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Bi-monthly Bulletin Published by The B.C. District Council, International Woodworkers of America, Affiliated to Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

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VOL, XIII. No. 10.
—

VANCOUVER, B.C., MONDAY, MAY 15, 1944

Broadway «=> Printers Ltd.

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Sitka Spruce Members Oust Petition:

Union To Negotiate

Outstanding achievement in a field where Canadian skill and in-
genuity have brought wartime miracles has been the construction
of Frigates in Canadian shipyards, The Frigate is one hundred feet
Jonger than the corvette, is faster and more strongly engined, car-
ries heavier armament, The average cost is nearly $1,500,000. De-
liveries for 1944 are scheduled at a rate close to one per week,
with 44 to be deliver, Above are frigates at fitting dock.

Union and Membership

WA members in the logging

rege
a!

Z
e

i

ported to this office.

From New Westminster comes
the report that the East Indian
brothers at the Mohawk Lumber
Company, who had refused to buy
bonds from anybody except their
Union Business Agent; when can-
vassed by President Percy Smith,
bought a total of $4,600 worth,

Support Victory Bond Drive

Agreement, Wages

©

Meeting Votes 86 Yes, 12 No, to Remove
Petition and Open Way for Agreement

Final settlement of the dispute between IWA Local 1-217
and the Sitka Spruce Lumber Co. Ltd appeared certain last
week after the employees voted 86 to 12 to dump a petition
which a number of the employees had signed requesting the

tl

member of IWA

Death Toll Up

Total. Now 16

The death toll in B.C. woods
his week rose to 16 with reports

reaching union headquarters.

Andy Bergland, loyal and active
Local 1-71, was

management not to sign an agreement with the IWA. Union
officials were confident that an amicable settlement would be
forthcoming soon. The meeting at which the vote was con-
ducted was held in the dining-room in the mill with the con-
sent of the company and was attended by the crew, the bar-
gaining representatives and Mr. James Thompson, conciliation
commissioner for the provincial department of labor. .

The meeting was addressed briefly by District President
Harold Pritchett who outlined the position of the IWA in the

killed on Tues-,
day, May 9, at
Robson’s Camp
on Galiano Isl-

16

Woodworkers
have been and by a rolling
killed in B.C’s| log crushing
lumber in- his body.
dustry since | Wm. Nagle of
Jan. 1, 1944 | McBride, B. C.,

dispute, President Pritchett stated that the union was desirous
of avoiding any conflict which would prove harmful to the war
effort and further .that the union bargaining rights were es-
tablished and would be maintained. Mr. Thompson substan-
tiated these statements pointing out that the union had been
certified and that such certification would remain unless
changed by legal procedure. Mr. Thompson requested the em-
ployees, in effect, to remove in any wey they saw fit anything
which might*We stati@ing in the way of the normal process of
negotiations and the subsequent signing of an agreement.

who was~.flown

to Vancouver from Prince George

on Sunday, May 7, suffering from
a compound skull fracture, died
in the Vancouver General Hos-
pital, May 10. Nagle was caught
in a logging pulley at McBride
on Saturady and had not regained
consciousness. He was taken 150
miles by train and truck to hos-
pital in Prince George, and, fol-

gruntled and
were determin

found it necessary to refuse cer-
tain speakers the floor in order
to maintain order. A near riot
was started when. William Bur-
gess, self appointed leader of
what might be termed the oppo-
sition minority, called upon his
followers to leave the meeting be-
cause of the fact that he could
not railroad his ideas through the
meeting. Mr. Burgess proposed
that any voting should be done
on company time with the em-
ployees ‘called individually off the
job to cast their ballot. (This
would of course allowed himself
and his cohorts time to further
intimidate the employees into;
their way of thinking by threat of
loss of employment which prac-
tice was also used in obtaining
signatures on the petition). The
meeting ended on an optimistic
note with the announcing of the
results of the ballot, and the
Union members expressed confi-
dence in the outcome of the

meeting.

Loeal 217, $100. The IWA Dis-
triet Council has also subscribed
to the amount of $5,850.

Full reports on those camps and
mills which have reached their
quotas has not yet been received
by union headquarters, but we are
confident that our membership
has subscribed to the fullest to
send this important “Put Victory

First” drive over the top

Tt was apparent in the meeting that a small group of dis-
Pitladvised employees, not members of the IWA
ed to sabotage the entire proceedings by dis-

ruptive tactics and stalling and at several points the chairman

lowing a blood transfusion, was
brought by plane to Vancouver.
His wife resides at McBride, A
coroner’s inquiry will be held in
Vancouver.

West May Get Delegate
to World Union Congress:

VANCOUVER, B.C.—The proposal of the Executive of the
Vancouver Labor Council ,CCL), the Shipyard and General
Workers Federation of B.C., the International Union of Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers; the Boilermakers Union and the
International Woodworkers of America to have a western rep-
resentative attend the World Labor Conference in London,
England, on June 5, was endorsed at the regular meeting of
the Vancouver Labor Council
Jast night. The following telegram
was despatched to CCL head-
quarters:

“Reported here Brother Livett
of United Mine Workers unable
to represent the Canadian Con-
gress at World Trade Union Con-
ference (stop) We are particularly
anxious to have a western repre-
sentative believing it to be of great
value to Congress affiliates out
here (stop) Our unions are pre-
pared to finance a western dele-
gate and recommend appointment
of Brother Nigel Morgan, Wood-
workers’ International Board
Member (stop) As time is short
Please advice by wire if possible
and what arrangements.” (Signed)
President E. E. Leary, Secretary
John Turner, Vancouver Labor

See CONGRESS—Page 3

NIGEL MORGAN