NO CHISELLING ON BOARD

BOSSES BOW TO STRIKE THREAT;
49-50 CONTRACT READY TO SIGN

Otten Pecan otcte Jrdornational Waodworhers of America vt. visit Council No.1.

RKER

Vol. XIX, No. 51 <>™

Oct. 20,1949

5c per copy

Vancouver, B.C.| Council made it quite clear

Woodworkers at the CCL Convention

it to the end.

a few days.

Delay arose when the opera-
tors’ representatives refused to
sign the clause fixing board rates
which would give adequate pro-
tection to loggers in camp board-
ing houses against any increase
during the life of the present
agreement.

The move made by several
large operators to sub-let ca-
tering contracts, and thus evade
responsibility, caused grave
suspicion of a clause proposed
which read, “Where board is
furnished, ete.” ‘

Escape Tactics

The clause proposed by the op-
erators was interpreted by the
District Policy Committee to
mean that any operator could dis-
claim responsibility for the over-
all amount of rates for daily
board and lodging by permitting
installation of a cafeteria or

SOUTHERN INTERIOR

 IWA ACCUSES GOVT. OF
MOVE FOR 9-HR. DAY

“B.C.’s Department of Labour has stepped into the
Southern Interior negotiations on the side of the boss.”
This interpretation was placed on a letter from Deputy

Minister of Labour James Thompson, when presented to
the quarterly meeting of the District Council IWA.

“He wants to scrap the negotiated hours of work and

ram the nine-hour day down
delegates.

1-85 Fights For
Eric Graf Hall

Repossession of the Eric Graf
Hall, Port Alberni, and unstated
damages for assets which van-
ished in October, 1948, are being
sought now by Local 1-85 in Su-
preme Court action.

The suit is being undertaken
by Robert Muir, president; John
R. Nelson, Carl Anshelm, and S.
J. Squire, secr etary, against

ichael M. Praisley, Walter S.

ates, and Mark F, Mosher, both
as individuals and WIUC officers
of Local 1-85.

In the case of the Eric Graf
Hall, which the IWA contend
was illegally transferred last
October to the Port Alberni
Woodworkers’ Holding Society,
the suit is against Edward T.
Creelman, James F, Saxby, and
Mark F, Mosher,

‘WHAT’S
INSIDE

Convention |

High Rigger

Safety —-. a Sal
Auxiliaries
Union’s Business —12

our throats,” declared many

The letter from the Depart-
ment of Labor official touched off
a storm of protest among the
sixty IWA delegates assembled
in the Steel Hall in Vancouver
for the quarterly meeting of the
B.C. District Council, October 15-
16, when it was learned that he
proposed extended hours of work
without overtime for categories
of Interior lumber workers.

Coincidence?

District Secretary - Treasurer
George Mitchell pointed to the
“coincidence” which brought the
proposal of the Deputy Minister
on the heels of a bitter fight with
the operators to maintain the es-
tablished hours of work.

He described the official’s action
as “the gravest threat to recog-
nized trade union rights, imply-
ing collusion between Government
and the organized employers to
undermine working conditions
negotiated and upset bargaining
rights”.

Secretary Mitchell was in-
structed to lodge a vigorous pro-
test with the Deputy Minister.
The District Officers were also
authorized to interview the Goy-
ernment official to make still more
emphatic protest.

Interference

Crux of the matter was that
the Deputy Minister insisted that
the terms of the IWA agreement
in the Southern Interior should
be amended to conform with the
regulations under the Hours of
Work Act, authorizing thé nine-
hour day for stationary engin-
eers, firemen, oilers and for cook
and bunkhouse employees in un-
organized territory.

granting a catering concession to
outside interests.

The clause now ‘to: be incor-
porated in: the Master Agreement
reads: “The rate for board and
lodging in logging camp board-

FULL SUPPORT FOR ALSBURY
IN “WOOIE” SLANDER SUITS

Motion was made in Supreme Court in Vancouver on Thursday to
strike out the B.C. District Council, IWA, from the two $50,000

° {slander suits launched by renegades Pritchett and Dalskog.

The motion was prepared by counsel Alex Macdonald in the name
of District Secretary George Mitchell in the light of the opinion
that a trade union a8 a body cannot be responsible for the action of
its officers.

At the same time, however, the quarterly district council in
session unanimously decided to give full support to District
President Stewart Alsbury, named as offender in the action, and
to assume full liabilities arising from the slander suits.

Alsbury is alleged to have slandered Pritchett and Dalskog when

The bitter dispute over the operators’ responsibiliti
in this matter ended with agreement-on the terms origin- _
ally laid down in the interim contract.

The Coast Master Agreement will now be signed in

District Council Stands Firm:
on Terms of Interim Agreement

Fighting action by the IWA District Council delegates
defeated a last minute attempt by operators to water down
the board rate clause in the coast Master Agreement.

But the bosses saw the light when the District

that with any further stall-

ing, the Union would demand a strike vote and carry

ies

ing houses shall not exceed $2.25

per day, efféctive September 15,

1949. Where a lesser rate is in

effect, that rate shall prevail.”
Strike Vote

In his report to the quarterly
meeting of the District Council,
Oct. 16, on behalf of the Spokes-
men’s Committee, International
Board Member Tom MacKenzie
disclosed the unwillingness of the
operators to write into the agree-
ment the protection for loggers
on board rates agreed upon at
the time of signing the interim
agreement.

Unanimously, the delegates
regarded this action as a “dou-
ble-cross” of the Union. The
proposal was made that unless
the agreement was signed in
accordance with the terms of
the interim agreement within
the week, the demand would
be made for a strike vote.

The interim agreement would
thus be- voided and the opportun-
ity gained to make fresh de-
}iands>-— - ~ os

A motion of the District Coun-
cil instructed the Policy Comm:
tee and the Spokesmen’s Commit-
tee to carry out the full terms of
the interim agreement. Upon
any failure to achieve this, meas-
ures were to be taken in accord-
ance with the expressed wishes of
the Council.

At a conference between repre-
sentatives of the Policy Commit
tee and Forest Industrial Rela-
tions Ltd. on Oct. 18, the inten-
tions of the IWA were made
clear.

‘Agrement was finally reached
on the terms specified in the in-
terim agreement. Steps then
were planned to provide for the
signing of the Master Agreement
for the Coast Industry by the au-

he was addressing District Two in Bellingham in April.

thorized officials.

LOOK
FOR THE

Illustrated is the Cruiser’s

Stag of pure virgin wool

in mackinaw or kersey.

Mackinaw plaids are

either red and black;

green and black, or blue

and black.

Notice the four large pockets in front, and the large
pack pocket in back, which opens at both sides... a
feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments.

These are two of the many designs of “Pioneer

Brand” clothing obtainable from your commissary
or fayorite dealer.

Made in Vancouver, B.C., by Jones Tent & Awning
Ltd., they are designed through careful study of the
needs and desires of B.C. workmen.

(Continued on Page 3)

FOR WORK CLOTHING

UNSTINTED MATERIALS

REGISTERED

OF

DESIGN and
WORKMANSHIP