Bi-weekly Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, Internationa! Woodworkers of America, (CIO), Affiliated with Canadian Games of Labor VOL. XI. No. 17 = VANCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1942 Brosdnay ESD» Printers Lita. (277) Employers’ Refusal To Bargain URGE PRODUCTION COMMITTEE IN APL PORT ALBERNI, B.C—Declaring their belief “that employers and employees have a common interest in the winning of the war, and realizing that the ac- complishment of this great task is wholly dependent upon united action and maxi- mum production of the vital materials for the fighting fronts,” the employees of Alberni Pacific Lumber Company, Port Alberni, all of whom are members of the IWA Local 1-85, recently announced in @ letter to the company the establish- ment of an employees’ committee to act on their behalf in a joint Management- Labor “Production For Victory” Com- mittee. Committee members, elected at a meet- ing held Sunday, August 30, include: Harry Brown, W. 0. Kelly, Bart Gail- leaux, Bill Thomas, George Adams, Sid Peach Clay Gillis and Howard Daymen. In 9 letter to the mangement of the APL company Uie employees declared: “We hope you will welcome this effort ‘on our part, We feel sure that it will promote a better understanding of our common problems, and provide a solu- tion to many handicaps of production.” IWA MEMBER KILLED IN WOODS Word has been received from IWA Local 1-85 of the death of Hollis Lawr- ence, an IWA member, who was instantly killed while second-loading on the Thom- son and Clarke claim, MacMillan Indus- _ tries Ltd, near Port Alberni. Brother Lawrence, apparently thinking the load was d finished, had started Al down towards the front of the load at ee eed the same time as the | juned in B.C’s tongs were being pull- | jumber in. ‘ed, causing the log to | dustry since roll on him. Officials | yan, 1, 1942 TWA Local 1-85, Port Alberni, and all other members of the B.C. District Council, would like to take this oppor- tunity of extending sympathy to Mrs. Lawrence and family in their bereave- ment, Another logger was killed on September 4 — Chester E, White, 35, who was camp at Boswell +, Fatally injured by a falling tree, injured man was flown by RCAF me to Coal Harbor where he died at same evening. body of a man, believed to be Edgar Trudeau, was found in the ‘Rriver last week. Trudeau, an of the Pacific Wood Products, @ boom of logs on which he Commenting on the findings of its Arbitration Board, investigating the + With Unions Cause Of Disputes — Says Hon. Geo. Pearson. dispute between McMillan Industries Ltd. and its employees, members of IWA Local 1-217, Minister of Labor Pearson yesterday declared: “Most of our disputes are over the refusal of companies to properly bar- gain with the properly elected represen- tatives of their employees and further by the positive refusal of nearly all em- ployers to accept union agreements. “{ have come to the conclusion, in’ my personal opinion, that the time is now ripe to seriously consider amend- ments to the act so that employers shall be compelled fo bargain with the properly elected committees of their employees and where the majority of the employees can be shown to be bona fide members of a properly constituted trade union employers shall be compell- ed to recognize the union as a bargain- ing agent for his employees. "I have heretofore refused to go that far because I felt there was a lack of stability in some unions, especially in the smaller industries. I had hoped the act would provide adequate machinery for free bargaining. However, I’ve come io the onelusion free Vargaining can- not be properly achieved unless greater obligations are placed on the employers.” The majority award, not yet received by the employees’ representatives, al- though released to the press, is reported to contain some of the most vicious statements ever handed down in an ar- bitration award: 2 Union officials were given to under- stand that the original award was re- ferred back to the Board by Minister of Labor Pearson because it recom- mended recognition of the “Employees’ Conference Committee” despite seven votes, under government supervision, proving that the employees were over- whelmingly against this committee. ‘The present award finds “that no con- tract should be made between the com- pany and Local 1-217 of the International Woodworers. We find this association was responsible for the genesis and con- tinuation of this dispute.” Such an accu- sation, in face of the employees’ deter- mined refusal to accept the ‘Conference Committee’ as their bargaining agency, is ridiculous. Arthur Turner, CCF MLA, employees’ representative in the Board, registered a vehement minority report: “The attitude of the company is the old-fashioned, anti-labor position taken by many of the large corporations in the Pacific Northwest,” he said. “The position taken by the company in op- posing union recognition because of the