Page Four

B. c.

Northwest Settlement

‘THE IWA Northwest Regional Negotiating Committee
deserves praise for the outcome of negotiations re-
uy concluded with operators in the Pacific Northwest
An attempt on the part of the operators to cut wages
was blocked, The basic rate of $1.45 an hour was main-
tained, at a level 87 cents an hour higher than in Canada.
Substantial concessions in the way of night-shift differ-
entials, overtime and premium pay, and paid statutory
holidays add up to an over-all wage increase,
Wage and employment factors have been stabilized in

5 Me full of uncertainties for the American lumber in-
ustry.

COST of living in the United States has dropped almost

7 points since the peak reached in 1948, and is still]

dropping.
Lumber production in the United States is down 18
per cent from the postwar peak. A decline in construction

activity will likely depress production further during the
balance of the year.

Many trade unions, which have already negotiated

agreements this year in leading American industries, have §

been content to hold the wage line at approximately the
1948 level.

Unemployment has risen to the 4 million mark, a fact =

which has caused American unions grave concern. Al-
though trade union membership has risen to 15 million,
five times greater than fifteen years ago, there are still
twice as many non-union workers in industry.

Non-union workers have been forced to take wage-
cuts, thus increasing wage-cutting pressure on unionized
shops. Where union strength has prevented wage cuts,
many employers are reducing work forces by increasing
speed-up.

Recent strikes have failed to win worth-while wage yee

increases.

"THE major strategy of American unions at present is to
prevent a downward movement of wages.

Conditions in the States are not comparable with those
in Canada, Canadian workers have a bettercase, for wage
levels have remained lower, and living costs continue to
rise because of monopoly price-fixing and profit-making.

The IWA in British Columbia intends to raise wages
to approximate the level held in the American section of
the industry. One hundred per cent IWA organization on
an industry-wide basis can turn the trick.

Union Shop

A UNION shop for lumber workers, as proposed in the

1949-50 IWA contract, is a step urgently required to
stabilize bargaining procedure in the industry.

' Experience elsewhere has shown it to be the only satis-
factory means by which a union, may efficiently safeguard
the welfare of its members and discharge its responsibili-
ties.

The union shop is at the same time democratic and
business-like.

There can be only one bargaining agency for the work-
ers in a bargaining unit.

This bargaining agency is selected by majority vote of
the employees. When an agreement is signed, the union
shop provides for full and democratic participation in the
bargaining rights by all the employees affected by the
agreement. *

' The union shop ensures that every worker in the
unit has a voice in decisions which affect his wages and
working conditions.

As he shares in the benefits, gained by the union, he
should also share in the responsibilities assumed by the
union on behalf of all the employees.

JHIOSE who choose to stay outside the union as “free

: riders” do nothing more than offer interference to the

democratic application of the terms of the agreement.
‘} The employer who offers opposition to the union shop
denies the enjoyment of legitimate democratic rights to
his employees. ’
»: When agreement is reached, the union shop brings
stability in labor-management relations. It promotes a
healthier atmosphere than one of constant uncertainty
and strife. : ae ‘

: Once assured of security in bargaining rights, and
freed from the necessity of constantly battling to maintain
a majority footing, the union membership can then devote
its energies to the important problems of the industry,

OF THIS .-.-

NOT DOLES— DOLLA

THERE'LL BE NO MORE

IY

WHEN You CAN HAVE ;
SOMETHING UKE THIS).

PAC Contest

Entries are still being received
in the contest announced in the
last issue of The B.C. Lumber
Worker for the electric steam
iron donated by District. Presi-
dent Alsbury. The following en-

try has been selected for publi-
cation in this week’s issue,

First Entry

‘The Contest Editor:

As a politically organized hu-
man society, our laws are our
rules of conduct for the welfare
of the majority.

