
plant and also at the planer mill for some
time past. It is another indication of how
much Mr. Mackin values our health and
welfare. The matter was taken up last
fall with the Workmen's Compensation
Board by the IWA but to date there has
been nothing done. Another appeal last
‘week brought the promise the Safety In-
spector would inspect the mill on March
17. There is also the question of the lack
of sanitary conditions in the mill, and we
would like to ask Mr, Mackin how much
longer our health is to be jeopardized
by the lack of washrooms and flush
toilets,

Below are a few of the comparative
rates of pay between the Crosset-
Western Lumber Co, of Oregon, with
which the IWA has a union agreement,
and the Western Canada Lumber Co, of
Fraser Mills:

Crosset-Western Lumber Co.

Electrician $1.02% per hour
Millwright .92 per hour
Boom Men . 72% per hour
Sawmill Labor and .70 per hour

Canada Western Lumber Co.

Electrician $ .68 per hour
Millwright 65 per hour
Boom Men ... .60 and .55 per hour

Sawmill Labor ......’ 38% to .50 per hour

These are merely a few of the classi-
fications and the general difference in
all rates is twenty cents an hour or more
higher where the IWA agreement exists.
It is quite apparent, as the above scale
shows, that increased wages and better
working conditions can only be obtained
by organizing into a democratic trade
union for bargaining collectively. It is
only by organizing that we will put to an

BRALORNE MINERS
VOTE FOR C.I.0.

Another blow at “company-unionism“
‘was driven home last week when the Bra-
lorne hardrock miners of Bridge River
ousted the Company-supported, so-calle&
“co-operative committee.”

At a vote taken Friday, March 7, the
employees of Bralorne Mines Ltd. voted
for the C.L.O. International Union of
Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers Local 271
_as their bargaining agency. Official fig-
‘ures were: in favor of union, 256; against,
; one spoiled ballot,

_ This vote was taken to establish a new
_ collective bargaining agency.

_ Int. Representative MePeake reports a
t increase in membership and looks
to improved wages and working
tions as a result of the establish-
of a genuine union,

FOODS ARE GOOD FOR YOU
. +, and you'll ke them at

“ONLY” FISH
ARE ALWAYS FRESH!

UNION HOUSE

end the dictatorial methods of Mr.
Mackin and the intimidation and dis-
crimination. By organizing we will pave
the way for a higher standard of living
for the workers and remove the constant
fear which these little dictators keep
hanging over our heads, the fear of no
job security.

Mill Gossip

The Mohawk Lumber Company has
closed down for two weeks, during which
alterations will be made to the mill. The
edger has been taken out and they are
going to renew all the timber, put in a
new roller and shafts, and rebuild the
carriage. The biggest percentage of the
men will be employed in remodelling
the mill and only a small lay-off is antici-
pated. z

According to latest reports, Sitka
Spruce is putting on a full shift and
is expected to re-open the other mill,
which has been shut down for some time. |

Pre-Fabricated Buildings Ltd. has been
completely shut down for three months.
It is now re-opening and in the past two
weeks re-hired about 12 of their former
employees to work on elevator annex
orders for grain storage on the prairies.
Recently the Government instigated a
housing program which will utilize pre-
fabricated buildings and this Company
will undoubtedly come in for a large
share of the orders, as it is the only
plant of its type in Canada.

North Shore Creosote has received con-
siderable contracts recently from the
Federal Government, and all indications
are that operations will be going wide
open in a short time. After laying off al-
most their complete crew, they have
started to re-hire, and so far have taken
back about 20 of the old crew. However,
Manager Herrman has quite consistently
neglected to live up to the terms of the
agreement with the union in the past,
and unless we keep our drive up in this
plant, the gains of the past will be lost.
Attend the next meeting of the Union,
in the’ K. of P. Hall, North Vancouver,
Thursday, March 20th, 8 p.m.

Victoria Millworkers Want
IWA To Better Standards

| LUMBER MARKET

Lack of bottoms has created quite a
“pottle-neck” in B.C. lumber production
during the past month. Curtailed opera-
tions in a number of mills has created a
surplus stock of logs. The export busi-
ness is dull and the promise for improve
ment in this direction is reported from
well-posted sources to be slim. Log pro-
duction has been heavy, with unusually
good logging weather in February stimu-
lating production. Shingle demand re-
mains steady, with plywood mills still
well occupied.

B.C. LOG PRICES, MARCH Ist
Fir—$13-$18-§25; Peelers—§26-§33.
Hemlock—$10-$12.

Cedar—Shingle, $10. Lumber, $19-$25.
Yellow Fir—Camp run peelers $17-§21.
LUMBER PRICES, MARCH Ist,
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
1x4 B&B V & G Flooring.
1x4 C V G Flooring .
ix4 B&B S G Flooring .
x4 C'S G Flooring .
Ix DSG
1x6 B&B S G Flooring .
1x6 CS G Flooring ...
1x6 DS G Flooring .
x4 B&B Ceiling ..
5gx4 © Fir Ceiling ..
%x4 D Fir Ceiling
1x4 B&B Fir Ceiling
ix4 C Fir Ceiling .
1x4 D Fir Ceiling .
1x6 B&M Drop Siding (105) + 42.00
1x6 B&B Drop Siding (all other)... 41.00
1x6 D Fir Drop Siding ............. 32.00

No. 1 Common Fir Boards

- $46.00
~ 40.00
+ 36.00
- 34.00
» 31.00
- 42.00
+ 40.00
» 32.00
- 35.00
. 32.00
. 23.00
+ 37.00
+ 32.00
+ 26.00

Oe ae -$29.00
HicciS - 29.00
Blecr1Oh 2 <= . 27.00
thors Aen - 30.00

(Shiplap same as boards)
No, 1 Common Small Timbers and Planic
+ $25.00
+ 22.50
24.50

3x8 and 6x6 to 30 ft.
12x12 8-20 ft.
12x12 20 ft. and up ..

