THE BG LUMBER WORKER

Page Three

Teday, it is more important
than ever before, that the work-
er’s wages be raised in confor-

with the increase in the
cost of living. High standards of
living ean only be assured if the
worker has enough income to buy
_ back the commodities produced,
which im turn creates employ-
ment and is essential if our
people are to enjoy the kind of
life the 2nd World War was
fought te achieve. Increased
purchasing power, resulting in a

ployment not only in Canada but
im these countries in Europe, so
recently devasted by war.

The demand of the Interna-
tional Woodworkers of America,
for a 2c imerease across the
board for all workers in the in-
dustry, is one that can and must
be won. This is no isolated de-
mand, C.1.0. unions across
Canada are making this a must
for the members of their unions,
together with the forty hour
week, Meeting in Toronto on
January 24th leaders of the
United Steelworkers, Mine Mill
and Smelterworkers, United
Radio Electrical and Machine
Workers, United Automobile
Workers, agreed on a national
policy of 25¢ increase per hour
across the board, or $2.00 per
day. Added to this, the United
Rubber Workers of America and
United Packinghouse Workers’
National Directors were con-
tacted by telephone, and they
also agreed to go along on this
National Demand. Your Presi-
dent has been instructed by the
District Council meeting to en-
dorse these demands and press
for the leadership of the Cana-
dian Congress of Labor at the
National Executoive meeting, to
be held on February 18th, to lead
the way for all Congress unions
to achieve this goal. Represen-
etativs of the B.C. District Coun-
cil of the International Long-
shoremen and Warehousemen’s
Union have also endorsed the
program and requested that
their voice be added to those of
ether C.1.0. unions at the Con-
gress meeting.

As a result of technological ad-
vancement and new methods of
production, workers are now
producing as much in forty
hours as they previously did in
forty-eight. So far, in the
woodworking industry, the

worker has not benefited greatly |

by the advent of new machines
and new methods of production.
Workers are entitled to many of
the benefits which can be deriv-
ed from these new processes, and
a forty hour wek is essential in
the industry to allow for more
leisure for the men on the job,
more time that can be spent with
eur families, and more time
for the cultural and educational
pursuits that many wish to fol-
 Jow. The employer argues that
men in logging camps in the out-
_ lying areas do not want a short-

‘er work week, especially if they

‘ean’t get into town to enjoy their

ve hours. Brothers, beware
this argument. If there is
and the men want to work,

b time and one half
k for all work in ex-
forty hours in any

Twenty-five Cents An Hour Wage Increase

By BERT MARCUSE and EMIL BJARNASON
(Trade Union Research Bureau)

The time has come for woodworkers to stop thinking in terms
of minimum standards of living. Instead of accepting wages just
sufficient to keep us and our families reasonably healthy, and
reasonably efficient, we now demand the right to a standard of
living which will provide us -with all the facilities for a healthy
normal life, free from financial worry. Industry must provide us
and our families with the same opportunities for culture and edu-
cation that Mr. MacMillan or Mr. Pick can provide for their

jcommittee, to assure the imple-

families.
IT’S YEARLY EARNINGS
THAT COUNT |
Do not forget that if a man
makes a dollar or more an hour,
this means nothing unless he can
be assured of this wage rate
forty hours a yeek, fifty-two
weeks per year. It is the annual
income that counts! The Toronto
Welfare Council, who, are very
conservative in their approach,
stipulate that for a family of
five, eighty-three cents per hour
all year round is a required min-
imum—and no frills either! Yet
in our industry thousands of
workers receive less than this
minimum—some a little as forty
cents per hour.

ABILITY OF COMPANIES
TO PAY

We are not asking any great
sacrifice from the woodworking
operators of this province by our
twenty-five cents per hour -de-
mand. As one example we can
take the financial statement of
H. R. MacMillan Export Com-
pany for 1945. In that year the
company showed a net profit of
$1,218,789 after all taxes had
been deducted. To this should be
added $269,864 recoverable un-
der the provisions of the excess
profits tax act. :

The Trade Union Research
Bureau has estimated that the
average excess profits tax from
June, 1942 to September, 1944,
for this Company, amounted to
over $500,000 per year. If we
assume that the proposed reduc-
tion in hours from 48 to 40 is
accompanied by the same total
output with the same number
of employees, the wage increase
requested could be paid for out
of excess profits tax alone, thus
leaving net profits exactly as
they were. Even if we assume
that the reduction in hours from
48 to 40 per week was not ac-
companied by any increase in
man hour productivity — which
-is most unlikely—and that - the
company had to increase its work
force by twenty percent, there
would still be remaining to the
company a net profit, on the
basis of 1945 figures, of over
$900,000. The above facts apply

with equal force to virtually
every operator in British Colum-
bia, as well as industry in Can-
ada generally,
WHAT HAPPENS
WITH HOURS REDUCED

