B.C. LUMBER WORKER

5 = or |

Hi’s Stay at the Plaza

No Nonsense

"THERE was no nonsense in the

way the delegates at the Na-
naimo Convention tackled the
business of the lumber workers.

So, there'll be no nonsense in
my story. I can’t wisecrack about
the biggest thing that’s happened
in our world of labor and lumber
in many-a moon.

I'm telling you, that it was a
damn good Convention. And I’m
not kidaing or blurbing.

Every Joe there put his back
into it, every minute of the three
day’s sessions, for the good of the
Union and the men in the indus-
try.

Our own logger delegates were
in there pitching too, putting
them right across the plate,

They were serious about Union
business as they should be. It’s
our bread and butter, after all.

And, I mean bread and butter
with a little jam on it.

Some jam today, and tomorrow
and not in the sweet bye and bye.

*

It Was Friendly

‘THERE was never a dull mo-

ment, but the doings weren't
all high-ball. Lumber workers
got more sense.

There was always time for a
laugh and a joke, to make every-
one feel that he belonged, and to
get the other fellow’s slant,

_, When they’d time, and felt like
it, they even did some high class
singing, and shook the rafters
with old-time trade union fight-
ing songs. Get Lawrence Vandale
at work on his “stomach Stein-
way’ with his nimble and musical
fingers, and a fellow feels like
lettin’ ’er go. It was good for
what ailed us.

We really took our hair down
at the banquet and dance, and
mixed up real friendly like, to
get to know everybody in the
best possible way. After that, no
one could really get sore at any-
body else,

And those bull-sessions, after
hours in the rooms, and far into
the night. Brother, did we get to
know, who was who, and what
was what in our Union.

YV’m saying that ‘sociability is
good cement for any organization.

When everybody got to know
everybody else in a friendly way,
we caught the idea that we were
working with a bunch that we
could trust and be proud of. All
going the same direction and
speaking the same language.

ae

 * &

One Logger’s Sayso

ANOTHER logger said, while
we were heading for the boat
home.

“Say, I never thought I could
enjoy a Convention the way I’ve
enjoyed this one.”

“When I came here, I didn’t
know anyone; now I feel that I
imow everyone, and are they a
good bunch of Joes.”

“It has meant a lot to me to
find a bunch like this working to-
gether on the up-and-up, and
keeping their eyes on the ball.”

., “They knew their job and did
it. Even a dumb roughneck like
me got a show.”

“J’m sure sold on a Union that’s
got what the IWA has,

Any decent, red-blooded logger
who could have been there, would
have felt exactly the same way.

So, I’m not going to apologize
pce sounding off about a good

ow.

"Damn Good Convention, Joes!
Friendly, Solid and Democratic.

It Was Democratic

I GOT to laugh when I hear those

tales about a Fadling-Als-
bury-Mitchell machine. All ma-
chines were parked in the bone-
yard when Pritchett and Dalskog
took their famous nose-dive.

Joe Stalin himself couldn’t dic-
tate at this Convention. The
rank and file really got the bit
in their teeth and went the full
distance.

The top brass took back seats,
and were more seen than heard,
and spoke when spoken to.

Because they have kept to the
line laid down by the rank and
file they got an okay on their
work,

Nobody <was hushed. Every-
body had a chance to speak their
minds, just so long as they kept
on the point.

There’s only one boss giving
orders around the IWA, and that
is you and me, rank and file, all
cogether by majority voice,

*

It Was On The Ball

MA4%8=, doubting Thomas
says, so what. Nice fellows,

carrying the torch for democracy,

but are they getting anywhere?

‘Again, let me tell you that they
were practical, and had plenty on
the ball, when it comes to figur-
ing out a deal with the bosses.

What must we get in our next
contract? They came up with
the answer that clicks with every
logger. Wages upped to the point
‘where we're square with the gro-
cer. Union shop, so that we’re
even Steven with the boss, and
the hitch-hikers.

How are we going to get what
we want in the next contract?
They produced the answer to that
one too.

We'll organize and educate. Can
lumber workers get what they
want, if each man goes cap in
hand to the boss alone?) Can we
get what we all need, if half the
gang sit on their fannies in the
bunkhouse?

We can’t go places with our
crowd half in and half out of the
organization, some pulling and
some dragging, some sweating
and some snoring.

We've got to needle the sleep-
walkers. Give them a shot of the
real dope about the Union and
tell them, “Look here, Jack. Get
wise. You can put up or shut up.
You're either in the IWA or you
are against the IWA. You can’t
squat on a fence rail any longer.
You're working for the Union or
you're working for the boss.”

That’s the way they felt at
the Convention. We're _ going
after a square deal, no more and
no less. We'll make it simple and
direct.

If we don’t get a deal, and in
time, we'll hit the bricks., and let
the best man win,

That’s the only kind of -talk
that makes a dent on old man
Stuart, and he’s no mental crip-
ple.

But to get tough with the boss,
we have to first get real tough,
and even tougher, with our own
slackers.

We can’t fight with an army of
stay-at-home dodgers, and believe
me there were no chocolate sol-
diers at the Convention,

* +

a 6

It Was Solid

WHEN it came to the vote on

the main issue — would we
es the bosses an ultimatum,
there was not one weak-kneed
i dissenter in the hall. It was una-

nimous with a bang.

Were there any arguments.
weil, you know lumber workers.
argument is for them the spice
vf nie, and tor the Union a
uealtuy sign of vigor.

