by Ttae et 7, 1950 B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page Eleven Labor Day By Cushm: When you celebrate Labor in 1882 when he was already a legacies Pete McGuire left. Into a 54-year life, McGuire owded many achievements. For tance, ine 1881 in Chicago he founded the Brotherhood of Car- penters and Joiners, and for 25 years was the union’s general secretary. In 1886, he was one of Samuel Gomper’s chief lieuten- ants at the launching of the Am- erican Federation of Labor, And for many years he was a fiery fighter for that all-but-forgotten cause, the eight-hour day. Life wasn’t easy for Pete Mc- Guire. He was born on New York’s lower east side in 1852, the tenth child-of poor parents. When Pete was 11 years old his father joined the Union army. Army pay was low and there were no allotment checks for fam- ilies left behind. Consequently, Pete McGuire went to work. Peddled Papers He peddled papers, held horses, ‘shined shoes,’ ran errands and swept out shops. He did what he could, what there was to do. He worked 10, 12, 15 hours a day. But he had nothing to do nights so he went to school. He attended Cooper Union, the institution for underprivileged youths founded by philanthropist Peter Cooper. He took courses—and spent long hours in the library reading his- tory. Pete McGuire wanted to be a man who knew what he was talking about. McGuire’s career really began in 1869 when he went to work for a piano factory and joined the cabinet makers’ union. From then on, he lived for the labor move- ment. He quit his job when his pay was cut. He said he was a social- ist and called for both political and economic action to liberate American labor, He took another job. In 1872 he organized a his- toric parade of 25,000 New York workers who marched eight hours demanding enforcement of the eight-hour-day Jaw. Money Panic Then came the financial panic of 1878. Banks failed, Railroads suspended operation. The poor were thrown out of their homes for non-payment of rent. The paid-up membership of the unions reached a low ebb. But Pete Mc- Guire, a man who knew what he was talking about, was on the mayeh. He was 21, grown up. In 1874, Pete went to work for another piano company and fin- Havent YOU Been Missing Something 2 so) Y Of Carpenter McGuire for Peter J. McGuire, union carpenter. McGuire is chiefly remembered as the “ union movement. But Labor Day is only the best-known of the Is Legacy an Reynolds Day this year, spare a moment father of Labor Day” ig Jeader in the infant trade ri ee ished learning his trade. But he of economic exploitation. Haven, Conn., and took part in municipal and state politics. In addition, he travelled around the country to fight for organized la- bor, to battle for the eight-hour day. New England, Indiana, the south—he went where he felt he was needed. He rode freight trains and sometimes he went hungry. In 1878 he moved to St. Louis, to organize the carpenters. A year later he had a job in a furniture factory. St. Louis car- penters were dispirited, broken, making less than two dollars a day when they worked. There was a local union, but few be- longed to it. The situation was ready-made for Pete McGuire. He set about building up the local. He was redheaded, eloquent, and persuasive. Men listened. He or- ganized them and touched off a series of strikes. Pretty soon the pay was three dollars. Why not a national union of carpenters? Pete wondered. Why not, indeed! He wrote let- ters, travelled, made speeches, conferred. And in August, 1881, he found himself general secretary of the brand-new Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners—at $750 a year includ- ing expenses. Meanwhile, big business was on one of its early drives to smash the unions. It was a national campaign, against which labor’s young leaders knew they would have to strike back, Gompers, McGuire and about 50 others met in Terre Haute, Ind., and Mc- Guire was named to draft a call for a national meeting in Pitts- burgh. From the Pittsburgh par- ley came the Federation of Trades and Labor Unions which in time was to become the Ameri- can Federation of Labor. Labor Day Born In May, 1882, he was back in New York City, attending a meet- ing of the Central Labor Union in a hall on 13th Street. Here it was that Labor Day was born. Obtaining the floor, Pete McGuire said there were many holidays, but none to celebrate “those who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we be- hold”—the working men and wo- men. So why not Labor Day—a Monday, so that workers would have a two-day rest, the