IWA PLANS TO FIG

Otticat Pobination ot the Insdernational Weodwuorhers

5e per copy

Vancouver, B.C.

Qiu XIX, No. 47 <>" July 21,1949
EDITORIAL

The Situation

‘THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE LUMBER WORKERS
and the lumber barons is now moving into its final
stage.

All the arguments for and against’ the wage and con-
tract demands of the IWA will be adjudicated upon by a
presumably impartial Conciliation Board.

Thus the IWA will plead the case for the lumber work-
ers before the bar of public opinion. It will be the respons-
ibility of the Board to render judgment in accordance with
the public good.

The IWA is confident that the betterment of the living
and working conditions of 40,000 workers in British Co-
lumbia’s leading industry will be im the public interest.

The [WA has bargained in good faith but fruitlessly.
Nevertheless, the Union will exhaust all available steps
remaining to secure a peaceful settlement.

‘THE OPERATORS HAVE NOT ONLY SET THEIR

faces against any concessions, but have shown a deter-
mination to protect their profits by depressing wage stand-
ards already dangerously low.

The situation created- by the operators confronts the
organized lumber workers with a threat which cannot be
ignored.

It compels the IWA to prepare for the worst while
striving to secure the best.

‘The award of ‘the Conciliation Board, whatever it may
be, will be submitted to the IWA membership for accept-
ance or rejectiom by secret ballot.

Tf rejected, more drastic action must be considered.

If accepted, there is no assurance in their present atti-

» tude that the operators will accept an award granting any
substantial concessions to the workers. Up to the present,
they have shown a disregard for the workers’ needs that is
highly provocative.

‘THIS LEAVES THE IWA NO CHOICE BUT TO POLISH
up its weapon of last resort—the right to strike.

No strike call has been issued. It will not be issued
except on the clear-cut authority of the rank and file mem-
benship and only after cool and careful planning of stra-
tegy. Hot-headed recklessness never won a strike yet.

However, at this time, it is the duty of the District
Policy Committee to warn the IWA membership that strike
action may be forced on the IWA to protect present wage
standards, and organization rights. x

It is at the same time, the duty of the IWA member-
ship to prepare now for strike action in order that if such
action becomes inevitable, they will not be caught napping.

These are the reasons behind the decision of the Dis-
trict Council to call for the organization of strike commit-
tees in every unit of the IWA.

This grave threat to our bread and butter is.a compel-
ling reason for every lumber worker to line up now with

- the IWA. There are only two sides to this issue, and he
must take one or the other.

As in war, so in an industrial struggle, the battle goes
to the side which “gets there the fustest with the mostest”.

WHAT’S
INSID

: Notice of motion to appoint a
Board of Trustees to administer
the IWA strike fund was given

B.C, District Council, July 9.

at the quarterly meeting of the

Steps ‘to appoint the members
of this Board will be taken at the
next meeting of the Council after
due deliberation by the general
membership.

This decision was the outcome
of a decision which arose follow-
ing the report of the Supreme
Court | ion which returned to

Conciliation

GARGRAVE
NOMINATED

Herbert Gargrave, former.
M.L.A. for MacKenzie, has
been named by the District
Policy Committee of the IW
A as the union-nominated
member of the Conciliation
Board which will hear the
dispute between the IWA
and the lumber operators
represented by Forest Indus-
trial Relations Ltd.

The nominees of both parties
to the dispute have been re-
quested to propose a Chairman.
Failing agreement, a chairman
will be appointed by the Minis-
ter of Labor. It is anticipated
that the proceedings of the Board
will commence before the end of
the present month,

Mr. Gargrave is well known in
B.C. trade unions as a successful
conciliator on their behalf. He
served on the Industrial Commis-
sion of Enquiry, which awarded
a’ $2.00 per shift increase to the
coal miners of Vancouver Island.

Last year he was nominated by
trade unions on twelve Concilia-
tion Boards and during the pres-
ent month he has served on four
such boards,

CCL APPOINTMENT TOO

Simultaneously, William Ma-
honey, Western Director of the
Canadian Congress of Labor an-
nounced the appointment of Gar-
grave to the staff of the Congress
in British Columbia as organizer.

“The Canadian Congress of
Labor is of the opinion that Her-
bert Gargrave’s wide experience
and proven ability in labor affairs
will enable him to render invalu-
able service to the unions affili-
ated with the Canadian Congress
of Labor in British Columbia,”
stated Mahoney in his announce-
ment.

ON THE AIR...

VANCOUVER .

600-CJOR, Thurs.
Green Gold 7:00 p.m.

