a | Nie \ I J WZ “Vol. XIX, No. 41 S aS 5e per copy Vancouver, B. C. April 21, 1949 @IWA FIGHT FOR WORKERS’ MONEY e“DISGORGE STRIKE FUND OR ELSE” WARNING TO PRITCHETT, 3 AIDES As Ernie Dalskog lay in Oakalla Jail, B. C. officers of the IWA acted to bring the same fate to four other renegade officers—Harold Pritchett, Jack Forbes, Bert Melsness and < ARM OF THE LAW STRETCHED OUT FOR ERNIE DALSKOG NOW BEHIND OAKALLA’S BARS. DALSKOG IS FEEBLY WAVING AS ESCORTED TO JAIL BY - A SHERIFF'S OFFICER, ee : “DON'T BE CRAZY” as ‘WARNS > JUDGE AS DALSKOG JAILED INDEFINITELY Karl Einar (Ernie) Dal- skog was sent to Oakalla Jail on April 8.for an indef- inite term. He went behind the bars for refusing to obey the or- ders of the Supreme Court in that he would not hand over $130,000 IWA strike fund money to the court re- ceiver. ~ 3 * This was. the first positive re- sult of TWA litigation, started shortly after the attempt by cer- tain officers of the District Coun- cil, Jast October 3, to smash the union. IWA had asked for Dalskog’s arrest and detention because he had cashed a $130,000 cheque on the strike fund on “December 30, 1948. He then refused to hand the money over to the official court ver, appointed to tak charge of all TWA funds and as. sets, pending decision of legal ac- WHAT'S INSIDE CONTENTS LU Page Around Locals —. 2 tions between the IWA and the so-called “WIUC”. Dalskog hummed and hawed, and stuttered and hedged dur- ing the proceedings, during which he was given every pos- sible chance by the judge, Mr. Justice Manson, to avoid going to prison. (On page 3 are extracts from the official court record of the afternoon session when Dalskog was finally committed to jail.) At one stage, the judge said, “Now, Dalskog old man, don’t be crazy. Comply with the court order.” Legal opinion obtained by the B.C. Lumber‘ Worker today stressed that Dalskog is not in jail for “defending the workers’ strike fund.” “Dalskog’s person has been at- tached,” he said “because he sees fit to defy the law of the land. He has set himself.above them in that he has refused to obey ord- ers made on October 4 and 5, that all monies and properties of the B.C. District Council be put linto the hands, not of the IWA, but the Supreme Court. This step was taken to “freeze” the situa- tion until the litigation now in hand is decided, The B,C. Federation of Labor PAC urges all trade union mem- bers to take immediate action to see that their names and those No Color Bar For IWA Convention The color bar will not be raised by Vancouver Hotels against negro delegates from the Southern States attend- ing the IWA International Convention in September. This important victory over racial prejudice was announced by District Secretary George Mitchell, following a conference with the Vancouver Hotelmens’ Association, at the April 12 meeting of the Vancouver Labor Council. ‘The announcement was greeted with satisfaction by the V.L.C. delegates, who were reminded of the protest made, some months ago, when a negro trade unionist had been ejected from a Main Street beer parlor. All the best hotels had assent- ed to accommodate a reasonable quota of the IWA delegates of whatever hue, stated the Vice- President of the Vancouver La- bor Council. REGISTER NOW FOR JUNE 15 , A British subject or natural- ized Canadian citizen, Resident in Canada 12 months, Resident in B.C. 6 months, of the Registrar for your ict immediately. If not on the list you must sign an ap- plication penal IT NOW! .