.C. LUMBER WORKER@

DECISION

ON BOARD RATES
IS EXPECTED SHORTLY

Top IWA leaders this week effectively presented to the
Labor Relations Board the case for immediate reduction of

‘the board rates in camps throughout the industry in B.C.

It is expected that the Board will
shortly make a recommendation on
sul

The union case was ably pre-

Sented by International president
James ling, B.C. provisional
district president Stewart Alsbury,

Virgil Birtz, and Mike Sekora,
ee with the full facts and fi-
gures of the tactics by which the
operators are attempting to steal
back the pay increases won this
year,

The IWA leaders were fighting
for the 8,000 loggers affected in
almost 80 camps — 20 percent of
the industry's workers.

Board rates were upped 50 cents
a day to $2.00 last April, and then
a few days after the new agree-
‘ment was signed in September the
majority of operators upped the
rates again to $2.50.

Union spokesmen said after the
hearing, held in Vancouver on
Tuesday, that they had a good
hearing. It is doubtful if the Labor
Relations Board has the power to
make an order on the subject,

Important factor to be borne in
mind is that the previous district
leadership failed miserably in their
duty to the loggers when they
omitted to fight the board rates

uestion with the operators when
the fresh agreement was negoti-
ated.

Had this been done, the board
rate rates would probably never
have been made.

B.C. Lumber Worker of Novem-
ber 1, pointed out that Labor
Board head J. P. Hogg, K.C., wrote
to ex-president Dalskog on June
11, 1948, mying: “Would it not be
well to have the matter (of board

pecifically covered in the
eement 7”

newccdless to say, nothing was
acre. But the leadership of the
<WA will not fail where Pritchett
and Dalskog failed,

Efforts are being concentrated,
not on political policies, but on
straight, direct trade union busi-
ness — the good and welfare in
every respect of the men who are
working in the sawmills and the
logging camps.

Incidentally, it is learned from a
source at Mission that where a
Canadian company in, the Hope
area is now charging the $2.50 a
day board rate, and a subsidiary
gutfit across the line is still charg-
ing the United States loggers $1.50
a day for board. The basic pay rate
there, too, is $1.45 as against $1.08
on this side of the border,

Logrers can rest assured that
the TWA leadership is losing no
time in pressing the board rates
seandal to the hilt.

Hilltop Camp
Gets Service

The boys at Hilltop Camp are
that IWA means “Immedi-
ate Willing Action”, and they say
it is quit different from the im-
ression they had before. Brothers
Blake and Bill Dunlop recently
visited the camp and addressed a
meeting with Brother Pat O’Con-
nell as chairman,

Tt was found that the men in the
camp had been witholding their
dues as a result of the confused
situation. This camp had not been
certified.

At one time steps were taken
in this direction but then Mr,
» now “WIUC?”, re-
had lost the records
and could not de anything about
‘it; although more than 51 per
»eent had signed with the union.
None of the crew have joined the
“WIUC” and stevs are now bein,
taken Brother O'Connell and
Brother Herman Hooge, secretary
of the crew committee, to see that
the union is established on a proper
basis and certification obtained,

Disruptionists
Are Rapped By
Labour Council

Attempts by certain unions
in Vancouver Labor Council
(CCL) to carry on the disrup-
tion program against which
the IWA is fighting, were
soundly rapped at this week’s
council meeting.

At the previous meeting, an un-
principled attack was made on
President George Home, (also sec-
cretary-treasurer of the B.C. Fed-
eration of Labor, giving all-out aid
to the IWA forces.)

This week the executive gave the
lie to the allegations and intro-
duced a resolution:

“The executive have examined
statements made by Brother Jenk-
ins (Sam, Marine Workers) which
alleged the expulsion of our presi-
dent from the Boilermakers’ union
for non-payment of dues.

“Brother Home has supplied
documentary evidence that such
charges are ill-founded and ridieu-
lous.

“We feel that to take up the
time of this council discussing such
matters without proper charges be-
ing laid would not serve any useful
purpose, but merely attain the end
that certain disruptive forces with-
in this council are aiming at.

“Therefore, the executive is
serving notice that if the minor-
ity delegates who have insisted
on such disruption continue, then
we will have no alternative but
to instruct their locals to elect
new delegates or withdraw from
this Labor Council.

“Evidence submitted by Brother
Home will be available to any dele-
gate or group of delegates desir
ing to examine same.”

George Home himself personally
and effectively rebutted the
charges,

His accuser, Sam Jenkins, stated
that possibly he used the’ wrong
words when he mentioned expul-
sion. President Home accepted his
explanation.