PRINCE GEORGE

550-CKPG, Friday
IWA Program - - - - 6:30 p.m.

CJAV Alberni, Thurs.
Volce of the IWA -- 6:15 p.m.

the District Council the strike
funds seized by the self-appointed
eae of the WIUC in October,
George Mitchell, Secretary -
sere in submitting 8: fin-
ancial statement prepared by a
firm of ceavared accountants,
stated that the funds so recovered
had been placed in a trust ac-
count, pending instructions by the
Council. Expenses foreed upon
the IWA to recover’ the funds

were being carefully examined.
‘

District Council Plans

Local Action

Committees

Establishment of strike committees throughout the
lumber industry of B.C. was the vital decision made by
the B.C. District Council, IWA, at the quarterly meeting

July 9.

This preparation for any eventuality ‘was the sopntane-

ous demand of the delegates

upon hearing of. the uncom-

promising attitude taken by the lumber operators, during’

current negotiations.

Concurrently, plans w ere
made for the presentation of
the wage and contract demands
of the IWA before a Concilia-
tion Board in process of being
appointed.

Thd majority award of the ||”

Board will be submitted to the

membership for acceptance or |[

rejection, and any recommenda-
tions in regard thereto will be
determined by the District Pol-
icy Committee.

With a unanimous voice the
sixty delegates from all IWA
Locals endorsed the actions of |
the Policy Committee in press-
ing for a fifteen cent an hour
increase against the wage cuts
proposed by Forest Industrial
Relations Ltd.

FADLING GIVES
SUPPORT

In a fighting speech, Interna
tional. President Fadling, gave
approval to the position taken by
the Policy Committee, and as-
sured the delegates of the full
support of the International
Union.

He commended the efficient
work of the Policy Committee
during bargaining talks. This
furnished a striking contrast with
the tactics of former officers dur-
ing the negotiations of 1948, he
stated.

“Last year they acted like
school-boys, without sense of re-
sponsibility to the workers. This
year, your representatives dis-
played'a mastery of their case,
and drove their arguments home

ith skill and determination. Un-
like my experience last year, this
timé it was a genuine pleasure
to be associated with the IWA
negotiators in B.C.” declared
President Fadling.

The International President!
furnished the Council with aan
information regarding the nego-
tiations in the Pacific Northwest
States. He stressed the fact that
when other workers in the United |
States were negotiating the
fourth round of post-war wage
increases, the IWA was already
asking for the fifth round.

This enabled the American sec-
tion of the IWA to hold the wage
line with a basic rate of $1.45
against attempted wage cuts, or
employer-provoked strikes. “As
for British Columbia,” he as-
serted, “it is highly unfortunate
that a difficult situation has re-
sulted from the neglect of pre-
vious years. The former officers

The financial
affairs of the B.C.
District were
found to bein
good order, and

B.C. Lumber

“JE. Fadling

fooled around in the boom years,
and left us to take’ over at a
bad time. It was criminal to make
a farce out of conciliation as they
did and to play around with vital
issues.”

International Boa xd Member
Tom MacKenzie submitted the re-
port dealing with negotiations on
behalf of the District Policy Com-
mittee. Clause by clause of: the
contract, he reviewed the atti-
tude of the operators toward pro-
posed IWA, amendments, and
cited the counter-proposals of the
operators.

On every “cost item” there had
been no yielding by R. V. Stuart,
who had invariably answered
“No”, advised MacKenzie,

In the course of his remarks,
the spokesman for the committee,
disclosed that when the bargain-
ing talks were resumed in the
presence of & Conciliation Officer,
the operators’ representatives
had expressed an even more de-
termined. opposition to all IWA
demands. The Committee- there,
fore, had no alternative but to
break off further talks and re-
quest a Conciliation Board.

First Vice-President Tom Brad-
Jey scored the proposal of the op-
erators that the master agree-
ment be abandoned, and that sep-
arate contracts be signed for the
different sections of the industry.
Such a plan, he stated, would be
suicidal in the interests of the
workers in the industry. It was
calculated to’smash the union,

and depress wages for the next

decade, he contended.

Strike Fund Trustees Proposed

the report of the District Trus-
tees, presented by Bro.

Jack
Squire. Y

‘The financial’ position of The
orker was the

peletied! a stead-
ily growing mem-
bers!

hip strength,
andincreased
confidence on the
part of the lum-
ber workers in
every section of

the industry, was

subject of considerable discus-
sion, because of the increaséd
cost of addressing and postage
for direct mailing. The recom-
mendation of the Trustees was
accepted to transfer this charge
to the Locals enjoying the advan-
tages of a direct mailing list.
(Continued on Page 3)