- October 4, 1943 Ox: B.C. LUMBER workzr® B.C. LUMBER WORKER Published Bi-Weekly, Every Second Monday by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (clo) DISTRICT COUNCIL NO. 1 Managing Editor: B. J. MELSNESS Room 504 Holden Building — Phone PAcific 4151 — Vancouver, BC. Make Payments to: IWA-CIO District Council No. 1 CCF Affiliation | OSes the Canadian Congress of Labor recommended to individual unions they consider affiliation to the CCF. It was significant that not one voice in the whole Convention was raised against affiliation as such to the CCF, which is generally recognized today could become a powerful medium for the political aspirations of labor. However, objection was raised to the resolution on the basis that the CCF Party is far away from its original “Regina Manifesto” federation struc- ture and doesn’t allow for a democratic affiliation at the present time. At the last B.C. Convention of the CCF, proposals for unions to affiliate were defeated, and a committee established to study the question. But even those who favored affiliation, put restrictions upon the trade unions and it is against those restrictions that objections have heen raised. In Ontario where many of the unions are affiliated, and in Nova Scotia, where the miners are affiliated, restrictions are such that they amount in simple English to labor paying a per capita for all its members to the CCF but having very little to say in the formulation of policies or in the election of candidates. The conditions laid down are, that when a local union affiliates to the CCF it cannot elect any delegate to represent that Local to any policy-making Convention or nominations, who is not, in addition to being a member of a CCF-affiliated union, also individually a member of a CCF club. Thus it means that only a handful of their members, and jn some cases, no members at all, are eligible to represent the Local Union at a CCF Convention or Conference, while the ‘Along The ( Skidroad’ NIE \e. Everyone knows that Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox were the pride and joy of the great northwest. But not many know though that Paul, is logging eastern Siberia now helping “Uncle Joe” clean up the Nazis. In fact this afternoon into the Union Hiring Hall walks a guy who, until reeently was working with him. Interesting, some of the characters you run into round here! . He says Paul doesn’t have the Blue Ox any more. “Babe” always was a sucker for caviare, and one day a while back she got too much of it. Bellowed and feebly passed away. So Paul started “electric logging” in the most modern Soviet style. He uses a big magnet with enormous power on the sky- line. The loggers morely-drive a railroad spike into each log, and the magnet draws them up like a smiarm of bees clinging to a twig. The magnet will lift a log with a spike in it from a distance of three to four hundred feet. Why, it has lifted as high as 418 logs in one turn, according to my friend! The loggers have to be careful about carrying around any- thing made of iron or steel, or they will be carried off by the By ERNIE DALSKOG IWA Hiring Hall Manager “Howoanshe SPY REPORTS — PEOPLE CANRDA VERY much oF oe ON PEOPLE SING SONGS, 7 DISARMED. PEO I" } Pass AMMUNITION Teen. RGISER CRO. "puea se, ICH! KoKo fey Loggang OPERATORS PASS HowormABsE, Buck * J whole union is paying per capita. This most certainly violates the Constitution of the IWA and most CIO unions, because in our organization all members have equal rights and our equal responsibilities, and no outside body has the right to come into our union and tell us who amongst our membership can be elected to represent that membership, Now this is more than just a technical question. Labor should not just be a sort of “cash register” for any organization (mo matter how worthwhile its obligations may be) and pay per capita and endorse programs in Convention. Labor, if it is to be affiliated and be responsible for a certain program and policies, should and must have a democratic voice in the form- ulating of policies, to safeguard labor. Because that provision is not made by the CCF today adoption of the Congress’ re- commendation by Local Unions will have to be given further consideration. Condition for affiliation of labor unions to the CCF should be the same as that which prevails in Great Britain, where the trade unions affiliate and vote by block membership in the British Labor Party. The trade unions must be the basis of any real labor party and we must urge and endeavor to influence the CCF to become what it was set up to be, a federation broad enough to unite all trade union and farmers organizations, so that all Canadian workers and farmers can affiliate and fully participate on a democratic basis. That is the only way that we can ensure the building of a real farmer- labor organization so that all labor can stand united and achieve victory. INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY (E right of the working people of British Columbia to organize | into trade unions of their own choice, to bargain collectively for the purpose of entering into agreements relating to wages, hours and working conditions, is provided for in both Provincial and Federal legislation. Yet today this right is being denied to B.C. lumberworkers by certain reactionary lumber barons and the “open shop” employers associations. This current “open shop” campaign of the B.C. Loggers Association is a direct threat to the economic welfare and democratic rights of all the working people of B.C. ‘The subversive activities of these reactionary employers and their henchmen threatens to rob B.C. labor of the very rights for which this people’s war against fascism is being fought, the Four Freedoms of the Atlantic Charter. B.C. labor has loyally supported Canada’s war ‘effort, refrained from use of the strike weapon, generously supported Victory Loans, Red Cross and other worthy war drives. Labor has sincerely endeavored to establish