B.C. LUMBER WORKER ? report of Vice-Presi- i Gray, Union nom- oS. on the Board, recommended. a 12¥, cent an hour wage increase, _ two rest periods, and the June 15 _ termination date for the contract. demands of the IWA were for a 17 cent an hour wage ij e, Union shop, a basic 40- wr work week, and June 15 termination date instead of Aug- ust 15, ‘Full text of the minority report appears elsewhere in this issue. Continued from Page 1 PRICES, HOUSING Jumbia, and explain working arrangements with the CIO. Acted on a report from In- i ternational Board Member Tom 4 MacKenzie on organization ex- pansion in the Interior, and ap- h proved of these activities and recent negotiations on behalf of the Interior lumber workers. Laid plans to deal effectively with numerous problems of category rates, shift arrange- ments, and raiding by rival unions. Approved District action to apply for “Right of Reference” on the question of rest days for maintenance workers, and the : payment of night shift differen- tial and overtime. Approved a conference of plywood workers for consulta- tive purposes and to establish ground for solution of problems common to all plants, Approved the report of the District Safety Council, and elected representatives to at- tend the organization meeting of the International Safety Council. Approved publicity for a guaranteed minimum rate for Shingle sawyers and packers in preparation for 1951 nego- ; tiations, Condemned the action of the Industrial Relations Board in granting exemptions from the Hours of Work Act to logging operators without consultation with the Union. Advanced plans for the B.C. District Convention to be held in Victoria, Jan. 26, 27, 28, 1951. Heard PAC-CCL Director Murray Cotterill advocate sup- port of the political action pro- gram of the Canadian Con- gress of Labor, and discussed the issues involved. Organization The International Director ‘of Organization, Adolph Germer, not only answered numerous questions at the conclusion of his remarks to the satisfaction of ‘the delegates, but attended a number of conferences dealing with details of plans for future expansion, and to extend IWA. activities in the weaker areas, A detailed report on conditions in the Interior during and fol- the contract settlement was submitted by Tom MacKen- zie, International Board Mem- ber, and sates. It Bee i tention, stated the reporting of- ficer, to make certain that the int of the Interior lumber cers would not be neglected. would be taken to strengthen nion’s administration in the y jday Act was not amended until Bill Gray’s Minority Report in Full Ground for strike action by Vancouver IWA furniture workers was established by Vice-President William Gray, Local 1-217 IWA, in the min- ority report submitted by him in his capacity as a member of the Conciliation Board, which heard the dispute with Ham- mond Furniture Co., Restmore Manufacturing Co. and Skyline Manufacturing Co. Text of this minority report is given below. Minority Report I sincerely regret the necessity of presenting a Minority Report on this dispute but the refusal of the Employer’s representative on the important matter of wages and signing date to arrive at what I consider a satisfactory compromise makes it necessary. On the question of wages, the Union asked for 17¢ per hour in- crease across the board. I am recommending 12%c per hour in- crease, to be added to the present wages now being-received by:‘each employee. I make this recom- mendation for the following reas- ons: : 1. The workers in these par- ticular plants received no wage increases since August, 1948. During which time the cost-of- living has increaséd tremend- ously and gives every indica- tion of further increase. 2. While the companies raised various arguments as to their inability to pay any wage increase, I am not convinced of the validity of their presenta- tion, as there were various points raised that I did not consider were answered satis- factorily. 3. Information was produced in front of the Board indicat- ing a rise in furniture prices from 10 percent to 20 percent in retail stores. In my opinion the companies concerned must benefit from at least a part of this increase. 4, Since these workers are members of the International Woodworkers of America and since the general wage pattern in the IWA including the sec- ondary industry of cooperage plants received 124%c per hour increase, I consider it reason- able that the same increase should be received by the furni- ture employees. Rest Periods In the present contract, Rest- more Manufacturing Co. have one ten (10) minute rest period in the morning. The Hammond Manufacturing Co. claimed that their employees were able to get away for a cigarette. The Union claimed that the employees were made to feel that they were sneaking off the job when they did this. In that section of the woodworking industry covered by the Coast Agreement between the Union and the Forest Products Industries, rest periods twice a day are an accepted practice. As a matter of fact, rest peri- ods are the rule rather than the exception throughout B.C. whether in heavy industry or the office. In industry where there are high-speed machines and moving equipment, it is an ack- nowledged fact. that these rest periods cut down the accident- frequency rate and aid in produc- tion. In the light of this, I am recommending that the employees in these two plants be given two ten (10) minute rest periods per eight hour shift. “122c; Two Rest Periods; June 15 Signing” Signing Date in I am unable to under- cuore employers’ attitude in refusing to move this date back in line with the majority of the IWA agreements. It is a well- Imown fact that some four or five years back this agreement was terminated at the same time as the agreements in the Forest In- dustries. Again these employees are members of the IWA and have a strong bond with the members