; ; February 22, 1943 B.C. LUMBER WORKER Published Bi-Weekly, Every Second Monday by BO, DISTRICT COUNCIL, International Woodworkers of America Editor: NIGEL MORGAN Managing Editor: B. J. MELSNESS Room 504 Holden Building — Phone PAcific 9727 — Vancouver, B.G Make Payments to: “I.W.A., B.C. District Council” ——__ The employers’ delegation, which a short while ago inter- viewed the provincial cabinet, was representative of a large amount of invested capital. The purpose of the delegation was to counteract the recent presentations to the provincial cabinet by the joint labor delegation. While the employers’ delegation supported the proposed amendments to the Compensation Act, they very strenuously opposed certain changes advocated by labor to the ICA Act. It appears that through their support for changes to the Com- pensation Act, they sought to bargain with the government on the question of labor legislation. One of the most significant things about the whole presenta- tion by the employers was the fact that they feared the out- Tawing of “company unions.” It these so-called unions are not forbidden by law at this session of the Legislature, we will see company unions mushrooming all over the country. It is the duty of all unions, down to the last and newest member, to support the amendments advocated by the Joint Labor Delegation so that we can be assured that all the meas- ures proposed by labor, which are so vital to an all-out prose- cution of the war, are enacted at this session of B.C.’s Provin- cial Legislature. e The question of overtime pay in the logging and lumbering industry, which for many years_has been a sore spot, has again come to the fore. In Fraser Mills it is becoming an issue. While the company has been asking, and in some cases de- manding, that employees work overtime, they-have so far refused to grant overtime pay. While all of the workers in the lumbering industry are willing to sacrifice their Sundays, statutory holidays, and even their evenings, if necessary, when the issue of victory over fascism is at stake; in our opinion the companies should be willing to-make equal sacrifices by granting overtime rates. The logging and lumbering industry is the only major in- dustry in B.C. at the present time which does not pay time- and-a-half for overtime. The settling of this question is long overdue. Today, when labor is required to make sacrifices at every turn, it is not asking too much—as a matter of fact it is asking very little, of the employers, when we demand overtime pay. Members Growing Impatient Over Delay In Negotiations Another postponement of sub-|for concillation and arbitration proceeded with. A meeting with the Victoria Lumber Manufacturing Co. has been arranged for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 pm. in the company’s Chemainus office, It was also unan- fmously decided by the IWA sub- district committee to urge the im- mediate election of union repre- sentatives for a management-labor production committee to cooperate with the company and the govern- ment in filling Canada’s urgent war needs, - district negotiations was caused this week by the sudden illness of C. J. Coulter, managing director of Industrial Timber Mills, Ltd. ‘The IWA’s eleven-man committee arrived at Youbou for negotiations Saturday afternoon, only to find that the meeting had been called off at the last minute. Saturday afternoon a lengthy meeting of the negotiations com- mittee was held, in which a number of moves were decided upon, in- x i B.C. LUMBER WORKER ‘ Ballad of a Lumberjack By CALAMITY JANE I looks out of my bunkhouse on a cold but sunny day ‘An I sees a strappin’ lumberjack is headin’ up our way. I've logged from Maine to Oregon, in every bloomin’ place, But this guy is a stranger . . . I never seen his face, I slaps him on the shoulder when he comes in from the yard An’ I says, “Let's have your name, Bud, on this little union card.” ‘Well, he looks the bunkhouse over and he finds it up to snuff An’ he loads himself at dinner until he's had enough, An’ he asks about the wages an’ he says they aren't bad, ‘An’ the eight hour day and overtime . . . well, that don’t make him mad. So I slaps a book in front of him and kind ‘a’ with a laugh I says the union dues, Bud, is a dollar and a half. He looks me over with a grin like I was full a’ booze; “T like conditions here,” he says, “So why should I pay dues? The wages could be worse,” he says, “they ain't too out a’ line, The hours are good, the bunks are clean, the chuck here suits me fine. ‘The set-up's hunky dory here as far as I can see; I got no special gripe to make .. . no union book for me!” * . * I looks the boomer over with a long, sarcastic look, Well, well, I says, you like it here, so you don't need a book! You like the eight hour day, you say, and overtime is great; You think they handed that to us upon a silver plate? You like the hours and wages and conditions suit you fine? This union went to bat for them out on a picket line! ‘We used to start before the dawn and work till after dark For ten and twenty bucks a month... and two bucks to the shark, You like the bunkhouse here, it’s clean, the set-up's pretty nice; Well, Bud, this little union book has cleaned out all the lice; This book put windows in those walls that look so bright today; It put a mattress on your bunk .. . we used to sleep on hay. The “push” don’t push a guy around and treat him like a crook "Cause every straw boss got respect for this here union book. Yeah, mister, take a look around, an’ if it looks like heaven, Remember that it looked like hell in 1937. If all guys figured union dues was too high to afford, ‘We'd still be scratchin’ cooties here at 20 bucks and board. A union is a chain, I says, an’ every man’s a link, An if you weaken that old chain, you're dumber than you think, A guy can put his book away .. . just lay it on the shelf, But