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THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER

| LETTERS

Camp Comments

“Hvery Reader a Correspondent”

REPORTS

QCI Loggers

Answer Operators’

Charges in Letter to Local Press

DRURY CREW ASKS
INDUSTRY COUNCIL

To the Editor:

During the visit of Brother Dalskog
to Drury Log we held a union meeting
and elected our Officers, Grievance and
Resolutions committees.

After hearing a very good report from
Brother Dalskog we passed several reso-
lutions which we urged the union officers
in town to take action on immediately.

We went on record as favoring the
establishment of industry councils to
settle disputes between employer and
employees and to find means of improv-
ing production. We felt that Canada
would be wise to follow the example of
Great Britain and the United States in
this respect.

~ We also asked the Union to take steps
to make strong representation to the
government for the release of anti-fascist
labor leaders now held in confinement.
The release of these trade unionists
would insure more harmony in labor's
ranks and would thus help to speed up
efforts in production of war materials.
All union men are vitally interested in
the fight against fascism, and we felt we
could do much more if our elected trade
union men, many of whom are now in
jail, could be released to lead union ef-
forts for war production.

‘We also urged that all means possible
be used to advertise the unfairness of a
10 per cent luxury tax on men travelling
to and from work. We asked that all
members send a letter of complaint to
the government and advise the B.C. Lum-
ber Worker that this has been done. We
suggested that publicity should be given
to the fact that the Union Steamships
were charging 75 cents for meals of very
low quality, so that even tourists are

~To the Editor:
Following is a copy of a letter sent in reply to articles in the Vancouver
Daily Province and Vancouver Sun concerning production of airplane,
spruce in the Queen Charlotte Islands. e
“Tn regard to the justification ot fhe QCI logging operators in closing

the great spruce camps to all persons

Instal Charter For
Ladysmith Awx.

LADYSMITH, B.C.—Charter for the
newly formed IWA Ladies’ Auxiliary,
Local 92, was duly installed at a cere-
mony held on April 4 in Nicholson’s
Hall, by President J. Atkinson, of TWA
Ladysmith Sub-Local, to Sister President
Alice Atkinson of the Ladies’ Auxiliary
Local 92.

Many members, husbands
guests from Cowichan Lake attended to
witness the event in a hall very taste-
fully decorated in Waster colors,

and invited

Vice-President Hjalmar Bergren of the
B.C. District Council welcomed members
of the newly chartered Auxiliary, and
other visitors congratulated members
and wished them great success in the
future,

After a banquet, games and dancing
at which everybody enjoyed themselves,
the evening closed with the singing of
“We are jolly good fellows.”

packing lunches and it might be a good
idea for the loggers to follow suit!

Some of us wondered why the crew at
C.& A. camp at Port McNeill don’t take
some action about the high cost of their
board, because the cost of living is sup-
posed to be pegged as well as wages.

Wishing the union and members in
[other camps every success.

Fraternally yours,

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE,

DRURY LOG.

Ask for “GEORGE”

* WEST

TAXI *

Cars Fully Insured . . . Reasonable Rates
Office and Stand

Phone
PA cific

0936

West Hotel, 444 Carrall Street

8374

‘Hotel West Ltd.

- FRED R. MARCHESE, Mer.
TS :

Moderate

Rates and

Centrally Located

—

PAc. 8374 — PAc. 8375

444 Carrall Street
BRAS PP

Vancouver, B.C.

except camp employees and govern-

ment officials, we wish to have our side

of the action viewed. The companies
realize that-if the International Wood-
workers of America officials are allowed
into camp, then it would be easier for the
workers to get union agreements and
thus the companies and the men would
be combined In an all-out war effort and
better conditions would be obtained for
the men.

These camp conditions are now far be-
low those of Lake Logging and many
other camps throughout B.C, As it
stands, there are only one or two camps
in the QCI that have a dry house, which
means that in the others the men have
to dry their clothes in the bunkhouse.
This is not in the best interests of good
health required for a top-rate produc-
tion and all-out war effort.

“The companies state they have always
permitted employees to draw wages in
advance in addition to regular paydays,
but they do not say that they only have
one payday a month, and have to give us
another payday or allow us to draw any
time at all in order to stay within the
|law. This method of payment is adopted
by most camps on the coast in order to
cut down the cost of having extra book-
keepers.

“hough there was a government
representative sent to organize ARP

[CAMP ACTIVITY’ |

B.C. Pulp & Paper, Holberg, B.C.
ports have it that this camp is haywire;
conditions generally poor; no wash house _
or bath house (the boys have to come to
town for a dip); bedclothes are seldom — its
changed. The grub Is fair but otherwise
it is anything but a loggers’ paradise,

Spring Creck Logging, Harrison Lake,
‘This camp is short-handed; fallers and
rigging men are needed. Fallers still file
their own tools but now they are getting
two hours extra each week for this. The
grub is “not so hot" and lunches are ter-
rible—only fit for bears, if bears eat
sandwiches!

in these camps this question was not
brought before us -until we contacted’
our union representatives. Then we
took steps to form our own.

“In regard to wages, the Association
camps on Vancouver Island raised wages
on June 1, 1941, while the QCI operators a
took advantage of the isolation of their
camps by not raising wages until the men
found out about it and formed commit-
tees to interview the companies. As a re- ‘
sult, we did not get our raise until July
15, 1941.

“Regardless of any provocation on
the companies’ part, we, the Queen:
Charlotte Island loggers, are going to
stay on the job and do our best to put
production far over that of previous
years so that there will be no shortage
of airplane spruce for our allied cause,

Yours truly,

Cards 3370, 1771, 4599, 2381, 1662, 694.

Delegates, Kelley Logging Co,
Church Creek, QCT

not published or

Board or by the Government of British Columbia.

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