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Page Four

B.C.

LUMBER WORKER

No Room for Free Riders’

BETTER wages and working conditions for every lum-
ber worker in British Columbia are at stake in the
Present IWA negotiations for the 1949-50 contract.

Elsewhere in this issue is a list of the logging and mill
operations in which the workers have entrusted bargain-
ing rights to the IWA. :

‘This makes clear, beyond doubt, that the Policy Com-
mittee elected by the rank and file IWA membership, and
now meeting with the operators, has the responsibility to
bargain for the majority of the workers in the industry.

it is also clear that the outcome of their negotiations
will set the wage and contract pattern for the entire in-

. dustry. z

The IWA, and not any other organization, has this re-
Sponsibility.

It is equally clear that WIUC shadow-boxing on a few
operations is not only a sham, but a shameful attempt to
sabotage the bargaining strength of the lumber workers.
Their absurd:claims are now fully exposed. The WIUG
can’t deliver anything for anybody.

* * *

_ WIUC propaganda of disruption has\caused a few men
in logging camps, out of touch with events, to “sit on the
fence”, waiting and wondering if the IWA could function
as the lumber workers’ union.

All their doubts should now be settled. The facts show
that the IWA is the only union that can effectively bargain
for a fair deal on their behalf. Only the IWA presents the
opportunity to join with the majority in an all-out fight

~for higher living standards.
_ This is no time to stall. The man who wants negotia-
tions to get results, should support the IWA negotiations.
“Free riders” are no help.

Loggers $29.42 Weekly

[WA negotiations for a fifteen-cent-an-hour wage boost
for lumber workers have again revived: the ancient
wheeze about the exceptionally high wages already paid
to loggers.
Loggers, it is said by city wiseacres, earn so much|
_ Money that they needs must go on reckless spending
sprees.
The myth, as might be expected, is carefully fostered
“by the operators. The top earnings of men selected from
among those in the higher paid classifications are in-
variably cited as typical. Comparisons are usually made
on the basis of their day’s or week’s earnings, often with
overtime included.
The only yardstick that may properly be applied to
a logger’s earnings is the net amount of annual income
which he is able to take with him from camp.

Rfeee ie 3 x

HETHER wage rates are high or low is determined)

by the annual net income of the logger receiving the
average pay.

In terms of annual income and average rates, the
present wage scale is far below that now paid to skilled
mechanics in other industries.

For health and safety reasons, the forty-hour week
is now customary. The total of possible working days in
any one year is therefore 260.

This total of possible working days in the year is
always reduced drastically, by fire seasons in summer and

* snow in the winter. Emergencies often close down opera-
tions. Accidents are frequent. Time is lost for family and
health reasons because of isolation from home and health
services. The actual working days seldom average more
than 170 in the year. -

The pay for the average logging crew ranges from $9.88
to $13.72 for an eight-hour day. $12.00 a day is a high
~ average, but this provides a gross income for the year of

"only $2040.

The logger must pay board at the rate of $2.50 a day
for every day in camp, whether earning pay or not. This
accounts for an average deduction from annual earnings
of approximately $495 for the estimated working period,
“leaving the net sum of $1545.

His expenses include caulk boots at about $28 a pair,
weather-proof clothing against constant exposure, per-
sonal necessities for camp life, all of which are forced on
him by conditions in the industry. These easily average
out at another $170 for the year.

Heo ok

TO get back and forth to his job, he must spend on the
average at least- $100 a year on boat or plane trans-
portation.

Without taking other deductions into consideration, as
hhe must endure these in common with workers in other
industries, the take-home pay of the logger for the year
thus averages out no higher than $1530, or average
weekly earnings of $29.42.

The logger who is married, must not only pay board,
but must also provide for the upkeep of his home, else-

where. 5
One thing added to another, the annual income of the

average Jogger is far too low for a man who faces a
shortened expectancy of his working life, and who is
deprived of many of the ordinary comforts and advan-

*

LET THE CHIPS
* * FALL « *
&y Woody Woodpecker

“HE, HELP. We wuz robbed.”

That call is common enough in
every-day circles in Vancouver,
the hold-up man’s Mecca, It is
also very common in certain poli-
tical circles,

And the political circles to
which I refer are those in which
Harvey Murphy’s men are going
around these days. -

The official results of the bal-
lots within the International
Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers, B.C. District, have just
been released by Murphy, the
man found guilty by a CIO probe
of “aiding and abetting” Prit-
chett and the Boys. -

+ 4 8

'AKE note. Three out of five

of Harvey Murphy’s candi-
dates have been defeated. No
question about it. Moffet (his
president), Smith (his secretary)
and Belanger (a Board member)
were soundly beaten by Claire
Billingsley, Dave McGhee, and
Jimmy Byrne.