The Union’s brief in support
of a forty-hour week presents
ample evidence that maximum
hourly output increases as hours
of work are reduced to forty
hours per week. With a decrease
in fatigue, and an increase in
efficiency, accident rates are
lowered, hourly output increases,
and company overhead charges
are decreased. Furthermore, in
the last fifteen years while in-
dustry generally in British Co-
lumbia has had weekly hours of
work reduced the trend in log-
ging and sawmilling has remain-
ed virtually unchanged. Techno-
logical advances in the wood-
working industry in British Co-
lumbia have resulted in vast
gains for the operators, which
have not been proportionately
shared by. the workers.
INFLATION—A BOGEY?

There are a few who seek to
create a vast pool of unemployed,
and who have been urging the
public to fall for their line that
a decent wage for workers means
inflation, and a new depression.
It is precisely the opposite that
is the truth. Workers must have
their purchasing power main-
tained and even increased if we
are to maintain a decent stan-
dard of living for all the people

the Hon. James A. McKinnon,
Canadian Minister of Trade and
Commerce:

“The creation of new jobs is
largely dependent on adequate
markets. Markets in turn de-
pend on adequate purchasing
power in the hands of the peo-
ple, spending power which will
enable them to purchase the
new products. Adequate wages
paid out in the process of pro-
duction will help provide the
markets for the new products.”

The demands of the IWA are
just demands. Their implementa-
tion means prosperity for the
people of British Columbia.

ment’s policy of lifting price,

controls, and at the same time
leaving the wage freeze order in
effect, will tend to skyrocket
prices and lower the standard of
living of all the people of Can-
ada. If the Government remains
adamant in its refusal to put a
ceiling on prices and ‘freeze
wages at the same levels, labor
must find other ways and means
to keep wages in line with the
rising cost of living. Manage-
ment and Government it is ob-
vious, will not concede to labor’s
demands without a struggle. It is
up to you to put the weapon of a
unanimous strike vote ballot in
the hands of your negotiating

mentation of the three major
points endorsed by your District
Convention and each local union,
namely: (1) 25¢ increase across
the.board. (2) 40 hour week. (3)
union shop and check-off.

Make your vote count for pro-

Labor Party

Relaxes Rule

Labor Members of Parliament
were released this week from the
rigid party discipline which has
characterized all party caucuses

in the House of Commons for
the last 30 years. Until now,
Labor M.P.’s have been subject
to strict control by their party
leadership on vital issues. Votes
against the party line have
brought either severe repri-
mands and setbacks to political
careers or else actual expulsion
from the party. When it was an
opposition group, the Labor
party had a set of 10 standing
orders to ensure that its mem-
bers voted the same way. The
decision to revise this was taken
under pressure from back-bench

The Federal Govern-

gress,

M.P.’s,

of this country. In the words of |[

By E. DALSKOG, International Board Member
LET'S GET ACTION ON LABOR’S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM!
LOBBY FOR LABOR!

The legislative proposals submitted by the B.C. Federation of
Labor will now be in the hands of all political action committees.
These proposals, if realized, would mean much to all working
men and women in their daily: lives; in better pay, shorter hours,
increased compensation benefits, a measure of security for the
aged and opportunity for the children.

But on paper these things mean very little. Our job is to take
them off paper and inte the woods, factories, and fishing grounds.
If we do this the benefits will be felt everywhere; our homes will
not simply be places to sleep in and spend the odd Sunday; we
will have a little more of the necessities of life and a little time
to make the place we live in a HOME.

These are and will only be dreams until we do something about
them. The B.C. Federation of Labor has done the digging and plant-
ed the seeds, and we must see that the seeds do not die, but grow
into the biggest Labor Lobby in the history ef eur province.

Every local should elect delegates to be ready at a few hours’
notice to leave for Victoria. Resolutions embodying labor’s de-
mands should be prepared and sent to the cabinet and your MLA’s
so they arrive in Victoria while the lobby is there.

Discuss the proposals with your neighbors and friends. They
will benefit too and should be willing to help in their achievement.

These are simple things, but if enough of us do them they
will be worthwhile. Inaction accomplishes nothing, Action will
bring results in time. THE TIME IS NOW!

EES Ea TELE Pa
OLD-TIME

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