CG.

LUMBER WORKER 2

Page Five

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
assist their organization before
Auxiliaries during a recess at the
vention.

J. E. Fadling, outlines plans, to
a committee from the Women’s
12th Annual B.C. District Con-

SAFETY CAMPAIGN

r ) measures to ensure that both employers and workers observe the

WHEREAS: 95 workers lost
their lives and thousands of
others suffered injuries in the
industry in 1948 with resulting
suffering, both moral and eco-
nomic, to their dependents,
union and country, and

WHEREAS: The accident rates

in the woodworking industry
are the highest of any industry
in British Columbia, and Dis-
trict No. 1 has had no program
nor has made any attempt to
institute one in the past,

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED: That the
IWA District Council No. 1 set
up_a District Safety Council
and instruct the District Safety
Council to implement as soon
as possible the following pro-
gram as adopted by regularly
constituted conference of Dele-
gates from Locals in the B.C.

* District, January 14th, 194
1. That’ the District Safety
Council immediately start set-
‘Ung up Local Safety Councils
and pe eon ae in all

is, Camps an is in

District No. 1.
2. That a page in the B.C,
Lumberworker be set aside for
use as a Safety Bulletin for
€dueational purposes plus full
use of Radio, Films, Literature
and any other means

available,
8. That we earnestly endeavor

to co-operate with Mana;
ment and the Government in

all phases of accident preven-
‘tion.

4. ‘That 1]

Council,

District

cals willi

brief to

pensation Board

vise the Compen:

5. That the Di

. That the District Safe

Couneil draw in from all loos!

Safety Councils and Safety

Committees information per.

taining to safety education and

Accident Prevention and pub-

lish_ same in B.G. Lumber

Worker.

6. That District Safety Coun-

cil meet not less than once

every three months with full

Safety Council meeting to meet

with District Executive Board

one day prior to Convention

each year. ‘
THEREFORE

-BE If RESOLVED: That the
officers of District Council No.
* 1 be empowered to appoint the
personnel to fill the following
Pasitions on this Safety Coun-
cil, namely:
1. Director (this a paid posi-
tion).

2. peereleny.

First Vice Director.
4. Second Vice Director.
5. Third Vice Director.
in addition to this there shall
be eight Zone Directors as fol-
lows: Three

rince George,
3, Cranbrook; Two for

STOP NEEDLESS SLAUGHTER;
DELEGATES ADOPT PLAN

Gray, Chairman
@ comprehensive

More Health
Services Demanded

The Convention instructed the
incoming Executive to study all
regulations respecting the Hospi-
tal Insurance Act, and to furnish
the Locals with information for
guidance in preparing proposed
amendments. It was the ex-
pressed intention of the delegates
to press for more adequate health
services, with coverage for medi-

cal attention as well as hosnital
treatment.

A fifteen hundred dollar income
tax exemption for single persons
and a twenty-five hundred dollar
exemption for married persons
without dependents, was urged as
necessary to compensate workers
for loss of purchasing-power due
to soaring prices.

Recognition was given to the
value of credit unions among
lumber workers as a means to

lower living costs, and accumu-
Jate financial reserves,

Space will not permit a full re-
port of all convention decisions
n policy, made‘by resolution. In
summary, the convention deter-
mined policies on wages, con-
tracts, union security, welfare
plans, labor legislation, housing,
immigration, and general prob.
lems of social security.

Committee Men
Appreciated

Convention delegates expressed
their appreciation of the work
undertaken by convention com-
mittes. It was recognized that
the success of the gathering was
largely due to their faithful and
painstaking preparation of con-
vention material.

Convention chairmen were:
Resolutions—Rae Eddy
Organization—Tom Bradley
Credentials—Tony Gargrave
Officers’ Reports—

George Mitchell
Safety—W. Gray.

local membership.

POLITICAL ACTION POLICY SET

| Delegates Endorse Stand Of

Canadian Congress Of Labor

With unanimous support of a resolution on politica
action the District Convention took the IWA around a

Columbia squarely behind the political action policy of the

Canadian Congress of Labor.

Affirming confidence in the
good leadership shown by the Ca-
nadian Congressof Laborin adopt-
ing the CCF as the political arm
of labor, the resolution goes on
to endorse the political action
policy of Congress and: to. ap-
prove the setting up of political
action committees in every local
where this is sanctioned by the

Agreement was not reached
without considerable debate. The
original resolution presented by
the committee was rejected as
contradictory by ‘the convention.
It called for support of CCF can-
didates in one clause and in the
next for support of “any candi-
date, regardless of political party
who will support labor.”

On presentation of an amended
resolution which deleted this
clause, attempts were made to re-
introduce the principle of sup-
porting candidates on a non-par-
tisan basis. But these were re-
jected after lengthy debate.

Not Popular

Tom MacKenzie, recording sec-
retary of Local 1-217, branded
these attempts as preparation “to
sit idly by and take no political
action at all.” Stating that he
recognized that the Congress
policy was not a popular position
to take after the “phony politi.
cal action of commies”, MacKen-
zie declared that nevertheless,
delegates should realize that it is
impossible to “differentiate be-
tween economic and political
action.”

