Page Four

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B.C. LUMBER worke®@®

October 18, 1943

IWA REJECT CCF TERMS OF AFFILIATION

At its last quarterly District Council meeting, District Coun-®
cil No. One I.W.A.-C.I.0., unanimously rejected the proposals
of the C.C.F, for affiliation. The main discussion on the ques-
tion centred around a letter to Bert Melsness, I.W.A. Secretary,

which reads as follows:
Dear Sir:

I have your letter of the 30th
ult., enquiring as to the “provi-
sions regarding affiliation in-
cluding basis of representation.”

At present, no trade union is
affiilated to the B.C. Section of
the CCF. The B.C. Section has,
however, the power to accept af-

filiation from economic organiza-
tions whose jurisdictions do not ex-
tend beyond the boundaries of
British Columbia.

At its last convention the CCF
of this province considered certain
amendments to the constitution,
concerning trade union affiliation.
The convention approved these in
principle but tabled them to the
next convention, so as to afford
further opportunity for study of
the matter involved.

The chairman of the convention
stated that, in his opinion, and ap-
plication from a trade union for
affiliation could be entertained at
any time, That is the view taken
by the provincial executive. The
terms on which any such applica-
tion may be accepted, it may be
pointed’ out, would be subject to
any constitutional | amendments
made by the next or any subse-
quent CCF convention.

In any arrangements governing
affiliation of the trade unions to
the CCF, the CCF would stipulate
that the following principles be ob-
served:

1. That the affiliating body ac-
cepts the principles and policies
of the CCF and agrees to abide
by its constitution and by-laws.

2, That representation of af-
fiflated bodies at the CCF con-
ventions shall be based on the
paid-up membership of the union
and that the delegation of any af-
filiated body to any CCF conven-
tion shall not exceed ten in
number.

3. That delegates of affiliated
bodies to CCF conventions shall
be members of the affiliated
body who have been members of
the CCF in good standing for a
period of at least three months,
prior to the time of acting as a
delegate.

4, That dues of affiliated bodies
shall be five cents per member
per month, payable to the treas-
urer of the CCF, B.C. Section.

Yours very truly,
Frank McKenzie, Secretary.

After discussion the delegates
unanimously adopted a statement
of policy prepared by the execu-
tive committee (which appears
elsewhere on this page).

‘The following is a point by point
analysis of the CCF proposals for
affiliation delivered by Harold
Pritchett, president of IWA-CIO
Distriet Council No. 1.

This matter should be settled
as far as our organization is con-
cerned. The first part of this com-
munication is very confusing. It
states that the matter was first of
all tabled at the CCF convention,

but in spite of this, the provincial
tain applications for affiliation.

Now, let us examine this com-
munication point by point:

“I. That the affiliating body ac-
cepts the principles and policies of
the CCF and agrees to abide by its
constitution and by-laws.” ... We
can agree with that. Anybody in
the trade union movement can
agree with that point, especially
on the basis of the Regina con-
vention where the Commonwealth
executive, and this includes the
convention chairman, will enter-

to the Brotherhood of Carpen-
ters and Joiners as B-class mem-
Hutchinson and received in re-
turn a mere password every three
months. We had no voice or rep-
resentation in convention. When
we came into conflict with an
employer, instead of Bill Hutch-
inson coming down to help us,
he came down to sell us out.
That was the main reason why
we left the Carpenters and Join-
‘ers in 1937 when | was made In-
ternational president. We don’t
go for taxation without adequate
representation. No outside or-
ganization can dictate who we are
going to send and how many.
Certainly not to set ‘a maximum
of ten.

“3, That delegates of affiliated

revenue for the C.C.F. and,

the C.C.F.

and abroad,

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON AFFILIATION
WITH THE C.C.F.

Unanimously adopted by IWA District Council Meeting,
October 10, 1943

Replying to our request for information relative to
trade union affiliation to the C.C.F. in British Columbia,
the proposal set forth by the Provincial Executive of the
C.C.F. is absolutely undemocratic and a complete depar-
ture from the usual trade union procedure of taxation
with full representation, providing a handsome source of

to leave the final selection of this inadequate representa-
tion to the final judgment of tthe Provincial Executive of

Tt is essential now that unity be established between
all labor organizations, irregardless of affiliation; and
such unity be extended into the political field in the in-
terests of the working people of this Province.

