‘the B.C, log scale tor the first
months of 1942, production was
hundred million feet short of
year's sawlog production for
e period. Sitka spruce, from

osquito” planes, cellulose for gun
otton, used to make TNT, and
‘rayon for the bags in which high
explosives are placed in the heavy
ery shells, and which, accord-
ing to Federal Minister of Labor, is
_ just as vital today as the rarest of

“war materials, so far is short of
_ government requirements. In fact,

‘spruce operators to double produc-
tion in 1942, they quite openly admit’
they have not increased production
or even maintained it at last year’s
standard. In spite of these facts,
and the important effect they are
likely to have on the outcome of
this war, these operators continue
their unwillingness to allow their
‘workers to organize, to bargain col-
lectively, and to utilize their or-
ganization to help boost urgently

mass layoffs have taken place,
camps have unnecessarily shut
down during this Christmas season,
while workers were willing to co-
‘operate in maintaining production,
such as at Pacific Mills, Camp A-35,
in the Queen Charlotte Island
spruce industry.
Brothers, whether the operators
believe this to be a war for de-
moeracy or not, we know it is, and
not ofily must we work, but also
fight to make it a successful one.
We have a definite responsibility
in this vital field of production.
Let us accept it and when our
brothers in arms return, let it
never be said that we fell down
on the job. Their lives are in our
hands. Let’s bring them back alive!
According to a recent statement
in the daily press of Dec. 12, more
than 3,500 aditional loggers are
needed in the lumber industry. We
must point out to our government,
and to the management, that the
most effective way of filling this
shortage of manpower {s through
the establishment of a sound labor
gaining, the establishment of de-
quate wages commensurate with
the workers’ needs, and at least
equal to those existing in the in-
_dustries which have attracted
Woodworkers and persuaded them
to transfer from this industry.
Labor relations and the “open
shop” policy of the operators is
undoubtedly driving more workers
vay than any other single factor.
"In view of’ the critical state of the
situation, these problems
be tackled without delay. The
‘A and the rest of the labor move-
nt find themselves facing a big
of organizing for political ac-
The present government con-
regulating wages, prices, ra~
manpower, ete. place ad-
importance on the develop-
and extension of this phase
responsibilities,
DO WAGES AND
'G CONDITIONS

In recognizing the urgent need
production and setting up dem-
- cooperation between man-
it and labor to secure maxi-

uction, there can be no

needed lumber production. Several”

policy, embodying collective bar-|

eent working conditions and ade-}

THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Page Five

which have a tendency to lower
the morale of the workers. Indeed,
unless proper consideration is giv-
en to the establishment of ade-
quate wages, seniority and job se-
curity through union agreements,
the provision of decent working
conditions, the elemination of the
accident toll and the regulation of
hours so as to prevent undermin-
ing of the health and productiye
energies, the work of any Produc-
tion Committee will be seriously
curtailed in effectiveness. For how
can workers be able to produce
while strife and discontent is be-
ing stirred up by employers who
flatly refuse to bargain collective-
ly with the organization of their
employees’ own choice; while work-
ers are discriminated against and
mass layoffs are taking place;
while wage inequalities such as
we have in our industry are per-
mitted to exist; while conditions
under which employees are com-
pelled to exist are detestful and
degrading. If free labor is to out-
produce and outfight the slave la~
bor of the Axis, then these griev-
ances which vitally effect the mo-
rale of the workers must be speed-
ily eliminated and conditions es-
tablished which will allow our lum-
berworkers to concentrate their
full energies on the main problem
of production.

Tremendous gains have been
registered during the past year,
particularly in the Queen Char-
lottes, where a 50c a day wage
hoist was gained slast spring;
where, following presentation of a
brief on production and grievances
of the spru¢e camps by the Dis:
trict Officers to Hlliott Little of
Selective Service, the union's de-
mands for fares one way after
three months, and two ways after

ers, the gains averaged approxi-
mately $200 per man. In addition
2,200 lumberworkors in the Alber-
ni area received a wage hoist,
indirectly through the program and
campaigning of the IWA and as a
result of becoming organized,
amounting to about $83,000.00.
Added together these wage ad-
justments amount to well in ex-
cess of one and a half million
dollars.

The most successful production
committee in our industry today
is at the Lake Logging Company's
operations at Rounds, where we
have the only “management-union”
joint committee in B.C. lumber.
The right of the workers there to
collective bargaining is acknow-
ledged by the company, and sep-
arate grievance and production
machinery has been established.
Experience with Production Com-
mittees in Britain and the United
States, as well as in the Queen
Charlotte Island spruce camps this
year, has shown that two separ-
ate committees are essential. The
collective bargaining committee of
the union handles wages, hours,
conditions of work and other camp
orsmill grievances; while the pro-
duction comniittee of the union
handles the production methods,
elimination of waste time and ma-
terial, more efficient handling of
materials from job to job, proper
incentive program, such as posters,
slogans, etc., which help to stimu-
late the worker to greater output.
ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRESS.

Maximum unity for victory is
the major task of our union to-
day, and in fulfilling that goal,
organization of. the woodworking
industry from the stump to the
finished product is the first tsep.

Organizational gains during the

The continued progress and suc-
cessful conclusion of our task of
uniting the thirty thousand wood-
workers of this district will help
to lift the working people of Brit-
ish Columbia into their rightful
position of power and influence in
matters pertaining to their social,
economic and political welfare—a
position commensurate wth our
stake in human wellbeing and
progress, With the help and coop-
eration we have had from our In-
ternational officers, the organiza-
tional concentrations adopted by
our Convention last January have
been successfully carried out, but
the consolidation of the new mem-
bership gained and their inclusion
under the benefits of a collective
bargaining agreement still remain
to be completed.

