B.C. LUMBER WORKER @. MY TRIPEWRITER Dear Bill: It’s just like what you told me. What this country needs is a good five-cent nickel. Or else what the Compensation Board needs is a stick of dynamite. ’m not sure which, or maybe it’s both. Anyway up to now I’ve got a clear conscience. Sure sign of a bad memory, says you. And there’s something I might tell you, since you asked. You never can tell about women, and if you can, you shouldn’t.’ And let that sink in, you darned old reprobate, This business of keeping you posted on the doings in town is etting me down. I feel like the Oa: father-just-about-to-be who after rushing his wife to the maternity hospital, only one jump ahead of the stowk, turned her over to the nurse and said, “Darling, are you sure you want to go through with this?” e 3 CONCILIATION SET-UP I wish we had television, so that every lumber worker could see and hear what’s been going on in the Board Room of the Hotel Vancouver. If we had there would be a lot different attitude on the part of the Joes around camps. ,_ Just out of curiosity I dropped in there the other day. Believe me, I got so interested I decided to stick it out, so I could give you a blow by blow story of the infighting. It gave me a kick to hear the IWA boys putting up a real scrap for us before the Con- ciliation Board. Now I think a lot of us have been saps, not to have taken the Union more seriously. We should have been putting our backs into this scrap, considering all we have at stake. I learned more about what a trade union is for in one day, than in all my years in the woods. And by the Lord Harry, I found out.that if we hadn’t an industrial union we’d be in a fine fix. We'd be humping our tails for fifty cents an hour like they did back in Paul Bunyan’s days. I found them all seated around a long table. On one side there was Sty Alsbury, Tom Bradley, George Mitchell, Tom MacKenzie, Joe Mor- ris, Reg Faint, and Virgil Burtz. Andy Smith and Mike Sekora were backing them up with advice. On the other side of the table was the chief of staff for the operators, R. V. Stuart, with his half dozen little helpers as well as the big-shot law- yer, Heffernan. They weren't cracking jokes across the table either. They were all set for some heavy punching with the gloves off. At the head of the’ table they bad seated the three members of the Board. Chairman Macrae was in the middle in more ways than one. Bert Gargrave, nominated by the Union, sat on left and D. B. MacLeod, the operators’ man, sat on his other side. First one and then the other would ask questions or whisper in bis ear. The Chairman who looks and acts like a judge would have to try and keep everybody out of each other's @ RINGSIDE REPORT THEY did a lot of sparring ~ around for advantage. Tom icKenzie thought that the op- rators should put up their case first, because they had asked for the contract to be opened. Heffer- ‘han argued that the Union had ’ asked for the Conciliation Board, should therefore lead off. Both sides wanted the best ce to shoot holes in the other ’s argument. Then Tom said, why not _ex- briefs, so that things be speeded up, for the on to put in its rebuttal to case. Heffernan to make them believe Lechin' Areund Page Five By “High Rigger” “HI” GETS RINGSIDE SEAT AND HEARS - LOGGERS’ CASE ON BOARD RATES. that the operators’ brief wasn’t ready. : Tom said, why not sit every day and get things cleaned up fast. Hefferman had every kind of excuse to slow things down and stall, just Ifke they've been doing all’ along. Anyway, Tom got started with his spiel. But when Hefferman asked him for a copy of the IWA brief, Tom kept him waiting till the IWA was through with its argument. They find it tough to put anything over on Tom. Virgil Burtz, our Research Di- rector from the International of- fice, relieved Tom when it came to putting in the facts about wages and profits. His brief was really something. It had so many facts about wages, profits, prices, and all reasons why the opera- tors are well able to pay higher wages, that R. V, Stuart started muttering to himself. It took the IWA bunch a good day to present their case to the Board. Then Heffernan started for the operators. The same old stuff about poor markets, although Burtz had proved that markets were hold- ing up fairly well. They had to cut wages to save industry. We're all gelling too much pay now anyway. The cost of living is likely to go down, even though it is still climb- ing. It was the same old “No” all dressed up in nice legal language, and trumped up excuses. At the time of writing this the operators are still pounding away with their no compromise argu- ments. Afterward, the Union will go to work on these arguments to riddle them, and I’m sure they can. Then the fireworks will start, I expect, for Heffernan has the nasty habit of objecting to evrything that doesn’t suit his book. Well he gets fifty bucks a day or better for this little job to keep a lousy fifteen cents an hour back from men who have to sweat for ten bucks a day, net. MY SLANT JE J could make a speech to the gang in camp right now, these are the points I'd like to make. The IWA District Policy Com- mittee is putting up a real fight to get better wages and working conditions. You can safely bet your money on the IWA. The IWA is doing the job in a business-like way. No fireworks or hooey. They’re giving the Board the facts and reasonable arguments. If we didn’t have a well