ber 20, 1943 @: B.C. LUMBER WORKER @ Page Seven B.C. LUMBER WORKER > Published Bi-Weekly, Every Second Monday by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO) DISTRICT COUNCIL NO. 1 Managing Editor: B, J. MELSNESS Holden Building — Phone PAcific 4151 — Vancouver, B.C. sot ke Payments to: IWA-CIO District Council No. 1 Parther ICA Act Room ; Amendments HE I.C.A, Act amendments adopted at the last session of the Provincial Legislature constituted one of the greatest steps forward in the important field of labor relations in many years. Minister of Labor Pearson at that time gave a highly commendable lead. However recent developments show that the Labor Act still has some weaknesses, The recent case of the Boilermakers Union in attempting to obtain action under Section 7 (1) of the Act which outlaws “employer” support of “company unions” quite apparently is ineffective, due to Section 502A of the Federal Criminal Code which deals with the same question. Another weakness of the Act is that it does not classify as an “unfair labor practice”’refusals to sign an agreement with the properly constituted bargaining agency, when negotiations have been successfully concluded, and pro- vide penalties for those who continue to plot against labor by evading collective bargaining in good faith. Labor was not mistaken in its appraisal of the ICA Act as amended. The tremendous organization gains which have been made in British Columbia’s basic industry are proof that the analysis was correct. Further, the unity which was achieved in obtaining the amendments was a good indication to labor of . its power in the political field. With this knowledge, our trade unions must now go forward at the next session of the Legis- Jature and lead the campaign for additional new amendments which will eliminate any remaining shortcomings in the Act. Rome was not built in one day and sound labor legislation will not be achieved over night. However, labor made a remark- able advance last time; and it can do it again, if it maintains and extends the unity achieved last spring. A conference between leaders of the various trade union centres is required imme- diately to start planning a legislative program for next January to initiate a campaign to popularize that program when it has been drafted—and to mobilize the entire labor movement to support it, Queen Charlotte Island Support Day Wc has been said and much has been written in the last two years regarding the Queen Charlotte Island log- gers and their dispute with the operators on the question of a signed union agreement. Many victories have been gained and now the final battle appears to loom ahead. The IWA has named a Day on which it is asking its members and other woodworkers to support finanicially the Queen Charlotte Island loggers. When we look back on the hungry days of the depres- sion we each determine, within our mind, that we will not allow ourselves to be placed in this position again. The ques- tion of signed union agreements within British Columbia’s basic industry is a major problem of today. When peace comes it will take the energies of every Canadian to bring about the proper readjustment, just as today it is taking the energy of every Canadian to bring about that victory to which we look forward. ‘The gains made by Labor in wartime are empty victories if they are to be wiped away by reaction immediately peace comes. Therefore, we say again that signed union agreements is the most important issue facing Canadian Labor today. It is your duty to back up the Queen Charlotte Island Support Fund and invest the money you earn on September 27th in the future of your union and democracy. — Continued Longshoremen BEWARE ‘THE ‘RAPIDS! age wR busy future for Port of Vancouver, when exchange of longshoremen between Canada and the United - States will become necessary. _ Speaking to more than 200 mem- bers of the VWWA, he outlined the setup of the CIO and explained ‘its aims on the coast. ~ delegates of all unions belonging to the B.C. Council of Longshore- men—six in number—at a meeting next week, Austin Smith, secretary of the VWWA, will communicate with Council officers at Victoria, sug- gesting that the meeting be held ‘Along T Skidroad? - By Ernie Dalskog, iWA lhe | Hiring Hall Manager We are glad to hear that the fire which has raged for some four or five days around Comox and Oys- ter River, is under control. Losses are estimated to go well over the half million mark. With the rain beginning to fall danger of forest fire is lessened. It looks like the summer is over. Prevent forest fires. It pays. I have been going over the old files of the B.C. Lumber Worker from way back in ’35, ’36 and 37. I was specially interested in My old friend the Bullcooks column. I wanted to know what made him tick, Why has he been going so strong ever since the inception of a printed paper for the lumber workers. In sizing him up came I came to the conclusion that it’s the snous that he chews that gives him his stamina. If you see a gent, round shouldered and with an under- slung lower lip, for a snous chew- er, that’s him. The identity of the Bullcook has puzzled the readers of the Lumber Worker for many a year. But now you can recognize him. A receding forehead, an eagle beak, and a protruding lower lip, and of course a bald pate, Anytime you are around the Holden Build- ing you might see him