B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page Five To Aid Local a vention, Fred Fieber, Chairman, upheld by the delegates. Finances % & Recommendation of the District Officers on finances was to the ef- fect that an assessment of $1.00 per member for the year be sub- mitted to a referendum ballot of the membership. One-half of this amount would be retained by the Local Union, and one-half used to strengthen District finances. The Convention committee’s recommendation that this ballot be submitted in May was en- dorsed. Negotiations The District Officers urged that “in the forthcoming negotiations the demands be confined to two issues—wage increases and Union shop conditions for the industry”. This recommendation met with e favor of the committee and ‘was accepted as the negotiating strategy for 1950. B.C. Lumber Worker Renewal of present contracts with the Public Research Bureau in respect of technical editorial work on the B. C. Lumber Worker and with the printing firm now employed, was recommended by the District Officers. The Officers’ Report Committee congratulated the District Officers on the successful promotion of the publication “from a political rag to the finest labor paper in Canada” and “recommended con- tinuation of present arrange- ments. This was approved by the delegates. Approval was also given con- tinuation of present arrange- ments for the radio program Green Gold. Labor Legislation The Officers’ Report had urged redoubled efforts to secure amendments to the ICA Act, in order to check the arbitrary pow- | ers of the Labor Relations Board in dealing with the jurisdiction of trade unions. The Convention committee gave further emphasis to this recom- mendation because of the prob- able crippling effect on IWA ne- Housing Lack A National Scandal Present inadequate housing plans were strongly criticized by the IWA District Convention, and the demand made for joint action by) Federal, Provincial ‘and Municipal governments to initiate a full-seale public hous- ing program without delay. . The present inadequate, now occupied by thousands of working-class families were con- demned in vigorous terms. Rentals now charged for slum- dwellings, absorb too high a pro- portion of the low-wage income earned by the majority of the workers, it was affirmed. Remedy proposed was a pro- gram of expanded home owner- ship to be made possible by re- duced costs for land and construc- tion and long-term amortization at low rates of interest. Stress was also laid on the nec- -essity for low-cost, low-rental housing projects, with subsidized _ rentals where necessary. Rent Controls Coupled with the housing res- olution was one urging continua- tion of rent controls until the ent desperate housing short- is relieved. crowded and unsanitary dwellings |, s & District Officers’ Report Committee, elected by the IWA District Con- expressed commendation of the District Officers’ report and recommendations. This view was gotiations, The recommendation, accepted by the Convention, ‘scored the present rulings of the 'LRB in respect of government | supervised strike votes. A resolution proposing that steps be taken to employ a full- time editor from the membership of the IWA, to combine editorial duties with those of advertising manager was rejected on the rec- ommendation of the committee. LRB EDICTS SHACKLE UNIONS “If we accept the arbitrary actions of the Labor Relations Board, we agree in principle to state-controlled, instead of free trade unions,” was the asser- tion of District Secretary George Mitchell, as he urged adoption of a resolution to curb the powers of the Board, at the District Convention. The resolution (Local 1-417) recommended by Resolutions Committee Chairman Rae Eddie, vigorously condemned recent ac- tions of the LRB in imposing its interpretation of trade union con- stitutions to decide jurisdictions. The resolution carried unanim- ously. It was announced that District President Alsbury, as an. officer of the B.C, Federation of Labor would join representatives of other CCL Unions in demanding amendments to the ICA Act at a conference scheduled with the Minister of Labor. Discussion of the ICA Act re- vealed ‘deep-rooted dissatisfaction with various clauses of the ICA | Act, especially the one providing jfor government supervision of a strike vote, Workmen’s Compensation Resolution 68, introduced by Local 1-423, IWA, and recom- mended by the Resolutions Com- mittee proposed the payment of a cost of living bonus to all in re- ceipt of Workmen’s Compensa- tion. ‘The resolution carried, as indi- cating the opinion of the dele- gates that all compensation pay- ments should be raised to a de- gree commensurate with in- creased cost of living. At another stage in the con- vention, the report of the District Safety Council disclosed the in- tention of the IWA to present a comprehensive brief to Mr. Jus- tice Sloan, advocating and sup- porting demands previously made by the B.C, Federation of Labor, for increased benefits. Fred Soon, Chinese organizer, received approval of his resolu- tion proposing greater attention to the rehabilitation needs of men disabled in industry and unable ® return to their former occupa- ions. He contended that industry was responsible for the repair. of broken men to an even greater degree than for broken equip- ment, Responsibility should rest with industry in this regard, he stated. Statutory Holidays Among other legislative im- provements sought, were amend- ments to the Factory Inspection and Hours of Work Acts which would provide for the observance of Statutory Holidays, legally es- tablished or proclaimed, with spe- al application to logging opera- ions. It was explained that all other woodworking operations had been included in the schedule of these Acts, but no reference had been made to logging, thus causing epneltarells confusion and injus- Ballot On $1 Assessment Okayed; Officers Warn IWA Under Fire By Reds, Bosses Preamble to the report sub- mitted to the Annual Conven- tion by the District Officers stressed the improved strength and prestige of the Union, and warned of dangers to which the organization is still exposed. This introduction to a thor- ough review of the Union’s af- fairs read in part as follows: “It is with pleasure and pride that your Officers report on a year of important accomplish- ment for the IWA in