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

Congress of Labor

VOL. X1No5.

VANCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1942

Ok (266)

attend the regular quarterly meeting
tee, also appeared before the Prime
the IWA with the CCL delegation to

Changes in the government's wage- >

freezing policy, legislation to guarantee
workers the right to
organize and bargain
collectively, and the
formation of —labor-
. management - govern -
ment “industry coun-
cils” to bring about
maximum production,
were urged in the
memorandum present
ed to the government,
The Congress  ex- a
pressed its desire to co- Nigel Morgan
operate with all groups, employer or em-
ployee, in advancing the interests of the
nation at this time of extreme peril to
the free institutions of the world and
particularly the people of Canada. Point-
dng to the fact that the CCL now repre-
Sents more than 145,000 organized work-
ers in Canada’s most important basic in-
dustries, the Congress declared: “That
the Defense of Canada Regulations
should be amended so as to safeguard
the rights of free speech and associa-
tion.”

288

Morgan Attends National Exec.
Council Of CCL In Ottawa

“Chief item on the lengthy agenda of the National Executive Com-
mittee of the Canadian Congress of Labor, was the drafting and presenta-
tion of a brief to the Federal government,” stated Nigel Morgan on his
return to Vancouver last week. Morgan, who was called to Ottawa to

of the National Executive Commit-
Minister and cabinet on behalf of
present the Congress Memorandum.

The CCL brief made clear its support
of “measures against those who would
undermine the war effort,” but main-
tained that all interned labor men should
have a fair trial and urged the govern-
ment “to pursue a policy of greater vig-
flance with respect to ‘known fascists.”

Listing the disastrous effects the gov-
ernment’s weak labor policies have
wrought ,the brief said:

“In time of war it is surely the
function of a government, for the sake
of harmony in employer-employee rela-
tionships and the maximum productivity |
of industry, to provide protection for the
rights of the workers, especially when it!
has placed on record by order-in-council
the very principles in defense of which
workers in a number of industries have
felt compelled to go on strike.”

Legislation making free labor organiza-
tlon and collective bargaining a reality,
it was held, would greatly strengthen the
war effort,

P.C, 8258 perpetuated inadequate wages
for the duration of the war, it said, and

omox Agreement Reached After
hree-Month-Long Negotiations

LADYSMITH, B.C.—Culminating months of persistent effort, an
employer-employee agreement was signed here last week establishing
collective bargaining relationships between the two hundred and fifty
employees of the Comox Logging and Railway Co. Lid., two hundred and
twenty-five of whom are members of the International Woodworkers of
America, and the management of that company. ~

Signing of the agreement was an-
nounced by the Employees’ Negotiating
Committee, John Ulinder, S. Brinham,
B. Rozzano, assisted by Sam Githrie,
CCF MLA, Nigel Morgan, IWA Intl
Executive Board member, the other
member of the Negotiating Committee
was unavoidably absent from the final
negotiations because of important union
business in Ottawa.

“While not granting union recognition
or the dues check-off,” said a statement
issued by the Press Committee, “the
agreement gives all the other points as
set out in the clauses of the proposed
agreement drawn up and endorsed at
the general meeting last November 25.”

“Your Negotiating Committee elected.
at this meeting has worked consis-
tently to arrive ai the best possible
agreement obtainable and still main-
tain harmonious relationships between
employees and management so neces-
sary in these perilous times for the
promotion of an all-out war. effort,”
the statement said.

This agreement, first ever to be negoti-
ated between a camp in the B.C. Loggers’
Association and its employees, is a
notable achievement on the part of the
Negotiating Committee. It gives recogni-
tion of camp and safety committees,
which will assist in settling any disputes

(Continued on Page Six)

(Continued on Page Four)

SEVEN DEATHS IN
LUMBER INDUSTRY

Deaths in the lumber industry reached
@ new total of seven this week as word
_ Was received that A, P. Dixon, em-
_ ployed at Slate Creek, died of injuries
‘received while undercutting a tree at
_— Sampson's Logging Camp this: week.
___-‘Elmir Biech, 24, employed at Oliver
. Sawmills, lost his life
last ‘Tuesday when a
pile of sawdust caved
in and covered him
while he was loading
a truck, He was ex-
tricated a few min-
utes later, but could
not be revived.
Edgar W. Clark, 23,
last Wednesday while blasting
ur Jones Creek, about 40 miles
He was employed

