THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER January 24, 1944 British Unions Protest Woll Anti-Soviet Stand LONDON, Jan, 13. (ALN)—The charge was made last week by AFL vice-president Matthew Woll that the British Trades Union Congress, in calling a world labor conference in London next June, is attempting “to smuggle communists into an internation meeting through the cellar door,” has been sharply criticized by TUC ledaers and influential sections of the British press. “The decision of the AFL not to attend the London conference confirmed, will cause deep disappointment here,” the London Daily Herald, official TUC organ, declares in an editorial. “As our general secretary, Sir Walter Citrine, said recently: ‘Unless. the international trade union movement can show itself capable of rising above its internecine difficulties, how can agreements be expected from governments?’ ” The Manchester Guardian, in an editorial entitled “Moscow Bogy,” states: “There is a touch of@- === —— the ludicrous in the AFL’s project-|#@nds or corrupting its mind. ; Commenting on the AFL’s view 4th invi- ee cee coe Tica \that if eannot associate with the Russian unions because they are not “free unions,” Reynolds News, official organ of the eight million- cooperative movement says: “This argument is false. Trade union freedom, like all other freedoms, is not abstract and un- alterable. It is relative. In a social ist economy, where the main task of the unions is no longer to de- fend wages from’ the clutches of, profit, it is bound to differ from western standards. What is un- alterable is the common interest of working people the world over, whether their skins are white, | black or yellow. Their voices can be heard only through worldwide unity of their great trade union, cooperative and political move-) ments.” Ebby Edwards, chairman of the Trades Union Congress, ‘told Al- lied Labor News: “We want the } AFL to attend the conference, just as we want the CIO, Railroad Brotherhoods, United Mine Work- ers and all other organizations to be present. The AFL has the same tation. seems, because the Russians have been invited. The AFL is all in favor of recognizing the Russians by fighting on the same side and by permitting Roosevelt and Hull to meet with them. But it’s not in favor of allowing Green and Woll and other AFL leaders to sit in the same room with them. Sen- ators Wheeler and Nye always tremble when an American gets near an Englishman, for fear may- be of being ‘outsmarted.’ Green and Woll feel the same about the Russians. “Whenever the Russians have been at an international confer- ence, Woll says, it has immediately become ‘part of the popular front apparatus of the Soviets.’ So that if six Russians came to London, the result would be the same— even if Woll and all his committee were there to handle them. The risk of infection, he considers, would be too great. On this question,” the Guardian concludes, “the AFL does not speak for Am- erican workers. The CIO, its rival The AFL won't attend, it) istrong body, is in favor of the London |PPortunity to place questions on conference. Latin American Workers (CTAL) also has no fear of soiling its The Confederation of|the agenda as the Russians, As the conference will be purely con- sulative, with the findings not SEE “WOLL”—PAGE 8 _——— Loggers, Shipfard Workers, Lab- orers,-meet your friends at the REX CAFE Ltd. Where All Union People Eat HOME OF TASTY MEALS Westwell’s Cafe If Unemployed, You Can Collect Insurance; Here’s the Way! So that our members may know something of the manner in which Unemployment Insurance functions, we are giving you herewith the information issued by the Commission in their handbook for employees, and obtained from other sources. As soon as you are unemployed, you should report to one of the offices of the Commission. If you are a tradesman, re- port to 808 West Hastings Street; if a helper, report to 300 West Pender Street ;and if a lady, report to 734 West Hastings Street. < You will be directed by the counter to your appropriate sec- tion, where you will produce your separation (NSS 120 or NSS 208). If you are already registered, your card will-be drawn, and if not registered you will furnish full particulars for registration to the officer. If there are any orders in the office for your type of work or for any other suitable work, you may be given a permit to go to the new job. If they have no suit- able work. for you, you are en- titled to file a claim for Unem- ployment Insurance benefits. If you wish to make this claim, you should so inform the officer. Re- member that this is your right as you have paid for it through your contributions, but you must con- form to the statutory conditions and the regulations laid down by the Commission: your claim before your benefit days begin. No payment is made for these nine days, and they must be’ served once in each benefit year. Sundays and statu- tory holidays are excluded. You cannot receive your first benefit cheque for at least three weeks from the day you file your claim. You must call to sign the Un- employment Register when re- quested to do so, but at least once each