efficient Management-Labor co-oper- ation, in spite of the luke-warm or even hostile attitude of many Today the powerful Loggers and Sawmill Operators Associations, have Jong dominated the political and economic life of this . are openly defying the labor legislation of both the B.C. 4d Dominion governments, flatly refusing to sign agrements of any with their organized employees, and encouraging the Queen magnet too. They were warned about that, but nobody thought about shoe calks, so the first trip out the donkey-puncher gets a signal from the whistle punk right off, and reeled in only to find 132 loggers hanging head down with their calks glued to the magnet. The engineer lost his head and cut off the current, dropping the whole works head-first into the river. Fortunately nobody was hurt, my friend relates, not even the engineer, for by the time the gang scrambled ashore he was well on his way for home. You know with the demand for men that our Union Hiring ‘See ALONG THE SKIDROAD—Page 8 Charlotte Island spruce operators to refuse to sign a contract with the union of their employees’ free choice; and this mind, even after a Government Arbitration board has proposed a signed agreement with the union in their award. For two years the Q.C.I. loggers have patiently maintained the production of vital airplane spruce while attempting to secure recog- nition of their union through the medium of a signed agreement. Now these operators, these dollar patriots, encouraged and abetted by signed statements of a number of other big lumber interests have even gone so far as to threaten to lock them out. Is this war for democratic rights at home and abroad to be fought in vain? Are our sons and brothers ,to return from overseas to be thrown back on the labor market at the mercy of open shop em- ployers and company unions Is industrial democracy to be denied to them too Are the lumber barons going to be allowed to continue to dominate the lives, welfare and the political life of this Province in defiance of the laws of the country? Labor is sick and tired of being given the run around, in order that big corporations may continue to pile up profits at the expense of labor, and deny even industrial democracy to the workers on the production front. We appeal to workers'in and out of the lumber industry, and to the general public of B.C. to stand behind the Queen Charlotte Island loggers in their endeavors to secure those things for which this war is being fought, one of which is industrial democracy, and to abolish once and for all this system of industrial feudalism, which is a phen- omena unknown in other democracies but common to all the fascist states, Hitler certainly could find little to disagree with B.C. lumber operators in their “totalitarian” attitude to the trade union movement. e yy, 7 SVE, Hello, Boys! You fellows can thank the lead- ers of the district council and par- ticularly H. Pritchett and N. Mor- gan for my still being on the job. You all know how long I have been fighting for an increase in sal- ary. Well, last month Morgan ‘tells me, “You come up around the end of September. We will have an executive meeting and see what we can do about doubling your salary.” ‘Today I walks in the council sanc- tuary and managed to corner Prit- chett and Morgan at their desks. They give me the usual greeting and I answered, “What about that increase in wages?” Morgan beams up, “Sorry, old man, but we didn’t have time to draw our own pay cheque this month, let alone hold a meeting.” Right then I get mad. I let go all I knew in both English and Profane~and finally quit right there. Well, sir, Pritchett straight- ens, walks up to me and in a surprised tone says, “Listen old- timer, do you realize that we haven’t had a minute to urselves around here for two months? Do you know about the Queen Char- Jotte Island struggle? Do you rea- lize how busy we have been on this case? Meeting after meeting with operators, with government officials and QCI delegations. In between this I have to fly to Ot- tawa, Morgan has .to fly to our own convention down south and Dalskog has to go to Rupert. And this is only a part of it. Day and night delegations from sawmills, sash and door factories, plywood factories and shingle mills are in and out of our office to get their problems solved. Why, man, your problem is small in comparison and more than that you want to quit. Say, what would you think of Ilya Ehrenburg, William Shirer, Erich Severied or Cecil Brown if they just up and quit over a little grievance? Why, they have a duty to perform just as you have. They enlighten the people with their war news and comments. “Your job, old-timer, is just as important. You deal with the home front, and right now we are in a serious struggle. Just think of the QCI loggers. What if you quit? It would mean that The Lumber Worker would become a fourth rate paper.” “Just a minute,” I said. “Just a minute.” For the first time since I haye known him, Morgan was not showing his gold bridge. He was swallowing hard. Says I, “I’m sorry, boys. I appreciate your judgment. I did not realize you fellows rated me with the high light reporters. Say, let’s forget about that two dollar a week in- crease.” Well, boys, this means that I am still with you, so here is my story of the week. A bunch of sailors after drifting for several days on a raft landed on a desolate island which seemed inhabited. They start- ed to look for food and after comb- ing the jungle and beachés for several days they finally sighted a corps dangling from a gibbet. At this sight they all shouted: “Thank the Lord, we are finally approach- ing civilization.” So long, boys. The Arrowview Hotel at Port Al- berni has been leased by Bloedel, Stewart and Welch, Ltd., for the exclusive use of company em- Ployees. Action was taken to off- set accommodation problems creat- ed by the housing shortage. Direo tion of the newly acquired property will be under Mr. T. Noble of the personnel department.