THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER Published Every Second Monday by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO) DISTRICT COUNCIL NO, 1 Editor: BERT MELSNESS (on leave, Canadian Army) Managing Editor: JACK GREENALL Room 504 Holden Building — enone PAcifie 4151 — Vancouver, B.C. The deadline for stories for the coming issue is 4 p.m., Thursday, August 17. CCL Convention Decisive Without doubt the coming convention of the Canadian Congress of Labor will be the most important ever to be held by this body. With the destruction’ of Hitler fascism only a matter of months or pérhaps weeks away the problem of adjusting the labor movement to peace condtions will be paramount. During these crucial war years Canadian Trade Unions have given a magnificent example of main- taining all-out production, and their no-strike policy in the face of provocations from some employers, and glaring weaknesses in gov- ernment policies. Labor's total war policy has been decisiye in this country's record-breaking production of ships, planes, guns, motorized equipment and other war essentials. As a result of the leading role unions have played in advancing Canada’s total war policies, membership of trade unions has almost trebled during the war. That this tremendous growth and influence won during these years of war may be utilized toward the building of a fuller life for Cana- dian -people is the main consideration facing trade unions today. ‘Two separate schools of thought are advanced as a guide to future trade union activity. One, holds that depression, strikes, civil strife with the consequent weakening of the trade union movement will follow the declaration of peace. The other, and the one upheld by the IWA in B.C,, is that of advancing through national unity -and peaceful means the welfare of this country and the world. Through its constructive policies put forward and fought for. during this war period the labor movement has increased its influence tremendously. There is no doubt that a continuance of this policy of no strike coupled with aggressive political action, such as is now being carried on by the CIO in the United States, will ensure the winning of wide sections of the Canadian people behind the labor movement for a national policy that will guarantee the fulfillment of the perspec- tives for world reconstruction agreed to at Teheran. The task confronting Canadian unions in this coming convention is that of working out and clarifying such a‘ policy for the coming period. The IWA delegation with its oustanding record of union building behind it will undoubtedly contribute decisively to the for- mation of such a program. 100% Organization Now By JOHN WAINSCOTT, Sec’y, Local 1-118 Now, more than ever before in the history of the world, working men need a strong trade union. The individual work- er is powerless to obtain demands for himself and his family alone, in the facé of the great obgenized! financial and industrial institutions. Imagine one logger or mill worker, among two or three hundred in a camp, making demands for shorter hours, better working conditions, improved safety conditions or higher wages. There is always one ready answer: “If you don’t like it, quit.” \ Individually, what can we do? What can any non-union worker do to advance the interests of all wage-earners. Only a trade union, uniting the strength of all workers in the industry, can give the protection and obtain those things which. individually we need. Many unorganized workers have already gained tremendously from the efforts of the organized workers in the other camps and mills, and in the shipyards. Holidays with pay were un- heard of only a few short years ago. Wages have been increased, and still can be increased in cases where they are below the ceiling rates. Working conditions have been improved. Safety committees have been established to take care of the workers limbs and lives, already reducing the death rate in the woods in a period when more lumber has been produced than SSB before in the history of the province. If we desire improved labor legislaton, national health in- “surance, and a guarantee of full employment after the war, we must organize NOW. 100 Percent Organization of the Indusry, and the full participation of the membership in the affairs of our union, is our surest guarantee of democratic, orderly pro- gress, Importance of the Union Shop By TOMMY McDONALD Now is the opportune time for every member to realize the importance of the Union Shop and what it will mean to the entire membership of our Union, insofar as deciding our future welfare. To the majority of our members the words “Union Shop” is only a trade union phrase; merely a couple of words, that if inserted into an agreement will mean the forcing of holdouts to become dues-paying members. Technically speaking this is what it means, but practically, Every member must become Union Shop conscious, and they can only do so by fully under- standing