After further discussion the ex-
ecutive résolution was supported,
and the attitude of the staunch]

ro-IWA, pro-CCL council was still
further stiffened to the enemies of
honest trade unionism.

The Council adopted the report
given of the meeting of the execu.
tive of the B.C. Federation ‘of
Labor when O’Brien resigned from
the presidency (see separate
story).

It was interesting, however, to
hear from the minutes of the Fed-
eration meeting that W. Stewart,
Marine Workers, and now presi-
dent of the Federation in place of
O’Brien, while not in favor of all-
out support to the IWA, was will-
ing to support a motion to assist
‘in the organization of “woodwork-
ers”.

CLEARWATER 100%

Brother W. G. Hardy reports
that at Frank Cap’s Camp, Clear-
US the men are 100 per cent

Bro. Hardy found 11 more men |¥

in favour of sticking with the IWA
and there was no one on the night
crew who wanted any part of the
“WIUC”, so that makes it 100-per-
cent IWA at this mill.

eee

Duncan Audit
Has Members
Wondering

IWA members in Local 1-80,
Duncan are demanding ex-
planations of items revealed in
the Trade Union Research
Bureau financial report for the
local, for the six months’
period ended June 30, 1948.

Eric M. Bee, conducted the au
[His report disclosed the following
entries:

Special Expense Ac-
count _. =
Outstanding loan to
Owen Brown
(Brown had’ received
in wages during the
same period, $218.33)
Travelling and Orga-
nizational Expenses
J. Forbes car account
F. Wilson car account _
J, Atkinson's travelling

1713.66
1000.00
1810.00

and organizational
expenses — 781.74
WEA affiliation _ 150.00

Under the heading of Donations,
from January 1, 1948, to June 30,
1948, a total of $1226.00 was ex-
pended. We have no quibble with
some of the donations, but we re-
cord for the benefit of IWA mem-
bers some of the more enlightening
actions of the men who ran the
local at that time.

Pacific Tribune

(LPP
mouthpiece)

.. $ 50,00

Lion's Crippled Children

Fund (a worthy fund)... 1.00
UTWA (AFL) Defense

Arata eg 10000
IWA Local 4-400 Strike

Committee ceccecemvinmre 10,00
(The IWA brothers in

Memphis, Tenn., were

fighting for their lives.

They got . 10.00
An AFL union got 100.00
Canadian-Soviet Friend-

ship League — 10.00

COWICHAN HALL

Auditor Bee criticized in his re-
port the “status” of the Hall at
(Cowichan Lake, which he said
“still appears to be quite obscure.”

“We would again stress the im-
portance of having the situation
clarified as quickly as possible, as
when there are several parties to
a project of this nature, misunder-
standings can easily arise, espec-
ially when there is lack of clarity
in regard to the obligations of the
parties concerned.”

In other words, this was the
second time the former local offi-
cials had been told to get hall busi-
ness. in order.

It is worth noting, too, that the
Trade Union Research Bureau is
not properly qualified as required
by the IWA constitution to carry
out audits of locals’ funds. Only
people so fitted are certified public
accountants in the States, and
chartered accountants in Canada.

Boundary Men
Suppert IWA

Two meeting were held recently
lat Boundary Sawmills, Ltd., Mid-
way, where there are about 100 em-
ployees. One meeting was held in
the bunkhouse for the day shift
and another for the night shift.

Brother Joe Miyazawa, IWA or-
ganizer, found the men were con-
fused by the phoney talks of the
“WiCUers” but after getting the
story straight thev had no hesita-
pon deciding to stay with the

The same condition existed at
the Ingram Creek operation where
there are about 60 employees. The
majority there are sticking with
the IWA with a small group of
oung Japanese Canadians provid-
ing the leadership.

Membership in the Interior have
plenty to say about the former dis-
trict officers who disa: ted three
days before the conciliation award
was handed to the interior.

tion throughout the industry.

:|CCF Position

Is Clarified
In Editorial

The following editorial, which
is self-explanatory, appeared in the
November 4th issue of “CCF

News”,

Reliable information reaching the
CGF office indicates that represent-
atives of the Pritchett - Dalskog
organization are using a new ap-
proach in their endeavors to “win
members and influence woodwork-
ers”. They are reported as stating
that “the best way to support the
CGF is to join the WIUC”.

This apvroach certainly is a
strange one coming from henchmen
of Pritchett and other like him who
did their utmost to elect Mackenzie
King in 1945, ran as candidates
against the CCF, both provincially
and federally, and continuously at-
tacked the CCF and vilified its
elected members and executives. It
was the same Harold Pritchett who
opposed the Canadian Congress of
Labor resolution in support of the
CCF at the national convention in
October of last year. It would be
exceedingly naive to believe that
Mr. Pritchett and his colleagues
have at last seen the light, and
that they could, but did not, do in
the legitimate union of the IWA of
which they were influential officials.

