THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER Sawmill News| “Every Reader a Correspondent” Furniture Workers Want; IWA To Conduct Drive | “The Furniture Workers in Vancouver are turning to the IWA for organization in an effort to gain wages and working condi- tions in line with the aims of the rest of the woodworking in-|* dustry,” Tommy McDonald, Business Agent of Local 1-217, report- ed last week, The Allen-Segal Furniture Factory has been certi- fied by WA local 1-217 and negotiations for a collective bargaining | | Mills Reopening In Victoria / John Wainscott, Secretary IWA Local 1-118, Victoria an- ,| nounced the certification of the P.&W. Sawmill Limited, and ne- gotiations for an agreement will proceed immediately. Brother Wainscott also announced that the Moore-Wittington Sawmill which has been shut down since The emergency organizational committees set up in each op- ___ eration under the jurisdiction of % this local are collecting the fighting fund and fully expect that if the response in the dis- trict equals that of local 1-217 to date, the objective of $100,000.00 will be more than reached. The strike vote is going very well and by March 10 they will have a large YES vote. Eyans Factory Brief on wages and the elimin- ation of the Bedaux system of wage payment has been con- sidered by the Regional War La- bor Board and the directive is now in the hands of the local of- ficers. The wage increases are in no way satisfactory and, does not bring the factory up to the stan- dard enjoyed by the rest of the industry. The Bedaux system is still in effect and the crew in the factory are dissatisfied with the order. Application has been made for an appeal to the Na- tional Board, and the crew are prepared to continue to struggle for the elimination of the vicious system of payment that allows the company to make higher profits and lower wages per unit of production. Vern Carlyle, President of local 1-217 spending a few days in local 1-85 assisting with the organizational work among the shingle mills in that area. Certification has been received for Lynn Forest Mills, Butler and Downard Mills, Edgetts Sawmill, and negotiations will be started immediately. Local 1-357 New Westminster Keystone Shingle mill is back at work after being down for 3 months. A little trouble was en- countered in getting the com- pany to take back the full crew, especially the shop stewards. The chief shop steward has been taken back after the committee took up the question. Application has been made for Bestwood Shingle Company and the files have been checked by the department of labor. Riverside Shingle started up again after being down for about one month. Timberland Sawmill although certified and under agreement had dropped in membership. After a meeting was held, shop stewards and committees elected the membership increased and the erew are anxious to make it 100 percent in the next few weeks. Royal City Sawmill has been down for some time and resulted in the membership dropping out ¥ the union, however they have f again and the newly elected shop stewards have the plant 80 percent organized. Local 1-357 reports that or- nization in the local is between and 90 percent of the em- in the Sawmills Shingle is agreement were started several weeks ago. A series of moves on the part of the Manufacturers As- sociation have been made in an effort to prevent the signing of an agreement. Authoritative sources are quoted as involving Mr. Ruddock, Personnel Director of the Canadian Manufacturers Association in the attempts to avoid bargaining in good faith. The position of the Unon was greatly strengthened on Friday afternoon when Business Agent McDonald attended a meeing in the plant, where a full discussion took place on the immediate ne- cessity of organizing the furni- ture end of the lumber industry The meeting unanimously adop- ted the IWA program for 1946 and instructed the union to issue an appeal to all furniture work- ers to join the IWA and consoli- date the fight for decent stand- ards in the furniture industry. Job Stewards and a plant Committee were elected at the meeting. Adopt Program In All Locals All IWA Locals in B.C. have now adopted the program for 1946 negotiations, it was re- ported at the District Executive Board meeting held Tuesday, February 19. The strike vote is being conducted throughout the District. Percy Smith, President IWA Local 1-357 reports that the bal- lot has been completed in Ca- nada’s largest sawmill, Fraser Mills, with 95 percent voting in the affirmative. District officials are now in the process of forwardng infor- mative bulletins and pamphlets for information of the member- ship and public, and organizing special radio programs, member- ship and public rallies to build support and enthusiasm for the UE Demands SameAsIWA Sixty delegates from 18 local unions of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario on Sunday, Feb- ruary 10th, decided on an over- all wage demand for the indus- try based on a general increase of 25 cents per hour. Justifying this demand the delegates brought out facts that clearly established that -real wages of the workers have, on an average, decreased by more than 25 percent since VJ Day. This results from such factors as downgrading and_reclassifi- cation of jobs, elimination of jobs, elimination of overtime earnings and forced changes in occupation. Recognizing that conditions are similar in other industries the delegates instructed District President C. S, Jackson -and Secretary-Treasurer George Har- ris to propose to the Executive (Council meeting of the Canadian Congress of Labor on February 13th that the demands for a general wage increase of 25 cents per hour be made a na- tional one and that the CCL ac- cept responsibility for ‘develop- ing a completely co-ordinated na- tional campaign to achieve the wage demand. : Unions such as the United Automobile Workers, Interna- tional Union of Mine, Mill and OLD-TIME DANCING Hastings Auditorium Every Wed. & Sat. Alf Carlson’s- Orchestra Moderate Rental Rates program, December 22, 1945 has reopened and all employees are returning to work with no loss in seniority _JOHIN STANTON _ Barrister - Solicitor - Notary 502 HOLDEN BLDG. 16 E. Hastings St. MAr. 5746 TOMMY McDONALD When in Vancouver, for your health’s sake, go to the .. « HASTINGS STEAM BATHS HAst. 0240, 764 E. Hasting: Smelter Workers,’ the IWA, and the United Electrical Workers have already agreed on the ne- cessity for completely coordinat- ing labor’s campaign for in- creased wages. UE delegates at the Niagara| Falls meeting also raised the de- mand on industry and govern ment that the working «week be reduced to 40 hours. The dele- gates viewed with alarm the Vancouver, B.C. Always Open Expert Masseurs in Attendance After 11 p.m. - - - - 60c, 75c 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., 30c, 40c, 50¢ spread of unemployment and in LOGGERS adopting the 40-hour week de- ay ING mand it was pointed out that = its realization would substanti- ally contribute towards full em- STOCKHOLM ployment. CAFE Authorization was given the District Officers to conduct and supervise strike votes on peti- tion of a local or locals of the i (Harry Kolot, Mgr.) 311 Main St. Vancouver Residence, MArne 3766 EARL SYKES FLORIST “Flowers For All Occasions” 56 EAST HASTINGS VANCOUVER, B.C. PAcifie 3855 G. A. 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