Meeting in convention January

6 and 6, District Number 1,

_ International Woodworkers of
i erica, passed a milestone on
the road to progress for thous-
ands of woodworkers in our in-
dustry, with one of the best rep-
resented, progressive and unified
conventions of woodworkers ever
held in the history of British
Columbia. The 84 delegates, rep-
resenting 14 locals

affiliated
seated, including delegates from
five interior locals participating
for the first time.
Many distinguished
were in attendance during the
three day session, including In-

visitors

ternational President James
Fadling, First Vice-President
Claude Ballard, and Director of
Organization George Brown, rep-
resenting our International of-
fice. The delegates were united!
in adopting a three point pro-
gram for industry wide negotia-
tions to be opened shortly, in-
cluding (1) 40 hour week, |2)
25c per hour increase across the
board, (8) union shop and check-
off. The delegates by standing
yote were unanimous in this
adoption and instructed the
district officers to conduct a
district wide strike vote by ref-
erendum ballot, to be used at
their discretion. Further instruc-
tions of the convention included
the institution of a nation wide
campaign similar to the CIO
campaign in the United States,
to urge other trade unions to go
along on similar union demands.
This included mass meetings,
rallies, radio and newspaper pub-
licity to enlist the support of the
public. It was felt by the con-
vention that the unions’ position
in the coming negotiations could
be strengthened, not only by the
strike -vote, but by the collection
of one day’s pay from every
woodworker, to establish anh
emergency fund of $100,000.00.
No one can state, not even
the most reactionary employer,
that our demands in 1946 ara
unreasonable or fantastic. The
40 hour week in the woodwork-
ing industry is long overdue, es-
pecially is this so with the new
methods of production and the
introduction of labor saving ma-
chinery, as well as the fact that

the 40 hour week is already in
effect in many instances

throughout Canada and United
States.

Information is available
through the Research: and Sta-
tistics Department, to prove that
the employers can pay the 25¢
per hour increase across the
board, out of their returns on
excess profits tax, and still make
handsome profits. The third de-
mand, union shop and check-off,
merely states that it is our mem-
bership’s desire for industrial
democracy as an essential part
of general democratic advance-
ment which all of us with the
exception of a few die-hards,
actively supported in six years

of offensive war, We declare

without equivocation that our
demands represent a minimum
_ requirement to fill our member-
ship’s needs accumulated in the
process of winning the war and
mbodies the principals and dec-
larations of the Allied Nations
tarough their spokesmen in the
World Charter {of the United

We have a realistic program,
one that will raise the living
of the woodworkers,

| the people, a living standard
war was fought to win

Continued from | ge 1

comes we will be prepared to
meet it,” he concluded,
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

Eighty-four delegates, repres-
enting fourteen affiliated locals,
were in attendance at the con-
vention, including delegates from.
five interior locals, who ‘were
participating for the first time.
Many distinguished visitors were
jn attendance during the three
day session, January 4, 5 and 6,
including international president
James Fadling, first vice-presi-
dent Claude Ballard, and direct-
or of organization George
Brown, representing the inter-
national office of the Interna-
tional Woodworkers of America.

The conyention was called to
order by president Don Watts of
IWA Local 1-217, acting as host,
who called upon Reverend A. E.
Cook of St. John’s United
Church, to render the invocation
and open the convention with a
few remarks. Reverend Cook
pointed out that.the church was
deeply interested in the prob-
lems confronting the organized
labor movement, and expressed
a hope that both organizations
could assist in working out
measures on behalf of the people
for better conditions.

Acting on behalf of Mayor
Cornett of the city of Vancouver,
Alderman Jack Price officially
opened the convention and greet-
ed the delegates on behalf of
the City Council. Immediately
following the official opening of
the convention by Alderman
Price, president Watts greeted
the delegates on behalf of Van-
couver IWA locals 1-71 and
1-217, and appealed to the dele-
gates to fight side by side with
the veterans and the rest of the
organized labor movement to
win he peace, for jobs, decent
conditions and a better life for
all. The chair was then turned
over to Harold Pritchett, district
president.

