Stand On Guard For The People’s Rights On MAY DAY! _ATTEND THE GRAND RALLY — HASTINGS PARK FORUM — THURSDAY, MAY ist, 8 P.M. y Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, International Woodworkers of America, (CIO), Affiliated with Canadian Gone: Labor 10, No. 7 VANCOUVER, B.C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1941 o> (250) Resse: | EDITORIAL MAY ist ... the day of unity and solidarity of labor . . . was born out of the heroic struggles of the working people for the 8&hour day. On MAY DAY each year working people from mine, mill, logging camps, boat and fac- tory gather to unitedly reaffirm their determination that the rights of the people shall prevail. Never.at any time in all the long years of labor’s struggle was it so necessary as now to reaffirm that determination. No Canadian who is truly concerned with the welfare of our country and its people can shut his eyes to the state of affairs prevailing in Canada. DEFEND YOUR LIVING STANDARDS —END PROFITEERING ! The economic position of the workers is becoming steadily worse. The rising cost of living, and the growing burden of taxation is falling heavily upon the working people. Every ounce of happi- ness is being drained from the hearts. of the people. Whilst the workers grow poorer the vich are growing richer. Reactionary, profit-seecking employers are utilizing patriotism as a cloak under which to (Continued on Page Five) DEATH TOLL UP TO TWENTY-FOUR Five more deaths in the lumber indus- try are reported at this time, bringing the total fatal’ accidents to 24 for 1941. Struck on the head by a piece of lag- ging falling from the top of a 50-foot back spar tree from which he was help- ing to take the rigging down, Cyril Hod- gins, 21, of Merville, was fatally injured ‘on April 15, while working on the Tsolum operation of the Comox Logging Co. "Three brothers of the young logger are also employed by the Comox Co, At the inquest, the coroner's jury recom- mended that crash helmets be used ‘whenever possible. Weodwormers Godfrey E. Taylor ve been | killed in B.C. died in Comox, April | “umber in- “48, as @ result of in- | dustry sinco juries received a Jan. 1, 1941. lly injured on April 24. ‘Fred Slywka, 32, Rumanian, was killed ‘working as a chokerman for the Ring and Wilson camp at Rock y on April 27, has been received of the BELLINGHAM. — In a two-day con- vention marked by a wide solidarity and unity of purpose among the delegates, Northern Washington District Council Jast week-end shaped a progressive trade union program for the coming year. . Organization was a key concern, and jated local unions that they immediately raise their per capita tax to the Interna- tional to 50 cents per member per month, with the declaration that organizational and administrative services cannot be adequately maintained on the present 25- cent per month basis. The political program formulated con- curred forcefully in the C.1.0.'s position against mediation and against abolition of the right to strike. The convention went firmly and unani- mously on record in support of Harry Bridges and reaffirmed the C.1.0.’s de- mand for a true wational defense of the people’s living standards by staying out of foreign imperialist wars. Throughout the convention, the dele- gates voted in near unanimity on all is- sues, testifying to the high degree of unity behind the I.W.A. program achieved by the district. ‘All of the present district officers were renominated for another year. The convention voted full support to the International Eecutive Board for its action in terminating the working organ- izational agreement with the CLO. On the subject of dual unionism, the convention denounced the so-called “Woodworkers Organizing Committee,” demanded the C..O. remove Adolph Ger- mer from its payroll, and concurred in the Southern Washington resolution call- ing for the resignation of International Vice-President Worth Lowery for disrup- tive activities. The vote was nearly unanimous on all of the above actions, : The Woodworkers Organizing Commit- the convention recommended to its affil- | LOGGING INDUSTRY ESTABLISHES RECORD VICTORIA, B.C. — In the first quarter of the year British Columbia's logging industry’ set a record pace, surpassing even. the’ all-time rate es- tablished last year, provincial log figures indicated today. Scale of saw logs for the three months was 745,221,200 board feet, compared with 726,773,137 board feet in the corresponding period of last year. In poles and piling the scale was 2,372,853 lineal feet against 2,651,036 feet. The cut of cordwood was 38,704 cords, against 35,676, and in hewn ties 22,334, against 66,217. Allison Log Provoking Crew NORTHERN WASH. FOLLOWS B.C."S LEAD 10 BOOST INT. PER CAPITA TO FIFTY CENTS VANCOUVER, B.C. — Action of the management of the Allison Logging Co. in threatening