Therefore, the C.C.F. Provincial Executive should im-
mediately take the necessary steps to provide the means
of trade union affiliation on a sound, democratic basis
in the interests of the working people and farmer-labor
unity, so necessary to defeat the forces of reaction at home

at the same time, proposing

Federation was set up—a federa-
tion of all progressive organiza-
tions moving in the same direction.
Unfortunately, however, the CCF
has not lived up to its own consti-
tution as far as the federated or-
ganizations is concerned. But we
can agree on that point.

“2. That representation of affili-
ated bodies at CCF conventions
shall be based on the paid-up
membership of the union...” We
can agree on that. Our organiza-
tion, of course, cannot affiliate to
any body unless they pay a per
capita tax.

“... and that the delegation of
any affiliated body to any CCF
convention shall not exceed ten in
number.”

Certainly we don’t agree with
that clause. When in the history
of labor did labor ever give up
its right to demand from any-
‘one—be it the employers, the gov-
ernment or parties like the CCF,
the right to be represented, and
having gained that representa-
tion, be allowed to pay tax and
be represented on a democratic
basic? We couldn’t violate our
constitution to that extent. Our
constitution requires that we have
certain democratic representa-
tion in our own organization and
that any officer or any local
union that violates that constitu-
tion is subject to penalty, in-
cluding expulsion. That is why
we left Bill Hutchinson of the

Carpenters, We were affiliated

bers. For many years we paid 25¢
per member per month to Bill
bodies to CCF conventions shall be
members of the affiliated body
who have been members of the
CCF in good standing for a period
of at least three months prior to
the time of acting as a delegate.”

Certainly we can’t agree to this.
It means that if we affiliate our
ten thousand members in this
District to the B.C. Provincial Ex-
ecutive of the CCF, you can’t go
to CCF conventions as a dele-
gate from the IWA unless you
hold a membership in a CCF
club. However, | have experi-
enced on my own part that the
provincial executive of the CCF
will not permit membership to
certain persons in their club, so
in this way they deny you the
right to representation or to rep-

resent the membership that
elected you. We cannot go for
that.

“4, That dues of affiliated bodies
shall be five cents per member
per month, payable to the treasurer
of the CCF B.C. Section.”

I don’t believe an organization
can operate on.the basis of two dif-
ferent dues payments. It never
has functioned and it never will.
The coal miners affiliated in Nova
Scotia on the basis of 2c per mem-
ber per month and here in B.C,
they are asking 5c per member.

Let us look at this in an intelli-
gent way, without any animosity
to any individual of the CCF. Sup-
pose we affiliate our ten thousand
members to the CCF in B.C. This
gives us representation on the
basis of 80 delegates for ten thou-
sand paid-up members. At this
rate, we would pay per capita for
only 80 delegates to the sum of six
thousand dollars per year. These

80 delegates, according to the state-
ment here, would have to be mem-
bers in good standing of a CCF
club, besides being in good stand-
ing in the union and besides being
elected by the memBership to go.
Suppose we did affiliate and paid
six thousand dollars a year and
sent 80 delegates, the Provincial
Executive would still maintain the
right to challenge the right of any
elected delegates if they have not
been members of the CCF three
months prior to election. So, if
you were a member of the Labor-
Progressive Party or the Socialist
Party, the Liberal or Conservative,
or any other party, you could be
denied the right to represent your
union membership in a CCF con-
vention, because you didn’t hold
membership in a CCF club three
months prior to your election.

I don’t think labor will give up
these rights, because that is what
we are fighting for on the economic
front with vicious employers op-
posing us, and on the political
front, with governments opposing
us and we are not conceding it to
any small group like the Provin-
cial Executive of the CCF. I can’t
visualize labor giving up those
rights.

