&

c LUMBER WORKER

Page Five

and responsib'
Labor celebrates in unity

Labor-management relations are of grave national con-
cern, They involve the question of sound collective bargain-
‘ing, signed union agreements, stabilized wages and a resultant
Stabilizing of industry. But most of all, they hinge upon func-
_ tioning labor-management production committees. With both
labor and management sitting around a common table to
discuss the problem of production our fighting forces need
have no fear that their advance will be slowed for lack of
full supplies. Where such committees are functioning prop-
_ erly, production has generally increased. Where production
is lagging, the lag can still be overcome by the setting up of
such committees.

Falure to settle many labor problems expeditiously has
been due primarily to the lack of sound labor legislation,
providing a medium for collection bargaining and methods
_ of procedure for speedy settlement of disputes, or better still,
the removal of the causes of such disputes, Wherever there
is industrial unrest in a major industry there is a threat to
production and our national unity today.

Tt is the general opinion of the trade unions that our
federal government should take immediate steps to remove
the basis of unrest and thereby secure uninterrupted produc-
tion for the winning of the war. Such steps would include
sound collective bargaining legislation as a basis for the great-
est possible degree of harmony between employers and labor
by granting the right to Canadians to join unions of their own
choice and making it illegal for employers to sponsor or give
comfort to so-called “employee associations.”

Sit

Organized labor in Canada has
made tremendous organizational
advancements in the last year,
and this applies especially to the

province of British Columbia.

Perhaps the greatest contribution
to provincial and ‘national unity
of the people can be attributed to

_ Organized labor in our province,

During the last session of the pro-
vincial legislature, all organized

Jabor in this province regardless
of union affiliation united to-
gether in a presentation to the
provincial government requesting
certain changes in the Industrial
Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
For the first time in the history
of this province, labor was. solidly
united, resulting in the govern-
ments introducing the legislation
that guaranteed to labor rights
for which it had long fought.

BRBOADCASTS
FOR LABOR

CHARLES SAUNDERS

This co-operative action and
harmony, developed on a provin-
cial scale, was duplicated in all
the shipyards of this province
when thirteen unions with differ-
ent national and international af-
filiations, were able to unite upon
the question of improved wages,
hours and working conditions, and
seven-day continuous production.

It is significant to note also

that since the government revised
the Industrial Conciliation and
Arbitration Act, provided the
right for workers to join an or-
ganization of their own choice,
eight thousand hardrock miners’
have joined the International
Mine Mill & Smelter Workers
and have recently signed seven
union agreements with the man-
agement, thereby stablizing one
of the major war industries of
Canada.

These frinedly and honorable
* labor relations established in this
province have provided an excell-
ent basis for future co-operation
and is the means through which
labor this year has successfully
organized Labor Day rallies to
win the war, in the cities of Van-
couver, New Westminster, Vic-
toria, Port Alberni, Trail and
other outlying places.

As further evidence of labor’s
united stability and responsibility

in contributing its utmost to win
the war, conferences have been
held in the City of Vancouver for
the purpose of labor participation
in civic affairs. Officers and an
executive have been established
and for the first time for many
years, labor has now a Civie Af-
fairs Participation Committee,
which will interest itself in such
vital maters as problems of trans-
portation, fuel supply, housing,
ARP, and other issues of vital
concern to the citizens of this city.

* union

Labor Day Greetings

By CHARLES SAUNDERS, President, Dock and shipyard Workers’ Union (CCL)

‘Thousands of newly-organized workers are taking part, as trade unionists, in their first Labor Day celebrations, conscious of their rights
les as citizens of a democracy about to enter upon the most decisive days of the war. 5
today and pledges itself to the tasks of the future. The duty of every Canadian citizen at this time is plain.
the United Nations on the offensive everywhere and an Allied invasion of the European’ mainland imminent, we must unite and intensify
our endeavors to destroy the Axis powers. And none is more determined to bring about this destruction than organized labor.

_ There is no doubt that the key war problme affecting Canada today is: Labor.

Outstanding in this province is
the patience ahd responsibility
displayed by the organized log-
gers in the Queen Charlotte
Islands, whose work consists of
producing the world-famous Sitka
Spruce used solely in the produc-
tion of Mosquito Bombers. For
two years, the employers have
failed to accept their responsibil-
ity by refusing to recognize and
put into effect a government ar-
bitration board ruling favoring
recognition and signed
union agreements. In spite of this,
not one hour, not one day, has
been lost in the production of
airplane spruce since negotiations,
followed by conciliation and arbi-
tration, got under way two years
ago.

The importance of labor in the
war as well as in the post-war
period makes it essential that or-
ganization should -be extended.
Establishment of the full prin-
ciple of collective bargaining car-
ries with it both the opportunity
and responsibility for labor to
participate in the shaping of leg-
islative and administrative policy
with an effectiveness in keeping
with its indispensible function in
the life of the nation. The broaa

-trade union unity established in

British Columbia has proven suc-
cessful in the past year. The
united celebration of Labor Day
in this province is a happy augury
of the future.

The Combined Welfare Aj
crippled children,
fortunates.

linquency.

by the day.

“nurseries and play schools.

ppeal is on behalf of orphans,
the blind, the sick, the aged and other un-

It is also for recration for anybody, not as charity, but as
a community getting together to help: to solve the problems
_ caused by a swollen population and the-threat of wartime de-

It is also for day nurseries and play schools, for young chil-
dren whose housing conditions are bad, or whose mothers work
This again is a community effort since fees col-
lected from the mothers do not cover the cost of these day

_ The Combined Welfare Appeal for Greater Vancouver, with

services.

Private social agencies, some-
thing like private trade ‘unions,
_ are independent pioneers for so-
cial improvements. Once a service
- is established, it is gradually tuned

over to the government, but the
_ work of blazing new trails in so-

welfare goes on. Therefore pri-
social agencies will probably
needed as long as private trade

welfare agencies not only
the gap between govern-
services and human
‘They form a community
in which organized la-
a larger and larger

objective of $501,736, is for all of those things and more. It
© part of a crusade for a better world and better social

share for wider services to prevent
social ills. A day’s pay, once a
year, is not too much to invest in
such an organization. Here, exact-
ly, is how each dollar contributed
to the campaign will be spent;

Thirty-one cents of every dollar
you give is for youth leadership
and recreation to combat and pre-
vent delinquency. Here is an in-

crease of $35,000 in the objective
over last year,

Seventeen and one half cents of
every dollar is for child welfare,
which means two things: (1) place-
ment of orphans, foundlings and
neglected children in foster homes

Welfare Worthy Of Support

or adoption homes so they will be
brought up as normal Canadians
in a normal home atmosphere; (2)
protection of potentially neglected
children, in their own homes, to

avert if possible the tragedy of a
broken home, .

Twenty-five and one-half cents of
every dollar for family welfare and
rehabilitation, meaning service, not
relief, for soldiers’ families and
others in all kinds of trouble. Ex-
pert work to prevent broken homes,
rehabilitation of the blind, handi-
capped persons, convalescents and
ex-prisoners.

Seventeen cents of every dollar
for health services, These are main- |
ly specialized or preventive serv-
ices such as Victorian Order of
Nurses, Crippled Children’s Hospi-
tal, Grace Hospital, Columbia Coast
Mission, Preventorium, and Chinese
Health Clinic.

One cent of every dollar for mis-
cellaneous agencies such as League
for the Hard of Hearing, and eight
cents for central services, including
cost of this campaign, collections,
year-round administration, social
planning and research.

“In Freedom’s Holy Name”

ORGANIZE B.C.
LUMBER 100%

i

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