PATTULLO GIVE TO LABOR’S DEMANDS?

See Special Editorial, Page 3

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Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, International Woodworkers of America, (CIO), Affiliated with Canadian Congress of Labor

_ VOL. X. No, 15

VANCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1942

oS (258)

REGISTRATION FOR
CAMP REOPENING
NOW UNDER WAY

Loggers in the Queen Charlotte
Tslands are losing no time in devising
: ‘ways and means to assist in stepping up
British Columbia's war effort. At meet-

Fe ings of IWA members in several camps
recently plans have been laid to con-

: duct registration of all loggers intending
: to return to the Queen Charlottes next
spring when the camps reopen, so that
operators know exactly what kind of a
erew they will have for the next season.
‘This makes sure that production of lum-
: ber essential for war purposes can com-
_ _mence unimpeded by time wasted in

: ring together an entirely new. crew.

Adding their voice to the popular
demand for immediate opening of a sec-
ond front in Western Europe against
Hitlerism, loggers at Pacific Mills Camp
A-35, engaged in essential war industry,
last week unanimously adopted a resolu-
tion supporting the demand for opening
of a second front and endorsing the
stand of British workers, soldiers and
sailors who last weelt sought through
demonstrations and parades to impress
: the burning need for an immediate de-

4 liverance of a death-blow on a second
4 front.

This lead by loggers at Camp A35 was
followed later by logging crews at
Kelley's, Church Creek Camp, Kelley’s
Lagoon Bay and Morgan’s Camp at Hur-
ley Island.

_A. E. Smith To
Speak Nov. 30th

A delegation conference to “uphold
and extend democracy by factual dis-
cussion of the situation in Canada at
‘this time,” has been called by thé Na-
tional Council for Democratic Rights,
B.C, District Committee, for Sunday, No-
vember 30, at 10:15 a.m., in Burrard Hall.
A. E. Smith, leader of the recent On-
0 Conference for Democratic Rights
chairman of the delegation which
a Brief to the Federal Cabinet
miber 12, will be the main speaker
l report on the result of the
n’s interview with the Cabinet.
, Labor M.L.A, for Fernie, will

Sawmill workers in B.C. are particular-
ly affected by the new order-in-council
P.C, 8253, The order freezes wages at
present levels, but as the Minister of
Labor stated, as reported in the “Ottawa
Citizen,” in those industries not covered
by PC 7440, and where no bonus has
been paid to date, employers are ex-
pected to bring their wages in line by
the 15th of February, 1942. This means
that if there is no adjustment in the
sawmill workers' wages between now and
February 15, 1942, then wages will be
frozen at a very low level and no in-
crease in the basic scale possible.

It cannot be denied that wages in the
sawmills. are in the very low’ paid
brackets. The IWA, realizing the limita-
tions placed on organized labor by the
order-in-councll, is instituting a mass
organizing campaign in the sawmills to
rapidly bring wages into line before they
are frozen. It must be thoroughly under-
stood by sawmill workers that no time
must be lost; only three months are
Jeft in which increases can be won. To
start this campaign, a conference of saw-
mill workers will be held this week,
where plans will be worked out in detail.
Mill workers, this is your opportunity!
Never before has the situation been more
favorable to gain increases.

The sawmill industry is the largest in-
dustry in the lower mainland, and is
without question, the lowest paid in-
dustry in the province. In some isolated
cases small increases have been granted,
but generally there has been no increase
in the basic scale, and unless a mass
campaign is started immediately to bring
sawmill wages into line, no increase will
be granted.