We realize that on the continua-
tion of this progress depends
everything. It is not only as im-
|portant, but an integral part of
| the defeat of fascism, and the win-
ning of this life and death strug-
gle which faces the United Na-
tions ‘today.

Let us, the delegates representing
; the membership of District No. 1
of the IWA, assembled here in
Convention, determine that we will
organize the thousands of unorgan-
ized woodworkers; that we will
bring collective bargaining and
union contracts to this, as yet,
“open shop” industry in B.C.; that
we will set up functioning sub-
locals on a geographic basis wher-
‘ever practical to democratize and
strengthen our organization; that
we will establish functioning pro-
duction committees, grievance and
safety committees in every camp
and mill as our union forges for-
ward—and that we will press the
federal and provincial governments

'
'
1
1
1
il
|

International Officers Visit B.'

Left to Right: International Vice-President “Red”

and International Vice-President

2s

Fadling, International President Worth Lowery

Carl Winn.—Photo by courtesy “Vancouver Sun.”

six months, was won; airplane
eaeriation for injured or sick
loggers, and improved arrange-
ments for shipping of perishable
foods and camp hospitalization
were made. Later this fall, a 33
percent bonus for all QCI loggers
completting 100 working days was
granted, These gains for the 750-
odd men in the QCI camps, based
on a 300-day working year would
amount to well over half a mil-
lion dollars. On Vancouver Island
and the lower mainland, includ-
ing both camps and mills, wage
boosts obtained directly through
wage briefs presented to the War
Labor Board amounted to three-
quarters of a million dollars, Af-
feeting over 4,000 individual work-

past six months have been the most

spectacular in the growth of our
union. We are happy to be able
to report today that the average
paid-up membership of the IWA in
District No. 1 has trebled last
year's record. Particularly rapid
progress has been made by Local
1-80 in the Youbou, Cowichan Lake,
Duncan Chemainus area; by Local
1-85 in the Alberni area; by Local
1-217 and Local 1-357 in the New
Westminister and lower mainland
area,

One of the most heartening de-
velopments of 1943 has been the
addition of some three thousand-
odd sawmill workers and shingle
weavers to the ranks of our union
in BC.

for legislation making collective
bargaining and union recognition
mandatory on all employers

There is no blue print by which
we can attain this end, but we can
set our objective and adopt a pro-
gram in. conformity with the needs
of our day and the future, assume
in this Convention our responsibili-
ties and the task of carrying the
program we adopt to the maximum
of success,

It. is your officers’ opinion, after
analyzing carefully the position of
our organization, that we must:

(1) Carry forward with the
greatest determination the negotla~
tion of union contracts now pro-
ceeding or pending.

(2) That meeting should be held

© )
OFFICERS: REPORT ScoxtiNUED

immediately in all camps, mills and
communities, demanding that the
Provincial Legislature, in its ses-
sion at the end of ‘this month,
amend the Industrial Concillation
and Arbitration Act, making col-
lecttive bargaining and union rec-
ognition of the organization of the
workers’ own choice compulsory,
and demanding that the govern-
ment consult with the representa-
tives of organized labor in drafting
these amendments.

(3) That we emphasize over
“Green Gold,” through the “B.C.
Lumber Worker,” press and leaf-
lets: :

(a) The importance of the or-
ganization of woodwork-
ers into the IWA.

(b) The setting up of the “Job
“Steward” system of organ-
ization with one for each
bunkhouse or department
and a “Chief Job Steward”
to be responsible to the
Sub-Local or Local for the
entire operation,

(4) ‘That, with a view to bringing
organization in the logging camps
up to 100 percent strength, that
the District Council issue cards for
use in fully organized bunichouses,
stating, “This Bunkhouse Is 100
Percent Organized,” and bearing
the IWA crest.

(5) That we use all our resources
and means to organize the as yet
unorganized woodworkers.
LABOR DEMANDS A BILL
OF RIGHTS.

Labor desires today to throw its
full energies into advancing pro-
duction and winning the war. The
experience of our union. in the six-
teen-month-old_ dispute in the
Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C. Ply-
woods, Bloedel’s Red Band Shingle
Mill, Fraser Mills, as well as the
fact that two-thirds of Canada’s
labor disputes are over the ques-
tion of union recognition, shows
conclusively the urgent need for
improved labor legislation in the
form of a “Wagner Act” for Can-
ada.

This Convention, with delegates
from 25 B.C. camps and mills, eith-
er in the midst or about to enter
negotiations, should reiterate the
strong demand of the membership
‘we represent. for amendment to
the Industrial Conciliation and Ar-
bitration Act, to provide for the
following three points:

(1) Compulsory collective bar-
gaining with the organization of
the workers’ own choice; and ma-
chinery for establishing the organ-
ization of the workers’ choice.

(2) Elimination of conciliation
procedure and speeding up of ar-
bitration; and i

(8) Outlawing of company unions

}and provision of severe penalties

for employers engaging in unfair
labor practices, such as discrimin-
ation, blacklist and hiring of in-
dustrial spies.

The IWA commends the Minister
of Labor for his recognition of the
complete inadequacy of the ICA
Act in protecting labor's funda-
mental rights against anti-labor
employers, and we strongly urge
complete revision of the present fi x
Act to embody the necessary fund’
amental principles that will end —
the delays and confusion now ¢x-

(Continued on Page 8)