a

“the war itself, it became increasingly clear that only intelligen

rtain. security and prosperity.

- because of race, creed, sex or color.”
_ already pledged to

THE B.C.

LUMBER WORKER

. . Published Every Second Monday by
INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO)
DISTRICT COUNCIL NO. 1 J

Editor: JACK GREENALL

* Advertising Manager: MATT FEE
oom 504 Holden Buildimg—Phone PAcific 4151—Vancouver, B.C.
@
‘The deadline for stories for the coming issue is 4 p.m.,
Thursday, October 4, 1945

Unity! Labor’s Goal

Labor unity was never more necessary than it is at this mo-
ment, With the war over, the struggle to win a’ people’s peace is
only just beginning. Evidence that this struggle is going to be an
uphill battle all the way is. beginning to pile up.

The problems of reconyersion, full employment, higher living
standards, and security for all, are not labor’s problems alone; but
it remains a fact that labor must play a major role in achieving
these. The vast majority of Canadian people want the same
security that labor is demanding; and in the main, they are looking
to labor for leadership in the struggles.

Labor has the task then, of uniting, not only its own ranks; |

but also, the ranks of the people generally for the tasks that are
upon us. Veteran and farmer, business man and professional, are

watching labor’s progress and achievements; most of them realiz- |

ing that, if labor fails, they also must suffer.’ The nation’s pros-
perity is built on its payrolls and these must be maintained at the
highest level possible.

During the years of depression preceding the war, and during

fearless action on the part of the government can build and main
Beeause government alone .can
bring about prosperity, by measures perhaps as severe in their
application as those adopted in war time, but designed for a dif-
ferent purpose; then it becomes obvious that political action and
political pressure must be utilized.

political pressure. How to ‘divide and rule’ has been studied by
these people for centuries.

In weging the CCF and LPP, the two political parties speaking
in the name of labor, to get together on a common program, the
B.C. Federation of Labor has set the lead. For purposes of con-
tributing towards clarity in political thinking among our members,
the “B.C, Lumber Worker” is printing a supplement in its next
issue devoted to airing the opinions of the two parties named. It
is hoped that by so doing, we will be able to contribute toward
achieving the unity among our own ranks that we all recognize
as necessary if we are to contribute our full share towards buliding
the National Unity essential for winning victory in the peace.

Minority Groups

In addition to a fruitful discussion on wages, hours of work,
camp and mill conditions, health and sanitation, compensation
regulations and vacations with pay, the Interior IWA conference, held
in Kamloops: last Sunday, dealt with a problem of major import-
ance to the lumbering industry.in B.C., namely, the national min-
ority question.

In the lumbering centres of the Interior, many Japanese and
Doukhobors are members of the IWA, and while the problem of
one differs from the other, each group is looking to the union for
assistance and guidance.

For instance, a loyal Japanese, working in a sawmill, should
he dare protest any condition imposed upon him by his employer,
can be fired and may not then he re-employed in B.C.. He may go
east to help further depress living standards there, or sign a state-

ment-signifying ‘his desire to return to Japan. If he takes the latter |

course, he may immediately be re employed in another mill.

The consequences of this policy on the struggle for better con-
ditions in the interior are obvious. A Japanese may not stand
side by side with his fellow workers in any struggle without the
constant fear in his mind that this action will cause him to be
sent out of the province entirely. The Japanese wha is disloyal
to Canada or who wishes to return to Japan, can remain.

_ The problem of the Doukhobors is not quite so vexing. The
younger members of the sec g
ing good union members. One of the delegates from Nelson, a
Doukhobor, spoke strongly in favor of an effort to bring leaders of
the Doukhobors into discussion with District Officers of the IWA,
for the purpose of bringing about better understanding: It was

his opinion that through the efforts of the Union, much of the iso-

‘Jationism, characteristic of the group, could be eliminated.
‘The conference went on record in favor of “no discrimination
e Members of the IWA are

fight to their utmost for this principle.
See y

ou

Heading Out . «2 bo: s0sou

Reaction is on the warpath; |
and reaction knows all the old tricks, when it comes to applying |

t are joining the IWA and are becom- |

Lest there be those who doubt that the YWA has made pro
| gress during the past decade, the following, taken from the Edi-
| torial page of the Vancouver Sun of April 20, 1934, should prove
| very informative: :

| “LOGGERS STRIKE IS ENDED”

| “Mayor Taylor and the City Council have granted striking

| loggers permission to hold another tag day in Vancouver. ‘The

| loggers raised $3,700 last time and hope to duplicate that

| amount. 3

| “The Council's sympathy with the loggers has reflected

| public sympathy in the past. But the Council should remember

| today that the Provincial Government has provided the basis
of settlment for the loggers’ strike, with a minimum of $3.20

| per day, the wage question has been settled and the dispute

_ now is over the technica], point of camp committees, which

| are really agitator control.

