8, 1948

c.

ntario Woodworkers Need
Better Wages, Conditions

__ PORT ARTHUR, Ont.—At the instigation of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers’ Union,
Local 2786, and the Thunder Bay District Advisory Committee to the Regional War Labor

Board of Ontario, an Industrial Conference of employers and labor in the pulpwood-logging
industry was held at Port Arthur on April 13 to 16. The purpose of the gathering was to re-

Present at this conference were
representatives from the entire
woods industry of the Thunder
Bay district, the Algoma Central
and Hudson Bay Railway district;
J. A, Mathieu, of the Mathieu Lum-
ber Co,, Fort Frances; R. J. Rigg,
representing the Manitoba Paper
Go, of Line Falls, Manitoba; and
a large number of higher officials
connected with the woods industry
throughout Wastern Canada, whose
head offices are located at Toronto
and Montreal.

Labor was represented by a com-
mittee headed by officers of Thun-
der Bay, Local 2786, of the Lumber
and Sawmill Workers’ Union (Unit-
ed Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners of America).

At the invitation of the advisory
committee, Louis Fine, chief con-
ciliation officer of the Ontario de-
partment of labor, was present at
two sessichs of the conference on
April 13 and 15.

The conference set up a large
working committee composed of
equal representation for employers
and labor to work out proposals
which, if agreed upon by the con-
ference, were to be submitted to
the Ontario Regional War Labor
Board for approval. The four-day
conference established:

(1) That there are problems in
the industry in connection with
the present wage ceiling which, if
not solved, will hamper the devel-

"opment of all-out production.

(2) That a wartime wage policy
must be adopted which would act
as an incentive rather than as a
retarding factor in the promotion
_of maximum production,

The conference was in unani-
mous agreement on the poiont that
there is insufficient incentive to-
wards increasing production under
the present schedule now in effect,
and that some plan should be de-
vised whereby further incentive is
provided.

‘The above-mentioned points of
general principles underlining the
need for a wartime wage policy
for the industry, considerable dif-
ference between labor and the em-
Ployers in regard to what may or
may not be recommended as a
solution in points of particular and

_ @pecific recommendations to the
War Labor Board.

EMPLOYERS’ PROPOSALS.
_ The employers proposed to retain
present ceiling rates upon the

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_ G, TATER — PROP.
COURTENAY, V.L

basis of which a system of in-
centive bonuses were recommend-
ed to be applied, This would mean
that the rates as now established
would be applied to an established
average productions per man day
for piece workers, and that one
dnd one-half times the basic rates
be applied to all production in ex-
cess of this average.

With regard to monthly em-
ployees, the employers proposed to
substitute a progressive increase
of five dollars per month over a
period of four months to a maxi-
mum of twenty dollars, for the
present service bonus of ten dol-
lars per month payable after three
months’ service to all employees.
If adopted, this proposal’ would
mean that monthly employees
would not reach present earnings
until five months of continuous
service were completed. It would
mean a direct wage cut since the
average period of continuous em-
ployment runs from three to four
months for the majority of month-
ly employees,

LABOR’S PROPOSAL
AND POINT OF VIEW.

Representatives of labor main-
tained that regardless of any sys-
tem of incentive rates or enforce-
ment of ceiling rates as now in
effect, it will amount to an im-
position of a depressed wage level
upon he bushworkers, This would
result in continued evasions and
lack of stability, apart from the in-
justice of such a policy.

The representatives of labor,
while in accord with the general
principles of incentive bonus rates,
predicated this accord on the basis
of a fair and reasonable basic
rate. Labor cannot consider nor
accept the present basic rate as
outlined in the current Schedule
as being fair and reasonable. As
regards the figures submitted for
average production per man per
day, the only statistics available
were statistics compiled by the op-
erators themselves and determined
in several ways:

(a) From written questionnaires
supplied to all operators.

(b) By verbal reports from in-
dividual operator members of the
committee.

(c) From calculations based on
the existing schedule,

Most of these figures were above
normal production averages. It was
the opinion of labor that any in-
centive rates based upon these
figures and the present basic rates

H MONEY TO LOAN ,
4 On Men's Suits, Overcoats, Log- ¢
# sing Boots and Sleeping Bags {
¢ San Francisco Tailors }
48? WEST HASTINGS ST. 4
44 Doors West of Beacon Theatre 4

Nee eaeeneeeeeeeececceuned

view the experiences and difficulties of the past logging season, encountered while operating
under the schedule of wage rates established for the pulpwood-logging industry in the prov-
ince of Ontario, under Wartime Wages Control Order PC 5963, and how to meet and overcome

obstacles at present hampering all-out production in the industry.

would serve only to aggravate dis-
satisfaction already very wide-
spread with regard to wage rates
and bonuses in the present sched-
ule.

For all practical purposes the
present wage ceiling schedule is
completely out of line. Not only is
this true as compared with other
industries, but it has also estab-
lished lower rates than were al-
ready paid prior to its adoption as
an established practice over a peri-
od of more than ten years. This
anomalous situation arose from
the fact that instead of adopting
the maximum rates as a ceiling,
permitting other rates to gravitate
towards this ceiling so as to
achieve a proper levelling up of
basic rates, a schedule of minimum
basic rates was drawn up which
tended to reach averages instead
of a ceiling. In the subsequent
period following the adoption of
this schedule the top rates already
pald at the time of its adoption
remained outside the ceiling and
were actually further increased so
that instead of the adopted sched-
ule becoming a basis or anchorage
for a stable wage policy, the maxi-
mum” rates adopted by the Re-
gional War Labor Board actually
became the lowest rates paid with
new top rates being established
on a higher and higher scale.

