j

day

December 20, 1943

THE B.

Cc. LUMBER WORKER

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

504 Holden Building — Phone PAcific 4151 — Vancouver, B.C.
Make Payments to: IWA-CIO District Council No. 1

CCL Affiliation

bea of Canadian labor is the cornerstone of any firm
structure of national unity, ‘so all-important today if we
are to win the war, and make secure the peace. Only by ap-
praising what unity means in the life-and-death struggle we
are engaged in against fascism what unity means in the struggle
for a better and fuller life for the Canadian working people,
can we properly estimate the importance of the reaffiliation
of the Canadian membership of the International Woodworkers
of America to the Canadian Congress of Labor.

Obviously today if the principles of peace, security and
freedom for which labor the worl dover is giving of its sweat
and its blood are to be secured, there must be international
Sabor collaboration. Particularly true is this if it is to be done

the shortest possible time with the least possible loss of life.
And yet how can we have international labor unity without
national labor unity?

unity of labor. In this direction reaffiliation of the eight B.C.
unity of labor. I nthis direction reaffiliation of the eight B.C.
locals of the IWA-CIO with a combined membership of thirteen
thousand is an important step—one which will be of inestim-
able benefit to the membership of both the International Wood-
workers of America and the Canadian Congress of Labor.

Affiliation to the Congress nationally, and to the local Labor
Councils in each respective district, provides a meeting place
for the discussion of common problems, and coordination of
action with trade unions in other fields and industries. No
Jocal union can actually carry on its work effectively without
district, national and international affiliation. It is through this
that the political and economic strength of the labor organiza-
tions of a particular area can be mobilized and directed with
force. It is only through such affiliation, and the cooperation
of all unions that the organization of the unorganized can be
coordinated, properly geared and given strength. The Centtal
abor Councils and the national Congress watch out for the
well-being of all unions and disseminate information-necessary
to the protection and advancement of all CCL affiliates.
Through centralization this can be accomplished with a mini-
mum of cost and a maximum of efficiency. Provincial legis-
lative problems can best be solved through a united movement
‘of all B.C. labor, as was amply demonstrated with the ICA
Act amendments last spring, and likewise Federal legislative
problems can be tackled much more practically and effectively
by an organization including all unions throughout the Do-
minion. |

For these reasons the reaffiliation of the IWA Canadian
locals to the CCL is an important forward step. It is one that
should be followed up immediately by the affiliation of each
local to their respective Labor Council of the CCL, the send-
ing of a full quota of delegates, the payment of per capita
obligations, and through this working to build a powerful, pro-
gressive, militant trade union movement in B.C. and through-
out Canada. Remember the age-old slogan, “IN UNITY LIES
OUR STRENGTH!”

10,000 Woodworkers
Under Contract

| Depend 1943 has seen the unprecedented development
of the placement of ten thousand loggers and sawmill
workers under full union agreement in the lumber industry of
British Columbia. After some eighty years the “Open Shop”
has been broken, and the right of the workers in this great
‘hirty-thousand-man industry to collective bargaining, signed

ments and recognition of the union of their own choice,
has been fully established. The new agreement has been hailed
as one of the biggest forward steps for organized labor in Ca-
nadian history, but even this achievement can be dwarfed by
the task ahead for 1944 of organizing the remaining twenty
thousand workers in the industry and helping them to obtain
the benefits of union agreements too. Vacation with pay, job
security through seniority; time-and-g-half for overtime-, Sun-
work and holidays; recognition ,of grievance, safety and
juction committees as well as numerous other benefits
been established for those who are covered by the new
industry-wide contract. These same conditions can be estab-
lished for the other camps and mills immediately they become

_ Room

~ eertified in accordance with the Industrial Conciliation Act

of BC., which requires that the union have a majority (51

BUT, DAD, HAROLDS A GORPORAL AND HE SAYS THE GOVERNMENT! 4

\

(WANTS US TO SAVE ELECTRICITY.” = =

percent) members of the union in good standing for at least
three months, on the job.

Organization of the unorganized is the big job ahead for
4944! For certifications cannot be obtained without organiza-
tion, and likewise agreements, improved conditions, and_pro-
gressive legislation cannot be obtained without it either. Your
job and my job, fellow woodworkers, is to make OUR union
grow in membership and in power. This can be best done by
attending union meetings regularly, by meeting our financial
obligations to the organization promptly, and above all, by
seeing that the union functions on every job. We need the
IWA, and the IWA needs us—So let’s make it thirty thousand
strong by December 1944!

