B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page Sever WHY LABOR MUST FIGHT ICA ACT @rz Program of action laid down by the B.C. District IWA in annual convention demands the utmost effort to secure new labor legislation. Wage rates, conditions of work, and welfare plans for the 1949-50 agreements will be established through bargaining with the employers. The law which safeguards bargaining rights is likewise important. The conditions must be such that workers ma; quality. For these reasons the IWA, with the other unions within the B.C. Federation of Labor will press for a new or amended ‘CA Act at the next session of le B.C. Legislature. For these Trade unions cannot accept the assumption made in a recent pub- lic statement by the Hon. Minis- ter of Labor, that there is no meral demand for a revision of @: Act. trade union is a self-govern- ing body, entitled to the same rights in the law as well as all other democratic bodies. The in- tention of the majority party in the Legislature to disregard these * hts is indicated in the clause ipulating government super- vision of a Souke ballon. uP This clause is an insult to an tablished trade union democ- ey. It is a step toward govern. ment regulation of legitimate trade union activity. It is a clause that must go. "THE existing law opens the door to legal action by anti- labor employers designed to crip- Ple strike action by injunctions, civil suits, and even stern penal. fies following criminal prosecu~ tion. The criminal code makes adequate provision for offences against life and property, As in Great Britain, Canadian trade unions must maintain the right to withdraw their labor— to strike. Well-financed and pow- erful corporations should not be enabled to invoke protracted legal Proceedings for the express pur- Pose of smashing a trade union struggle. "TRADE unions respect law and ;otder. The threat of police action is only provocative. ‘The strike is regarded by them as a weapon of last resort. The em- phasis now placed on_penalties against trade unions is unjust. f the emphasis in the law is Placed on safeguards for orga- nization and collective bargain- ing, there will be little occasion to consider penalties for law- breaking on the part of the workers. We will press for a revision of those provisions of the Act which enable anti-labor interests to use the courts to restrict legitimate trade union action. EVERY restriction against the right to organize on the job must be removed. Trade union organization is, an essential of industrial stability. The law should not provide any pretext for an employer to hamper orga- nization among his employees, The law should not assume that the right to organize is a matter of grace on the part of the em- ployer. It is a matter of right. The present definition of a la- bor organization is broad enough to extend protection to disguised company unions. The company union, under whatever name it may parade, is an employer’s de- vice to, prevent genuine trade union organization. ‘Trade: unions must insist on the right to define what a genuine trade union means in the law. "THE law confers the right upon the Labor Relations Board to interfere with union bargaining strategy. The Board may compel a vote on an offer made by the employer during negotiations or conciliation. Clearly this power can be used to drive a wedge into union solidarity to the advantage of the employer. We insist upon non-interference with the bar- gaining plans decided upon by the majority of the union mem- bers. EXPERIENCE has shown that further steps are necessary to speed up and streamline con- ciliation and arbitration proceed- ings. ‘Trade unions’ rights to orga- nize and bargain collectively must be more clearly defined, The free enjoyment of these rights require the protection of ade- quate penalties against employer interests which may attempt vio- lation. Trade unions must demand a law which makes collective bar- gaining a free and fully demo- cratic procedure, iy meet employers on terms of - THINKING POINTS FOR WOODWORKERS @ by Stewart Alubury @ ty Bul Mahoney HOW ‘H.R.’ MADE °8” Macmillions IN 48 At the District Convention of the IWA on January 15, I took occasion to refer to Mr. H. R. MacMillan as an “economic cave-man”. This may not have been polite but anyone who examines the Annual Report of Mr. MacMillan’s company will agree, I think, that it was 2 fairly apt description of Canada’s leading timber baron. Fourteen Reasons To Fight LC.A. Act It's Government supervision of strike votes threatens Govern- ment regulation of trade unions. It’ permits the continued pro- tection of disguised company unions. It restricts organization on the job. It exposes unions to severe pen- alties for legitimate trade union action. It empowers the Labor Rela- tions Boards to: Decide who shall form a bar- gaining unit. Compel a vote on an offer from the employer during neg- otiations. Cancel the certification of a union for alleged illegal acts. Compel a vote on the offer of an employer during a strike. It does not enforce penalties against all unfair labor practices. It does not eliminate delays in the settlement of