The fact that little or no uni-
formity exists as regards wages
paid to bushworkers producing for
domestic mills, mills owned by
American publishers, and export-
ers, has further aggravated the
confusion,

In the district of Thunder Bay
throughout the winter season just
now completed repeated joint re-
quests were made for adjustments
in rates in order to maintain earn-
ing of workmen. The advisory
committee pointed out in a letter
to the Regional War Labor Board,
dated Jan. 26, 1943, that it was
finding it impossible under the ex-
isting circumstances to maintain
the rates set and considered that
higher rates were required to have
any work done at all.

©. W. Cox, MLA for Port Ar-
thur, pointed out in a. letter to
the minister of labor last January
that “work just could not be done
for the amount mentioned” and
that hedoubted very much wheth-
er anybody was abiding by the
schedule.” Yet in spite of this situ-
ation and despite the fact that the
established “ceiling” rates have
been pierced in most instances, it
seems that the majority of em-
Ployers are reluctant to recom-
mend to the Regional War Labor
Board a change from, or a lifting
of, the present maximum wage
ceiling,

In view of this fact the Lumber

LUMBER WORKER

Page Five

AUXILIARY CORNER

A recent press statement from Ladies’ Auxiliary Local 30,
Lake Cowichan, reports that the enrollment of new members
is steadily increasing. For the past few months, all efforts have
been concentrated on the Bazaar, which was held Saturday,
April 17. The Bazaar, which was followed by a card party and
dance, was a tremendous success. The home-making talents of
the women were displayed on stalls of sewing, novelties,
knitting, crocheting, embroidery and home cooking, Needless
to say, the home cooking stall was the most popular one. The
side attractions for children were also well patronized. The
holders of the lucky raffle tickets for the crocheted luncheon
cloth and the gent’s sweater, which were drawn at the dance,
were Mr. Donnie Palmer and Mr. Tony Laitenin. Mr. Roy
Deward won a fret-work medicine chest for guessing the num-
ber of beans in a jar, and Master Jimmy Reid won a satin
cushion for dropping pegs in a bottle. Sister E. Williams catered
for the dance, which was declared by all to be a tremendous
social success.

This Auxiliary has agreed to cooperate with Local 1-80 in
holding a dance on Saturday, May Ist, as a climax to their
May Day celebrations.

Winners at a recent well-attended whist drive held by Ladies’
Auxiliary Local 92, Ladysmith, were Mrs. S. Sanderson, Mrs.
E. Lowe, J. Hulme and.J. Atkinson.

This Auxiliary has taken over an X-Ray room in the local
hospital as a semi-private room to be used for sick or injured
members of the Local and Local Auxiliary.

A new Auxiliary has just been set up at Camp 6, Youbou.
At a recent meeting Mrs. Edna Brown, president of the Dis-
trict Council Ladies’ Auxiliary, installed the charter and spoke
to the assembled ladies on the importance and purpose of Aux-
iliary work. Sister Godfrey, president of the Lake Cowichan
Ladies’ Auxiliary, then read the obligation to the 27 members
present. Immediately after reading of the obligation, election
of officers was held, which resulted in the following being
elected: President, Gertrude M. Atchison; vice-president, Olive
Gilchrist; recording secretary, Glenys Boomer; financial secre-
tary, Susie Weeks; warden, Sister Grippe; conductor, Sister
Malbon ;trustees, Sisters Adams, Much and Solmie.

Meetings of this Auxiliary will be held every other Tuesday
at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Hall. A campaign is being car-
ried on for more members before the next meeting is held.

Committees were elected to make plans for having a hot
dog stand and bingo stall at the Sports Day being arranged for
the kiddies for May 1st. In this way they hope to raise funds to
give their Auxiliary a start.

New Westminster Ladies’ Auxiliary held a Basket Social
and Dance in the Russell Hotel Ballroom on Saturday, April 24.
Each lady prepared a basket lunch which were raffled off to
the assembled males, each man taking as his partner the lady
whose lunch he had successfully bid for. Old-time dancing fol-
lowed and much later a very enthusiastic and happy crowd
wended their way homeward.

IWA Ladies’ Auxiliary Local 91 at Courtenay held their
regular meeting on Thursday, April 15, in the Union office.
Two new members were initiated; 13 members in all attend-
ing. It was unanimously agreed to donate $25 from Auxiliary
funds to the Canadian Red Cross and $15 to buy fruit for the
children at the Solarium. Quite a lengthy discussion was held
on the Consumer Conference being held by the Housewives’
League of B.C. in Vancouver, but it was found impossible to

send a delegate to it.

Plans were made by this Auxiliary to hold whist drives
each Saturday and a stove and dishes have been purchased so
that they may serve refreshments to the playing members.

selves provide a daily earning of
$2.57 which, following deduction of
95 cents per day for board, leaves
the pleceworker a balance of $1.62.

The union's memorandum to the
board has just been completed and
is being forwarded to the board
throughout the advisory commit-
tee together with other proposals
made jointly as agreed upon by
both employers and labor at the
recent conference. The workers in
the timber industry have shown a
remarkable degree of patience and
a desire to cooperate but they re-
sent being compelled to accept
rulings which are unfair, A
thorough investigation into the
conditions of the industry ag sug-
gested by the union seoms to be
in order.

and Sawmill Workers’ Union,
which is the only organization
representing labor in the industry,
has been forced to submit a sep-
arate and detailed memorandum
to the Ontario Regional. War La-
bor Board, setting out proposals
and recommendations of labor to
solve the critical problems facing
the industry. The union is now
firmly convinced that the em-
ployers’ proposals for a complicat-
ed incentive bonus based upon the
depressed basic rates now existing
ig calculated to provide a new
avenue for some evasions of any
uniform wage policy which may be
established. Some basic rates now
in effect if calculated on the basis
of the average production figures
supplied by the operators them-