4 October 19, 1950° Following are some questions _ with answers which may be of |. _ interest to you: ? Q. I was employed as a milli- ner, but was laid of for three weeks during the slack season. I made a claim for benefit, but told the local office I would not be available for work dur- ing the lay-off because I wanted to wait until my old job was running again. My claim was turned down and I cannot understand why. A. The Umpire has already ruled on cases in which the con- ditions were similar to yours. The Unemployment Insurance Act states that a claimant, in order to receive benefit, must be cap- able of and available for work but unable to secure suitable em- ployment. You informed the local office that you were not available for work. Consequently your claim was disallowed, ; ? e Q. For some time I was working as an operator in a tobacco factory but I left be- cause the smell of tobacco was bad for my health. When I claimed the benefit the office asked me for a doctor’s certifi- cate to prove that this was so. I couldn’t supply this because I had not been to see a doctor. Then they refused me benefit saying I had left my position without just cause. It doesn’t seem fair to refuse my claim under such circumstances. A. It was necessary for you to furnish the proof asked for. The Umpire has ruled that in such cases satisfactory evidence that the separation was essential to the health of the claimant should be available if the claim is to be allowed, 7 & Q. For some time I had a job as a Jabourer in a silk mill and was paid 45c an hour. From time to time I had small in- creases in my wages until I was being paid 5c an hour. I found ont, however, that the man working next to me was be- ing paid 65c an hour, so I com- plained to my employers. He said that my neighbour was in charge of the machines and that I was really helping him. Consequently I should not be paid as much, I did not think this was fair The local office refused te pay me benefit. This does not seem to me fair and I would like to know if the decision is correct. A. It would appear from your letter that you were willing to return to your old job even though you had been dissatisfied with the wages paid you. The Umpire has ruled that it is not a sufficient reason for a person to leave his employment merely because another person doing somewhat similar work is receiv- ing a higher rate of pay. Unemployment Queries Answered The purpose of this col- umn is to provide a means whereby our readers who want information on Unem- ployment Insurance can ob- tain it. If you have a question respecting Unemployment Insurance, write it out and send it to the editor. For identification purposes it would be well to include your name and address. ‘We will send your ques- tion to the Unemployment Insurance Commission at its head office in Ottawa. The answer will be pub- lished as soon as possible after being received. Do not hesitate to send in your question or questions. The Commission has ad- vised us that it will be glad to furnish answers as ra- pidly as possible. SO SEND IN YOUR QUESTIONS 2 Q. For nearly two years I was employed at a salary of $135 a month. This job came to an end, and I filed a claim for benefit. The same day I was offered another position at a salary of $30 a week. I re- fused this because, owing to the house shortage in the city, I had to move to the country and I did not feel that I could take a permanent position un- till my housing problem was settled. The wages were all right, but I felt unable to take the new job because of the reason mentioned. As I was out of work I applied for bene- fit, but this was refused on the ground that I had declined to apply for a situation which was considered suitable. Is this de- cision fair? A. The employment offered you, and which you refused to apply for, was apparently suit- able. You have stated that the wages were-reasonably satisfac- tory. In a similar case the Umpire ruled that “a person claiming benefit must be avail- able for employment and can only be considered as being available when he is prepared to accept, without delay, suitable’ employ- ment”, In this case it would appear that you were not willing to do this, Consequently your claim was disallowed. D> 6 Q. My application for bene- fit was declined recently by the insurance officer who claimed that I had not shown just cause for voluntarily leaving my em- ployment. I would like to find out if this decision is fair. The facts are these: I was employed in a heavy industry at $1.25 an hour for several years. Finally I decided that I’ would start 2 business of my own, and so I left my old job. I found, how- ever, that equipment I needed could not be supplied for some little time so I was available for employment. I made a claim for benefit. A. Your case is similar to one which has already been dealt with. You left your position voluntarily in order to enter busi- ness on your own account, You found, however, that there was some delay in starting your own business. In a similar case the Umpire ruled that the claimant should have made all necessary arrangements required before leaving his former position. He took the position that the claim- ant was not actually unemployed as he was engaged in looking after the necessary arrangements to start his new business. ? 1-424 “THREE MORE CERTIFICATIONS The number of IWA-certified operations within the jurisdiction of Local 1-424 IWA is steadily increasing as a result of the organizational drive, assisted by International Representative Mike Sekora. Pacifie Western Planing Mills Ltd, and Booth Bros. Lid. are re- cent additions to the rapidly growing list of certified opera- tions in the Quesnel area. Hales, H. Ross and Sons Lum- ber Ltd., Prince George, are now also in the CCF column. UNIONS TREBLED IN 10 YEARS Canada has a total trade union membership of 1,005,639 at the end of 1949, almost 3 percent more than the previous 12 months, according to Department of Labor. Inclusion of Newfoundland unions accounted for about 24,000 among the total membership. An almost continuous increase in union membership since 1939 has been recorded. 