7 Can Widows Exist On $50.00 Monthly?” In K eRe Offical Pebtiation ot tse International Wooduorhers of America vt. Diss Council No.1. Vol. XIX, No. 53 <> Nov. 17,1949 5c per copy Vancouver, B.C. @o EE! WALK OUT BOSSES’ HAPPY HOME SPLIT BY DIVORCE What's behind the split in the ranks of the bosses? That question is being carefully weighed and watched IWA men throughout the province, since Bloedel, Stew- and Welch broke away from the carefully planned and nurtured Forest Industrial Relations, Ltd., (the new name ¢ the old outfit, Stuart Research). @:. For five years now, Stuart has handled the negotiations of the Master Contract for some 164 op- erations. Bloedel has 3,000 men in operations at Port Alberni, Franklin River, Great Central ike, Sproat Lake, as well as in meouver. Bloedel’s are obviously un- happy about something? Do they think they could make a better deal (for themselves) by negotiating on their own? Do they feel the fee charged by Forest Industrial Relations is too heavy for the services obtained? Did they step out of line with the policies laid down by H. R. MacMillan and his associates in ane out the orders to R. The , implications are many. But there is one item on which the remarks of S. G, Smith, vice- president of Bloedel’s, should be noted, In the newspaper announce- ment, headed “Split in the ranks of Lumber Operators”, Smith is quoted as saying: “In future, la- bor negotiations will be conducted ‘between our own representatives and the representatives of the union locals concerned, or those ~who may be designated by them. Bloedel’s have signed the 1949- 1950 Master Agreement, albeit separately, and in 1950-1951 they will still have to sign the Master. IWA Agreement as negotiated by BALLOT RESULTS ON NOV. 25 The referendum vote on the election of IWA International officers, and the adoption of constitutional amendments will be counted and certified by the International Tabulating Com- mittee in Portland, Nov. 25. Members of the Tabulating Committee appointed by the In- ternational Executive Board Ee te Baber: ane Falls, 3 le Lowe, Longview, Wash., and T. J,’ MacKenzie, Vancouver, B.C. WHAT’S INSIDE the District for the entire Coast area, They will not be able to dicker differently with a local here and a local there, no matter what they think. “WIUC” MOVE DEFEATED Attempt of the “WIUC” to name the B.C. District Coun- cil, IWA, as additional defend- ants in the two $50,000 slander suits against “Stu” Alsbury, failed in Supreme Court in Vancouver. The court ordered that the Dis- trict Council be removed from the two suits, turning down the ar- guments of the counsel of the breakaway group. This leaves the suits only against President Alsbury, who has been guaranteed the complete backing of the District in fight- ing the actions by Pritchett and Dalskog. Contract Now Signed District. Prince George to finalize details of the Master Agreement for their G COMMITTEE meets at DISTRICT CONVENTION CALLED NANAIMO, JANUARY 6, 7, 8 The call has gone out for the 13th annual B.C. district conven- tion, to be held in the Banquet Room of the Plaza Hotel, Nanaimo, on January 6, 7 and 8, 1950. Local unions are urged to get their resolutions into the District} Secretary - Treasurer NOT LATER THAN DECEMBER 28,| 1948, so that copies of all resolu- tions will be in the hands of each delegate on the first day of the| vitally important meeting. The B. C. District Council urges that there should be the fullest possible representation from each Local. “In the fight for civil rights and] liberty,” says the call, “we have done our part in carrying out the program designed to bring peace to every peace-loving man and woman, and through the CIO and CCL have supported policies de- signed to bring about world peace, “Just a little better than one year has passed since the disaffili- ation move by previous officers,| and we point with pride to the fact that today, in every one of| our Locals without exception, wel have maintained a stronger, larger .and more enlightened membership than ever before in| the history of the District.” So get ready for the conven- tion, delegates! Get to know what your membership wants. Come prepared with a thorough knowledge of their wishes, so that by democratic action, Dis- trict policy can be assessed and formulated by the membership, for the membership, 100% COMPENSATION DEMANDED — FOR INDUSTRIAL CASUALTIES “RAISE OLD AWARDS AND ALLOW APPEALS” __Imcreased compensation payments for all victims of industrial accidents and diseases was the main demand in the brief of the IWA and unions affiliated with the B.C. Federation of Labor, before the Royal Commission on Workmen’s Compensation in Victoria, Nov. 8. The proposed amendments to the Workmen’s Compensation Act were presented to Commissioner Mr. Justice Sloan, by George Home, secretary of the B.C Fed- eration. It is expected that the Commissioner will consent to hold public hearings in Vancouver, whereupon further evidence will be submitted on behalf of CCL unions. The Federation has issued a call to all CCL unions to co-oper- ate in the compilation of further evidence dealing with concrete examples of compensation defici- encies, Hearings of the Commission adjourned Nov. 9, with the com- ment from the Commissioner that little interest was being taken in the enquiry as only a few briefs had been ready for presentation. Hearings _ were resumed on Nov. 16, with nine additional trade union briefs for presenta- tion. Employers’ interests were rep- resented by a battery of legal counsel. During the adjournment, it was intimated that employers were prepared to concede a. num- ber of benefits advocated by the trade unions. Workers Have No Reserves - The CCL brief contended that compensation should be paid at the rate of one hun- dred percent of previous earn- ings during the period of total disability. The injustice of reducing a worker’s income by one third because of an industrial acci- dent was stressed. Few work- ers, it was stated, have the op- portunity to provide financial reserves for the emergencies of crippling accidents. Adequate. income during the period of treatment and con- yalescence was presented as an essential to speedy and com- plete recovery. Removal of the present $2,500 ceiling on previous earn- Angs for purposes of calculating the rate of compensation, was also advocated. An analysis of wages earned in logging and milling operations revealed that many men -on compensation from the lumber industry are receiving less than two-thirds of their earnings at the time of accident. The maximum now enforced was. fixed some years ago and prior to wage increases granted in adjustment to rising living costs. Can’t Maintain Decency The CCL representatives scored the inadequacy of the present fifty dollar a month pension for the widows of men killed in in- dustry. Standards of decency could not be maintained on this amount, it was argued. The CCL unions demanded that the widows’ pension be in- creased to $100 a month and that dependent children be awarded $17.50 a month instead of the present $12.50. The present weekly premium of $12.50 was declared to be totally inadequate for those in the lower wage brackets. A weekly prem- ium of $25.00 a week was adv cated for all injured persons, if compensation calculated on pre- vious earnings should fall below that amount. The sad predicament of in- jured workers now on com- pensation, but whose present rate of payments based on (Continued on Page 2) 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, or favorite dealer, Notice the four large pockets in front, and the pack pocket in back, which opens at both sides . feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments. These are two of the many designs of “Pioneer Brand” clothing obtainable from your commissary LOOK FOR THE REGISTERED FOR WORK CLOTHING OF UNSTINTED MATERIALS ie: lage a 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. DESIGN and WORKMANSHIP