THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page Three * Sawmill News “Every Reader a Correspondent” REPORTS ocal 1-17 ANNUAL MEETING 10 am. Monday, Dee. 28 AUDITORIUM ‘Holden Building | 16 East Hastings St., Vancouver © Review of Year's Work ® Plan Organizational Drive © Elect Officers for 1943. All Members in Town are Urged _ | to attend — Camps, Elect Rep- | resentatives. CHIPS and SAWDUST By GREEN-CHAIN PETE Well, the new committee at Ply- woods is having Utopia handed to "them on a silver platter. In fact, the Company is practically giving them the factory-— a whole five days with pay at Christmas. What I wonder is, do they know why they are getting it? The company knows that if they don't give something the crew will come back to the IWA, which they will do, anyway, Sooner or later. But how does five days with pay compare with the security offered by a signed union contract? And how does it com- pare with 2 weeks! holiday with pay? These things could have been had, if the crew had been willing to pay a couple of months’ dues and show up at a few more mect- ings. Don't be fooled, you can’t get something for nothing. You paid for “five days with pay” with a union contract and all the bene- fits it could have given. It is reported that the Mission- Silverdale sub-local of Local 1-217 is coming right along and has signed up a pile of new members, ‘There is much work to be done in that area and we are glad to ‘see that the union is really grow- ing. The “Lumber Worker” is be- _ ing distributed and it is understood that regular meetings are being held, ‘The Chinese workers at Alberta _ Lumber have been told that if they don't join the union they will be iN a raise when the white work- get a raiase. The catch is that the oriental workers do not get in the union with the workers, neither group will tron enough to get a raise rem or anyone else. ‘of the boys last week ‘the old Bulleook and are | ‘Mill Closure Draws Strong Union Protest The Dollarton Mill, recently sold® to the Northwest Bay Logging Company (MacMillan), is being closed down on approximately the 23rd of this month. The reason given being an acute shortage of logs. The mill employs 130. men and has a high average cut of 115,000 feet per day. The closure of this mill will have a serious effect on lumber production for war purposes, and it is hard to see why the authorities allow the mill to shut down. The mill also sup- plies an average of 115 units of Sawdust per day along with three scows of hog fuel per week and 18 to 20 cords of wood per day. It is estimated that this fuel would serve as a supply to about 2,750 homes, ‘The closure will also mean that approximately 25 or 30 families who live in company houses will have to move closer in if they are to secure jobs in the ship- yards or in other mills. IWA officials have contacted Selective Service officers in an at- tempt to keep the mill operating or atleast to get something defin- ite in the way of a date on which the mill will reopen. Selective Serv- ice is investigating, but at the time of writing no decision or word has been received from them. MacMillan interests recently pur- chased the Dollar camp, also the Shawnigan Lake Company mill and the Straits Mill which was recent- ly closed due to a shortage of logs. It is reported that the Straits mill will be opening up in the first part of the new year. Other mills clos- ing, or closed, are Mohawk Lumber Company in New Westminster, Robertson and Hackett on False Creek in Vancouver and the’ big plant of Canadian Western Lum- ber Company at Fraser Mills, which is closing for repairs. These closures not only affect vitally needed war production, but are also creating a serious fuel shortage in this area, - When in VANCOUVER Stop at, COLUMBIA HOTEL LICENSED PREMISES 303 Columbia Avenue MAr. 3757 VICTORIA ELECTS LOCAL OFFICERS. The annual election of officers in Victoria Sawmill Local 1118 was held this week. Officers re-elect- ed were: President, Tom Lidgate, from. Moore-Whittington’s mill; vice-president, E. Anderson, shin- gle mills; financial secretary, Jack Wagget, Horton Shingle Mill; re- cording secretary, Darshan Singh, Selkirk Sawmill; trustee, Ed. Lo- gan, Sr., of Moores. Delegates were also elected to the Victoria Labor Council (CCL), and President Tom Lidgate and Secretary Jack Wag- get were elected delegates to the Sixth Annual Convention of the IWA, to be held in Vancouver on Jan, 2 and 3. Secretary Waggett reported all debts of the local were paid off| | and per capita. paid up to date. Congratulations was extended to the officers of Local 1-118 by Dis- trict Secretary Morgan for the businesslike way in which the af- fairs of the local had been handled and particularly to Secretary Jack Waggett and President Tom Lid- gate for their efforts in this re- gard. ClO Backs Women BOSTON. — The CIO recently commended the work of the Con- gress of CIO Women’s Auxiliaries during the past year, pledged its continued support and asked all unions to help the women’s groups as a part of total national mobiliza~ tion for victory. NEW WESTMINSTER Under new management. M. Variea, prop. Hours: 12 noon to 12 midnight. Expert oil and electric massage. { ee ay PALACE CAFE © 47 West Cordova Street © 938 Granville Street A Satisfied Customer is Our Best Advertisement: 100% UNION HOUSE Crystal Steam Baths 40 Lorne St. Always the BEST ° Ask for them in the Commissary Or Order Direct from A. W. JOHNSON & CO. 1056} West Pender Vancouver H. Gargrave, MILA, Appointed For Arbitration Herbert Gargrave, CCF MLA, was this week appointed as em- HERBERT GARGRAVE, MLA ployees' representative on the ar- bitration board which will sit in the near future to hear evidence in the dispute between the Mohawk Lumber Company and their em- ployees. The case has been referred to arbitration after the employees voted almost unanimously to con- tinue negotiations on the question of union recognition, and failing settlement, that it be arbitrated. In negotiations the employees were represented by Harold J. Pritchett, district president, Jack Lindsay, and Tommy Kipp, employee. The committee was able in ne- gotiations to come to agreement with the management on all major points except union recognition. On this point, the Company admitted that they would be willings to sign an agreement recognizing the union as the bargaining agent, but that they could not at the present. The intimation was that the Lumber Manufacturers’ Association would not allow them to do so. At the time of writing, it is not known who will be the other member of the board, but some decision should be made within the week. 2 Yr Lz LY aes lle — SEK