But this doesn’t mean that we
can’t affiliate if a democratic basis
is put forward for such affiliation.
If there are CCF members in our
union, and they are entitled to be
members of the CCF, they should
get busy and democratize their or-
ganization. The sooner this ig done,
the sooner the CCF will become a
real democratic organization, to
which all labor can affiliate — a
real labor-farmer organization
which would sweep all reaction
aside whether it be at home or
abroad.

Continued

SUPPORT FUND

Charlotte Island Strike Fund are
really rolling in from logging camps
on Vancouver Island, particularly
in the Cowichan-Youbou-Duncan
area, where Brothers George Graf-
ton and Tommy McDonald have
been doing an excellent job, at-
tending and addressing meetings at
each operation explaining its pur-
Pose. Latest report to come in
from this area is that all eight op-
erations of the Lake Logging Co.
have unanimously voted to support
the “day’s pay” proposal, and es-
tablished committees at each camp
to take up the collection. Over
seven thousand dollars to support
the Queen Charlotte stand are ex-
pected to be received from these
Sub-Locals alone.

Last week the committee sent
out a special QCI Support Badge,
which will be given to all people
donating a day’s pay towards the
fund. The badge is in the form of
a service button and is one that all
union men and women will be
proud to wear.

Donations of one day’s pay may
be sent to the QCI Support Fund
through any Local or Sub-Local of
the IWA or may be sent directly to
the Fund in care of the IWA Dis-
trict Council No. 1, 504 Holden
Building, Vancouver.

Wear the QCI service button and

Continued

STRIKE

Charlotte Island strike is illegal,
International Board Member Nigel
Morgan stated today:

“The Queen Charlotte Island
loggers have complied fully with
all the requirements of the law
throughout the two years of this
dispute. Order-in-Council P.C.
7307 requires that where a Con-
ciliation Board has submitted its
findings to the minister of labor,
if it is the employees’ desire to
strike or to take a strike vote,
they shall notify the minister. If
the minister is of the opinion a
cessation of work would interfere
with the effective prosecution of
the war, he MAY order a strike
vote under the supervision of his
department within four days.

“The union not only notified the
minister of labor, Humphrey Mit-
chell, by registered mail of the
critical situation and of the re-
quest of the loggers for a strike
vote, but on at least three occa-
sions has actually asked the gov-
ernment to conduct the ballot. On
September 7 the IWA sent Dis-
trict President Harold Pritchett
to Ottawa by plane to personally
present this request to the De-
partment of Labor. In view of
the fact that no order was issued
by the minister, the union was
acting within its rights in pro-
ceeding with its own secret ballot
vote, The officers and member-
ship of IWA-CIO Local 1-71 are
not only acting in strict compli-
ance with the law, but as every-
one knows, have bent over back-
wards throughout the more than

to help organized labor win this

two years of negotiations that
have taken place. The IWA has
established an all-time record for
patience in Canadian labor re-
lations in this dispute and has
done everything possible to bring
about a peaceful settlement and
avoid any situation which might
in any way impair the war effort
and undermine worker morale.”

Asked if there were any chances
the Queen Charlotte Island strike
might spread to the whole of B.C.
lumber, Morgan replied: “The log-
gers and millworkers are thorough-
ly fed up with the attitude of the
lumber operators. There are doz-
ens of arbitration boards being ap-
pointed by the provincial govern-
ment; they are costing thousands
of dollars to deal with, and in each
one exactly the same issue as that
in the Queen Charlotte Island dis-

; pute is involved.”

In a statement issued by District
President Harold Pritchett this
week, exposing the operators’ offi-
cial statement contained in an ad-
vertisement in the Vancouver daily
papers, he said:

“The statement of the operators
that they refuse to contract with a
body in which they have no con-
fidence is a direct repudiation of
the Harper Conciliation Award. It
is the crux of the whole dispute
and until the Queen Charlotte Is-
land operators accept the Harper
Award, the loggers still stay on
strike.” .

A half page. advertisement ap-
peared in each of the Vancouver
daily papers last week, endorsed
by 61 of the most important labor
leaders in British Columbia, fully
endorsing and supporting the posi-
tion of the IWA in the dispute.
It declared in part:

show that you are doing your part

very important struggle.

See STRIKE—PAGE 5