LUMBER WORKER “Interior Activities FROM CRANBROOK, NELSON, PRINCETON, KELOWNA, KAMLOOPS AND PRINCE GEORGE Elect Sande Business Agent At Prince George Harold Sande was selected as Business Agent for Local 1-424, Prince George, at a special meeting of the Executive of that Local held on September 30. He was the unanimous choice of the Execu- tive Board and was hired subject to the endorsation of the next * FORMER DISTRICT SECRETARY TO ASSIST INTERIOR LOCALS Bert Melsness, former secretary of IWA-CIO B.C. District Council No. 1, was appointed by the quarterly meeting of the council held on Sunday, October 7, to assist interior locals of the IWA with their administration problems. Bert Melsness, who arrived in Vancouver Friday on an extended leave from the army, left the secretaryship a year and a half ago to join the forces. He has had wide experience with With Local 418 The Department of Labor this week refused the appeal of Mr. Leir, owner of Penticton’ Saw- mills, challenging the appoint- ment of IWA-CIO Local 1-418 ‘as. the. collective bargaining Local meeing. The appointment of a Business Agent became imperative as Locef 1-424 now has a member- ship approaching 800 and con- tinues to grow steadily. Notifica- tion of certification for three sawmills in the area have been received, and applications for certification have been made ‘covering 721 employees of 16 operations. Negotiations for an agreement are pending with the ageney for the employees of.his! Bagle Lake Sawmills and Six- plant. In refusing the appeal,! the Labor Department stated the company had no: grounds to appeal the formal decision of the Board. _ The Taytor Lumber Company ‘of Princeton, where this Local has also been certified, has noti- fied’ the local executive of their chosen bargaining representa- tives, and negotiations are ex- pected to get under way shortly. | The Financial Secretary of the Local is now in the Princeton General Hospital with a serious eye injury and it is expected he will have to go to Vancouver for specialists’ treatments. The executive and membership of 418 this week extended best wishes to Brother Stewart for a speedy recovery. JOS. HARWOOD General Trucking VERNON —~ Phone 40 Box 38 TRAVELLERS ' CAFE (Nick Bush) PRINCETON, B.C. LUMBER WORKERS. When in Vernon, make VERNON HOTEL (Chas. V, McNeill) YOUR HOME Phone 47 LOGGERS For a Good, Reliable TAXI Phone VERNON 190 Kal Taxi (Bob Carswell) 21 Bighth St. Res. Phone 515 VERNON, B.C. Mile’ Sawmills. “At the same meeting, Brother H. Brandner tendered his resig- nation as President of the Local because of hearing difficulties. Subject -to ratification by “the Local meeting, Brother‘ Hilding Bkblad; first. vice-president -was asked to, become the new presi- dent. <. Z A program to better health conditions in the camps was mapped out: The first move to consist of a resolution submitted to the Minister of Labor asking more rigid enforcement of exist- ing Health Regulations, Fur- ther, a request will be sent to all sub-locals to start an “on the job” campaign for camp im- provements. Brother Mike Freylinger re- ported that as soon as Brother Sande takes over his duties as Business Agent, he will be leav- ing for the Houston, Smithers, Terrace area for further organ- izational work. the IWA and assisted in negoti on the coast. be agreed upon by interior locals early this week. The surprise release of Melsness from the Army made un- necessary a previous move that had been contemplated and namely removing Vice-President Bergren from the important work he is now doing to go into the interior. Bert Melsness will be leaving Vancouver for the interior ating the first contracts signed at the Kamloops conference; Operatars Try To Avoid Negotiating Jointly. egotiating Jointly « | ..Bwidence that»Mr; Ruddock, representative ofthe Interior Lum- ber Manufacturers Association, does not intend’ to speed up nego- tiations: for ‘contracts. in-interior camps and miills was received this’ week... Foltowing “the Conference in Kamloops on September 23, and after word had been received that the issue of the 8-hour day had been settled, a letter was des- patched to Mr. Ruddock advis- ing him that the TWA was de sirous of meeting to discuss the terms of an agreement. In view of , the difficulties that would | certainly be encountered were | each local to try and meet Mr. Ruddock separately, it was felt that this procedure would make negotiations a whole lot simpler for all parties concerned. In a Worker from Recording Secre- tary Marion Holtom. The report continues, “The way is now open for negotiations for the master agreement‘ to cover all opera- tions.” Particular thanks are extend- ed from this Local to the officers and members of Local 1-405 for their splendid work in spear- heading the campaign which re- sulted in an investigation and favorable decision made by the Board of Industrial Relations. The last regular. meeting of this local was adressed by International Board Member Nigel Morgan who gave an out- line of the organizational and legislative work that the Union must do. Brother Al Parkin, Greet 8-Hour Day With Enthusiasm At Kelowna “Officers and members of Local 1-423, Kelowna, hail the eight- hour day with time and one-half for overtime in interior B.C. as a tremendous victory for organized labor in the woodworking in- dustry,” states a report received this week by the B.C. Lumber President and Business Agent of Local 1-405, Cranbrook, and William Langmead, Internation- al Representative of Local 1-425, Nelson, brought greetings from their respective locals. A report was made that a number of certifications have been applied for operations in the area and that sub-locals have been set up in Vernon, Armstrong and Lumby. Plans were made for the sub-locals to receive proper administration. A late report from this Local states that Brother Mel Fulton, president, has been elected part- time Business Agent and that he has been elected to attend the International Convention in Eugene, Oregon, in November. The Most Complete P.O. Box 158 For LUMBER WORKER'S to Outfit is W. D. MacKENZIE & SON (Bill MacKenzie) VERNON, B.C. Store in the Interior Phone 155 e letter to ,District President) Pri chett, dated October: ‘4th,\Mr Ruddock. advised- that ‘he in- tends to negotiate each contract separately at the’towns at which the operation’ is éstablished. | | i Wage Hearing Conducted | At Kelowna Immediately following the Dis- trict Council’s wage conference in Kamloops September 23, rep- resentatives of interior sawmill locals appeared before a special hearing of the B.C.. Regional War Labor Board at Kelowna to support the union’s argument for equal pay for equal work for youth and female employees in the mill and box factory plants. International Board Member Morgan ‘presented a 20-page priéf summiarizing the union's isting upon recognition of the principle of equal pay for equal work, which was estab- lished, two years ago, for work- ers‘in the mills on the B,C; coast. The. Interior . Lumber: Operators ‘}Section: of the. Canadian-.Manu- facturers, Association . represent- ed. the operators, who were join: ed by the. Fruit Growers Asso; ciation in opposing the union's demand. 4 : “id ffér’ of the Interior Liimber operators to: pay 40 to 45" éunts for the first’ three months‘ or the occupational rate, and after that 50c or the occupational rate, was flatly; rejected:.by locals of: the IWA. atu: Kelowna, _ Penticton, brook. . A. W. JOHNSON WORK AND DRESS SHOES LOGGERS — HIKERS FOR MEN AND BOYS Our Low Overhead Saves Vou Money 280 Columbia Avenue)’ — Vancouver, B.C. oJ require clothes that can ‘take it’ in any weather DRY-BAK WATERPROOF Canvas Coats... Pants... Fallers Shirts . . . Cruisers Coats FILL THE BILL IN THE DIRTIEST WEATHER TENT & AWNING LIMITED 43 West Hastings Street Vancouver, Canada a ————_—_—