week. When you sign the register, you certify that for the days you sign for, that you were unemployed (did not earn over $1.00), that you were capable of working and available for work and that you were not physically incapacitated or sick enough to prevent you from accepting work. In the first benefit year, you are entitled to receive one day’s bene- fit for each five days for which contributions have been made, subject to the statutory minimum ‘of 180 days contributions. The benefit year ends when you have exhausted these days to which you are entitled, or after the lapse of one ‘year from the date the bene- fit year commences, whichever is the earlier. A second initial claim may be filed when you prove that you have been in insurable em- To make application for benefit, you must first prove that you have made at least 180 days contribu- tions in the two years immediately preceding the claim, and that you are capable of and available for employment. You must also: (a) Deposit or make arrange- ments to have your Insurance Book deposited at the Commission of- fice. ployment and contributed an ad- (b) Sign an Unemployment | ditional sixty days since you filed Register. your initial claim. (ce) Complete the claims forms.| The rate of benefit is based on (d) Furnish whatever. evidence|the average rate of the contribu- in support of your claim that is|tion, There is a rate for a single required by the Commission. person, and another rate for a (e) Agree to report to the Local|person with a dependent. “De- Office on the days and times re-|pendency” may be claimed only Benak i i quested. for a wife, husband, or child under a3 eae PAST HASTINGS ea MEE} | ‘There are nine unemployed|16 years of age, and must be prov- ‘waiting days after you have filed|en by certification of certain de- SODA FOUNTAIN fined “responsible persons.” In Toys China 00009S | ine case of a claimant who has Fountain Pens M, W. COOK GREEN Phone No. 1 Box 574 DUNCAN, B.C. DUNCAN The Island Drug Co. BERT MENZIES, Prop. Your Prescriptions Carefully Filled DuBARRY Lentheric and Lucien Lelong TOILETRIES Colognes NYAL Family Remedies Mail Orders Promptly Sent Out Just Downstairs from 1.W.A. Office DUNCAN, B.C. Phone 212 Box 397 ~ . Light Lunches Confectionery — Souvenirs — Magazines — Tobaccos contributed in the highest class throughout employment, the bene- fit rate is $12.24 per week for a single person, or $14.40 per week $ for a person with a dependent. i Under certain conditions a elaim- HAVEN ant may be disqualified for receipt of benefits for a maximum period of six weeks. This disqualification = NG, R. H. Ormond Plumbing — Heating — Sheet Metal Roofing . . . Automatic Stokers Air Conditigning Roofing Materials Automatic Pumps Pipes, Valves, Fittings PORT ALBERNI, B.C. Shop Phone — 180 Res. Phone 868-X will date from the day following separation, in applicable cases, The chief causes are: (a) Participation in a labor dis- pute which causes a stoppage of work, for so long as the dispute continues. (b) Refusing to accept an offer of suitable employment. (c) Has been discharged for his own statutory misconduct. (d) Has left his employment voluntarily without just cause. Any decision of disqualification made by the Insurance Officer eal be appealed to the Court of Referees, on which court organ- |izea labor is represented. A claim- ant, if a union member, may have a Union representative appear at the hearing. Under certain condi- tions, the decision of the Court of Referees may be appealed to the Umpire, whose decision is final. No disqualification as above .de- prives the claimant of any money. It is merely a postponement of his benefits, and when the dis- qualification period ends the claim is reviewed and reinstated, subject to the claimant appearing regu- larly: and signing the register, and if there are no further grounds for disqualification, In computing the number of days a claimant is entitled to bene- fit, all contributions made are cal- culated for a period of five years prior to the date of the claim, and, if the first claim, he is en- titled to draw benefit for one fifth of these contribution days. On the second and subsequent initial claims the same method is used, but from the ascertained time they deduct one third of the number of days for which benefits have been paid in the preceding three years. It is thus seen that failure to file a benefit claim while temp- orarily unemployed does: not de- prive the claimant of any of his benefit rights, as these accumu- Jate for him for the five year period and may be drawn on when the need may be greater. All insured persons are warned that it is their duty to properly pretect and safeguard their Insur- ance Books. A book number is allotted to insured person when first employed in insurable em- ployment, and this number is con- tinuously maintained by the em- ployee. If a book is lost or de- stroyed, it may be difficult to establish past contributions. Al- ways obtain your book from your employer on separation, so that you will have it in your posses- sion to take to your new employ- ment, or for purpose of making a benefit claim. ————e Back the union by join- ing now!