Page Four

©... B.C. LUMBER WORKER :

October 4, 1943

a

(October Ist, 1943)

Sawmill Wage Scales

V.L.M. LT.M. AP.L. F.M. C.W.P. H.B. Paldi
Boom Man . 70 75 70 196.00 = 70 75
Boom Man Helper 65 = - = — 75
UBT ee 85 85 90 90 85 85, 85,
Leverman _ <2 AE RCe a 68 70 - 70 .70 = 75
Jie ut | Si ena aaa 95 98 90 98 30 95 85-95
Trimmer Spotter —. 70 70 - - 72-75 - .65-.70
Log Scaler _.. 68 70 —- 83% 83% => 70
Head Sawyer — = 1,60 1.60 = 1.50 = 1.50-1.60
Tail Sawyer 70 70 7292 = 70 70 75
4 Edgerman 1.07% 1.10 107% eS 1.00 1.00-1.07
Marker Resaw ~_. 68 872 — i — .75—.80
Green Chain Marker . = 80 75 - 80 = 75-80
Marker Timber 72Y2 - 87%2 - — = 75
Resaw Jump Rolls - 70 70 70 70 - 70
Re-sawyer —___.__ 70 90 83 80 85 - 85-90
a Resaw Feeder a 69 65 70 - 70 _ 70-75,
Hog Operatot SE a 61-65 6.80 ae 85 = 65
Bull Sawyer - _ 70 70%2 70 — 75
Clean up _. —— 157-65, — 70 65 - 60-.65
‘ Timber Deck Peavyman —. = 65-.70 _ = 65 - 65-70
- 65 70 70 — 65 75 70
Green Chain Pullers .. 65 65 70 70 70 65 65
Green Chain Stencil . = 65 67 - 65 _ 60
"3 Planer Foreman =— 250.00 8,35 - ~ - 1.00
% Planer Graders __ el 75 75 _— 73 - 75
Planer Feeders .. - 70 70 75 70 - 70
: Planer Tie-up - _ 70 572 — 65 - 65
Planer Trim Saw .. - 63-65 672 69 87 - 70
Planer Pullers (Chain) . _- 61-70 —- 75 65 = 65-60
Car Loaders _. 65 70 70 70 70 70 70
. Box Car Loaders _ 65-65 =- 70 65 70 65
a Crane Men .____. 73-87 90 90 90. 82 - 90
Crane Hookers - 65-67 70 © 65-75 - 68 - 65-70
Carrier Drivers _ 80 80 — 82 - 80
Head Filer —__ fd 1,82 - _ - - 1.65
Chief Engineer = = 10.00 — - — 250.00 per mos.
Third Engineer - -— — _ — — 85
Firemen —  .65-.70 70 75 70 76 70 75
Oiler . 67% 70 75 .73-75Y2 —_-.80-.70 - 75
Head Millwright .70-.82Y2 85 $110 95 - 90 95
Millwright Helper __. ue 65 75 15 = 85 aad 75
Shift Electrician —. 70 75-80 80 — 89 75 75-80
Construction Carpenter’s Helper 70%-.75 85 90 88 95 85 60 & 75
Laborer Pe SS 57 65 - — 65 - 60

Gov't Order Freezes
High Priority Labor

The Goernment’s latest labor control order was scored by
labor leaders as inadequate substitute for a proper man-power
policy and the type of regimentation against which the United
Nations now fights. Announced by Labor Minister Mitchell the
Order, effective immediately, freezes male workers in A and
B priority industries and places any change in their employment
at the discretion of the National Selective Service. It is estim-
ated that between seventy-five:

thousand and one hundred thou-|
sand men are affected by this order |

208 must be completed for cr by
each and every employee who the
employer wishes to dismiss, or who

in Vancouver and those parts of|
the province under jurisdiction of
the local National Selective Office
stated Horace Keetch, manager, in-
eluding practically the entire wood-
working industry.
Formerly employees® could not
move to another industry without
a permit from Selective Service.
Now they cannot even moye to an-
other employer, whether quitting
or being fired, without a Selective
Service permit. Nothing, however,
prevents either employer or em-
ployee from applying to the Local
_. Selective Service Office for a per-
mit, and if a satisfactory reason
ean be given, should be granted.
‘Your employer or any office of Se-
lective Service will be able to pro-
vide you with copies of Form NSS
208 for application.
Pursuant to the provisions of Sec-

tive Service Regulations, form NSS

me ~

tion 202A of the National Selec-|

jwishes to terminate his employ-
‘ment. It must be mailed to the
Vancouver office of the National
Selective Service, 425 Howe Street,
Vancouver, which in due course
will aceept or reject it, Briefly, this
means that all male employees
covered by the new regulations
may not quit their employment
without permission in writing of a
Selective Service Officer. Corres-
pondingly, they may not be dis-
missed without such approval
either.

Continued

ARBITRATION

| pany. The IWA produced an agree-
ment between Mr, Hunter’s Win-
ona Investment Company of Bel-
lingham, about which Mr. Hunter
had previously claimed he had no
Imowledge. The evidence of Mr.
Hunter's that this Bellingham com-

Three Boards Of
Avhbitration To

Start Hearings

Arbitration Boards for the Vic-
toria Lumber Manufacturing Com-
pany, Industrial Timber Mills and
Comox Log are expected to com-
mence hearings shortly.