The relationship of the CCF to
the trade-union movement is crys-
tal clear. We believe in unionism.
We will do all possible to assist
legitimate trade unions in their en-
deavors on behalf of the workers,
We strive to develop latent political
consciousness and seek support of,
and affiliation to, the CCF. But we
do not countenance and will oppose
any effort to make a political foot-
bail of a trade union for partisan
party purposes to the detriment of
the objectives and functions of
unionism.

The Canadian Congress of Labor,
in successive conventions, has gone
on record as recommending to all
affiliates that they concentrate their
political activity through the me-
dium of the CCF, and that all
groups of Canadian citizens who
desire to attain the objective of an
equitable social order should co-
operate in electing the CCF both
provincially and federally. ‘The
IWA is an affiliate of the CCL.
International officers of the IWA
have stated that the organization
will adhere to the political policy
outlined by the Congress. The Con-
grass which supports the CCF on
the political front is actively in
support of the IWA on the .econ-
omic front as the legitimate union
of the waodworkers in B.C,

The CCF supports the principle
that the workers must be free to
join the organization of their own
choice, and welcomes the support
of all members and organizations
that accept the principles and ob-
Jectives of the CCF. However, in
view of the present circumstances
involving the woodworkers of the
province, the CCF believes that the
woodworkers’ economic best inter-
ests can be served by belonging to
a union organized internationally,
affiliated to a national body; and
that the best method of supporting
the CCF is to hold membership in
a union whose Congress recognizes
the CCF as “the political arm of
labor”,

“WUIC’ UNABLE TO MEET
BOARD REQUIREMENTS
FOR CERTIFICATION

i IWA is meeting with new and greater successes
in eee of the woodworkers, the “WUC” has not
made a single move on its much-vaunted drive for certifica-

More than three weeks ago,
Pritchett made preliminay appli-
cation to the Labor Relations
Board in Victoria for the certifica~
tion of two locals, location not
given.

He was told that he must show
proof of his claim for majority of
the membership in the locals in-
volved, but it is obvious that he
has not been able to do so.

Labor Relations Board officials
have confirmed that they have
heard nothing further from Prit-
chett on the applications, and, of
course, the full and powerful sta-
tus of IWA bargaining rights
throughout the industry in B,C.
stays unchanged.

‘These rights will stay that way,
too, because it is becoming increas-
ingly obvious that the “WIUC”
have no basis on which to make
their claims for certifications on
any appreciable or worth-while
operations at all.

A prominent IWA leader in B.C.
reminded members this week that
the IWA holds, and will continue
to hold the master contract signed
with the logging operators in Sep-
tember, and they will hold it until
it expires in July.

Then it will undoubtedly be re-
newed in the name of the IWA as
the certified bargaining agent, he
declared.

Even the chairman of the Labor
Relations Board indicated that it
is impossible for any agency to
take over the IWA contracts,

It is the considered ovinion of
many labor law experts that even
if Pritehett’s rebel group had a.
majority in one. tiny oneration,
thev will have to wait till June.
1949 (10 months after the signing
of the master contract) before the
“WIUC” could be certified in that
one case,

Phoney Argument
Is Exploded

That old areument about border
crossing of IWA delegates. that is
the one-time TWA people who have
since run out, cropned up the other
day at Vancouver Bay,

John MeCuish, “WIUC” cohort.
was holding forth with a lot 6f
steam ebout the fact he could not
get across the border to attend the
international convention,

Then Bill McFarlane let all the
steam out of McCuish in a hurry.
Brother McFarlane pointed out
that McCuish knew before he was
ever appointed a delegate that he
could not get across the border.

By taking the appointment, said
Brother McFarlane. MeCnish was
merely depriving IWA members of
renresentation at the convention.
McCuish did not have an answer
for that one.

New Sub-Local
At Sarita Bay

A new Sub-Local has been set up
at Sarita Bay, Brother Harold S.
Hall reports, This is a new camp
and was not previously certified.
Although “‘WIUc” organizers had
been in camp a few days before,
80 new members were signed up
for the IWA.

Kennedy Lake Log at Ucuelet
Temains practically 100 per cent
IWA. Brother Hall tangled with
two “WIUC” people, Mark Mosher
and B. Melness at this camp. When
the debate was over six members
were signed up for IWA and none
wanted any part of “WIUC” cards,

E> waren manera co. 0.

Vicainet, BC

@