the importance of a Union Shop. The Union Shop clause em- bodied in an agreement is the answer to every real trade union- ist’s prayer. It is the only means of making diehards pay their share for the beenfits received through organization. | Without having the union shop, these one or two back-riding individuals found in every operation receive the same conditions as the mem- bers who are paying and working to get them. This causes much discontent, and usually results in some of the members dropping out, of the union. The most im- portant part, however, is the fact that the organizers and business agents have to spend most of their time keeping the members (al- ready in the union) paid up in their dues, with the result that very little time is left to organ- ize the unorganized. It is of the greatest importance that the whole industry be organ- ized as soon as possible, but this is very hard to do without the as- sistance of the Union Shop. It is only through the 100 percent or- ganization of the industry that we will be successful in gaining shorter hours of work and the many other things we have_as our objective. Tremendous strides have already been made in organizing the in- dustry, when we consider the way the membership of the IWA has trebled itself in the past year. However, much more remains to it means much more. be done. The large field in the Interior of B.C. is still left un- touched, while in Eastern Can- ada there are approximately 50,- 000woodworkers whose wages and conditions are far below ours. The present membership of the IWA must fully realize that it is part of their job to see that these unorganized sections of the lum- ber industry in Canada are organ- ized as soon as possible, and their wages and conditions brought up to a par with the standards we have established here through or- ganization, ~ The Union Shop clause inserted in our 1945 agreement will make it possible for the organizers to move into new territory and estab- lish the union in a minimum of time and thereby complete the task of organizing the industry in very short order. Yes, fellow members of the IWA, the Union Shop must become a MUST in our 1945 agreement. It is the keynote of our future. It opens the door to the complete or- ganizing of the industry, which must be accomplished in orded to guarantee steady employment, maintenance of decent living stan- dards, and shorter hours of work, In short, the most important im- provement of our present agree- ment is the insertion of a Union Shop clause. With it we can go forward to progress. Without it there is the possibility of going back to pre-war conditions. There- fore, it is the duty of every mem- ber, to talk, eat and sleep “Union Shop” from now until it becomes a part of our industry-wide agree- ment, “Welcome back”, Hello, Boys! From now on I am vote all my time to leave the liquor alone. 1 figured that I needed some ing sometimes and that 1 iE use stimulants. Well, sir, week I have had news all know haw I have been for years to get more recognit from our editorial board. 1 really got a break until a» ago, when some of the in Local 80 brought in a 1 tion at the meeting conde: the bullcook for his article on ¢ “Saskatchewan Trek.” heard the news I went straight the editorial rooms of The n- ber Worker and started in: “ look here, you fellows! Did hear about this resolution of 80? How come they did not « sure the editor in the board? they went after me. What doe mean? Simply that they aly read my column, They reco the -whole industry. They 1 that the power of my pen n make the loggers and mill cautious over deserting their home and city to take in the Cal gary stampede, for instance,” No, boys, the fact that I the centre of publicity at your la meeting puts me in a_positio where I can now demand a ¢ in pay. I know that the 98 percent — who voted against me being cen- sored will vote 100 percent for me when I introduce a resolution to raise my: pay three bucks a month. Do you know it is just beginning to dawn on me when the editor was telling me he was thinking of putting my column on an inside back page. Up until now my col-) umn is on the same page as Mo gan’s, Pritchett’s and the editorial column, I think these people f that if my ‘column was on a d ferent page their writing woul get more attention. Well, if the want more prominence let th use large type print for their « umn. I'll leave mine where and as it is. While I am quite pleased non-aggression clause” you ai in my favor I feel that I will hav to choose my stories more dise ly, I had one in mind negro parson, but I am I told you about it some one think I was. anti-religious or vinistie so I'll tell you the about Joneses. Mr. and Mrs. Jo! were talking about’ their | neighbor. Says Mrs. Jones: been having an awful fight 1 am not convinced as yet right or wrong. About half folks think Mr. Jones is 1 a lot of them take Mrs. part.” “Well,” says Mr. suppose there’s a few fools that minded their ness and never spoke : at all.”