We get our laws from three
main sources, namely custom,
adjudication and legislation. The
main source of labor laws are by
legislative enactments by men we
elect to our legislature.
Knowing this to be true, doesn’t
it appeal to our intelligence that
the men we elect should be men
of our choice, men who will give
labor an equitable share of our
natural and productive wealth.
Unless unionism uses its
strength politically in a wise and
practical way, unionism loses its
most powerful weapon, a weapon
many, many times more powerful
than strike action. ;
The CCL has built the founda-
tion of this all-powerful weapon
under the name of the PAC. We
of the IWA have but to add our
voting strength to that of the
PAC in all of Canada to win all
the freedom we so much desire
for all.
Georges J, B. LaFrance,

646 Alderson Ave.,

New Westminster.

ee

Provoked

The Editor:

In May 5 issue of The B.C.
Lumberworker appears a lengthy
statement in support of our Pro-
vincial Government over the
names, so synonymous of reac-
tion, Hon. H. Anscomb and Hon.
B. Johnson.:

This statement includes one

Your Space Boys!

Readers
Vine

“Telephone, power, bus trans-| Joe’s Scabs

ortation, fur and timber market- Bait
Ing, sodfum-sulphate extraction, Dear Editor,
insurance, all are highly success “Who are Strike-breakers and
ful government ventures, provid> Scabs
ing ‘cheaper and better’ services| “I see where the Communists
to the people, and adding funds are strike-breaking and scabbing
to the public treasury.” on the German Railway workers,
“Of the 11 Crown Corporations and Uncle Joe has sent his troops
10 have shown a profit every ne towne the scabs and fire on
ear. The secondary industry the Germans, a
high we have closed down rep-' “I wonder what Pritchett, Dals-
resents less than one per cent of kog, Harvey Murphy & Co. think
the capital invested.” ‘of that! All the German worker
Simply age-old axioms, “The is striking for is a decent wage,

|truth shall set you free”, as op- Powell River Chokerman.”
posed to “Falsehoods shall for. eae,

ever entangle”, struggling for

supremacy, WANTED

To read such a statement as
jthat quoted in a paper begging!
support for a Political Action
Committee, pledged to act in the
best interests of the workers, is
just the most provoking contra-
diction one could possibly toler-
ate,

Persons who know the
whereabouts of a good start-
ing pitcher, open for engage-
ment with Local 1-217, IWA,
Soft-ball Team for the sea-
son. Communicate the in-
formation to Manager Bob
Watters or Financial Secre-
tary Stu Hodgson, care of
IWA, 218, 175 Broadway
East, FAirmont 9530.

LET THE CHIPS FALL
by Woody Woodpecker.

BIG corporations in Canada and the US. don’t pay income Ss

tax on their costs of production. Applying this prin-
ciple to the earnings of the working Joe, a trade unionist —
in the US. has found fascinating answers to his income
tax worries! i

Here is how it would work out for a logger in B. C.:

Wage earners are humans who try to make a living by peddling
the labors of a machine (their body) for so much an noes 3

That labor is something the logger produces and sells. The
dueing is done by the very eating, sleeping, acquired knowl
having families to maintain the supply, and keeping the machine
of flesh and bone in efficient working order.

._ Therefore, on sound economic principles, not forgetting that the
big business man doesn’t pay tax on the cost of production, Joe
tax form something like this:

Albert Crowder,

RR1, White Rock,
Royal City Sawmills.

Logger could turn in an income

Gross income from sale of lab
Production Costs: Bi

most outstanding falsehood (a
gentleman’s definition of a lie!)
which should be exposed. I quote:
“We have but to look at the Sas-
katchewan experiment to see a
glaring example of government
attempts to manage expropriated
businesses. The Socialist admini-
stration of that province already
has closed down most of the
original industries it seized.”
Now may I quote a statement
by. agers qonalas of facia
ewan which a in Ma
(issue of CCF News: iH

PROOF of the value of the union shop is found in the fact

’ that over fifty per cent of the unionized workers on
this continent are now working under union shop condi-
tions, and the number is rapidly growing.

Security for trade unions through union shop agree-
ments has given clear demonstration of its advantages to
employer and worker alike: _ p
_. Arguments against the union shop are basically argu-
ments against trade union organization. _ c :
_. The conditions of modern industry require this practi-

mn of the democratic functions of trade unions

to ensure industrial stability.

Depreciation and
Doctors’ bills _ oo
Pa for tis pady ie maintain spirits __
‘owance for obselecence (savii
1/10th gross income) aa ee

TOTAL COSTS __
TOTAL INCOME _
YEAR

LOSS FOR THE
(Loss partially covered b; i o
debt, total balanced by depreesationy © 1% SAvings and increase

REFUND DUE—All taxes collected previous years. _
It’s a happy thought, anyway. "

\