| Hjalmar Bergren. The IWA accuses the four of ‘laiding and abetting Dalskog in i|his refusal to comply with Su- preme Court orders of October 4 and 5, 1948. The refusal consists of not ‘lhanding over to the custody of ‘the court receiver, the $130,000 strike fund, a cheque for which Dalskog admits he cashed in || Vancouver on September 30, 1948. The four were scheduled to ap- -|pear in Court on April 22. Dalskog, in jail indefinitely un- ‘til he obeys the court, still faces ‘Ja sentence on a charge of con- tempt of court. The notice of motion for writs j|of attachment on Pritchett, ete., is supported in the main by an affidavit by IWA counsel, A. T. R. Campbell. Mark Mosher, former Island ‘|IWA official, is mentioned in the affidavit, but no action has been taken against him as far as any ‘|move of a writ of attachment. IWA Affidavits Put_into everyday language, the affidavit alleges that the IVA District Council, meeting on Oc- tober 3, did not instruct the five people concerned (Dalskog, Prit- chett, Forbes, Melsness, and Ber- gren) to refuse.to pay any mon- ies to the court receiver, specific~ ally, the strike fund of $130,000. Mr. Campbell for the B.C. IWA, also charges that the Dis- trict ‘Council meeting did not in- struct Dalskog to put himself in the position of being in contempt of a Supreme Court order. It is alleged that Pritchett and the three others by their inactions and/or actions, are in exactly the same legal posi- tion as their jailed buddy and that they, ‘too, should be ar- rested and- detained until the Supreme Court orders are obeyed. Mr, Campbell maintains that the former officers of the IWA were given “certain instructions” and that all are equally answer- able as principals for the actions and “contempt” of Dalskog. (Dalskog has stated that he has received certain instruc- tions.) LABOR BOARD BARS WIUC Four applications for certifica- tion made by the WIUC have been rejected by the Labor Re- Jations Board. Decisions of the Board stated that the WIUC was not found competent to become the bar- gaining authority for the em- ployees of the Trio Lumber Co., the George MacInnes Camp, St. Mary’s Lake, the Glacier Lum- ber Co., Nelson, and the Sande Sawmills, Terrace. These decisions were made with respect to operations in which the WIUC had previously claimed to have ousted the IWA. Offices held by the four men in the so-called “WIUC” are Prit- chett, president;, Bergren, sec- ond vice-president; Forbes, sec- retary-treasurer. Melsness holds no position, but was International Board member of the IWA in B.C. Bill 39 Strike Breaking Attempt By LRB For the first time, the vicious strike-breaking clause of Bill 39 was aimed this week at the Island Freight Service Strike by the Labor Relations Board. The attempt failed when the Board was unable to locate the strikers, who refused to co-oper- ate in taking -the -compulsory ballot. Further attempts are un- likely because of an aroused and indignant trade union opposition on Vancouver Island. The incident was declared by IWA officers to be definite vindi- cation of their determined oppo- sition to this provision of Bills 39 and 87, now incorporated in the ICA Act. “This threat to the truck driv- ers of the Island Freight Service, we regard as a threat to the IWA,” stated District President ‘Alsbury, when informed of the situation. . The strikers originally de- manded an increase of twenty- five cents an hour, but reduced their demand to twelve cents an hour. Their present basic wage is $1.00 an hour, and they have re- mained firm in their demand for the rate prevailing on the Island and the Lower Mainland—$1.12 an hour. Company Offer After the strike was called on March 21, the company made an offer of five eents an hour. ‘This was rejected by the strikers by secret ballot, overwhelmingly. Faced with a growing public sentiment behind the strikers, the company sought advantage of ,the clause in the ICA Act which enables the Labor Rela- tions Board to compel a vote on an offer made during the strike. The new offer was for an in- crease of seven cents an hour. The action of the Board fol- lowed closely on a °$1000 dona- tion to the strike fund by the employees of the Vancouver Is- land Coach Lines, also a subsi- diary of the C.P.R. \ George Home, Secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labor, ex- pressed the resentment of all CCL unions in the province at the action of the Board. He stated that it was now revealed as previously claimed, that this. section of the Act was for the express purpose of enabling 2 powerful company to break down morale of the workers during a prolonged strike.