OFFICERS’ REPORT

The district officers’ report,
submitted to the convention,
pointed out: “The msot out-
standing event of the year 1945
was the military victory of the
Allied forces over fascism in
Europe, and the final defeat of
Japanese militarism in the Pa-
cific. These victories were ac-
complished by the unity estab-
lished among thé United Nations
with their full military power,
supported by the maximum econ-
omic strength of the democratic
peoples of the world. The final
surrender .of Japanese militar-
ism came as a direct result of
the united efforts of British, Am-
erican, Canadian and Soviet
forces, supported in the final
stages by the destructive effect
of the atomic bomb. —

Tn the splitting of the atom,
science has conributed greatly to
the world at war, and to guaran-
tee future world peace, progress
and security, we must insist that
this unlimited destructive ener-
gy be used for constructive pur-
poses, to ensure the future de-
velopment of society with im-
proved conditions for the people.

The part that members of the
International Woodworkers of
America, and all labor, played
on the battle field and at home

tremendous sacrifice, is some-
thing to be proud of. Our out-
standing war effort grew out of
a full realization of the import-
ance of the speedy destruction of
fascism, and the carrying over

earry further the struggle start-
ed by the Windsor-Ford work-
ers. The job rests with ourselves.
Remember:

A Day’s Pay Will Pave the
Way!

FORWARD IN "46!
he .

on the production front, with’

IWA International officers visited the ninth annual convention of
District No. 1 and aligned themselves with the program adopted.
Shown above, left to right are Claude Ballard, vice-president, R. E.
Fadling, president; Harold Pritchett, district president and George

Brown, Director of Organization.

Convention Adopts 3-Point Program

—(Sunday’s Photos)

of that military victory in the
complete erradication of the
remnants of fascism, and the
carrying into the peace, the
victory that. was won at such
tremendous cost in life and
limb.”
GOVERNMENT EVASION

The officers’ report also point-
ed out that governments are re-
fusing to accept their responsi-
bilities and wartime promises,
for jobs for all and a higher
standard of living, and that
these ominous signs of reaction-
ary forces at work within Can-
ada and throughout the world,
representative of big business,
were mainly concerned with self-
ish interests and high profits. If
permitted to continue, would
ultimately land us to a third
world war, through cut-throat
competition, and set veteran
against labor, race against race,
nation against nation.

DISTRICT GAINS

In reporting on district gains
for 1945, the report showed an
inerease of five local unions,
situated in the South and North
Okanagan and the northern part
of the province, coupled with a
healthy growth in membership.

“Organizational achievements
in district number 1 are second
to none within our international
union, and-credit must be given
to our membership and to the
many hundreds. of job stewards,
sub-local and local union officers,
and international representatives
for an organizational job well
done.”

“The big job before us in 1946
is to consolidate our district to
win the just demands of our
membership. We can also point
out that the approximate wage
increase for the year 1945 in
our industry amounts to $680,-
000.00, but does not include
gains made through overtime
pay, vacations with pay, night
shift differentials, nor gains
made by improved working con-
ditions.”

RESOLUTIONS

In addition to the program as
outlined in the officers’ report,
many important resolutions were
dealt with by the convention,
embodying such subjects as:
“Protesting Armed Intervention
in China”; “Protesting British
Policy in Indonesia,” demanding
that the Mackenzie King gov-
ernment in Ottawa inform the
British government on behalf of
the Canadian people that we will
have no part in this policy being
pursued by the British govern-
ment at the present time, in
attempting to deprive the In-|
onesians of their right to a
democratic self-government.

The convention also went on
vecord demanding that the gov-
ernment immediately break off

all diplomatic and other rela-
tions with the Franco govern-

ment of Spain, and that our gov-
ernment give aid and assistance
to the Republican people of
Spain so that they may success-
fully overthrow the bloody,
brutal Franco regime and rein-
state in its place their own Re,
publican government.

