Official Publication Internationa] Woodworkers of America, B.C. District Council No. 1 —— Vol. XVI. No. 28 VANCOUVER, B.C., DECEMBER 3, 1945 Ss (358) Keystone Mili Struck By IWA KARLY LARSEN B.C. Delegates Nominate For Balanced Executive ton District No, 2, for the position of First Vice President of the International, and Ed. Laux, Secretary of Plywoods District No. 9, for the position of Secretary-Treasurer, was decided upon in cau- cus by B.C. delegates to the Eugene convention. Carrying out a policy designed to bring about constructive unity within the IWA, nomina- tion of Larsen and Laux to op- pose Claud Ballard and E, E. Benedict, was considered the only way to_achieve the objective of a balanced slate of officers. Presi- dent James E. Fadling was not opposed nor was Vice-President William Bodkin. Toll Reaches Forty Nine Three additional fatalities in the logging industry has raised the total for 1945 to: 49. Werner oa Lindgren, a bucker at Camp G, Englewood, B.C., was killed on No-~ feigned 9, when Weodworkers was struck by & sapling while Jack Greenall, secdetary of B.C. District No. 1, was nomin- ated for the position of trustee to oppose George Mitchell and Ernie Dalskog was nominated for the position of International Board Member for B.C. Partici- pating with B.C. in these nomin- ations were Plywood, Midwest, Northern Washington, Inland Empire and Southwestern Ore- gon Districts. A referendum bal- lot will be conducted within the next 40 days among all locals of the International for the elec- tion of officers. CIO Investigates B.C. Organizational Dispute Following 2 unanimous re- quest from the IWA Convention at Eugene, Oregon, a CIO Com- mittee consisting of Adolph Ger- mer, Roy Atkinson and Michael Livoda, has been established. The committee will begin hear- ings at 10:00 am., Monday, December 8rd, at the Vancouver Hotel in Vancouver, B.C. The hearings are for the pur- pose of investigating the charges made against George Brown, Di- rector of Organization, and some International Officers by the District 1 officers and sev- eral Local Unions; and, likewise, the charges made by the Direc- tor of Organization, George Brown, and the International Officers against the officers of District Council No. 1 Notorious Mill Owner Defies Regional Board And Union First lumber strike in B,.C,. since the Q.C.I. strike in 1943 was called last Wed- nesday by I,.W,.A,. Local 1-357 at the Keystone Shingle Mill in New Westminster. In announcing the decision to strike the mill, Percy Smith, local president, declared: “We have done everything possible to teach an agreement with Mr. Beach, shown by his actions over the past year that he has no inten- tion of negotiating in good faith with the union. He has Convention Scores Ford Delegates to the IWA conven-~ tion at Eugene Ore., unanimously adopted the following resolution: Ten thousand Canadian Ford workers at Windsor, Ontario, members of the United Automo- bile Workers of America, CIO, have been on strike for over nine weeks in a demand upon the Ford Motor Company for a sign- ed union agreement providing for full union security, and The Ford Motor Company is well known for its anti-union position in the United States, Canada and in its plants through- out the world in all countries where the Ford International Monopoly extends; therefore be it resolved That this Ninth Annual Con- vention of the International Woodworkers of America, CIO, meeting in the ‘city of Eugene, Oregon, urge the Federal gov- ernment to take the necessary steps by special order in council or otherwise to settle this dis- pute in favor of the strikers and in the interest of the Canadian people. He has refused to put into effect wage raises that were granted by the Regional War Labor Board last February, later concurred in‘ by the National Board, and in every manner, possible has indicated contempt for both the govern- ment and the union. The crew has voted to strike. They recog- nize that there is no other way of reaching agreement with Mr. Beach, and the mill is down un- til an agreement is signed,” he concluded. The executive meeting of District Council No. 1 held on Wednesday, November 28th, en- dorsed the Keystone strike and a District Strike Committee was set up to give assistance. It was reeognized that the struggle may well be a long one, and a cheque for $1,000 from the spe- cial district fund was forwarded to the local committee to start the ball rolling. Jack Greenall, who was elec- ted chairman of the District Strike Committee, has tannounc- ed that an appeal will be sent to all locals for assistance in building up a substantial fund to assist the Keystone strikers. “The outcome of this strike will have a direct bearing on our negotiations for a new contract in 1946,” he. declared. “It would be senseless for us to present new demands for the whole in- dustry and at the same time al- low Mr. Beach to get away with- out signing the 1945 contract. congratulated for forcing the issue, and the least the rest of us can do is give them full sup- port.” The machinery for conducting the strike, whether it be a long or short one, has been ably set up by the Keystone workers, assisted by Floyd Hamilton, District Representative, who has represented the crew through the long period of efforts to ne- gotiate. Names of the strike commit- tee are as follows: Chairman, Morley Bucknell; _ Secretary, Francis McDonald; W. Sherneck, M. Kester, M. Manson, J. Miles, Len Coult, W. Grasby and Lee _ Soo. . Picketing is on a shift basis and all workers haye been regis- tered. It is intended to prepare for a long strike by obtaining temporary employment for as many of the crew as are not needed for picket duty. Office and Boiler Room staffs are being permitted to enter mainly for the purpose of keeping up steam for fire protection. About 60 workers are affected by the strike, Local 1-357 has been assured by officers of the Regional War Labor Board that prosecution of Mr. Beach for violation of wage directives will be launched im- mediately. Mr. Beach has a long history of labor baiting behind him, and he is not expected to gain much sympathy even from The Keystone workers are to be his fellow employers. Ninth Convention Most Successful Moving through five days of deliberation with unity and clarity, the International Woodworkers of America’s 9th annual convention delegates meeting at Eugene, Ore., hammered out a broad program of social, economic and political action. With only one roll-call vote recorded to settle the single con- troversy upon which full agree- ment could not be reached, the convention in the words of Presi- dent Fadling was, “the most suc- cessful held by the organization since it was established in 1937.” Ip opening the convention Fad- ling had stated. “I don’t think we can allow dead issues or im- aginary issues to lead us off the trail of the objectives of this convention” In keeping with this approach the credentials committee brought in a unani- mous report to seat all 255 dele- gates present, The report was accepted unanimously, ENDORSE CIO 22 States and Canada, the dele- Representing woodworkers in gates unanimously endorsed the CIO legislative program calling for enactment of the Full Em- ployment bill Wagner-Murray Dingell bill, 65¢ minimum wage, permanent Fair Employment Practices Committee, anti-Poll tax bill, Seamen’s bill of rights, Federal aid for education, a! broad national housing program, Federal maternal and child health program, the establishment of a federal Youth Service Admin- istration, and continuance of the federal school lunch program. After debate, the convention voted full support to President Truman for the enactment of Pdesident Roosevelt’s program. The convention went on record to indorse the 12%ce an hour wage increase recently negotiat- ed by the International Nego- tiating Commitee. On the sub- ject of future negotiations, the convention instructed the Com- mittee to give consideration to a change in the vacation clause, a five-day, 30-hour week in the interest of returning veterans and displaced war workers, time and one-half for Saturday work, double time on Sunday, sick leave, no ownership or participa- tion in ownership of power-saws> abolition of busheling, guaran- teed annual wage, and a rate of $15 a day for fallers and buck- ers. Present powers of the ne- gotiating committee were con- tinued. Clarification of trial proce- dure, with reaffirmation of the —Continued on Page 2