Official Publication Internationa] Woodworkers of America,, B.C. District Council No. 1 Vol. XIV. No. 21. VANCOUVER, B.C., OCTOBER 8, 1945. (354) 8 Hour Day Now Est Interior Lumber Operations nk aR, et Pickets on the job at the Ford auto plant in Windsor, Ontario. President of Local 195, UAW, and Liberal-Labor MPP for Essex-North. Beside him is Roy Eng. land, President of Local 200. Workers and picket lines have been established on a 24-hour gates, to prevent strike breakers and thugs fromentering the On the left was Alex Parent, The fight for union security is spearheaded in the strike of the Ford basis at each of the company’s 11 plant. Ford Strikers On “Front Line’’ In Battle For Union Security As 11,000 Ford Motor Company strikers enter their third week in their battle to break down the feudal Ford system of labor relations, support is assuming national pro- portions. AFL, CIO, CCL and Independent unions quickly recognize this strike as the biggest and most decisive battle to determine the whole future of post-war unionism and working conditions. Picketing of the sprawling 245- acre plant has assumed mass proportions, with over 1,000 pic- kets at the main gates in the early morning hours. Picketing is organized by shifts, with gates picketed seven days a week, 24 hours a day. No workers are appearing to report for work, and office workers last week left their lunches to pickets and went home. Top company officials have been unable to gain ad- mission into the plant, and war- rants for violation of a section of the Criminal Code have been issued to at least one picket. ‘The Canadian Congress of La- ———— bor special committee conferred in Windsor and issued a state- ment urging the Government to enact labor legislation making it impossible for anti-labor mon- Opolies to flout the legitimate de- mands of labor. At the same time, the CCL Committee is act- ing to mobilize its 250,000 org- anized workers for full financial and moral support to striking Ford workers. Many AFL unions have indicated support, and the Essex County Building Trades Council will not pass the picket lines, thus holding up any work which may be contemplated in connection with the half-million dollar addition to the Plant. Windsor merchants have in- serted half-page ads in the local Press indicating their full sup- Port to the strikers and going on record as seeking the main- tenance of wartime take-home pay as the only means of con- tinuing prosperity in the city. A Citizens Committee has been organized, embodying the local elergy, business and professional men. Citizens of every walk of life have lined up in this struggle to avoid Windsor becoming a ghost town. The officers of the B.C. Feder- ation of Labor are calling a delegate conference for Sunday, October 14, at 10:00 a.m. in the Boilermakers Hall, to set up a Ford Windsor Strike Committee to mobilize financial and moral support, = a blished Victory For IWA. Clears Road For Interior Contracts The International Woodworkers of America has scored another victory with respect to hours of work in the indus- try. Cancellation of regulation No. 1 which permitted hours in excess of eight hours per day and the 48-hour week in the interior will come into effect October 31, 1945. This means that after that date the lumber industry throughout the entire Province will be on Broad Group : Meets Cabinet A broad delegation. represent- ing labor, veteran, civic, church and business organizations, ar- rived in Ottawa last Monday and met with the Cabinet to press for inclusion of labor’s four point program and reconversion plans of federal authorities. The delegation, which includes official representatives of the provincial government and civic administrations, is asking for the establishment of a 40-hour maxi- taum working week, with no re- duction in take home pay; imme- diate reconvening of the Do- minion - Provincial Conference; severance pay for laid off war workers and maintenance of the shipbuilding industry in B.C. Unanimous agreement on la- bor’s program marks a distinct victory in maintaining pressure for realization of a united front for labor, government, and man- agement in directing an appeal to Federal authorities. Since the Vancouver Labor Council first called the great mass meeting in Capilano Stadium, close on the heels of the first big layoff, the trade union movement has taken the initiative in fighting for im- plementation of a realistic pro- gram to meet the situation. Veteran organizations, quick to realize the importance of maintaining a close alliance with organized labor in this crucial period, have consistently sup- ported labor in its demands. De- cision of the provincial govern- ment to pay expenses to three labor, one veteran and the min- isterial association delegates to the meeting with Ottawa offi- cials, as well as financing a rep- |zesentative from the provincial government is to be highly com- mended and marks an additional victory for labor. the same basis. The action of the Industrial Relations Board came as a re- sult of official hearings in the cities of Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops and Prince George, in which the Interna- tional Woodworkers of America argued in favor of the eight- hour day and the forty-eight week being instituted east of the Cascades, With the passage of this order all obstacles are removed for the signing of industry wide agree- ments for many certified opera- tions under the jurisdiction of the six interior IWA Locals. The employers in the past contended that such agreement could not be entered into unless they em- bodied a fifty-four hour week. Three Killed; Toll Now 37 The death toll in B.C. lum- ber this week rose to 87. Andy Griffin, hooktender at the Oscar Nei- 37 mi Camp, and popular mem- Woodworkers | ber of the have been IWA, was kill- Killedin BC’s | ed September _ lumber in- | 29, when a sap- dustry since ling struck him. A belated report was received this week by the “Lumber Worker” of the death of An- drew O. Alain, chokerman at the Oscar Niemi’s logging camp at Britain River. Alain was set- ting chokers when a log rolled and crushed his foot, He died a month later, June 19th, from a blood clot in the lung. An’ old-time, well-known mem- her of the IWA, Alex Bialobrocki was killed in Kelly's Camp, Church Creek, Q.CL., _ while working on a cold deck pile. A log slipped and crushed his chest on October 5 at 2:30 pan. Jan. 1, 1945