first Monday in September, which would be half-way between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. New York City had Labor Day that year, on Sept. 5. There was a parade up Fifth Avenue with bands playing. There was a huge workers’ picnic. Since only a few employers granted the holiday, the crowd didn’t reach its peak until evening. The idea caught on. By the time Congress de- clared Labor Day a holiday in 1894, a total of 23 states had recognized it. Meanwhile, Pete Mc Guire had other things to do. McGuire was to remain active for another 15 years before the strenuousness of his life caught up with him. He lived out his days in poverty, dying in Camden, Feb. 18, 1906. SWIM (Contd.) CIO electrical union had won bar- gaining rights for some 225,000 workers who formerly were under UE jurisdiction. Former members of the Public Workers were being brought un- der the jurisdiction of the CIO Government Peas ae Workers Organizi mittee, Peters Mine, Mill members were joining up with the United Steelworkers. Others who form- erly belonged to unions which were expelled were going into lo- cal unions or into long- armors Se also continued to preach the evils |. In 1875 he moved to New|! BAD YEAR trical Workers and the Farm Equipment Workers — were ex- pelled' by the charges that they consistently followed the Communist Party line in preference to CIO policy. charges of Communist domina- tion were placed against 10 other unions. A hearing committee pro- cedure was established and the Executive Board was given au- thority to act on the charges. CIO established a new union — the International Union of Elec- trical, Radio and Machine Work- ers. clashing head-on with the UE, which was termed by CIO Presi- dent Murray as containing the “hard core of Communism” in the American labor movement. had been placed stepped up their attacks on Mur- ray and other CIO leaders. They charged the Murray group was eee to establish a “dictator- ship”. volved the Mine, Mill and Smel- ter Workers, Food and Tobacco Workers, United Public Workers and United Office and Profes- sional Workers. the right of the CIO to conduct hearings and to expell them— and some of their leaders went into court under the Taft-Hart- ley Act in an unsuccessful effort to halt the trials. pelled by the Executive Board. can Communications Association was “disaffiliated” by Board ac- tion. headed by Ben Gold, an avowed Communist, asked for and was granted a postponment of its hearing—then voted at its June convention to leave the CIO. Later the Board went through the formalities of expelling the union. the CIO hearings were held and Board action on the findings was Scheduled for mid-summer. Eileen Tallman, one of the foremost labor women in Ca- nada, is directing the biggest organizing drive of all at the T. Eaton Co. main store in To- ronto. Miss Tallman has high hopes that Local 1000, Department Store Employees Union (CCL- CIO), wil sign up a majority of the 13,000 employees by September. The Eaton organ- ization employs about 40,000 workers across Canada. 6 9} along fine. F R REDS W. Smith, North West Bay—Old leg injury. BY ALLAN L. SWIM Emil Hansen, Farmington — Editor, CIO NEWS. The Communists, for the most part, are now on the out- side looking in—and hurling bitter charges at the “dicta- tors” who tossed them out. The battle began brewing shortly after the end of World War IL. It was joined in earn- est last November at Cleveland, Ohio, when the CIO took decis- ive action against party-liners. Two unions, the United Elec- convention on Before the convention ended, And during the same week, the Before long the IUE was Unions against which charges immediately Four Expelled The first group of hearings in- All challenged But the four unions were ex- A short time later, the Ameri- The Fur and Leather Workers, After Bridges was convicted, (See Column 2) 4| WA, on Aug. 9 and 16, distribut- ing copies of the B.C. Lumber Worker and cigarettes. WARD “S” a ‘ | T. Carson, Lagoon Logging Co— 5|H. Larsen, Jervis Inlet — Toes | j|I. Moran, Alta Lake—Blbow in- Chester Gronstrom, Lane Logging {|Eddie Mosier — Coming along ing fine. “ Morgan Williams, Tofino — Broken pelvis. Chester Granstrom, Lane Log- Vic Craiggs, Greenlake Logging Jas. Muir, Nanaimo—Pneumonia, W. T. Hunt, Merritt—Lung di W. T. Leaf, Whonnock—Coming W. Aikins, Comox—Double amp.; Ron Schwartz, Orion Bowman— Vernon O’Brien, Cumshewa—Do- H. Richins, Reliable Logging Co. J._R. Walthius, L. W. Preece, B, C. Pulp & Paper H._ Fredericks, W. Aikins, Comox—Double amp.; T. Furlong, Revelstoke—Broken