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Interim: Contract Signed;
Strike Vote Postponed

BOARD CUT TO $2.25;
WAGE, HOURS, LINE HELD; |#2€" Ly mRERI
Officist Publication of the International Woodworkers of America nb. disci Councit No.1.

CONTRACT STRENGTHENED.

On the eve of a strike vote demanded by determined] Vol. XIX, No. 5Q <= Sept. 8,1949
woodworkers, Jumber operators in the Coast industry de- ; PB
cided to “think again”, and offered new terms to the Dis-

trict Policy Committee of the IWA. To All IVA Members

After careful consideration, and with the strike vote
RECOMMENDATION

Se per copy

EVASIVE BOSS
PINNED DOWN

Vancouver, B.C.

only postponed, the Committee is recommending accept-
ance of a 1949-50 master contract which gives these con-
crete gains as set forth in an interim agreement, pending

acceptance or rejection by the IWA mentbership.

1. Operators under extreme pressure have scrapped their deter-
mined bid to slash wages to 1947 levels.

2. Operators agreed to abandon the hours of work clause recom-

» mended by the majority of the Conciliation Board, which threat-
ened to wipe out the 40-hour week. .

3, Maximum board rates in all logging camp boarding houses will
be reduced to $2.25 a day, maximum, effective September 15, and
in camps where the rate is Jower it cannot be raised. This zives
7000 loggers the equivalent of a pay boost of over four cents an

hour,

4. Major step toward union security with a new clause in the con-
tract strengthening the bargaining rights of the IWA. Under the

: 0 regarded as a new contract, thus
preventing raiding on certified operations until a period of ten

ICA Act, the contract will be

months has passed.

5. ‘The annual termination date to be advanced to June 15, thus giy-
ing the Union a tactical advantage in bargaining, and. lessening

danger from stalling tactics of
has passed,

6. All demands of the IWA agreed to during negotiations to be
included in the new contract with special reference to provisions

for leave of absence, accident

iority rights.

The “about face” on the part
of the operators followed quickly
on the reports of IWA mass
membership meetings at which
the majority report of the Con-
ciliation Board was unanimously
rejected, and the demand for a
strike ballot authorized,

While endeavoring to secure
satisfactory conditions for a su-
perized strike vote within a reas-
onable time, it was intimated to
the District officials that media-
tion on better terms was possible
because of overtures made by
the operators,

The Labor Relations Board had
agreed to proceed with the exten-
Sive arrangements necessary to
supervise the balloting on opera-
tions scattered along the Coast
and on Vancouver Island, and
the Lower Mainland, The formid-
able difficulties were freely ad-
mitted, with the prospect that a
prolonged and bitter strike might
ensue. Tt is understood that con-
siderable pressure was brought
to bear on the operators to adopt
a less ruthl attitude. Consider-
able activity was evident behind
the scenes in top business circles.

When the assurance was given
that the operators were prepared
to offer conerete and more satis-
factory terms, the members of

a: Policy Committee were sum-
noned to Vancouver. They re-
viewed the situation, and agreed
to meet the operators under the
auspices of the Labor Relations
Board, to reeeive any proposals
without prejudice to the instruc-
tions of the Union.

The opportunity was seized to
press the demands of the IWA.
again to the utmost limit. After
a frank exchange of views, the
proposed formula of settlement
was worked out and incorporated
in an interim agreement for sub-
mission to, the membership of

Safety
Appreciation... 8

the operators, until strike danger

prevention committees, and sen-

the IWA, and the operators, as
the best possible basis of settle-
ment,

District President’s
Statement
In a statement released over
the “Green Gold” radio program
on September 8, J. Stewart Als-
bury, District President, said in
part:

“Following a frank exchange
of views with the operators’
representatives today, and
after pressing every demand to
the limit, the members of the
Committee are convinced that
little more can possibly be
gained by strike action. Indeed

the gains now secured might
be lost,

“The Committee has been in
close consultation with the rank
and file members throughout all
stages of negotiations, and has

(Continued on Page 3)
es

INTERIOR TALKS
CONTINUE

~-IWA negotiations for the lum-
ber workers in the Northern and
Southern Interior districts of
B.C, will take a decisive turn at
conferences arranged for Prince
George on September 17 and Ke-
lowna, September 21. At both
points IWA officials will meet
representative operators face to
face instead of negotiating
through an intermediary