“By granting another tag day, then, the city is taking sides
in the dispute. It is setting up opposition to the government,
after Hon. G. S. Pearson, minister of labor, held his hearing
and gave his findings on the question.

“There are clerks in Vancouver working on commision to
keep off relief, and making less than $10 a week. There are
men and girls working for $10 to $15 a week. The city, by
granting a tag day, is playing on the sympathies of these people
to sustain a dispute which, so far as constitutional authority
goes, is ended.

“The Mayor’s argument is, that it will keep loggers’ depen-
dents off relief. But relief is provided so that people will not
suffer. It is not the issue here. The issue is whether the city
is going to uphold government authority or -oppose it.”
Incidentally, that particular tag day netted almost $5,000; so
hat the optimism of the loggers was not in the least daunted. Also
| who today, is so naive as to, believe that camp committees are
| “agitator control.” Had the writer of the above Editorial ever
rved on @ camp committee, he might have defined a camp com
| mittee as the only means to rectify any grievance that arises in
| the camp or mill.

| The only purpose in drawing sharply to the attention of our
| members, the hectic days of 1934, is to show clearly the need of
| further growth and consolidation of the LW-.A. around the program
of Union Hiring. Union Hifing is the only key to the manifold

i

Hello, boys. Shortly after 2
lpm. a few days ago, I got into
la heck of an argument with & |!
| guy who claims he is a socialist,
| Anyway, you fellows can 2
j tor yourselves. You see is
| guy begrudgingly admitted the
Soviet Union had something but
| was very lavish in his praise of
| Saskatchewan. Anyway, I, lik
Popeye said, “Phooey from me
to you.” pe,

The same day later on, I
meets Morgan on the street
(Morgan doesn’t go into those
places where I do all my debat-
ing) and I jumped him for quit-
ting the IWA to become the
provincial leader of the LPP.
Did I get my ears pinned back?
| Morgan says, “You danged old
| goat, if you think this new task
of mine takes me out of the
|IWA, you got another think
coming. 1 aii a paid up member
in Local 1-71 and 1 intend to
keep my dnes paid up. Look at
the political situation in B.C,
One leader is a white-headed
boy, another a black-headed boy.
‘o why won’t my bald head be a
contrast on the political scene?
But anyway, old-timer, if my
political party’ makes the same
prog) as the IWA has during
the period that I have spent with
| the IWA, then labor's problems.
us I know them, will be present-

}

/

| questions of job dispatching,
|

|
|

Just A MINUTE Z
HAVE YOU CONTRIBUTED
TOTHE. COMMUNITY CHEST 7

i

_ 54 Appeals In One

in each month at 3 pm, The program will consist of ir

discussions of Council and Agency work, | i

Couneil and Community Chest Reports to the
2 5 eae ;

ae

“54 Appeals In One” is the slogan for the Community Chest | Said, “Ol Smit’
Drive and the slogan means just that. Fifty-four agencies receive | What he say he dc
assistance from this chest and each of them is worthy of support. | PY
In order that the public will learn more about the activities sup-
ported’ by the fund, a monthly broadcast by the Welfare Council; % }t of people
has been arranged through the courtesy of Cunningham Drug Stores Bae te ete
on Radio Station CKWX. It will take place on the first Monday :

ed on the floor of the House in.
Victoria. Come what may, I do
intend to make my voice heard
from within the labor movement.
end that, of course, will be the
1WA, my first love.”

Well, that causes me to think
back to the time when Morgan
first came into the labor moye-
ment. I was having just about
all I could to keep our organiza-
tion together at all. Right away.
this young Morgan says, “Here.
‘ll do this” or “I'll do that” and
the load got lighter right away.
The certain part of it is, any-
thing he undertook, he dood it.
It’s no wonder that he became
the able leader he is today; for
lis ability to work and burn the
midnight oil in the interest of —
| the IWA was only one of his
wany characteristies.
Morgan’s role in the IWA has
siven him a clear insight into la~

vs problems onthe America
continent; to which can be ad
| first hand knowledge of wo
labor that he absorbed as a
| gate from the CCL to
World Labor Conference in
| don not so long ago. It must
| Plain that Morgan’s new po
| tion will further the aims—
| objectives of organized labor
| he will carry on the strug;
world labor unity that fi
| source in national labor uni
ithe basie principle of Dis
| No. 1 IWA. by

An old friend of

time deseribing

1

Gar, he
That, my frie

es