Percy Doucette, Pacific Logging Wn. A. Storr, Bloedel—Leg trouble. |Harry Brown—Doing satisfactor- Vancouver General Hospital were visited by Sisters Allison Brown and Iola Rempel of the Women’s Auxiliary, Local 1-217, IWA, Mr. Carroll—Hand still stiff and Mr. Barry—Gone home. Mr. Blake—Out visiting. Mr. McClure—Back sores better; Mr. O’Neill—Promoted to a bed Joe Koenig—About the same; up G. Nelsen—Much better; up in- visited on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25, in St. Paul’s Hospital, by Sisters Marjorie Paterson and Jacqueline Clarkson of the W.A. on behalf of Local 1-217, IWA. the B.C. Lumber Worker, the International Woodworker, cigar- ettes, chocolate bars and matches were distributed to each. Wn. Joe Fedhka, McNabb Creek — Fred Yaniw, Lake Cowichan — Wm. Kraynyk, Campbell River— Bob Aitken, Harrison Lake — Guy Smith, Merritt — Broken John Torgerson, Jordan River — # SICK Vancouver General Hospital ; The following patients in the Vancouver General Hospital were | visited by Sisters Mildred Dona- hue and Ruth Bullock, of the Wo- men’s Auxiliary, Local 1-217, I- Injured spine. | smashed. jury. Co.—Doing well. fairly well. WARD “I” E._Hoffart, Cranbrook Sash & Door—Surgery for old injury. H. Fredericks, Abbotsford—Do- ging—Doing well. Co.—Cut thigh. WARD “D” C. MacDonald, Powell River — Back injury; waiting third op- eration. culty. Doing well. Broken arm. doing well, up and around. Wrist and shoulder injuries. ing very well. —Coming along fine. Alta Lake — Broken arm. —Coming along well. Abbotsford Phlebitis; doing satisisfactor- ily. doing well; up and around. leg and ankle; going home. Co.—Going home after many months, “Duke” McNeil, Victoria Logging—Smashed heel. ily} up and around a bit. ‘Roy LIST # Nikolai, Prince George, Hendricks Bros.—Broken knee; just in. Steadman, Eburne Sawmills — Back injury, George Turnquist, Glaspies, Squamish—Back wrenched. Bert Bayley, Bloedel’s Mill, Great Central Lake, Port Alberni — Doing very well. W. Luhtala, Parks Logging, Na- naimo—Hand and back injur- ies. Greatly improved, going home soon. _ W. Cowin, Lake Birg, Harrison Lake—Knee injury. Bob Allen, Harrison Lake — Broken legs. Coming along real well and keeps cheerful. Harold Wold, Forby Bay Logging —Leg injury. J. Armstrong, Howe Sound Tim- ber—Leg amputated. Improv- ing and in good spirits. Hopes to be going home soon. W. Adrain, B.C. Forest Products —Tust operated on for abcess on chin. Doing fine. Shaughnessy Military Hospital Sister Elsie Gray of the Wo- men’s Auxiliary, Local 1-217, I- WA,, visited the following wood- workers, patients in Shaughnessy Military Hospital; Frank Irvine, Robertson & Hack- ett—Now gone home, awaiting report on X-rays, E. Fegervik, CWP—Cast off knee. Progressing favorably. King’s Daughters’ Hospital, Duncan The following patients in_the King’s Daughters’ Hospital, Dun- can, were visited by Financial Secretary Ed Linder, Local 1-80, IWA, who distributed copies of the B.C. Lumber Worker and comforts. All patients were reported to be cheerful, making progress to- ward recovery, and appreciative of the IWA publication, especi- ally the safety page. Alex Ostafichuk, Camp 8 Youbou —Injured leg. A. Saganiuk, Gordon River—Ap- ‘pendix operation. A.J. Duguay, Duncan—Leg am- putation. Emile Carpentier—Injured finger. Andy Troyachuk—Broken collar bone. Joe Weiszheck, Gordon River — Burns. (Henry Schedel, Hillcrest. S. Gaudreault, Kapoor. The following patients in the swollen. very cheerful. from a fracture bed; doing fine. indoors. doors. St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver The patients listed below were Copies of Abramson, B.C. Forest Products, Bear Creek—Back in- jured; improving. * Back hurt, coming along fine. peck injury; improving stead- ily. Broken back; coming along fine. Broken legs. shoulder. Doing well. + Knee injury. “In for special op- eration. YOU CAN BANK BY MAIL, with IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA Banking can be carried on simply and safely through the mails. Deposits will be promptly acknowledged and instructions carried out with Proper attention to detail. Miners and lumbermen in out-of-the-way places will find banking easy and con- venient using Imperial Bank mail banking service. Address you letter to any branch listed below and sery- ice will follow promptly, IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA Vancevver—Granville & Dunsmuir Yancouver—Hastings & Abbott Other Branches In British Columbia: Cranbrook = Fernie «== Golden. 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