The amendment was also at-
tacked by Provisional Vice-presi-
dent Lloyd Whalen, who asked
why the delegates were prepared
to go on record as supporting
Congress policy if they were not
prepared to set up the machinery
to carry it out.

“I'm sick and tired of non-
partisanism,” cried Whalen.
Quoting from ‘the recent attacks
on the CCF by H. R. MacMillan,
Whalen suggested that this in
itself was proof that there must
be something good for the work-
ers in the CCF.

Stating that he himself was
not a member of the CCF, and
disagreed with many of ‘their
policies, Whalen said he was only
being realistic when he faced the
fact that the CCF was the only
political party that had a hope
of capturing the support of the
Canadian workers.

President’s Stand

District President Alsbury also
placed himself firmly behind Con-
gress policy and reminded the
delegates that the LPP had been
the stoutest supporters of “non-
partisan” political action, which,
he said, had really meant the
most “vicious sort of partisan
action in support of the LPP, the
Hiberals and Conservatives”, At
the same time Bro. Alsbury as-
sured the delegates that he would
never be a party to allowing any
Political party to dominate the

- | union.

Fears that to commit’ every
local to active political action in

support of the CCF might split|’

the membership, were allayed by}

an amendment proposed by Bro.
Roy Whittle, president of Local
1-118. This

paigns optional, to be decided by
the membership of each local. In

amendment made |
participation in election’ cam-

this amended form the political /

action resolution of the Gommit-
tee won the unanimous support
of the convention. z

Abolih Sales Tart

WHEREAS:

The Provincial Government imposed a 3% tax which
they call a Social Security Tax, but which in fact

is a Sales Tax, and

WHEREAS:

This tax places a very real hardship on the working

people by creating an additional financial burden ‘on
large numbers of people who are already suffering
by ever increasing living costs, and

WHEREAS:

BE IT
RESOLVED:

This tax is further reducing the already ‘declining
standards of living of the people of this province

That this Convention call on the Provincial Govern-

ment to abolish this iniquitious ‘tax and meet the
expenses of the social security program from the
consolidated revenue of the Province, augmented by
increased stumpage and mineral taxes, thereby tap-
ping the exorbitant profits being piled up by the
large and wealthy operators.in these industries who
are exploiting the natural resources of the Province.

Delegates from Local 1-367, Mission

Prevent Unewploymeut!

Unemployment is steadily. increasing, and
This condition works a great hardship on those who

through no fault of their own find themselves unem-

This condition is also ruinous too ur whole social and

It is the duty and responsibility of the Legislative

Assembly to regulate the maximum hours of work
and minimum wages in the best interests of the
people who they were elected to represent,

WHEREAS:
WHEREAS:

loyed, and.
WHEREAS: ‘This eb

economic structure, and
WHEREAS:
RESOLVED:

‘That we, the International Woodworkers of America

District No, 1, CCL-CIO, demand that the Legislative
Assembly live up to its duties and responsibilities by
xeducing’ the hours of work to a degree that will
eliminate unemployment with no reduction in. take
home pay to the wage-earners, and that the minimum
wage be raised to $1.00 per hour.

Amend 7.0.44. eet!

RESOLVED:

That the incoming officers of the District Council be

instructed to join with the B.C. Federation of Labor,
the Vancouver Labor Council, and all CCL unions to
work out the mechanics for a small effective Stand-
ing Committee to watch over all sessions of the
Legislature on all matters affecting Ps and make

* recommendations for the protection of lal

jor’s inter-

ests to the parent bodies.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive in co-operation with the Canadian.

Congress of Labor and other logical bodies, formu-

late @ unified plan of new and amended Legislation
of interest to labor and the IWA. ‘This proposed

legislation would then, in co-operation with the CCL
and its affiliates, be presented to the B. C. Legislature
in February of this year.

‘PROVINCE’ STRIKERS GET IWA BACKING;
“DON’T BUY NON-UNION NEWSPAPER”

In the midst of debate on mat-
ters of union policy, the conven-
tion press table came in for at-
tention by the delegates. No re-

from the Vancouver Daily

ee was seated at the press
table. The convention by resolu-
tion gave support to the strike
of the ITU at the Province, and
warned all union members’ that
the Province was printed with-
out the union label. After some
discussion, reporters from The

Pacific Tribune and The Fisher-
man were allowed to take their
places, while delegates expressed
the hope that: their accounts of
the convention would be rea-
sonably accurate.

UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE

Various resolutions were placed
before the convention expressing
dissatisfaction with Unemploy-
ment Insurance benefits and pro-

francs: aie demands were nude
le nine-day waiting peri

be abolished, and that Sel ade
quate steps be taken to inform
insured workers of their rights.
The New Westminster delegates
made the point that insurance
benefits should be paid in in-
stances where workers have lost
employment through shut-downs
due to flood conditions, vacations

or similar reasons.

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