Previous bargaining talks with

J. H. Ruddock representing the
operators resulted in a stalemate
when IWA demands equivalent
to those at the Coast were re-
jected by the operators’ repre-
sentative, Northern Interior op-
erators demanded a 20%4-cent an
hour cut, and Southern operators
insisted on the 1947-48 wage
levels.
Upshot of the differences was
that special conferences with
each group was arranged for
more direct bargaining,

District Secretary - treasurer
George Mitchell, and Vice-presi-
dent Tom Bradley will attend the
conference at Prince George.
Similar arrangements have been
made for at least one district
official to attend the conference
immediately following at Ke-

lowna.
At both points local resen~
be associat

tatives wil with |

the policy Committee members:
in negotiations. [

AT a conference arranged by the Labor Rela-

tions Board, the Coast lumber operators,
through Forest Industrial Relations Ltd., pro-
posed a basis of settlement for the present dis-
pute. More satisfactory terms for the 1949-50
master agreement were offered than were con-
tained in the majority report of the Conciliation
Board.

As established rights and conditions were
guaranteed, and substantial concessions made on
a number of points, your Committee entered into
an interim agreement to recommend these terms
as a basis of settlement.

Pending ratification by vote of the member-
ship, the Committee stipulated that the request
for a strike vote be held in abeyance.

Subject to approval of the membership, your
Committee is prepared to sign a new master
agreement, on the following terms.

That the operators agree to maintain the
wage scale now in force during the life of the
agreement, and include the base rate of $1.08
in the contract.

That the operators agree to enforce the
hours of-work as set-forth in the 1948 agree-
ment, without infringement as proposed by the
Conciliation Board.

That rates for board and lodging in logging
camp boarding houses be fixed by the agree-
ment with a maximum of $2.25 a day, effective
September 15, and that where lower rates are
now in effect, no increase be made.

That a clause strengthening the bargaining
rights of the Union be written into the new
contract.

That the termination date be set at June
15, 1950.

That the Union demands agreed upon dur-
ing negotiations be included in the agreement.

Your Committee unanimously recommends
this revised contract as offering the maximum ad-
vantages to be obtained through bargaining un-
der present conditions.

(Continued on Page.3)

GENUINE
‘DRY-BAK’

ASK FOR IT BY NAME
AT YOUR COMMISSARY
OR LEADING STORES

The treatment by which canvas is water-
proofed to produce ‘‘DRY-BAK”’ is a
development and exclusive Process of
Jones Tent & Awning Ltd., and is entirely
Processed in our own plant. You should,
therefore, look for the name “DRY-BAK”’
on every garment as your guarantee of
obtaining the finest waterproof canvas
clothing obtainable. Ask for it with or
without interlining.

BY STRIKE

Swift and fully-organized
strike action by IWA employees
(Sub-Local 1-357) closed down
the operations of Western Crown
Manufacturing. Co... Ltd... New
Westminster, on August 29.

Issue was the company’s rejec-
tion of the majority award of a
Conciliation Board recommending
an eight-cent-an-hour increase.

A plant “stop-work” meeting
on that date heard the results of
the supervised vote, giving a 65
per cent strike authorization.
Continued evasiye tactics by the
employer provoked an immediate
and 100 per cent evacuation of
the plant and the establishment
of an effective picket line.

Sub-standard Wages

During the hearings of the
Conciliation Board it was dis-
closed that the base rate paid
since the signing of the first
agreement in June, 1948, was 21
cents an hour below the prevail-
ing rate under the IWA master
agreement in other woodworking
plants. ‘The demand presented by
the Union was for an increase of
25 cents an hour.

Management of Western Crown
claimed that the company’s finan-
cial position was desperate, and
that a wage increase would com-
pel cessation of operations. Offic «
cials of Local 1-357, presenting
the case on behalf of the em-
ployees, asked for a full disclos=
ure of the company’s financial
statement. In this request they:
were supported by the members
of the Board.

Eight-cent Increase

The company’s legal represen-
tative rejected the Union’s pro-
posal of frank consultation, ‘The
majority of the Board, with’the

(Continued on Page 3)