Page 12

S B.C. LUMBER WORKER

May 3, 1951

Geo, Mitchell Reports

The UNION’S BUSINESS

NEGOTIATIONS on behalf of the Interior lumber workers
will be the main business of the IWA District organization

for the next few weeks.

Offers made by the operators’ repre-

sentatives will be examined by delegates from the Local Unions.
concerned at the Wages and Contract Conference in Cranbrook,

May 6th.

To ensure the success of this
conference and assist in adminis-
trative problems, the District
- mm, President and I
are now spending
_ time in the field

with the officers of | 8

the Kamloops,
Kelowna _ and
Cranbrook Local
Unions.

Two factors in
the Interior situa-
4 tion demand con-
rs ‘sideration by the
Coast Local Unions, who have
already gained improved contract
terms for the coming year,
~The lumber operators in the
Interior are employing with de-
termination every conceivable de-
vice to keep the Interior wage
rates and conditions below the
Coast level. As they sell in the
same markets as the Coast
operators they are scheming to
improve their profit position at
the expense of the Interior
workers, and ultimately at the
expense of the Coast workers.
Paradox

An unexplained paradox in the
situation is that they are at
present paying rates above the
contract schedule, and in some in-
stances above the Coast scale.
These rates they refuse to write
into the contract.

Only one conclusion can _be
drawn from this attitude. The
operators are at present pressed
for skilled workers, but they plan
to exploit at a later date any sur-
plus in the Interior labor market.

The other factor is the state
of organization in the Interior.
Due largely to the neglect of the
Union’s officers prior to 1948, the
Local Unions have had little
chance to place themselves. on a

self-sustaining basis. Even
though the District and the In-
ternational have expended large
sums on Interior organization,
and have made substantial pro-
‘ress, the Interior Local Unions
still lack the resources to service
a widely scattered membership
adequately.
Aid Required

One - important purpose to
which funds derived from this
year’s assessment of $2.00 will be
devoted is the betterment of or-
ganization in the Interior. The
Coast Local Unions will thus
fortify their own position by
strengthening the weaker section
of the Union.

Executive Board of Local
1-357, IWA, acted recently to.
establish an Education Com-
mittee on which representa-
tives from all other standing
committees, ie, PAC, Shop
Stewards, Social, Grievance
and Safety, etc., will sit. The
purpose is more effective co-
ordination for action should
any emergency situation arise.
April 29 meeting of the PAC
section decided to endorse and
act upon the report of the steer-
ing committee of the joint labor
bodies, and a recommendation to
this effect was forwarded to the
Executive Board,
Grievances

Unusual grievances in various
plants have engaged the atten-
tion of the Local Union officers
recently. ‘

In one plant an employee was
moved from the night shift
to fill a vacancy on the day

shift, completely ignoring the
seniority provisions of the agree-
ment. The transfer, in the opin-
jon of the crew, was to
accommodate the softball team,
and protest was made accord-
ingly. ee

In another plant it became
necessary to admonish an [WA
member_because of his conduct
toward an East Indian hrother
when acting temporarily as a
foreman. It was hoped that the
scathing remarks regarding his
conduct at the Sub-Local.meeting
would have a salutary effect, and
that the warning would be heeded
by all other members when placed
in authority. :

How IWA members make it
difficult for the Local Union
officers to deal with their griev-
ances satisfactorily was illus-
trated by a recent occurrence. An
IWA member on afternoon shift

IMPRESSIONS

: By Tom MacKenzie

ATTENDED the Job Stew-
ards’ meeting in the Boilermakers
Hall called to protest the BCHIS
“steal”, Arrived early ana
managed to get a seat, others
were not so fortunate. Was told
the seats out on Pender Street
were a little hard and cold but
the issue was hot. "Twas a
pleasure to see representatives of
the TLC, CCL and Railway
Brotherhoods on the same plat-
form expressing their determina-
tion to fight this thing through
to a finish.

Gathered 678 names on my
Petition Sheets at the corner of
Broadway and Main and now
have much more respect for the
physical requirements necessary
to be a police constable or a
B.C. Electric supersvisor .. .
oh, my aching dogs. ...

Four Bot uy

Harwood

S Rye

Cieadad. Fomed-

_ This advertisement Is not publishea or Sire
Board or by the Government

the Liquor Control

British Columbia.

Jusune Success in Life!

LEARN TECHNICAL METAPHYSICS
Valuable Information!
CANADA SCHOOL OF TECHNICAL METAPHYSICS
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WORKER is May 17,
new copy May 12,

Publication date of the next Issue of the B.C. LUMBER
Deadline for ad copy is May 10, and for

BCLucsenWorver

Representing the Orgenized Loggers exd Mill Werkers of B.C.
PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY BY

INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO-CCL)
B.C. DISTRICT COUNCIL No. 1.

=

DISTRICT OFFICERS:

President .....
$08 Tyee President =
Vice-President

Sere!
Internat!

ional Board Member

J. Stewart Alsbury
‘Tom Bradley
ac O@ Morris
obert Watters
George H. Mitchell
‘Tom G. MacKenzie

Address all communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer
45 Kingsway - Phone FAirmont 9807-8
‘Vancouver, B.C.

Subscription Rates...........§1.50 per annum
Advertising “Eaton A Bresers. ‘i
Authorized as Second Class Mall, Post Office Dept., Ottawa

S00 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE

TRAVELLED to Portland on
the 15th to start re-hashing our
International Constitution in line
with the District Convention
Resolution and subsequent Inter-
national Board action which set
up a special committee of three,
including myself to prepare a
new draft constitution and circu-
larize same to all locals prior to
the International Convention in
Denver.

PARTICIPATED in meetings
re Western Plywoods (Quesnel)
agreement and discovered the
operators are men of high prin-
ciple, when they stated that as a
matter of principle the depressed
wage pattern in the Interior
woodworking industry must be
maintained at all costs. I under-
stand that Columbia Cellulose
officials are also adhering strictly
to the above-mentioned principle.

Having been wondering as to
whether there has been a moral
awakening among the employers
in the woodworking industry or
could it be that these same em-
ployers are concerned about the
possibility of chiselling a few
pennies off the pay cheques of
Northern Interior woodworkers.
Perish the thought .. .

Sun writers
You'll Enjoy!

VANCOUVER

SUN

Phone MArine 1161 for

applied for and secured part time
employment in a local tavern.
Unfortunately for his status as a
lumber worker, the foreman
dropped in and discovered him
and warned him to report at the
plant. He didn’t do so imme-
diately, and when he finally re-

“Action Group” Set Up By
New Westminster Local

ported he got his time. ¥

When he appealed to the griev-
ance committee, compassionate
consideration was requested of
the management with the result
that he was re-instated with o1
week’s suspension. To the SJ
barrassment of the committee
failed to report as arranged. The
warning has been issued that
members are expected to observe
the contract provisions conscien-
tiously if they expect aid from
the Union.

President Andy Smith acted at
another plant- to sectire the re-
instatement of an employee
whose dismissal was in question.

Safety Week

:Safety Committees in all New
Westminster plants have their
plans in readiness to promote a
100 percent successful Safety
Week, May 14-18.

Members of the Women’s Auxi-
liary attended the last meeting of
the Local Union Executive Board,
and were assured that one cent
of the per capita would be eagit.
marked for their activities, whit
include hospital visiting, an
general assistance in the Union’s
educational and social program.

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