In the V.L. & M. case, IWA At-
torney John Stanton and the com-
pany’s representative, unable to
agree upon the choice of a neutral
chairman, referred the matter to
Minister of Labor George Pearson
September 25 for an appointment
in accordance with the provisions
of the ICA Act. Services of the
Pacific Coast Labor Bureau Di-
rector from Seattle have been ob-
tained for the V.L. & M. dispute
and President Worth Lowery is ex-
pected to arrive in Vancouver
shortly to assist and participate in
presentation of the union’s case.

In the Industrial Timber Mills
case, where William Stewart rep-
resented the IWA, and the Comox
Log, where Birt Showler is the
union’s nominee on the Board, the
labor minister is also being asked
to name the chairman.

pany had had an agreement, since
1940,- with the IWA without any
trouble whatsoever, seriously chal-
lenged the company’s alleged fears
of the consequences of signing a
union agreement. Mr. Hunter’s ad-
mission that he had no problems
that could not be straightened
around with union officials in Van-
couver except on the question of

OUR TASK

By H. BERGREN, First Vice-President, IWA District No. 1

In the last few weeks an improvement in the war situation has
taken place that points to an early and decisive defeat of Hitlerite
Germany. On the Eastern front the invincible armies of the Third
Reich are in headlong retreat, suffering tremendous losses in men
and equipment under the sledge-hammer blows of the victorious
Red Army. Italy, collapsing when .
the Allied armies invaded Sicily, has
now become the battleground
where our troops are engaging the
enemy.

This is very heartening news.
They place upon the horizon of the
near future the prospect of an end
to the war in Europe. A partial
transformation of wartime to peace-
time industrial production will take |
place, bringing industrial disloca-
tion. Possibly the lumber industry
will be less affected by this than
any other except for the fact that
there will be an “influx of new
labor forces. An industry only partially organized will be a
fertile field for competition. It will give the powers that be the
opportunity to shirk their responsibility. The door will be wide
open for wage cuts and worsening of conditions.

If these situations are allowed to arise we can expect a lower- |
ing of the morale of the labor movement. The resistance of the
lumber operators, the QCI for example, and the reluctance of the
Federal government to enforce collective bargaining upon the
employers’ point very definitely to what the plans of the big
business interests may be.

In view of the relatively favorable position we are in regard-
ing these future events, the workers in the lumber industry will
in no small way decide what the future wilt have in store. This
of course will be emphasized also by the fact that lumber is B.C.’s
Jargest and most important basic industry. We may say that
where lumber goes so will B.C. go. So wherever you may be or
intend to do, you will be affected by the relative strength or
weakness of our union.

This raises the question of what ARE we going to do? The
answer to this question is simple. The difficulty will be in its
execution. But the task will have to be accomplished and it CAN
be done! The approximate twenty-five thousand woodworkers |
will have to be organized. Contractual relationship in the form
of signed contracts between the employees’ bargaining agency,
the union, and the employers, defining wages and conditions will
have to be established. Union hiring will have to be brought
about on a much broader basis than we have today. We will,
to the last man and woman employed, have to learn to use our
ballot more effectually than we have to date.

This is part of the struggle to win the peace. It is part-of the
struggle that is imminent to force the economic adjustment that
is necessary for the economic stability of our nation and security
of our people. The war with all its terrors and sacrifices has
thrown open the floodgates of social progress. They will re-
main open, only as long as we avail ourselves of this oppor-
tunity. If we don’t, we will drift inexorably back to the hungry
thirties.

Continued

Q.C.I. DISPUTE

ment will be reached before the

commisson for the purpose, of in-
vestigating any situaton which in
his opinion appears to be detrimen-
tal to the most effective utiliza-
tion of labor in the war effort. The
commission shall report its find-
nigs and recommendatons to the
Minister of Labor, who may take
such steps as he deems necessary
and desirable to effect such recom-
mendations.”

Severe penalties for non-compli-
ance are also provded in the Order-
in-Council. é

Union officials are standing by
for the frst meeting with the com-
missioner, Mr. Justice Richards,
Monday morning at which time the
procedure will be established.
Meetings will probably follow with
the operators’ representative im-
mediately, when it is hoped a settle-

union recognition, and that he had
got along pretty well with the
union representatives, also was a
strong point for the IWA.

|deadine set by the QCI crews
(Morgan’s, Kelley’s and Pacific
Mills) for the following Thursday,
Oct. 7. :

Officers of Local 1-71 weleomed
appointment of Justice Richards
and wired the Department of Labor
in Ottawa assuring their full co-
operation in the interests of reach-
ing a fair and peaceful settlement.
However, the QCI crews are grow-
ing extremely impatient, and un-
less immediate action is forthcom-
ing, a strike cannot be avoided.

“The QCI loggers are standing
by their demand for a proper union
agreement,” stated Nigel Morgan,
“and these ‘phoney’ memorandums
being put out by the bushel by the
operators are definitely not ac-
ceptable. Our members want a
collective agreement the same as
workers in every other industry
and they'll not give up until they've
got one,