— ACROSS CANADA — THEH B.C. LUMBER woz A ROUNDUP OF CANADIAN LABOR NEWS - 4 3 _ Smelter Workers, “Then we will be prepared to place the question of wage scales for the industry as a whole be- fore the War Labor Board,” Mr. Murphy explained. The two representatives who have been engaged in organizing employees of the Consolidated Min- ing & Smelting Co., report that a majority of the company employees at Kimberley have already voted in favor of the union and that the active membership at Trail is al- ready close to 50 percent of the total eligible workers in the smel- ter. COMMITTEE DISBANDED. The Cooperative Committee, which has been the employees’ or- ganization since 1917, has been dis- banded at both places, they said, but the company is now laying plans to form a company union. Mr. Murphy explained that the Cooperative Committee had taken a vote of employees at the Trail smelter to check their stand on an organization sponsored by the com- mittee. “There were no polling booths, and the ballot boxes were carried through the plant from one em- ployee to the next and he voted on the job,” Mr, Murphy said. “Tt took eight days to complete the voting. The results announced were 1977 in favor of the company union and 1881 against it, REFUSED TO HELP. “The department of labor was asked to take part in the count- ing of the ballots, but refused. "They also asked us, but we re- fused on grounds that had no rep- resentatives at the voting. “The employees in the mine and mill at Kimberley also voted, but ; it was on a different basis there. ‘The ballot paper had two ques- tions: ‘Do you favor an organiza- tion formed by the Cooperative Committee?” and ‘Do you favor the __ International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers?’ “At Kimberley the majority vot- ed in favor of the union.” Mr. Murphy declared that the basic wages at the Consolidated plants were very low. “There are five kinds of bonuses that nobody has yet been able to figure out,” he said. “Theoretically the men get one day off in eight. ‘They are supposed to have two ‘days off after working 14 days. ‘But often they are called back to on these days, too. There is no extra pay for overtime. \1r WORKERS’ REQUEST. ‘Mr, Powers said that the union organizing the Canadian mine ; Election In Steelworkers: Win. East Miners Membership Skyrockets Plans for unionization of employees of all of Canada’s big mining companies were un- folded Friday in Vancouver by two officials of the International Union of Mine, Mill and H. Murphy, international representative of the union, and Charles J. Powers, board mem- ber for the Pacific Coast states and British Columbia, declared the union planned to organize the industry throughout the Dominion. TORONTO.—The second defeat in recent weeks was ad- ministered the AFL International Association of Machinists when the United Steelworkers of America won an election at Prairie Airways, Ltd., Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The vote was 431 for USA, 127 for IAM, and 131 for a company union. Pre- viously the UAW. decisively defeated the IAM at de Havilland Aircraft. workers at the request of the workers themselves. The union, he said, is organizing workers of the International Nick- el Co, at Sudbury, and organiza- tion of Granby employees at Cop- per Mountaian and Allenby has been completed. Representatives will also visit other B.C. mines. He declared the union was not trying to make trouble between employers and the workers. There had been no work stoppages in mines of the United States, where the union is the bargaining agent, since Pearl Harbor. Toronto A\rmament Workers Favor C.L.O. TORONTO.—The greatest arsenal in the British Empire came into the trade union fold this week when the majority of the 13,500 workers of the John Inglis ordnance plant designated the United Steelworkers’ union as their bargaining agent in negotiations with the management for a collective agreement. The workers chose the steel union in a government-supe: vised secret ballot over the International Association of Machin- ing relationships between manage- ment and employees in order that the utmost possible production may be achieved. A further objective will be the working out with man- agement of plans for post-war em- ployment for the thousands of In- glis workers now engaged solely on war-work.” GOWT OWNED. The John Inglis plant is owned by the federal government and is managed by the John Inglis com- pany. It is separate from the John Inglis Commercial Division, which is owned privately by the company. The vote at Canada’s largest single war plant was seen as a victory for trade unionism and a sign of the great surge of Cana- dian workers towards labor organ- ization, Continuing the phenomenal pro- gress it has experienced in recent months, the United Blectrical, Ra- dio & Machine Workers of Ameri- ca won an election at Defense In- dustries Ltd., subsidiary of the Du- pont interests, by a vote of 3,648 to 405. : Five ‘elections in a row were won by the UAW in the Windsor area with a total of 1,318 to 577. The most spectacular victory was won at Wallaceburg where the UAW defeated a company union by 235 to 199. The workers stood solidly behind the UAW despite intimidation through the presence of 100 pro- vincial police in the town during a strike in another plant in which efforts to obtain an election failed because of a lack of legislation. ists. Results of the” voting showed 6,691 ballots for the steel union and 1,044 ballots for the IAM. Immediately after the results of the ballot were made known Ea- mon Parks, steel union organizer, announced “the management has been requested to meet the union's representatives in conference to arrange for the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement.” ‘The agreement between the com- pany and the two unions under which the vote was held pioneered the way for settlement of similar jurisdictional disputes. The com- pany agreed that the union gaining a majority would be recognized as the workers’ bargaining represen- tative. Both unions agreed that after the vote the losing group would call on its members and sup- porters to join the union selected by a majority of the workers in order to build a single, united or- ganization in the plant. “The United Steelworkers,” Parks said, “recognize the seriousness of its responsibility as the organiza- tion of Inglis employees. “Our immediate aim will be the establisiment of harmonious work- Serie Wass Sc per Issue UNIO OMT Who would have thought this stuff would ever be useful to us. READ “THE PEOPLE” LABOR’S VOICE for VICTORY Published at 104 Shelly Bldg. — Vancouver, B.C. $2.00 a Year Oshawa Unions Report Progress In Agreements OSHAWA, Ont.—One week’s holiday with pay was won for the employees of the Robson Leather Company by Local 205, International Fur & Leather Workers Union, under a recent contract renewal provision with the tanning firm. One of the highlights of the agreement signed by General Motors and Local 22, United Automobile Workers Union, was the full recognition of the union and its shop negotiating committee. Other features in the agreement, including the 9-hour day and 44 hours week, will be continued as well as holidays with pay provi- sion. Arrangement is also made for sharing the work on a 36-hour week basis in case of curtailment in production. Local 521, Radio and United Electrical, Machine Workers LIGHT CRUISERS Always the BEST - ° Ask for them in the Commissary Or Order Direct from A. W. JOHNSON & CO. 10564 West Pender Vancouver JOHNSON'S Union, after its election victory in the Ajax munitions plant, has pre- sented a draft agreement to the company and negotiations are now in progress. Local 1817, United Steelworkers of America, expects to have its agreements with Fittings Limited and the Ontario Malleable Iron Company, renewed by the end of the month.