Seventh Convention

CHEDULED to meet in New Westminster on the second

and third of January, the Seventh Annual Convention of
District Council No. 1, IWA, will be the most important that
has yet been held. The first and most important task facing
the delegates will be that of adopting a program designed to
effectively assist in bringing about the speedy and complete
defeat of Fascism. The United Nations, as a result of recent
meetings of their leaders, have now achieved the necessary
unity and coordination of forces to accomplish Victory and it
will be the duty of the delegates to this convention to see to it
that our union assumes its full responsibility in respect to the
war effort. While the news is certainly heartening this is no
time for over-optimism, there is still a long way to go before
victory, and wood is still an important war material.

During the past year many gains have been made by the
IWA and these are the result directly of our added strength.
The signing of the District-wide agreements was not accom-
plished because of the work of any individual or because the
operators suddenly became big-hearted. These gains have
been made because our union has now grown and is recognized
as a force within the community. The gains which we make
in the future will depend on the added forces which we can
rally to the ranks of our union. Therefore the second task
before us is the adopting of a program of organization for the
coming year that will accomplish for us one hundred percent
unionization of our industry in the province.

While it is hard to separate between the importance of the
various problems with which we are faced we must realize that
first things come first. One of the major problems facing labor
today both on the national and international scale is the estab-
lishment of real labor unity. This is an issue on which the
forthcoming convention must take concrete’ action. The unity
which has been achieved in the past has served well in obtain-
ing for labor its just demands, and in the future it must be
strengthened and consolidated.

There will be many other decisions made at the convention
which will be important to the members during the coming
year but we feel that these are the most outstanding: Victory,
Organization and Unity. Let us launch a program and then go
back to the job determined to carry it out. That is the road to

success.

Hello, Boys:

Xmas mail generally brings me
greetings from old timers I have
known for years but yesterday I

received a letter from a young
fellow working at Bloedel’s. He
wrote me a nice letter telling me
about the union activity around
his district and wound up with the
following which I quote:

A very well known anti-union
foreman passed away and was
summarily consigned to Hell. (He
is still much alive and his name
is Harrold Bronson.)

Down and down he descended
to the nether regions where he
was graciously welcomed. Then he
was shown into a luxurious lim-
ousine and driven smoothly along
well ordered streets, through parks
perfectly laid out and finally drew
up to a palatial hotel. 3

He was shown to an air condi-
tioned suite and a smart maid,
dressed very conveniently, poured
out a noggin of his favorite bev-
erage “Lemon Hart” rum. After a
bath and a brush up he. felt a
little peckish and wandered into
one of the beautifully appointed
dining rooms. The service was be-
yond reproach, the wines excellent,
the food an epicure’s dreom.

“But surely,” he said to the
waiter, “There must be some mis-
take, this can’t be Hell!”

“Oh, yes, Sir,” replied the wait-
er, tentatively wiping a tiny green
button on his lapel. “It’s not like
it used to be before the unions
got this place organized.”

“I can't dodge .the Union,” he
screamed, “Even. in Hell, but I
won't recognize it? I won’t recog-
nize it!” He then falls, frothing at__
the mouth, on the floor, only to be
awakened by Satan with a hot
pronged fork, jabbing at his pos-
terior.

“Sign on the dotted line,” says
be ,Devil, “and here's your But-

‘on.

Well, Boys, all I can say is that
I enjoyed this young fellow’s let-
ter. More than that I figure his
story is good enough to print.
That's something. Now that I have
done that I know that he won't
mind a bit of advice from an old-
timer like me. I can appreciate a
joke about any _bull-of-the-woods
Bronson’s type, but telling jokes
about him will not put him in his
place before he goes where all
men of his type should go. :

When a big company like Bloe-.
del’s decides to deal with the IWA.
and then one of their penny-antii
foremen swears up and down that;
he will never deal with them it’s;
just about time that he changedi
his ways. Of course Henry Ford!
swore he would never recognize:
a union also; but it seems the
pouches they are the harder they
all.

Let me remind you of the
Negro’s prayer, “O Lord, keep me
to understand that you ain’t goin’
to let nothing come my way that
you and me can’t handle together.
The moral is “Don’t let anything
come your way that you and the
IWA together can’t handle.”

Speaking of Negro prayers re-
minds me of the Negro porter who
was called from his home to go
out on a night train. The train
was cancelled so he came home
and to his wife’s surprise went
into the bathroom and began to
strop his big razor. When asked
why he replied, “Mandy, if those
shoes under the bed ain’t got feet
in them, I’se goin’ t’ shave.”

Merry Christmas Boys, and re-
mind Santa to hide his Reindeer
when around the Franklin River
district because it is reported that
deer ‘round that neck of the woods
have had a hell of a time ducking

Sten-gun fire,