type of its present leaders or leader- ship or because of the history of the union, is not a legitimate reason for such opposition, “I find that the International Wood- workers of America operating in Can- ada is, in its methods of organization and in its attitude to and for the war effort, completely in accord with the Canadian Congress of Labor and the American Federation of Labor and in and was drowned. view of the fact that organized labor has important contributions to make in regard to the building up of the morale of the wage-earners I therefore recommend the immediate opening of negotiations between the company and the union for a joint agreement,” said Mr. Turner in his report, Employees of Plywoods will meet Sun- -|day afternoon to discuss the award and Jay plans for future action, Prize Winners At Labor Day Dance CHEMAINUS, B.C.—A very success- event took place here on Saturday, September 5, when both community halls were packed to overflowing and what is reported to be the biggest dance on record for Chemainus, took place. Modern and old-time orchestras participated, and Chairman John Parkinson drew the following lucky tickets: First prize, $50. cash, ticket No. 420, B. Rerkind, Vancoyvex; sad ond prize, Ladies’ or Gent's Suit, ticket No. 1164, M. A. Morgan, Ladysmith; third prize, Ladies’ or Gent's Watch, ticket No, 383, George Langstaff, New Westminster; fourth prize, Waterman’s Pen and Pencil Set, ticket No. 5956, Alex Hunter, Youbou; fifth prize, Gent's Signet Ring, ticket No. 1273, John Krulac, Chemainus; sixth prize, Something Scotch, ticket No. 1674, Tom White, Victoria. Two other prizes, “Something Wet,” donated by the Horseshoe Bay Fur, and Green Lantern, were won by Ken Cathay, Chemainus, ticket No. 5279, and Ray Cottell, Ladysmith, ticket No. 683. | Mayo. TEN CAMPS 10 OPEN NEGOTIATIONS NANAIMO, B.C.—At a very successful conference representing over two thous- and millworkers and loggers held in the Mine Workers’ Hall on August 30, pro- posals for a uniform agreement to be submitted to ten lumbering operations for endorsation were discussed. Attended by thirty-nine delegates, the meeting lasted for over six hours, during which time the strategy and tactics of working towards sub-district wide nego- tiations were discussed and a sub-district IWA negotiating.committee was nomin- ated. Nominees for this committee, which have been submitted to all crews of the logging operations concerned for endorsa- tion, included one representative from each camp or mill, Committee recom- mended by the meeting consists of: John Cecil Carr from Hillcrest Mill; George Parlee from Hillerest Camp; Wilf Killeen from Youbou Sawmill; Art Gammie from Camp 3, Youbou; Lorne Atchison from Camp 6, Youbou; and Albert Kidd from District Secretary Nigel Morgan was also nominated to be a member of the Negotiating Committee. Already reports have come in from two camps, which show an overwhelming sup- port of the conference nominees, and as soon as the vote is complete, and wishes of the membership ascertained, negotia- tions will be requested for all companies affected. Mass Rally In Alberni Protests Intimidation Of Union Men PORT ALBERNI, B. —At a meeting held Sunday, September 6, the employees’of Alberni Pacific Lumber Company’s Camp 1 lodged a strong protest against the abrogation of their civil liberties which resulted from the company’s action in calling in the police to interfere with a previously- held union meeting. This latest meeting, believed to be the largest ever held in Port Alberni, was addressed by Harold Winch, CCF MLA, and Harold J: Pritchett, IWA B.C. District Council. The previous meeting, held in the amp’s recreation hall on Wednesday, August 26, was attended by Hjalmar Bergren, IWA International Representa- tive, and Al Dewhurst, business agent for IWA Local 1-85, and a Camp 1 Sub- Local of IWA Local 85 was set up. After the meeting had been assembled Mr. Mc- Call, camp superintendent, arrived in the company of two provincial police officers, Acting Ciief P, H. Hutchinson and Con- stable Sarsait. Brothers Bergren and Dewhurst were threatened with arrest on a charge of trespassing unless they im- mediately left the meeting, Claiming that provincial police have recognized the sanctity of the right of assembly, the of- a strong protest to Attorney-General Pat Maitland requesting information as to whether the police officers acted on their own initiative or under the instructions from the Attorney-General’'s department or the headquarters of the provincial police. In order to avoid any disorder, those present, including union officials and the crew, moved outside the company's prop- erty, where they were addressed by Bro. Bergren. The crew later returned to the company’s hall and conducted the meet- ing as planned. A report from the meet- ing showed that APL Camp 1 employees joined the TWA 100 percent as well as ficers of Local 1-85 later communicated | electing a grievanec committee.