No. 1 Dimension
2x4 12 and 14
2x4 16 .
2x4 18.

Mr. Mackin Repudiated

Editor, B.C. Lumber Worker:

It was a great pleasure on my part
to read your recent pamphlet, which
did show to us in round figures what pro-
fits Fraser Mills made in the past year.
Mr, Mackin’s letter to his employees, of
whom I am one, of February 13th, was
shown up as a mis-statement of facts,
and I notice that to date the company
hasn’t tried to show us that these fig-
ures were not true, They did substantiate
your statement that the company made
70 times their profit.

Let us have more of these pamphlets
showing up this company’s profits, etc.

“One of the Boys.”

Meet Your Friends at

MANITOBA |
HOTEL

44 W. Cordova St.

Outside Rooms — Elevator Service
Steam Heat — Reasonable Rates
Centrally Located

SEy. 8580 N, J. THOMPSON, Mgr.

Editor, B.C. Lumber Workekr:

For the past three months we have
been watching your organizer distribut-
ing papers and wondering who would
come out on top. It was a very one-sided
affair until the management of Fraser
Mills put out his article, dated February
18th, re War Savings Certificates,

Most of us working here at Fraser
Mills, who have been forced into buying
these certificates, resent very much the
attitude taken by Mr. Mackin, as. we
did buy them under compulsion. The
company now claims voluntary 100 per
cent results in their War Savings drive,
but I know this to be a falsehood. They
did succeed in most cases,: with intimi-
dation, but there are a few who just
won't be forced into buying anything.

Sincerely yours,

A Circle “F” Worker.

“The greater the difficulties are, the
stronger we resist, The final victory
must be ours.
“China Today.”

HANEY TAILORS

62 East Hastings St.
Phone SEy. 9417 - Vancouver, B.C,

WE GUARANTEE A PERFECT FIT
AND COMPLETE SATISFACTION!

a

VICTORIA—If ever a union was
needed, it sure is needed here. The work-
ing conditions in the mills are rotten.
Day by day one can see more and more
speed-up taking place, men being hurt in
greater numbers than ever, and discrim-
ination is a common occurrence.

Here in Cameron’s Mill five men were
hurt last week. Two were serious acci-
dents and the blame ‘can only be placed
on speeding up.

Sanitary conditions are disgusting.
Three flush toilets for over 250 men. The
stench is terrible in there as it is far
from being clean.

There is need for blowers to eliminate
the dust, a lunch room and many other
things supplied in union plants, but we
cannot do anything about it because we
would be canned as soon as we raised
the question individually.

We were told at the Company banquet
we would receive a $4.00 per month bonus
if we would sign to have it in War Sav-
ing Certificates and if we refused to
sign, then there would be no bonus for
us. A bonus we never sée. A bonus for
which we are taxed but from which we
receive no benefit.

The wages are as low as the law will
permit, 40c per hour in many instances,
with very little more being paid to the
great majority.

“How much longer are we to tolerate
such conditions,” many are thinking and
some are even saying. Men, we will have
to tolerate such rotten conditions until
such time as we do something about’ it
as a body. Individually we can be beaten
and be compelled to accept them, but
once we decide to come together we will
be in a position to better our conditions.
I might say that from conversations with
mill workers in the Cooperage, Lemon &
Gonason’s and others that the same con-
ditions exist there.

Let’s get together and join the LW.A.
and put a stop to such conditions, Organ-
ized we shall be respected and treated
as human beings—unorganized we shall
continue to be beaten and robbed of our
labor. A MILLWORKER.

2x6 12 and 14

2x6 16 ..

2x6 18-20 27.00
2xB 12 26.50
2x8 14 26.50

2x8 16
2x8 18 and 20 .
2x12 16-20 ...
SHINGLE PRICES
(Direct to the Trade)

1-16” 5/2 . -$2.85-$3.00
2-16” 5/2 . - 1.85- 1.90
3-16" 5/2 . ++. 135- 145
1-24" 4/2 . -$4.00-$4.10
224" 4/2 . + 2,80- 2.40
8-24" 4/2 .. . 1.55- 1.60
PERFECTIONS
118” 5/2% $3.00-$3.10
2-18" 5/2% .... + . 2.05- 2.20
3-18” 5/24 . 1.50- 1.60

When In Vancouver
Stop at

COLUMBIA HOTEL

Licensed Premises

303 COLUMBIA AVE.
Sey. 1956

geneneenesnncnaneesecnnnns.

BINGO & DANCIN

at the

Ih Community Halll
1320 East Hastings St.
BINGO 8:30 DANCING 9 to 2)

Music by
HELGE ANDERSON

EVERY SATURDAY

ADMISSION 25 CENTS

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