Page Four B.C. LUMBER WORKER ORGANIZATION REPORT ; FROM LPP CHAOS TO DE IS YEAR'S ACHIEVEMENT E straight-from-the-shoulder report of the Organiza- tional Committee pinpointed the achievements of the year past, and the plan for the year ahead. “Fyrom complete chaos to solid organization in a year,” was the tone of their report, given below in detail: “COMPLETE CHAOS” On October 3, 1948, the entire Dis- trict leadership, along with the great majority of Local Union officers in all Local Unions, with the exception of Local 1-357, moved over into the Prit- chett-Dalskog WIUC Organization. At that time we were faced with a state of complete chaos which resulted in the disorganization of the entire Dis- trict. All office records and funds of both the District and Local Unions, with the exception of Locals 1-357 and 1- 417, were either stolen or transferred, and were in the posession of the break-away group lead by Pritchett. This necessitated a complete rebuild- ing of the administrative set-up throughout the entire District, at the same time as we were conducting a “Jife or death” struggle in the camps and mills to maintain our Organiza- tion. During the three or four months immediately following the break, a large number of International Repre- sentatives were placed in the field and in many cases Local Union officials were placed on’ the International pay- roll until such time as the Local Union was in a sound financial position. Area No. 1 The tremendous geographical diffi- aulties have severely hampered the re- building of the Local union, which is composed of nearly 80 per cent tran- sient workers. The active membership list in this Local Union is now approximately | 1200-1500, although the active and‘ inactive list is composed of over 2500 names out of a potential of 5-6000. We are convinced that a major or- | ganizational drive must be conducted in this Local Union area, immediately © upon the camps resuming operations in the spring, because in our opinion the degree of organization which we are able to develop in Local 1-71 will be a determining factor in our success or failure to maintain the present high level of organization in other Local areas. | Tt has been reported to your Com- mittee that consultations have been held between the International Organ- izational Department, District Officers and the officers of Local 1-71, and a comprehensive plan has been devel- oped as follows: 1. There are three distinct areas in the Local jurisdiction. The heart of the Local that is the greatest concentration of loggers is in Englewood, Port MacNeil, and Port Hardy areas, where nearly 2000 people are employed dur- ing the periods of peak produc- tion, Analysis Shows Strength Through the implementation of this plan, we are sure that the Local Union area will be properly covered, and there is a good pos- sibility by mid-summer of placing the Local on a self-sustaining basis. AREA No. 2—LOCAL 1-367 The easterly portion of this Local, more particularly the Harrison Lake- Rosedale-Hope area, is composed pri- marily of logging operations that will re-open in the early spring. This Local Union, during the past few months, has been able to maintain ‘an average membership of approxi- mately 1200, but there is a potential in this area during peak production period of 1500-2000 woodworkers. In view of the scattered nature of this Local, and the fact that all the logging operations will be starting out about the same time, it will be neces- sary to employ the services of an In- ternational organizer for a period of about three months in the early part of this year. AREA No. 3 Southern end of the Island is in a very solid state of organization The areas which will ‘require particular attention are the Jordan River and the~ Port Renfrew-San Tuan area. and the west coast area of Local 1-85, includ- Early in 1949, the International Officers recognizing the dual problem of rebuilding both the organizational and administrative set-up, assumed re- sponsibility for the direction of Or- ganizational work in British Columbia. This plan was very effective in rapidly re-establishing most Local Unions on a sound functioning basis, and during the second half of the year it became apparent to both the | P’ District Officers and the International Officers that plans should be made to separate the organizational and admin- istrative work in the District, and that certain staff reductions must be made in order that the Canadian Organiza- tional Fund would be self-sustaining. STAFF REDUCED - With this in view, certain staff re- ductions have been made, and. our staff of International Representatives has been reduced in six months from 13 to fiye. We feel that at this time in the report, it is necessary to review the present state of organization in all Local areas, and in order for the delegates to get the proper picture, we have divided the District into five different areas—as follows: Local 1-71 2. The Queen Charlotte Island- Prince Rupert District is the second most important area, and when all camps are operating there will be nearly 1200 log- gers employed. There are two major operations in this area, one at Juskatla in the Queen Charlottes and the other at Port Simpson, ‘north of Rupert. 3. The Jervis Inlet, Stillwater area employs approximately 500 log- gers in operations at Vancouver Bay, Britain River and O'Brien's Camps at Stillwater. The plan which has been drafted by Local 1-71 requires the year-round ser- vices of one International organ- izer, and the services of one International organizer for a period of three months in the spring. The Local Union hopes to be able to place one man permanently on the Loggers’ ‘Navy, and in company with one International organizer, the plan calls for the Loggers’ Navy to cover all the operations from Vancouver Bay to Seymour Inlet, while the other organizer will use normal transportation ser- vices to cover the north end of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Island - Prince Rupert area. ing the Franklin River- Sarita River-- Kennedy Lake and the Tahsis-Zeballos Chamiss Bay area, and in the Court- enay Local, Menzies Bay and Sayward Valley areas. This will require the services of three full-time’ organizers for a period of two to three months, and after that we are of the opinion that one full- time representative could handle any organizational problems that may arise. AREA No. 4 LOWER MAINLAND © VANCOUVER NEW WESTMINSTER This area is well organized, and the degree of organization existing at the present time is above that which existed prior to the attempted break- away, and we are sure that the two Local Unions, 1-217, and 1-357 can handle any organizational problem which may arise. AREA No. 5—INTERIOR ‘This area presents entirely different organizational problems than those that exist in the Coast Region. The tremendous geographical obstacles which exist in this District, where the four Local Unions, namely—1-405, 1-423, 