orga- nized union we’d be completely out of luck. The operators want nothing worse than to slash wages right and left. This Board is important be- cause it gives the IWA the chance to make their needs known to the general public. We need the public on our side if the worst comes to the worst. In this Way we can prove that our de- mands are reasonable and will benefit the‘ general public. However good the argument may be before the Board, the de- ciding factor will always be the strength of the IWA. The opera- tors are anxious to. curry favor with the public, but they're really influenced by what they think the IWA can do to tie up the indus- try. That’s why it is important that we should convince them that the IWA is 100% on every operation. They can’t run the industry without labor, and labor’s got to be strong enough to call the tune on reasonable demands. This “wooie” competition is a joke. It has just so much nuis- ance value in these negotiations. Anybody who thinks they cut any ice in this picture must be nuts. The “wooie” “propaganda to call a strike vote now is just another try to wreck the IWA through taking illegal action. None of us like the law, but there is no sense in defying it, and giving. the Government a chance to help the bosses smash the Union. Anyway, the IWA is speeding things up so that a strike vote can be legally taken in plenty of time, if necessary. BOARD RATES OU’LL be glad to know that the boys went to town on the question ofthe board rates. The Board heard plain speaking about the way we were chiselled out of our 13-cent increase last year by the boost to $2.50 a day in board. They asked that the rates be rolled back to the old $1.50 a day rate, for, thanks to old Dalskog, the rates were boosted without consulting the Union. rf Our spokesmen told the Board that the operators had: no right to try. to make profit out of board and lodging. Also that they had no right to lower wages by $1.80 a week without negotia- tions, for that’s what the boost did even after the 1948 increase. The Board was also told that in Washington and Oregon, where living costs are higher, the operators charge less for board. The loggers really got their in- nings on this question and should get somewhere, if there is any sense of justice in the Board. I got madder’n hell, when I saw how the IWA had to fight for some reasonable deal on WOODWARD’S Hand-Made LOGGING BOOTS © No. 1 Chrome Leather Uppers © Highest Grade Leather Soles © Non-Rust Eyelets, 8-inch Tops. ’ Price Delivered _$21.95 | MAIL ORDER DEPARTMENT board rates, so that our men could get out of camp with a big enough roll to keep their families for the year. Especially since they have gone hog-wild on mak- ing profits. Believe it or not, but their own statements show that the big companies’ profits for 1948 were from 300% to 600% above those made in 1946. Against this the IWA was able to show that it takes at least $3,845 a year to keep a family of four in bare decency through- out the year. Not even our top men get home with that big a roll, when they chop off the board costs. ’ You see what I mean, when I say we've got a fight on our hands, and I don’t mean maybe. It’s time we got the lead out of our pants. PANTIE PEEKERS ROUND these Conciliation Boards there’s always a lot of trouble over classifications of jobs. The reason is that it’s easy for the boss, to juggle wages, downward, if the classifications are wrong. Some of the names we give jobs in the lumber in- dustry bother the greenhorns, as for instance they think a_bull- bucker is a bullfighter from South America. They've got a book out now describing job classifications in all the industries. Looking through it I found some funny ones—like these: Horser-up — This job calls for hanging horse hides over saw horses. Pulpit Man—Not a preacher, he works in a rolling mill from what they’call a pulpit. Kiss Machine Operator — I thought I’d like this job till I found it means feeding a ma- chine that wraps candy kisses. Pantie Peekers—And this is a scream. This is a job in factories handling explosives, where for safety reasons the women must wear cotton panties to prevent powder rash these have to be changed often. To be sure that the rules are carried out the company makes these official un- mentionables in three colors, pink, blue and yellow. The “pantie peeker” has to check daily on.the color worn. It must be true for it’s in the book, but you needn’t think you have a chance if you apply for the job, FLY? 9¢ Way Cost Less hau You Teint GHARTER FLIGHT SERVICE LTD. VANCOUVER AIRPORT © PHONE RICHMOND 1449 .e ONE, THREE, AND SIX-PASSENGER PLANES Phone or Write For Information. LADYSMITH DRUG STORE (Tom Bertram, Pharmacist) Phone 26 LADYSMITH, B.C. LADYSMITH BUSINESS GUIDE OVERWAITEA LTD. Importing Coffee, Tea Grocers Roasters Blenders Where your money goes farther Phone 162 EUROPE HOTEL” Phone 25 LADYSMITH, B.C. Everything in Ladies’ Wear ANN’S STYLE SHOP Phone 362 LADYSMITH, B.C. For Your Home Furnishings see KEY FURNITURE Ladysmith and Chemainus Phone 271 Phone 152 QUICK, COURTEOUS SERVICE 6 Imperial Oil Products ROBINSON SERVICE STATION Phone 329 LADYSMITH, B.C. Lunches Phone 154 THE WIGWAM Tobaccos & Stationery School Supplies LADYSMITH, B.C. Gifts THE LADYSMITH CHRONICLE A Union Shop Society and Commercial Printing at Fair Prices Phone 23 LADYSMITH, B.C. ROLLSTON HARDWARE Hardware and Sporting Goods — We Deliver — Phone 54 LADYSMITH, B.C.