©

. Bi-weekly Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, International Woodworkers of America, Affiliated to Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

VOL. XH, No. 6

VANCOUVER, B.C., MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1943

Broadway <> Printers Ltd,

(288)

IWA Has Submitted Brief
Asking Overtime Pay Rate

UNION BARGAINING NOW LAW
LABOR AGCLAIMS NEW ICA ACT

Principal Union Demands Granted By
Gov't Despite Powerful Opposition

Application to the Regional War Labor Board of British
Columbia for time-and-a-half for all hours in excess of 8 in any
one day or 48 in any one week (with the work week to start
on Monday) was asked this week in a presentation made by the
International Woodworkers of America. The brief, which con-
tains 40 pages of written argument in favor of the overtime

provision, was submitted on behalf of the 1600-odd millworkers
of the Canadian Western Lumber Company’s Fraser Mills,
Presentation of the brief culminates a disputes which de-
veloped at the Fraser Mills plant about a month ago when the
company asked workers to put in considerable overtime—Sun-
days, evenings and legal holidays.
Shop Stewards at the mill,®

Lobby From

©

Some Employer Groups

VICTORIA, B.C.—Spontaneous applause broke out in the
Legislative Assembly when the government amendments to
the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, greatly
strengthening the position of trade unions in collective bargain-
ing, swept through third reading and, in spite of strong oppo-
sition from the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association and other
employer organizations, became law.

Government and opposition members pounded their desks
in approval and a large delegation of labor representatives,
who completely filled the Speaker’s Gallery, demonstrated ap-
proval by tossing their hats in the air amid enthusiastic
applause.

Before an attentive Legislative Assembly, Minister of Labor
Hon. George Pearson, introduced the first genuine trade union

which is the largest in the Brit-

meeting of the various depart-
ments, where the question of
overtime was discussed. The
employees stated they were
agreeable to work the overtime
in order to help the war effort,
but expressed ‘the opinion that
the sacrifices should not be all
on one side. The committee
then met with the management
and asked them to join with
the union in making a joint ap-
pay. The management refused
plication for overtime rates of
: to make a joint application, but
‘ stated they would not oppose
the application before the
Bo

Fraser Mills
Foreman Fined
In Assaults Case

A fine of $15 was levied in Fraser
Mills municipal court this week
against Elmer McKellar, former
Fraser Mille foreman charged by
a female employee of the company
‘with common assault, Sidney Wyatt
Smith appeared for the prosecu-
tion,
Maximum penalty for this of-
is a §20 fine, McKellar was
laid off by the company, it is
d, in addition to the fine.
‘The woman charged that Mc-
Mar had made insulting remarks
her niece, also a Fraser Mills
and when the older
approached him to remon-
struck her across the face.
‘Mills, New Westminster and
provincial police refused to
the charge against the fore-
she stated, causing her to
the charges in the hands of
yA-CIO who in turn called

ish Empire, hurriedly called a|*

Back European Invasion
CHICAGO.— A pledge of “all-
out support of the production lines
to back up the invasion of Europe
for which we impatiently wait” was
made this week by Local 65, United
Steelworkers of America, repre-
senting 15,000 employees of the
Carnegie-Illinois South Works
plant.

HON. G. S. PEARSON

UNION’S PROPOSALS FOR JOINT
LABOR-MAN’G’MENT PRODUCTION
ENDORSED BY FEDERAL GOW’T

OTTAWA.—An endorsement of labor's program for the
establishment of Joint Management-Labor Production Com-
mittees was seen this week in the decision of the Federal gov-
ernment to officially encourage and sponsor formation of joint
Production Committees in industrial plants. This plan, which
the IWA is proud to be one of the first unions in Canada to
have asked for, was unanimously endorsed at a conference rep-
resentative of trade unions in industries here last week.

International Woodworkers of America, B.C. District Coun-
cil, taking a lead from the CIO in the United States and the
magnificent work of the British trade unions in boosting pro-
duction, drafted and unanimously endorsed a’production pro-
gram in its annual District Convention, January, 1942, and has
continuously. and consistently advocated a joint management-
labor plan both in union meetings and through its official
publications ever since.

UAW Largest

® It was agreed that labor man-

agement committees should be

act in the history of Canada. Final passage of the legislation
a

WOODWORKERS’
TOLL REACHES
ELEVEN IN ‘43

‘The death toll,

in B.C. lumber
this week rose
to eleven with

Woodworken
the report of havelbean
another logging | killed in B.O.’s
fatality. lumber in-
While em-| dustry since
ployed on the| Jan. 1, 1943

at ‘the Great
Central Mill of Bloedel, Stewart &
Welch Ltd., Richard Powell, aged
19, was instantaneously killed on
March 10 when he became tangled
in the gears of the crane. Other
employees were helpless to aid the
young boy and his body was badly
mutilated before the crane could
be brought to a halt. He leaves his
parents, Mr. and Mrs, W. R. Pow-
ell, Summerland, and one brother,
George, timekeeper at Great Cen-
tral, to mourn his death.

came as a climax to the afternoon
session, when Minister Pearson in-
troduced the bill for second read-
ing with the statement that “the
government has today come to the
conclusion that the time has ar-
rived when the trade unions of this
Province are entitled to have their
rights extended.” He expressed his
firm conviction that the principle
is sound for labor to have the right
to bargain through the organiza-
tion of its own choice,

Virtually supported by the en-
tire House, the Minister reviewed
briefly the principal developments
in labor relations since the ICA
Act was passed in its original form
in 1937, referring to the difficulties
encountered as a result of the
weaknesses of the Act and conse-

quent criticism from the trade.

unions. Specific reference was
made by Labor Minister Pearson to
the contentious question of com-
pany unionism and the attempts
made by a few employers to dom-
inate their employees’ association.

(Continued on Page 5)
Seo LABOR BILL

New IWA-CIO Charter Is
Installed At Courtenay

CIO Union

DETROIT.—One of CIO's lusty
young internationals, the United
Automobile Workers, has grown to
such giant stature in the last few
years that it now tops all the
unions of the nation in member-
ship.

In the semi-annual report of the
UAW's secretary-treasurer, George
Addes, the union’s dues paying
membership is given as 778,659 in
November 1942. This shows an in-
crease of about 166,000 since May.

concerned with increasing produc-
tion by improving efficiency and
eliminating waste, and by helping
to establish more harmonious
labor-management relations. It was
also agreed that the question of
wages, hours and working condi-
tions would be left to the organized
trade unions to handle. A com-
mittee, with equal representation
of labor and management, was ap-
pointed by the Federal government
to promote the new production
body.

COURTENAY, B.C.—Another charter of the International Wood-
workers of America (CIO), namely, Local 1-362, was installed here Sun-
day by International Board Member Nigel Morgan. The new Local,
which takes in loggers on the east coast of Vancouver Island, from
Qualicum Beach north to Menzies Bay, was formerly a part of Local
1-80, As a result of the good work of International Organizer Don Bar-
bour in consolidating local membership over the past two years a re-
division of the territory and establishment of a separate Local office
in Courtenay became necessary. With a potential membership in this
area of approximately 1500, Brother Barbour will continue organiza-
tional work,

Newly elected officers of Local 1-362 include: President, Jack Higgens;
vice-presidents, Fred Olkovik, Osborne Bell; financial secretary, Ernie
Anderson; res. sec’s, Bill Murray; conductor, Rudolph Lidberg; warden,

Bill Axelson; trustees, Aubrey Hames, Murray Kennedy, Fred Dahl.

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