the IWA Business Agent against entering camp, was firmly pro- tested this week. A delegation composed of District Secretary Nigel Morgan and Vancouver Labor Council Secretary Har- old Pritchett called on Manager A. P. Allison and endeavored without avail to negotiate settlement, Protest was also lodged with the Department of Labor representative in Vancouver and the fol- lowing brief dispatched to Labor Min- ister McLarty at Ottawa: “To the Hon. Minister of Labor, “Ottawa, Canada, “Dear Sir,—The B.C. District Council of the International Woodworkers of America wishes to present the following brief to you regarding a dispute which has arisen dver the camp of the Allison Logging Company Limited in the Queen Charlotte Islands. “During the past years all logging op- erators in the Queen Charlottes have met our union on various grievances and mat- ters of wage increases, As a result of our bargaining some quite substantial gains have been made, particularly in the matter of wages, and we have found that all the operators in the Queen Char- VICE-PRES. KOIVUNEN tee was specifically condemned. as aim- ing to split and weaken the International in the interests of the employers. Youth Congress The Third Provincial Youth Congress has met and discussed important issues affecting the youth of this country. Out of these deliberations concrete proposals have been made as a guide to the young people of British Columbia. of items which affect the trade unions and it will not be amiss to state them ‘at this time. First and foremost, the pegging of wages provided for by Order-in-Council P.C. 7440 was deplored, and a resolution for repeal was adopted. The anti-picket- ing restriction was considered to be un- |demoeratic as it was recognized to be labor's fundamental right to picket. The Congress went on record as wanting Sec- tions 6, 15, 21, 39A and C of the Defence of Canada Regulations repealed, which action we as a trade union heartily en- dorse, The breakdown of the Dominion- Provincial Conference on the Sirols Re- In these proposals there are a number Supports Labor port was condemned, as only the finan- cial aspect was discussed, and the needs of the common people completely ig- nored. The congress went on record as favoring safety committees in all indus- tries, to be elected by the men on the job without fear of discrimination. The Unemployment Insurance Act must be broadened to cover all workers, regardless of occupation, All workers, regardless of race or sex, should receive equal pay for equal work. Since it was noted that profits have been soaring while wages are nearly at a standstill, it was agreed that profits and not wages must be pegged. The Congress gave its support to an inescap- able 100 per cent excess war profits tax. ‘These are some of the points discussed and agreed upon at the Congress and it should be noted that the organized youth of today is not easily mislead by the paid press, ‘The Congress is an open forum where the trade unions may put lottes, including the Allison Company, have acted together in this regard; that is that the operators there have had a uniform policy, and union demands have also been the same for all camps. “Tt has been our practice to send the union's boat, the M.V. Laur Wayne, up to the Queen Charlottes to enable the Business Agent to collect dues and to take up any problems that the member- ship may have. Due to the fact of ex- ceedingly bad communications at this northern outpost of the industry and the fact that passenger boats only reach there about once a fortnight from Van- couver, no union can function without such a provision, Of some nine hundred to a thousand loggers now working on the Islands at least seven hundred are members of the IWA. These men have just purchased a new $3,000 boat to en- able their business agent to attend to his duties on their behalf, “On April 23rd their business agent ar- rived at Allison’s Float and was refused (Continued on Page Five) Coal Miners Win Illegal Strike COLEMAN, Alta—Kight hundred coal miners, members-of District 18, U-M.W.A., won a closed shop areement and wage in- creases with the McGillivray and Int. Coal Mines this week. Although the department of labor had declared the strike illegal, it wired the companies asking them for an explana- tion why they had refused the closed shop. The only reason advanced for the department's query was that the miners were well organized and firmly support ed their demands. In a statement referring to the illegal- jity of the strike, District 18 U.M.W.A. leaders declared that “if one miner is arrested there will be 9,000 others out.” forth their views, and in this way reach a great number of people who might otherwise be ignorant of workers. prob- Jems. For this reason the Congress movement must be supported by all pro- gressive trade unions.