hanging around. Most of the time trying to dodge the editor. Talking about hiring halls, I been trying to find out how many there are in Vancouver. Well, we have the Blacks (or blacklist) agency, the Dumaresq, Lamonts, Hicks, Pa- cifie Mills and the government's. Besides we hear there are numer- ous man catchers wandering around the beer parlors trying to get men for individual companies. One of those man catchers has set as soon as possible. himself up in business right across from the Selective Service on Pender street. He is catching for Bloedels. Now you may ask why does the union start one and add tothe number of hiring offices in existence, Well, first of all, we want to get the hiring under the control of the union. Secondly to eliminate chiseling by the hiring agencies, which some of them do. Then, thirdly, we want to build the union and fourthly we want to forever abolish the blacklist. By having control of hiring we can establish greater measure of job security. We can centralize the hir ing and eliminate the now exist- ing confusion. Centralizing of hir- ing would be of benefit to the se- lective service in that available manpower would be placed where it would be of greatest need for our war effort. In the issue of August 23 we wrote about the clause “A” in the boss loggers agreement. The clause reads: “It is understod I have no right to invite or allow any person on the premises or in the camp without the employers’ consent.” We have had legal opinion on it since, and are informed that it is bnding on you, if you sign the contract. So the only way of abol- ishing such a degrading agreement is to not sign the agreement of the boss loggers association until that clause is taken of the con- tract. You, mister logger, can ab- olish it. Last week, Friday, I run into an old friend. Loren Weldon who-used to work in Kelley log. Loren is now in the airforce and asked me to give his regards to the boys in Kelleys and to the members of our union. Loren was also a job steward for local 71 while at Kel- iy’s camp. I guess you fellows know all about wartime restrictions, price ceilings, floor wages and zero wea- ther jobs. All these orders-in-coun- cil affect every citizen. I have to admit that these restrictions do not worry me as much as the news- paper censorship. Believe me, this new editor of ours is sure on his toes. You just can’t get past him. When a writer forgets that there is a war on and dips his pen too deep in the inkwell, he just tells you politely, “I am sorry, but you can’t talk about the snowfall or the windfalls, etc.” Last week I sent in two columns and at the last minute Melsness phones me up and says: “Well, old timer, your articles have been badly disfgured again, better write another one tonight. We are go- ing to press at 9:49 tomorrow.” Says I, “What was the matter with the article about the Queen Char- lotte Island operators?” “Well,” said Melsness, “I asked the censor and he said you mixed too much foreign language with your Eng- lish.” “What foreign language,” says I, “What are you talking about.” “I don’t know,” says Mels- ness. “The censor called in Pro- fane language.” I figured maybe the censor saved me a libel, so I did not get too huffy about it. But when my other article was all chopped up, I goes down to the censorship office to find out what was what. You see I had inter- viewed the IWA delegates on their return from the Sacramento IWA. convention, and I had written up what I thought was a good ac- count of their trip to sunny but “wet” California. Well, boys, the censor greets me with this comment: “I am sorry, sir, you can’t tell the world how overburdened our railway system is. I know your delegates’ speciai train had to be switched off at Portland. I know you were cut off the main train a few times, but they at least go to their des- tination, even if there were only a box-car of sheep and a caboose hooked on to the engine when they finally landed.” “Another thing,” says he. “If a bunch of friends want to get to- gether for a sing-song (and further- more that’s not the right name for it) that is their business. They can sing Sweet Adaline if they want to. Yes, and because one delegate could not sing ‘Fire’ even f he was attached to a fire brigade and tried to branch off into opera, is neither-here nor there.” And before I forget about that convention, did you hear about a certain logger delegate (name cen- sored on account of wife, who af- ter dating the hash-slinger in one of the fashionable Sacramento cafes had the audacity to ask her if she’d buy him supper. “What kind of a succour do you take us Yankees for, anyway. Take out a wolf and pay for its supper?” she replied. Well, boys, that’s the story of Jast week's hard work. Now here is the story of this week. Two prominent B.C. lumber op- erators were sitting together on a No. 7 street car going out to Shaugnessy Heights. I suppose the only reason they were on a tram was that their wife had the “fam- ily car,” the son and heir the “business car,” and the daughter, the “coupe.” In any case as. they Were travelling along, No. 2 Big- Wig say to No. 1 Big-Wig, “How is the union agreement at Batco working out, anyway? I wonder who's going to be the next one to sign on the dotted line?” To. which No. I Big-Wig replies, “Say, you're sitting just near enough to spit on the guy who's likely to sign the next contract with the IWA.”