British Co- lumbia. The attention of dele- gates attending this 13th Annual District Convention is directed by this report to those major devel- opments of the past year which may influence the shaping of -I- WA policies in the ensuing year. Rank and File Control The 1949 Convention decisively rejected LPP-Communist disrup- tion and authorized restoration of democratic procedures within our Union. Since that time, striking and gratifying progress has been made. Complete control of the Union has been returned to the rank and file membership. Events have confirmed the complete failure of the former leaders to wreck the IWA in British Columbia. The lumber workers of British Colum- 4ia have chosen the IWA as their Union. The persistent and continued at- | tempts of the former LPP-Com-! munist leaders to sow confusion and doubt regarding the policies and administration of the IWA, subjected the officers and mem- bers of all sections of our organ- ization to a severe test. It was necessary to repair the damage caused the organization by these attempted wrecking tac- ties, and at the same time mobil- ize the maximum strength to maintain and advance the living standards of the lumber workers. Job Well Done The IWA in British Columbia has emerged from this test with flying colors. We may all speak with pride of the spirit of deter- mined loyalty displayed by our membership. The job was well done. The IWA in British Columbia, today, has more than fully re- gained its former strength, and enjoys greater vitality and higher prestige than at any time in its, history. Once more, the IWA oc- cupies the foremost place among the trade unions of this province. Warning Although it has been a year of substantial progress, the [WA is still under heavy fire. The greater our strength, the greater will be the effort of anti-labor interests to crush our Union or defeat its purposes. At the same time, ele- ments of disruption are at work to poison the minds of lumber workers against the IWA, and in- filtrate our Union in order to tear it down. It becomes our duty to warn the membership of both these threats, and to urge the utmost vigilance, with continued and faithful organizational efforts to consolidate and safeguard the gains of the past year. The IWA cannot now be defeated in its pur~ poses, if we are faithful in the solidarity and democratic princi- ples of trade unionism, ‘which marked our growth in 1949.” ON THE AIR... VANCOUVER 600-CJOR, Thurs Green Gold - « 00 p.m PRINCE GEORGE 550-CKPG, Friday IWA Program - - - - 6:30 p.n CJAV Alberni, Thurs Volce of the IWA - - 6:15 p.m CREDENTIALS REPORT Twelve Locals sent 105 delegates to the highly successful 13th Annual District Convention. This was the report of Neil Shaw, chairman, and Agnes Harrison, secretary, of the Credentials Committee. As fraternal delegates, 12 members of the ladies’ auxiliary were present, six from 1-217; five from 1-80, and one from 1-363. a Many well known fraternal delegates from other organizations added to the prestige of the meeting. Detail of Resolution UNION SHOP TOP DEMAND THIS YEAR Union Shop was placed first of the two major demands of the IWA for 1950, as specified by the IWA District Con- verition. The resolution, sponsored by the B.C. District Council, and unanimously approved sets forth the main reasons for the emphasis placed upon this condition of con- tract settlement. The resolution states: WHEREAS more than 77 percent of the organized workers in the United States and almost 50 percent of these organized in Ca- nada are now working under agreements with employers which in various forms require Union membership as a condition of employment; AND WHEREAS the Union shop is now widely recognized in the leading industries of British Columbia, and during 1947-48 was recommended by 15 Conciliation Boards as desirable for the B.C. industries concerned; AND WHEREAS the Union shop is the logical and democratic de- velopment of collective bargaining in as much as all employees represented by the bargaining agency may share responsibility for decisions made on their behalf; AND WHEREAS the Union shop does not interfere with the legiti- mate rights of the employer to employ whom he chooses; AND WHEREAS the Union shop does not deprive the worker of his democratic right to choose employment either under Union or open shop conditions; AND WHEREAS the Union shop makes full provision for majority rule in decisions made by employees within a bargaining agency; AND WHEREAS the Union shop frees the Union from uncertainty regarding its status as the bargaining agent, and thereby en- ables the Union to deal more adequately with the welfare of the employees, resulting in greater stability in labour-management relations; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that: This Annual Convention of the International Woodworkers of America (CIO-CCL) reaffirm its determination to secure a Union shop clause in the master agreement for the B.C. lumber industry, and instructs the Dis- trict Executive Board and Policy Committee to stipulate in forthcoming negotiations that a Union shop is demanded as a condition of settlement; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That all Local Unions be requested to undertake educational and publicity work in respect of the Union shop, and thus inform workers and the public of its demo- cratic advantages, and that this work be co-ordinated among the Locals by a Director of Education or the District Officers, in order to counteract unreasoning and prejudiced opposition in- spired by anti-labor employers; IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Research Department of the International office be requested to furnish material setting forth up-to-date information regarding the operation of the Union shop for the use of Local Unions in educational work. BE Go by MALIBU SEAERO LTD. because IT PAYS TO USE THE BEST. We operate the Best and Fastest Charter Aircraft in B. C., and, because they are fast, the cost is less than you think. For ordinary travel or for emergencies, try our comfortable and reliable rwin-engined Amphibians. Our telephone service at PACIFIC 7354 Is available for your convenience 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week. REMEMBER — IT’S SEAERO FOR SERVICE MALIBU SEAERO LTD. 1927 West Georgia Street Vancouver, B.C. Telephone PAcific 7354