Camps Respond To Call

Civil Defense

Corps Formed

In Many B.C. Coast District

IWA members have lost no time in getting behind the announced plan
for formation of Civilian Defense Corps throughout the isolated coast
areas and to date preliminary steps have been taken in no less than five

different areas to form committees.
At the next union meeting of IWA®

Local 1-80 at Nicholson’s Hall, Lady-
smith, March 17, special discussion will
be devoted to the setting up of a De-
fense Corps in that area.

In the Queen Charlotte Island, par
ticularly Camps A-35 and Kelley’s Church
Creek, committees have been elected to
inimediately plan out a system of de-
fense in case of attack. At Bloedel's,
Menzies Bay, a- similar committee has
been set up and at Lake Log an ARP
committee has been functioning since the
last fall blackouts. yi

In the Courtenay area, at the instiga-
tion of IWA organizer Don Barbour, a
meeting, attended by forty-five delegates
from fifteen organizations, was held to
discus plans for the formation of de-
fense units in that district.

Barbour declared that recent defeats,
in the Pacific indicated the near possi-

bility of an attack on Canada and “we
must be prepared.”

At Barbour’s suggestion a permanent
committee, consisting’ of a representa-
tive from each organization present, was
established to deal with “any eventuality”
and instructed to study several definite
points: a) enemy alien questions, b) ade-
quate equipment for civilian protection,
©) formation of a Home Guard unit,
4) fire fighting equipment, e) forestry
protection, f) general civilian protection.
‘The possibility of affiliation to the Citi-
zens’ Security Counell in Victoria, was
also to be considered.

The “Total War” program of the Ca-
nadian Legion, calling for immediate
mobolization of Canada’s resources and
manpower for an all-out war effort was
unanimously endorsed by the meeting.

BLOEDEL'S CREW
PRESENT CONTRACT

COURTENAY, B.C.—Latest camp to
move for an agreement is Bloedel, Stew-
art & Welch Camp 4, Menzies Bay. As
@ result of discrimination against a
number of fallers, IWA Organizer Don
Barbour and District Vice-President
Hjalmar Bergren, with Colin Cameron,
CCF MLA, were called in to assist in
the settlement of the dispute.

The crew lined up solidly behind the
IWA and at the meeting held In camp
on February 24, a draft agreement sim-
ilar to that recently negotiated at Lady-
smith was adopted and later presented
to Superintendent Daly.

The superintendent advised the Ne-
gotiating Committee, comprising IWA
Vice-President Bergren, Colin Cameron,
MLA, and Brothers E. C. Broadfoot, T.
Fredrickson, Sandy Turner and Lowry,
that the agreement would have to be re-
ferred to the head office in Vancouver.
A reply is expected before the end of this
week and in view of the fact that the
discrimination dispute has been settled,
the committee feels the way is open to
reach an amicable understanding on the
matter of collective bargaining.

The collective action of the crew in
taking this matter up with the manage-
ment resulted in reinstatement of the
fired set of fallers and all those later
fired. About 35 men were involved. Rea-
sons given by the company for firing the
men was, first, that it was near the fire
season, and secondly, a condemned
bridge, but the men openly ridiculed the
first reason and were suspicious of the
second. As a result they obtained a satis-
factory settlement of their dispute with-
out leaving camp,

Anna Louise Strong
At Courtenay Meet

COURTENAY, B.C. — Dr. Anna
Louise Strong, world-famous author
and lecturer, will be the guest speaker
at a public meeting to be sponsored
by the IWA Ladies’ Auxiliary, in the
Native Sons’ Hall, on Wednesday,
April 8, at 8 p.m. Colin Cameron, CCF
MLA, will also speak.

Author of the new book, “The
Soviets Expected It” Dr. Strong has
travelled widely and has paid several
visits to China and the Soviet Union.
Admission to the meeting will be
fifty cents.

IWA Organizer Barbour urged all pres-
ent, in the interests of national unity, io

vote “Yes” in the forthcoming plebiscite,