1939, 350,000; 1945, 711,000; 1949, 1,006,000. B.C. LUMBER WORKER INTERIOR DRIVE CONTINUES WITH ALL-OUT been undertaken, The recommendations which will form the basis of a con- tinued effort to complete organi- zation in the Interior of the prov- ince, were prefaced in the report by a detailed analysis of the re- sults of Interior negotiations and accompanying organization drive. Purport of the report was to urge that the momentum gained in campaigning of the past few months should not be lost, and that all possible assistance should be rendered the Interior Local Unions to gain full administra- tive strength and capitalize on gains made. District President J. S. Alsbury will visit points in the Interior at an early date to pave the way for further steps in organization plans. One objective will be to assist the weaker Local Unions in the Interior to secure necessary ad- ministrative help, and to aid them in applications for certifications, grievances, and relations. with employers. It is expected that through the co-operation of the District and the International Union all In- New Suit For ‘Stu’ Hodgson Financial Secretary S. M. Hodgson, Local 1-217 IWA, was the winner of a suit of clothing in a contest promoted by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America at the recent CCL Convention, “Stu” Hodgson proved that he could demonstrate where the loyal trade unionist should inside pocket of his suit. look for the label union in the Eye Accidents Preventable “Think about safety — keep out of my cage!” was the appeal made by H. E. Wilson to all lumber workers through the medium of the IWA Dis- trict Safety Council which he attended on October 13. Mr, Wilson, who lost his sight in an industrial accident in north- ern B.C. has been devoting his efforts to prevention of eye acci- dents, His own sight was lost when a tiny needle-sized splinter of steel penetrated an eyeball when he was passing a fellow worker using a hammer and cold chisel. Undue delay occurred in secur- ing medical treatment with the |result that infection set in. Ten Joperations were performed to save his vision in one eye but in the final operation both eyes were removed. Emphasis was placed by the speaker on the necessity of using goggles and wherever available the shatterless type of eye glasses and goggles. He stated that 98% of eye acci- dents are preventable. The recommendation of the IWA District Safety Council to the Quarterly meeting of the B. ©. District Council IWA, to the effect that request be made to the Vancouver Labor Council to hear Mr. Wilson, was approved. Free Legal Aid In UK The British working man is now to get legal aid from his government, He always did get free legal help in criminal cases, but the new aid—which costs nothing to the man getting three pounds a week or less—means, for instance, that divorces will be free. The new law applies to the higher courts and courts of appeals, but doesn’t cover libel or slander Men earning up to 12 pounds suits, or breach of promise cases, a week will get partial assistance. SUPPORT Immediate start on measures to implement the recommen- dations regarding Interior organization contained in the report submitted to the quarterly meeting of the IWA B.C. District Council by International Board Member Tom MacKenzie has terior Local Unions can be placed on a self-sustaining basis as re- gards the administrative srespon- sibilities ensuing upon this year's gy) activities. ICFTU Spreads To Orient BRUSSELS, Belgium (CPA)— The new International Gonfedera- tion of Free Trade Unions will go ahead with its plan to open an information centre in Singapore and establish two residential trade union schools for the train- ing of Asiatic labor leaders, the ICFTU emergency committee an- nounced recently. ~ Two colleges will be set up as soon as possible and the Singa- pore Bureau will have branches _ elsewhere. In addition, the ICF- TU will call an Asiatic trade union conference at Karachi next May, the committee revealed, The emergency committee also decided in favor of immediate participation in the work of the United States Economic Com- mission for Asia to promote large-scale assistance for Asiatic peoples. In addition to the Karachi con- ference for Asiatic labor, the committee said there will be a European conference in Brussels in November and an inter-Ameri- can conference in Mexico City in January. The emergency committee also submitted a resolution to United Nations calling for international price controls to curb worldwide inflation. The ICFTU represents about 50 million workers in the world’s anti-Communist nations. NEW ADDRESS Dr. Douglas has only one office in Vancouver, now located at 9 E. Hastings St. over the United Cigar Store. : Dr. R. L. Douglas Dr. R. Llewellyn DOUGLAS Dentist . 9 EAST HASTINGS ST. Vancouver, B.C. Phone. — TAtlow 5552 REUTHER REVEALS VAST PROFITS . OF AUTO SALES Walter Reuther, president of the UAW-CIO, has revealed that profits of six major auto com- panies in the U.S, are averaging at least 40 percent on investment —AFTER TAXES. ‘These profits are, in spite of recent wage increases and other benefits granted to workers in the industry, Be-~ fore the recent increases in payroll costs, these companies were making an average of at east 46 percent profit on in- vestmént after taxes. Reuther, who bases his state- ment on a study made by the UA- |W Research Department, says that price boosts on autos at the present time would be “a crime against the American people” and could not be justified by recent boosts in wages, Sere RAT! JON PM, WOW. Tit CPM MONT BIG 3 TAILORS MEN’S CLOTHING AND FURNISHINGS @ STORAGE SERVICE e ~ Cleaning, Pressing and Expert Repairing Phone: 332 Carrail St. MArine 1737 VANCOUVER