Page Bight \ B.C. LUMBER WORKER July 20, 1950 “One Of Best In Canada’’ Say Steelworkers NEW CONTRACT GIVES WAGE BOOST; $55.00 A MONTH PENSION AT 65 Contract recently negotiated by the United Steelwork- ers of America with the American Can Co., Vancouver, has secured for 450 employees benefits which mark a striking advance in B.C. labor-management relations. “One of the best contracts in Canada” is the claim made and substantiated by West Coast Representative Pen Baskin, of the USO, who was spokesman for the employees. Outstanding feature of the contract | is the funded pension plan which pro- jncrease of S¢.an hour across the vidés for every worker in the plant 2 board, over top rates now paid. eee nonin 2 yee | this increase has. been’ made Service, upon reaching the age of 65.| This increase has, been made The pension scheme is financed en-| although date of contract ter- tirely by the company, and is so; mination is August 1. funded that established pension rights’; are continued for the lifetime of the pensioner with assured financial safe- guards, ~ After five years, the terms are sub- ject to review. The low-rate for each classification {was climinated, and the top rate in jeach instance secured ! The wage clause may be re-opened | for negotiation on January 15, 1951. Shift Premiums The Union had previously estab- j lished the 40-hour work week in the All those who have retired from} plant, The new contract increased the service with the company since May | premium rate from 5c to 10¢ an’ hour Retirement is not compulsory/at 65, | but no additional benefits accrue for service after that age. Ist, 1948, and who have the required length of service, are made eligible for pension benefits. Payments are to com- mence October 1, 1950. Those who retired at the age of 65, but who have not secured 25 years’ service may secure pension payments scaled down in proportion to the term of service. Disability Pension In addition, the contract provides for the payment of a disability pen- sion of $30 a month for those with 15 years’ service and who become in- capacitated through illness or injury. This disability pension may be paid until the disabled employee reaches the age of 65, whereupon, the retire- ment pension or portion thereof is paid, as determined by the length of service. Wage Increase, Too The contract provides for a wage lfor workers regularly on the. after- {noon shift, and the night shift pre- mium for regular abght shift workers was raised from 10c to 124¢c. Workers on “round the clock” oper- lations, and who “swing” shifts will | now receive a premium of 35¢ an hour |when on the 6Y-hour night shift. By a special arrangement, changing from a calendar day to a shift day, all workers get rate and one-half for Saturday work. Double time is paid for Sunday work. Statutory Holidays and Vacations Under the contract, the employees receive pay for six statutory holidays, not worked, without strings at. tached. One week's annual vacation follows one year's accredited service, two weeks after five years, three weeks ILO TO MEET AT GENEVA On the agenda of the International Labour Conference in Geneva this year aré three questions of great interest to all trade unionists. One of them deals with free collective bargaining as a means of fixing wages and other con- ditions of employment. | Both of these questions, too, and par- {ticularly the last-named, are of great | practical significance for the Trade | Union movement in Britain. | |. In the I.L.O. documentation of these | three questions, three main tendencies are emphasized as having become evi- The other two questions on the| dent in recent years: (1) adherence to International Labour Organization | free collective bargaining as a means agenda concern the practice of concili- | of fixing wages, combined with (2) ation and arbitration, and the co- restriction upon’ collective bargaining operative relations that have come into | to a partial extent or (3) as part of existence between unions, organizations | a general system of State regulation of of employers and public authorities. | wages and other conditions of labor. OFFICERS OF WOMEN’S AUXILIARY, LOCAL 1-217, IWA, are installed in office by President Local 1-217, WA, at an impressive ceremony in the Arcadian Hall, Vancouver, July ) Mrs. Kay Woods, President; Mrs. Beryl Busch, Vice-President; Mrs, Marjorie Patterson, 3 Mrs. Pat Fulljames, Financial Secretary; Mrs. Elsie’Gray, Warden; Mrs. Jean after 15. years, and four weeks after {25 years’ service. iz Seniority Protected Seniority clauses in the contract have jbeen strengthened, providing that for years” seniority rights are maintained jforced that they are given preference during this two-year period in re- employment. The pension, vacation and seniority provisions of the contract are based on accredited hours of service. For in- stance, it is explained, that if an em- ployee has 600 houfs worked, includ- ing overtime, he is credited with six months. Similarly, with 1200 hours, he is credited with 12 months’ service. The advantages of the contract are |not remote for the present employees of the company. 102 already have 15 years’ service to their credit, and, 42 have over 25 years’ service, for which they may claim pension, vacation and seniority rights. The contract sets a new target for trade unions in British Columbia for those laid off. The rule is en- |” near Longview, Wash: Weyerhaeuser Strike PO = READY FOR STRIKE PICKET DUTY, Local 5-36, IWA, members join picket line at Headquarters Camp, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., of Local 11-107 and 1-5-36. IWA PICKET LINE at mill entrance, Longview Plant, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., includes members Two stenographers were discussing their boss. “Yes,” said one of them, “he's get- ting old and all that, but he's still in there pinching.” rnational V By Portland Pete TALKING out of sides of the mouth at the same time is a feat that can be performed only by circus “rubber face” men, and Weyer- haeuser’s timber empire in the U.S. Northwest. aces DURING negotiations with the ‘900,000 NET PROFITS, which is IWA, the mighty Weyerhaueser was telling the union in horrified tones— “Union shop and paid holidays? Oh, no, not that!” but at the same time it has already given these. very protec- tions to AFL crews working on the same mill site. eka te ANALYSIS of the situation shows that three pulp mills in Everett, Springfield and Longview each have a union shop, tied in with the AFL con- tract. In the three sawmills in the three same places where there is a CIO contract, Weyerhaueser says “No”. r e+ PAID HOLIDAYS show the same score exactly in the same three oper- ations. The pulpmills (AFL contract) have the additional guarantee, but not the IWA-CIO sawmills. What is it the AFL woodworking unions have that make them such “teacher's dar- lings?” Biola that the “No” is not because of money. They've offered 10% cents in cash, but they refuse to stand for the health and welfare, and paid holidays, so far, ee BY THE WAY, the same mob made in the three months ending March 31, 1950, the sum of $5,- BLANDLY, Weyerhacuser's admit! | $750,000 more than the total Profits in the entire year of 1939. | ae net CONVENTION of the Midwest District Council No. 12 is to be held in Minnesota on July 29 and 30, we hear, and the boys down there are scheduled, too, to discuss all possible ways of helping the 8,500 strikers at | Weyerhaeuser. ey ee , FULL UNION SHOP clause was won in recent negotiations by the Foresthill, California, location of the IWA in a 63-10 NLRB elections. se * THREE LOGGERS were among the five deaths reported in Oregon State for the week ending June 22, pointing jub the tragic toll of the industry in the U.S. The men were Claude Wy- land (Reedsport), William D, Mosher (Lebanon), and’ Vernon G. Patrick ! (Drain). toe oe 3 oe ENON men than million- aires is the slogan for the national CIO-PAC campaign which is still hammering home the two points need- jed to put Fair Deal candidates in office in November. The millionaires can be outnumbered financially as well as numerically if everybody will pull together with “that buck for PAC", and help in doorbell ringing to get the people out to register their votes.