when he breaks that union chain, he only breaks himself. * ® ° ‘The boomer doesn't say a word, he kind’a turns his head, Pulls off his boots, takes off his shirt, and then he goes to bed. I gets up in the mornin’ an’ I’m feelin’ kind a’ bum, I'm thinkin’ of this boomer an’ it makes me pretty glum, Us guys we built a union here, took chances with our brothers An’ made the standards in the woods go up for all the others; We pay on our investment, it’s money damn well spent, But these here boomers crash the gate an’ never pay a cent, It keeps the workin’ people down . . . I threw a look his way... The boomer’s headin’ for me. I wonder what he'll say. He taps me on the shoulder and with a funny look He digs into his pocket, pulls out his union book. “You better go to town, old boy, an’ have ’em check your eyes; You signed me up six years ago!” he says to my surprise; “You're slippin’, you old timber beast,” he laughs, his hand on mine “You should a’ took me by the ears, and sent me down the line!” Steel Industry Here Possible cluding notification of the manage- ment of Industrial Timber Mills and the Lake Logging Co. that failing satisfactory arrangements being made for a meeting in the near future and the reaching of Meetings at Camp 3 and Camp 9 Youbou were addressed this week by International Executive Board Member Nigel Morgan and George Grafton, business agent for Local 1-80. A report was given on the an understanding on the agrec- ment, the matter will be placed in government hands and application Starts Tuesday, PLAZ Fb Bord "THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD" Commentary by Edward R. Murrow The Flesh-and-Blood Story of a Million Heroes who Made History ! RE ‘ALISM ... BECAUSE IT IS THE STARK NAKED TRUTH efforts of the IWA to obtain amendments to the Industrial Con- ciliation and Arbitration Act Establishment of a steel and iron industry and public ownership of all hydro-electric power facilities in British Columbia seemed a dis- tinct possibility this week as mem- bets of several B.C. municipalities and organizations made representa- tions to the government in favor of these proposals. Proposal that B.C. cities should take over electric light and power systems was made by Premier John Hart in his speech to the legisla- ture this week. He expressed be- lief that B.C. Hlectric shareholders would be willing to make a deal. A special hydro-electric commis- sion would be established, he said, to enquire into the feasibility of rural electrification. City and municipal councils throuhgout the province have ex- pressed intense interest in the prop- osition. Vancouver civic authorities ap- pointed a special committee to study the question, while Alder- man W. D. Greyell suggested that a letter urging promotion of pub- lic power should be sent to all B.C. municipalities to enlist their support in the proposed plan. During the five-year period pre- ceding the war, British Columbia exported nearly 200,000 tons of scrap steel, which would have been sufficient to keep a $1,000,000 mill in operation there for five years. Congestion of supplies has recently developed in the east, causing an accumulation of scrap here which could be utilized now for a rolling mill. Premier Hart, in his address to the House, pointed out that the government was interested in de- veloping an industry that will de- velop the iron ores of the province, rather than one just confined to scrap. You often hear me comment on my fan mail, but I never yet men- tioned by personal mail to you. For your information, I hayé some relatives in Ireland. Amongst them all, my Cousin Timothy is my fav- orite. Once or twice a year I send him a couple of bucks from my meagre earnings. Well, recently I received a letter from him and I think you should read it, so here it is: County Cork, Ireland, Jan, 21, 1943, Dear Cousin: ‘Your welcome letter received and me and your Aunt Bridgett’ thank you kindly for the money sent. ‘We had seven masses said for your Grandfather and Grand- mother. God rest their souls. You have gone high places in Canada — God bless you, I hope you'll not be putting on airs and forgetting your native land. Your cousin Hughie O'Toole was hanged in Londonderry last week for killing a policeman. May God rest his soul, and may God’s curse be on Jimmie Rodgers, the inform- er, and may he burn in Hell till the damn place freezes over. God for- give me. ‘Times are not so bad in County Cork. The herring season has been good and everybody is able to make ends meet, and the price of fish Jis good, thanks be to God. We had a grand time at Pat Muldoon’s wake. He was an old blatherskite, and it looked good to me to see him stretched out with jhis big mouth shut at last. He is better off dead. He had too many friends among the Orangemen. The Devil take the lot of them. Bless your hear, I almost for- got to tell you about your Uncle Denis. He took a pot shot at a turncoat from back of a hedge, but he had too much liquor in him and missed. God’s curse be on the whisky. I hope this letter finds you well and in good health, and may God keep reminding you to keep send- ing the money. The Brennans are 100 per cent strong here since they stopped going to America. They have kids running all over the place. Father O'Flaherty who baptized you, is feeble-minded and sends you his blessing, Nellie O'Brian ,the brat you used to go to school with, has married an Englishman. She'll have no luck. May God take care of you and keep you from sudden death. Your devoted Cousin : ‘Timothy. PS.—Things are looking bright in County Cork; all the police bar- racks and Protestant churches have been burned to the ground— thanks be to God! PSL.—Keep sending the money! Now boys, I know that if Cousin Timothy were,here and in the lum- ber industry, he would be fighting with the IWA. I can just imagine what sort of prayer he would give (Continued on Page 8)