On the question of atomic
energy, the delegates were unan-
imous in their decision that we
urge the Dominion government
as a member of the United Na-
tions Assembly, to do everything
in its power to assure the adop-
tion by the General Assembly of
the Moscow recommendations.
ANNUAL WAGE

The delegates unanimously re-
iterated their previous stand on
the subject of a labor code, re-
solving that the existing legis-
lation be made permanent, with
all necessary amendments to’
make it fully effective, by estab-
lishing it into the laws of Can-
ada, either by provincial agree-
ment or if necessary, by amend-
ments to the British North Am-
erica Act. Also on the question
of Wartime Wage Control Ordér
P.C. 9384, the conveniton dk-
manded that the order be amend-
ed to allow for increases in
wages so that wage rates which
are now too low in comparison
with the cost of living and with
the increased prices can be
raised to give the workers a
higher standard of living. The
following resolution, with regard
to a guaranteed annual wage,
was unanimously adopted by the
delegates:

WHEREAS: The most press-
ing economic problem which
confronts us today is to find
ways and means of assuring full
and regular employment;

WHEREAS: The principle of
guaranteed annual wages means
in essence pay for a full work-
week, 52 weeks a year for all
regular employees; and

WHEREAS: If we achieve full
employment, guaranteed annual
wages would enhance feelings of
security and would help avoid
the sudden and disastrous de-
cline to which our economy has
been subject in the past; and

WHEREAS: Even if we fail
to achieve full employment, the
principle of guaranteed annual
wages is a practical means of
bringing security to those who
are employed, and this is a
means of increasing purchasing

power, business activity, and
jobs;
WHEREAS: Many collective

bargaining agreements already
provide for guaranteed annual)
wages; therefore be it

RESOLVED: That IWA-CIO
District Council No. 1 in its
ninth annual convention:

1. Gives unqualified endorse-
ment to the principle of guaran-
teed annual wages;

2. Calls upon all citizens who

and regular employment to sup-
port the principle of guaranteed
annual wages;

3. Urges the Canadian govern-
ment to give consideration to
and adopt such plans that, will
eventually bring about the adop-
tion of such plans on a company,
industry, inter-indusrty, or area
basis, whichever is feasible.
POWER SAWS

Many other subjects were
dealt with in the form of resolu-
tions, amongst which was the
question of power saws, and it
was resolved that, in the interest
of maintaining the wage stand-
ards and conditions of the fal-
lers and buckers in the logging
industry, we set down the fol-
lowing rules for the guidance of
our membership in the use of
the power saws:

1, That there be no ownership
or participation in ownership of
power saws by those who use
them, :

2. That there shall be at least
three men in each power saw
operating crew.

3. That power saws shal] be
operated at a day rate, and that
there shall be no bushelling by
power saw crews, with power
saws, and a further resolve on
this question was: That day rate
for power saws be referred to
the Contracts and Negotiating
Committee.

SAFETY

In the interest. of safety in
the logging industry, which has
the highest. accident frequency
rate of any industry, including
that of making explosives ,ac-
cording to a factual report sub-
mitted to the convention by
Andy Whisker, Safety Advisor
for the Provincial Department of
Labor, ‘the Convention unani-
mously recommended to the
membership, that an all out drive
be conducted for the establish-
ment of functioning Safety Com-
mittees, in every Lumber Opera-
tion under the IWA in British
Columbia in 1946.
$2.00 DUES

It was recommended that all
local unions in the District con-
sider the advisibility of immedi-
ately raising the dues to $2.00,
and that the question be sub-
mitted to the membership, by
referendum vote. This measure
was felt necessary, due to the
fact that most local unions found
it impossible to adequately ser-
vice the’ membership on their
present income.

Many more resolutions were
submitted and endorsed by the
Convention, on such questions
as a minimum hourly wage rate
for Canada, raising of per capita
from 1 cent to 3 cents per mem
ber from each local, in order to
finance the Union Hiring Hall,
Education, Price Control, Politi-
cal emancipation for youth with
the right to vote at eighteen
years of age, Labor Unity, Fores-
By, Program Health Insurance,
ete.

VISITORS

IWA International President,
in his address to the Convention,
urged unity between the Inter-
national office and the District
of British Columbia, and prom-
ised the full support of the In- \
ternational Officers and the en-
tire organization of the Inter-
national Woodworkers of Am-
erica, embracing, 75,000 dues-
paying members, in order to win
our program.

District Number 1 was hon-
oured by the presence of Brother
Roy Atiknson, Representative of
the National CIO, who was de-
signated by Vice-President Allan
Haywood, to speak on behalf of
the CIO.

Brother Dan. Radford, speak-

desire the achievement of full

(Continued on Page 8)