1wA members, you should
now, argue because tney feel in-
vensely about their Union’s wel-
sare,

But put this in your notebook.
when the arguments were settled
at the Convention by vote, that
was that.

We won’t forget one lad, for
instance. He put up 2 real fight
sor his point or view, didn’t pull
any punches.

He aian’t get what he wanted,
put he came right back to the
unlke to say, ““Lnat’s okay by me.
aul go nght along with the ma-
yorlty ana deliver 10U percent I-
wWA results in my own plant.”

When our own Donahue got go-

ing about “Holy Old Margarie” |=

in the logging camps, he got the
mullworkers rignt behind him.
Likewise, the loggers voted for
petter mill conditions.

The good of one Union for one
industry had top pnority, and
that kind of soliaarity is unbeat-
able in my book.

LPP Dirt

‘A SCRIBE for the LPP cloak
and dagger sheet calmly took
his notebook to the press table
at the Convention.

The boys kinda wondered, but
told him’ he could stay. ‘They
thought it might do him good to
see the workings of a democracy
which the LPP has tried to
smash,

T’ve been checking up on. his
report. All he was asked to do
was to give an honest report.

Now I know that there’s no
such thing as honesty and de-
cency in the LPP bureaucracy.
Every subtle trick taught by the
Soviet propagandists was used to
belittle the achievements of an
outstanding labor convention.

Even the friendly and jocular
gesture toward the fraternal dele-
gates from the Women’s Auxili-
aries, at the close of the Conven-
tion was written to ridicule the
elected officers,

Decisions about finances, were
strung together to create the im-
pression that the Union’s funds
went mainly to maintain high sal-
aries,

The Moscow-trained puppets,
who pose as the stout defenders
of labor’s interests, lose no oppor-
tunity to smear and undermine
the one trade Union that’s doing
a job for the lumber workers,

Then they spout about unity on

the job. They squeal about red-
baiting hysteria.

They simply forget that most
people still believe in decency and
honest dealing, and get nause-
ated at rottenness. P

Can this LPP spy wonder if he
is never again welcome at an I-
WA Convention?

Opportunist

[REE-year-old on sidewalk

singing happily, “I love

Jesus, I love Jesus”.

Dear old lady, “How sweet.”

Disgusted five-year old, “He
means Santa Claus.” And aside
to the , three-year-old, “Santa
Claus is the guy that brings us
things.”

Obediently the three-year-old
continued his song, “I love Santa
Claus, I love Santa Claus.”

Bellicose

An empty belly doesn’t show
so long as it is covered by a shirt,
even if the shirt be your last, and
ragged at that. ;

But enough empty bellies can
be as powerful as an atomic bomb
or an outbreak of pestilence, to
disrupt our way of life, and the
evil and misery that remain in
their wake can be almost as dev-
astating.

—Anon.

Cards] axps

Prime . Minister St. Laurent
says that in the June elections
“all the trump cards were on our
side”.

But the government was deal-
ing, and the way the McGregor
Report card got to the bottom of
the pack was not exactly straight
shuffling.

—Toronto Saturday Night.

“The best basic economic aid
for agriculture is a fully em-
ployed labor force at good wages.
But labor is not likely to be fully
employed, and industry is not
likely to be expanding production,
when agriculture is in economic
trouble. Agriculture is not
merely a recipient of good for-
tune, but a partner in the making
of prosperity.”

—Charles F. Brannan, U, S,
Secretary of Agriculture.

ATTEND
MEETINGS

BOLL CeL elle eeoCCOoeO.

RETAIL LUMBER

BUILDERS’ SUPPLIES

PAINTS — WALLBOARDS — ROOFINGS

STEWART &

HUDSON LTD.

Branches at:
Victoria, Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Port Albern:

in for a visit.

I wish to announce the opening of my NEW DENTAI
OFFICE at 9 East senieS : f
ing resumed practice after an extended holiday A
cordial invitation is extended to all old friends co come

Dr. R. Llewellyn Douglas

Street, corner Carrall, hav

ee.

"THEN there’s the fellow
know who doesn’t appro
celebrating anything. One h
day night late he came across
woman vainly struggling to
her man to budge from a friendly
lamp-post.
“Come on home,” she begged, —
Gallantly our friend offered
assist, and presently had
drunk safely up the steps and

hind the door, q
Said a policeman drawi:

“Just what were you donee at 3
Our friend explained he
helping a poor wife to get het
drunken husband home.
policeman shook his head. “That
ain’t his home, sir, and she ain't
his wife. She’s what you might
call a well-known character.”

How best can we carry out
accident-prevention so that our
people can do just as good a job
there as in their attacks on Be
ease and epidemics?
One—Organize. a“
Two—Ask for funds to prevent
accidents, just as they do to pre- |
vent cancer, tuberculosis, poli
heart disease, and aid victims
disast Let’s not be shy and
modest in our demand for greater —
safety and by greater support
really mean not only talent and
time, but ACTUAL CASH
MONEY, 3
Three—Get recruits .

is need for united action in this
great cause,

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OF CANADA

Banking can be carried on
simply and safely through
the mails, Deposits will be
promptly acknowledged and
instructions carried out with —
proper atention to detail.

Miners and Iumbermen is
out - of - the-way places will
find banking easy and con-
venient using Imperial

mail banking service.
Address your letter to
branch listed below and

ice will follow promptly.