1-417. and 1-424. covering an area 500 miles square, presents a} problem that requires a certain flexi- bility in the duties of International organizers. There is a constant flow of cheap labour from the Prairie provinces into this area, and constant vigilance is re- quired in order to maintain member- ship strength. In some Local Union areas there are selatively few experienced trade unionists, and the workers in the in- dustry have not had the background of trade. union experience that has been the lot of woodworkers in the Coast area. Consequently, there is a lack of leadership material, and in many in- stances an International organizer is required to supervise the administra- tive work, and has to spend a large art of his time in the training of Sub-local and Local officers. There are very few major operations in this area. The larger logging camps in Cranbrook and Prince George em- ploy 30 or 40 men, and there are only four or five sawmills which employ more than 100 workers. ‘There are a number of small gyppo logging and sawmill operations which employ a relatively large percentage of the total working force in the woodworking industry in the Interior, but because of their very nature, which is more or Jess transient, this type of operation poses an organiza- tional problem which is in our opin- ion completely insurmountable. 3000 POTENTIAL ‘There is a potential membership of approximately 3000 in this area, divided as follows: 1000 in Local 1-424, Prince George; 500 in Lo- cal 1-417, Kamloops; 500 in Local 1-423, Kelowna; and 1000 in Lo- cal 1-405, Cranbrook. During the past four or five years numerous attempts have been made to build our organizational strength, and to place these Local Unions on a sound functioning basis, but we have found that during the winter shut- down in some instances, both the Lo- cal and Sub-local organization has disappeared. In order that some semblance of organization might be maintained dur- ing the winter shut-down, and in order that our special organizational work in the spring months could be most effective, the District Officers, in |...» consultation with the International or- ganizational department, have recently opened a branch office in Kelowna. One full-time organizer has been placed in charge of organizational work in Kamloops-Kelowna areas. We have, since September, main- tained a full-time representative in Cranbrook local, and since the open- ing of the District branch office in Kelowna have been able to assist the Cranbrook - Kelowna and Kamloops locals in providing certain administra- tive services. We are of the opinion that this office should ‘eventually cover the Prince George area, and wish to com- mend the Local Unions, District and International Officers for the co-opera- | » tion both financially and otherwise, which has made possible the establish- ment of this branch office. In our opinion Local 1-405 will require the services of one full-time | ° representative during the entire yar of 1950, and it will require two other organizers for a period of at least three months to cover the Kam- loops-Kelowna - Prince George areas. It should be possible to carry on for the balance of the year pilavees International organizers working in the four Local Union areas in the In- terior. We realize that to implement the suggested program would involve the employment of a large staff of organ- izers during the early part of the year, but would point out that if we are successful during the coming negotia- tions in establishing the Union Shop that'the sraual expenditure for spring reorganization could i eliminated. a Padi We recommend that each Local Union institute as soon sae a system’ of job steward training classes, with the end in view that each Local Union will be able irguah ie camp and mill com- mittees to maintain a degree of organization, "7 “SH MOCRATIC STRENGTH We would also recommend to the International organizational depart- ment that whenever possible during those periods that it becomes necessary to place extra or parttime men on the organzational staff, that considera~ tion be given to people suggested by the Local Unions concerned. While we recognize the need for organization in Eastern Canada, and feel that plans should be formulated to launch a major organizational drive in that area, nevertheless, we are of the opinion that at this time most of our effort must be concentrated in B.C. We must recognize the fact that B.C. is the core of the International organization in Canada, and we be- lieve that if this program is followed, by the end of 1950 this area will be completely reorganized, and we should be in a strong financial position to consider a long range program of or- ganization to include the wood prod- ucts industry of Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, and Alberta. We recognize the necessity of the District Office placing in the field ad- ditional full-time representatives, and would concur in the proposal con- tained in the Officers report, wherein the District Officers ‘suggest that if and when funds are available, the Chinese Representative be placed on the Dis- trict payroll on a full-time basis. J. MORRIS, Chairman, J. MADDEN, Secretary, Organization Committee. CANADA-V HEALTH PI DEMANDED ae ies the fir cial “disasters uently tendant upon sickneas age, was demanded by the | vention in two which rounded out the program of social security, A resolution, from Local Kaimloops, pointed to the adv: tages of health insurance now operating in other the British Commonwealth, It also stressed the inad of provincial hospital insuray schemes due to the limitation provincial resources, and the ability of the workers to me medical costs. The Convention agreed to d mand a Dominion-wide health surance plan, with full cox and providing for provincial ministration. Retirement Pension _ The difficulties éxperienced b; workers over the age of 45 finding employment in the lumb industry, was cited as proof , the need for a retirement pensi available to all industrial works ers discarded by industry because — of age. 2 The District Convention re- solved to demand from the Fed- eral Government the early enact- _ ment of a pension plan that would provide a decent standard — of living and take compulsorily re- tired workers off the bread line. / bills is by cheque. ..saves you time, The quick, practical and modern way of paying Ban working with Canadians in every walk of life since 1817 AD70. trouble and shoe Jeather. You don’t risk carrying large sums of moncy on your person and your cancelled cheque is your receipt. For your personal convenience, open a BofM Account... today. K oF MonrTREAL Canada's First anh Ask for our booktet 21 ways a million Canadians use the Bof M ~s } OAM TOA IUIoN canaoiss > Here, is gripping reading . . . the human story of a great city . ._. laughable . . . pathetic. . . and tragic. John Graham gives you a seat in the jurybox every day . his report from court.