in the rest of the indus- try. This one item cannot be con- sidered a “cost item” to the com- panies, inasmuch as the Union is not asking retroactive pay be- yond the date of Aug. 15, 1950, when the past agreement ex- pired. I therefore recommend that the termination date of the new agreement be June 15, 1951. This report is respectfully sub- mitted without prejudice to the Union’s original demands. Wm. N. Gray. EROM P. 1 by reason of which employees are entitled to one week’s vacation at the current rate of pay in force at the time of the vacation and reference is made to Section 8 of the said Act. Sec, I of Section 8 reads as follows: “Nothing in this Act shall affect any provision in any Act, agreement, or contract of service, or any custom that insures to an employee more favorable conditions in respect to Beliaeys than those provided by this ct.” The Union submits that the alleged “custom” insures to “an employee more favorable condi- tions”, ie., rates of vacation pay, than those provided by S. S. 5 of See, 4 of said Act. It must be understood that I am not asked to find whether or not such an alleged custom exists in the Industry. As the argu- ment was developed before me the real point I was called upon to determine was whether or not Article XII was wide enough in its phraseology to incorporate not only Section 4 but also Section 8 of the said Act. In my opinion.Section 8 of the Annual Holidays Act is, by reason of the unfettered language of Article XII, an incorporated term of the 1950 Master Con- tract. If it had been the inten- tion to incorporate Sec. 4 of the Act and none other Article XII would have contained express words of limitation designed to effectuate that intention. In the result I would answer ue questions submitted as fol- lows: If the Union can establish that a custom exists in the In- dustry that insures to the employees therein more favor- able rates of holiday pay than those provided by Sec. 4 (5) of the Annual Holidays Act then, in that event, the employees are entitled to the holiday pay established by that custom. ‘The Shingle Weavers Local No. 2802, United Brotherhood of Car- penters and Joiners of America joined the IWA in submitting this question to me and as an addition submitted in the alternative: “Inasmuch as the Annual Holi- as of March, 1950, it is felt that their holiday pay should have been as the Act provided up to March ee 1950, and then the Svea reer ee wages as from the amended date.” HOLIDAY PAY of every employee who becomes entitled to art annual holiday with pay or pay in lieu thereof after the date this Act comes into operation, whether or not the annual holiday or pay in lieu thereof was earned wholly or in part before or after the said date.” The Amendments came into operation on the 30th day of March, 1950, and were in force and effective on the date of the contract, ie, the 15th of June, 1950.” Shift Work A further question was sub- mitted to Chief Justice Sloan for interpretation of the section which follows: “The first shift, which may vary in individual operations, is the recognized day shift. Hours worked outside the recog- nized day shift will be regarded as the second and third shifts. Premium rate- of six (6) cents per hour will be paid for second and third shifts. A day shift Em- ployee working in excess of eight (8) hours will be paid rate and one-half without the differential. Persons employed other than on regular shifts will be paid the six (6) cents premium rate for all hours worked outside the recog- nized day shift.” The IWA officials contended that the 6 cent premium rate should be payable to employees whose hours are different than and overlap those on the regular day shift. In such cases, the union main- tained that the whole 8 hour period so worked should receive the premium rate, Chief Justice Sloan said: “It is my opinion that the phrase ‘hours worked outside the rec- ognized day shift? must be given the interpretation con- tended for by Industry. The Section in this regard is speak- ing of ‘hours’ and not ‘shifts’ as such. Employees, therefore, whose working hou rs fall partly within a premium rate shift are entitled only to the premium rate when working hours within the shifts. to which the premium rate ap- plies.” PLEASE WRITE DAVID CODD is requested to write William Ronnholm (IWA Card No. 1911) at his present address in the’ West Summerland HIGH HANDED ers, CCL, on Oct. 16. Spokesman for the Union launching the appeal, George Home, Secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labor, protested this high-handed action of the Board. He pointed to the fact that IWA District President Als- bury is also a Vice-President of the B,C. Federation of Labor. The sections of the ICA Act which permit the attendance of all interested parties were quoted without avail, although the de- LRB ACTION DEBARS ALSBURY, HOWARD IWA District President J. S. Alsbury, and President Frank Howard, Local 1-71, IWA, were among interested trade union - officials denied admittance by the Labor Relations Board during the hearing of the appeal on behalf of the Operating Engineers, Local 16, of the Amalgamated Building and Construction Work- cision appealed against is unique in labor history, and of vital con- sequence to all CCL unions. ‘The Board had acted to grant certification to an AFL union for employees at Gilley Bros. quarry, Pitt Lake, although the AFL had no organization in the quarry at the time, and 100% of the em- ployees had petitioned for the selection of the Amalgamated as their bargaining agency. Yo F.0.B. Vancouver Taxes extra whero applicable. THE FON EER TODAY'S SAW | — 658 Hornby Street 79 Victoria Crescent’ 191 Baker Street ~ 1 Please send me more information: ae) Sold and Serviced by: Ward Power Saw & Equipment Co. Kamloops, B.C, Distributors: Purves E. Ritchie & Son Ltd. 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