That leaves Harvey only two
men on the five-man board—fog-
horn-voiced George Anderson of
Copper Mountain and Glen Os-
borne, Bralorne.

But Murphy can’t even pretend
to accept the results in good
grace.

As the results were disclosed,
Smith, the retiring secretary, an-
nounced that a petition from a
group of members in Trail had
alleged irregularities in the bal-

loting.
ear

*
[7 is now up to the outgoing ex-

ecutive, that fine bunch of
Party hacks, to decide if the Trail
figures will’stand, or whether a
new ballot in that district.will be
necessary.

It is my guess, that after a
great show of “democracy” de-
liberation, the outgoing executive,
will graciously allow the Trail
figures to stand.

force a new ballot. But we're
democrats. The figures will
stand.”

The real reason they won?t or-
der a new ballot is that they know
well that if they did hold a new
election, the Trail membership
would be so incensed at the phony
petition that they?d make the ma-
jority for their candidates even

greater.
Ries

NCIDENTALLY, wasn’t it fun-
ny to see how quickly Dalskog
“divvied up” with the $130,000
strike fund money, the moment
it was threatened that friends
Pritchett, Forbes, Melsness and
Bergren would follow him into
the cell blocks at Oakalla.

The Party guff about “holding
the money in trust despite hell
and high water” faded quickly at
that chance. Never mind, Dalskog
is probably being awarded the de-
gree Martyr, Third Class, for his
“valiant defence” of the workers’
funds!

*

“See?” they'll say, “we could||}

“WHITE MAN — HIM C

THE MAIL BAG

The Officers,
District No. 1, WA,
Vancouver, B.C.

Dear Sirs and Brothers:

It was regularly moved, sec-
onded and carried at the monthly
meeting of this Sub-Local, held
on April 30, 1949, that the Sec-
retary send you a letter express-
ing our approval and apprecia-
tion of your actions and conduct
regarding the recent “Peace Feel-
ers” and overtures made by lame-
dog representatives of the WIUC.

It is felt that further pussy-
footing will occur from time to
time and it is hoped that your
judgment will continue stern and
firm.

Yours fraternally and sincerely,

Wm. MacRae,

Secretary, Sub-Local 1-71.

Your Space, Beys!

The Editor:

Well, well, what do you know?
At last the WIUC have certifica-
tions in four operations around
Cranbrook some place, according
to Parkin.

Also, according to the same
gentleman, the B.C, lumber op-
erations are about to fold up, be-
cause the Marshall Plan (com-
trolled by Wall Street), cannot
take any B.C. lumber until aad
unless there is a shortage of U.S.
lumber for export.

._Is it possible that the so well-
informed Mr. Parkin has forgot-
ten that his friends in Distriet 2
recently pushed through a resolu-
tion asking that the U.S. put a
ban on the export of B, C. lumber
and logs to that country?

Who's fooling who?

H, Brown,
Victoria, B.C.

The B,C. Federation of Labor,
CCL-PAC directs the attention
of all lumberworkers to the fol-
lowing sections of the Provincial
Elections Act.

‘Loggers who intend to vote ab-
sentee should inform themselves
of the names of the candidates in
the ridings where their residence
was established at the time of
registration for the Voters’ List.

Absentee Voting

“For the purpose of exercis-
ing his franchise, any voter
whose name is on the list of
voters for one polling division
of an electoral district, and
who is absent from that polling
division on the day on which
the poll is held, may obtain a
special ballot-paper in any poll-
ing-place of the same electoral

tages of normal living.

district and may record his

DETAILS OF WORKERS’ VOTING RIGHTS

vote in the manner provided in
this section.”

For the purpose of exercising
his franchise at any general elec-
tion any voter whose name is on
the list of voters in one electoral
district and who is absent from
that district on the day on which
the poll is held therein, may ob-
tain a special ballot-paper for
that district in any polling-place
of any other electoral district in
which a poll is being held, and
may record his vote in the man-
ner provided in this section.

Time For Voting

“Every registered elector of
the electoral district who- does
not have four consecutive hours
free from his employment be-
tween the opening and closing
of the poll on polling-day shall
be entitled to have such free
time from his employment

. Which

without loss of pay therefor, as
may be required to provide him
with four consecutive hours be-
tween the opening and closing
of the poll on polling-day im
to cast his vote.”

“Such period of time shall
be granted to each employee at
the time of day that best suite

the convenience of the eut-
ployer.”

“Every employer who, witi-
gut reasonable justifical
fails to grant sufficient time
to an employee, or having
granted such time off, makes &

eduction in pay therefor shall
be liable, on summary ;

tion, to a penalt, A
of an individual. of met

than one hund: dollars,
ae case OF p01 "
no!

fifty “Gola”, be