disputes. It makes arbitration too costly for unions. It needs simplification. It should be replaced by a new labor code, These Clauses Affect YOU! HOW THE MONEY GOES DOMINION COST-OF-LIVING INDEXES (4935-39 — 100) ME. MacMillan, in recent press statements has made much of the remarkable growth of his lumber empire from very modest beginnings. And it has been a most remarkable growth. ‘The $8,500,000 net profit of the MacMillan Company which has been the subject of so’ much dis- cussion since it was reported be- comes even more striking when we discover that it is actually a net -profit of 465 percent on the invested capital of the company. The total “venturesome invest- ment” of capital, as Mr, Mac- Millan describes it, was $1,820,- 420, made up of 746,271. Class “A” shares and 8,150,000 Class “B” shares, JN other words, Mr. MacMillan and his friends put up $1,820,- 420 in cash and from that in- vestment have built up assets, totalling $46,290,054, on which, this last year, they made a net Profit of $8,484,839, HOW did they do it? By the simple process of returning to the workers only a fraction of the values they created. In this last year the MacMillan Co. made a net profit of approximatay $1700 out of the work of every one of their 1500 employees, For every dollar paid out in wages, salaries,. Workmen’s Com- pensation assessments, pension contributions and medical and hospital insurance, the Company made a net profit of 652 cents. ON the strength of this suc- cessful exploitation of the workers the MacMillan Company has been able to borrow money to expand its holdings still fur- ther. At present the company carries a bonded debt of $8,449,000 which is being reduced by $750,000 a year out of the profits of the company. The net profits for this one year alone were sufficient to wipe out this debt, MacMILLan lays great stress on the policy of re-investing profits which his company has pursued through the years and presents it as a public-spirited service to the community. No one will deny for a moment that it has resulted in great industrial development and has provided employment for an_ increasing number of workers. But the fact remains that it has been the money of his employees that Mr. MacMillan has been re-investing, and that the properties acquired by this re-investment belong to Mr. MacMillan, not the workers who provided the capital. "THE operations of the MacMil- lan Company provide a per- fect example of the processes of the capitalist system. They xe- veal, as no theoretical discussion could reveal, the manner in which power and ‘wealth become con- centrated in fewer and fewer hands, The history of this company demonstrates how the wealth cre- ated by the workers is siphoned off into the hands of the owners of industrial plants. When re- invested, it provides the means for extracting still more profits. "THE $8,500,000 profits of the MacMillan Company are shocking enough when regarded merely as an outrageous gouging of the workers and the citizens of British Columbia. They are much more sinister when we re- alize that the bulk of them will | be used to enable Mr. MacMillan to corral still more of British Co- lumbia’s natural resources and to further strengthen his already dominating position in the prov- ince. Those eight and a half million dollars are just more spikes to be added to the club our economic eave-man holds over the heads of the people of British Columbia. oo WAR SURPLUS OOOO. ARMY SINGLE BEDS e) Q s S ©] ie ©} aces Sree H AT A FRACTION OF ORIGINAL CosT Index Food Rent Light Clothing |/H November 1, 1948 J 4. 121.0 129.0 181.6 ||8 . October 1, 1948 _. 159.6 205.4 321.0 128.8 igi.o ||} Alisteel angle. frame construction, November 1, 1947 — 143.6 173.6 119.9 122.6 167.0 || a aa sturdy in every detail. Hes * HOURLY AND WEEKLY EARNINGS IN MANUFACTURING (CANADA) Wee ascenie Aad eee pee ( 98 Average Average Index of Real _Index of Real H° up into small space for convenient Hourly Weekly Weekly HarningsWeekly Harnings | 4 : S Earnings Earnings 1989 — 100 April 1 — 100 | f “Ansport and storage. Beds are in October 1, 1948 _ 946 $40.68 128.7 1014 Q perfect condition, Ideal for children's October 1, 1947 ‘ ‘gad $3.95 216 - 100.6 fH rooms, summer cottages, auto courts, 1939 Avera; z ene : i pike Hee tememe vo April 1, 1946 1684 30.37 126.9 i000 Soegr cablns et SRECLA NESBITT, THOMSON INDEX OF DIVIDEND PAYMENTS (1935-39100) December, 1948 - December, 1947 November, 1948 November, 1947 _. Index of All Family Heads. Receiving Employment, B.C. Social Assistance, B.C. MAIL ORDERS accepted for any quantity of Beds. Prices quoted f.o.b. Vancouver. Postal MONEY ORDERS should accompany out-of-town orders. Postage and freight charges to be in- Single Individuals Receiving Social Assistance, B. C. cluded with order. NO C.0.D. ORDERS, PLEASE. 46 PUI OY Sept. 1, 1946 _.. 1594 Sept. 1946 { aot Y joat aes Sept. 1, 1947 > 1885 Sept. 1947 “Sept. 1, 1948 "215.5 Sept. 1, 1948 2118 Sebt. 1948 ia. 3 _ EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS — EIGHT LEADING INDUSTRIES, B.C. { Aggregate Payrolls, June, 1941 — 100 f Be se al 243.8 New Westminster DEPT. STORES _ Vancouver ©