The order-in-council is very clear on
this point. Any employer who grants
a wage increase after February 15, 1942,
will be liable to a fine. The method by
which the government hopes to meet the
rising cost of living will be through
the payment of a bonus every three
months at the rate of 25 cents per week
for those earning $25.00 per week and
over for every one per cent rise in the
index, and one per cent of the weekly
earnings for those receiving less than
$25.00 for each one per cent rise in the
index. However, this does not mean that
all employers will pay this bonus. The
order establishes a National Labor
Board and five Regional Boards for the
provinces, and any employer who feels
that he is unable to pay the bonus can
appeal to the Board and have the bonus
cancelled or postponed. The bonus is
payable on February 15 ,May 15, August
15, and November 15,

The government has stated that this
order is a necessary war measure to
prevent inflation. We are not prepared
at the moment to become involved in a
discussion on inflation but it is enough
to say that any order-in-council that
freezes and condones low wage levels
is not conducive to a better and more
united war effort. If it is necessary to
freeze wages, then in the interests of
industrial harmony and the health and
well-being of the workers, the levels
at which wages are frozen should be
far above mere substantial levels. The
IWA proposes that these levels should
not be below 50 cents.

‘The Minister of Labor has announced
that your wages should be brought in
line with the rest of the working class.
Join the IWA and make this possible.

Unionists Donate Blood

Representatives of unions affiliated
with the Vancouver Labor Council (CCL)
and the Trades & Labor Council (AFL)
pledged support to the Red Cross blood
donor campaign last week, when they

met with members of the campaign com-
mittee,

Several of the union representatives
filled out cards, offering their own
blood, and Harold Pritchett, secretary of
the Vancouver Labor Council predicted
that, “As soon as labor realizes every
pint of blood donated to the Red Cross
ls a blow against Hitler, the goal of
6000 donors in Vancouver will be in
sight.”

Printed below is a fascimile of the
card issued by the Red Cross for volun-
teer blood donors. Every logger and
sawmill worker is asked to register to

at the convenience of the workers. Forms
should be filled out and handed to the
camp delegates or local secretary as
the case may be, or sent into the Dis-
trict Office if these is no camp delegate
available.

Canadian Red Cross Society
Vancouver Branch
Blood Donors Clinic

BLOOD DONOR VOLUNTEER

Name .......

(Please Print)

Address

Date ..

Signed .......

Please return this to camp delegate or
Mm secretary.

Wage Freezing Order Basis of
Mass IWA Sawmill Campaign

By W. STEWART, Organizer, Local 1-217

Tribume Quota
QOne-Third Raised

The Canadian Tribune’ Expansion
Fund Drive for $1250.00 in B.C. has
been brought up to $476.05 by a $200.00
donation from the Nov. 7th Anni-
versary Committee. Other donations
are: Dock & Shipyard Workers’
Union Local No. 2, $25.00; United Fish-
ermen’s Union, $0.00; and $32.00 sent
in by IWA Local 1-71 in subs. Ukrain-
ians, Russians and Croatians have

also contributed substantially to the
drive,

All supporters of the Canadian
Tribune should do every thing pos-
sible to ensure the success of this
drive. We still have almost $775.00 to
raise before Nov. 30th.

COMOX EMPLOYEES
GET CO-WORKER
REINSTATED

LADYSMITH, B.C.—Prompt action on
the part of employees of the Comox Log
and Railway Company at Ladysmith was
responsible for reinstatement of one of
their fellow-workers, fired by the com-
pany under questionable circumstances.

Determined to find out the reason,
employees called a meeting for Thurs-
day, Nov. 6, in Nicholson’s Hall, to
elect a committee to interview the
management. Three hours before the
meeting was due to commence, the
employee was reinstated at his regular
Job,

‘The meeting, attended by approximately
175 men, was held anyway and a thorough
investigation made into the dispute. The
men were jubilant at the speedy manner
in which the reinstatement had been af
fected.

A grievance committee was elected to
meet with the management and discuss
any further matters which might arise
from time to time, and the employees

decided that regular monthly meetings
should be held in future.

Employees of the Comox Log also
went on record as sending their hearti-
est greetings to the crew at Lake Log
for their magnificent achievement in ob-

taining a signed collective bargaining
contract with their employer.

The next monthly meeting will be held
on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Foresters Hall on Gatacre Street, near
the filing shop. Immediately following

this meeting, the Ladysmith sub-Local
1-80 will hold its regular monthly meet-
ing. This meeting will be short as pos) ~

sible and all members are respectfully

requested to attend both meetings,