INTERIOR DEMANDS COAST SCALE,
- WARNS---NO CONTRACT, NO WORK

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Diserit Covsell No.

Vol. XIX, No. 88

SS

May 17, 1951 5c per copy

Vancouver, B.C.

STEEL DENIED VOTE AT

TRAIL AGAIN

“B.C. Labor Relations Board by it. latest decision in the
‘Trail case has defied the rulings of two jua,es and virtually put
itself above the laws of the land.”

This startling denunciation

Home, Secretary, B.C. Federation of Labor, after the decision,
astonishing to organized labor, confirming the Mine, Mill Union
as a bargaining agent for the 4,000 workers in the Consolidated

smelting plant at Trail.

The Board thus defies the sug-
gestion of Mr. Justice Clyne that
the L.R.B. should give the
workers a vote so that they could
decide democratically which union
they wanted to join.

Mr. Justice Coady, too, had
earlier supported the Steel-
workers in a test case over mem-
bership qualifications.

Harvey Murphy, regional direc-
tor of the Mine Mill, is an ad-
mitted Communist and leading
LPP member. He is appointed
by the international executive of
his union, which has been ex-
pelled from both the CIO and the
CCL for Communist activities.

Other members of the B.C.
executive are known Party-liners,
and at Mine Mill conventions the
Party line has been faithfully
followed for years.

NEW DRIVE

But the head-in-the- clouds
Board could find no proof that
the Mine Mill is Communist
dominated.

Steel officials announced that a
new organizational campaign will
be started at once, and stated,
“The workers are entitled to a
vote on this issue, and neither the

LRB, the government, nor the | :

Communist party will stop us
from providing this opportunity.”

George Home, in a broadcast,
scathingly attacked the Board
and the government.

Brother Home traced the his-
tory of the case, how Steel sign-
ed up 2,100 men in Local 4281

and applied for certification in} -

March, 1950.
‘This was refused, because that
Steel “had failed to prove a
majority of the employees were
members in good standing.” No
reasons were ever given by the
LRB.
GOVERNMENT ABOVE LAW

“It is a poor state of affairs
when a government puts itself
above the law.

“The fact that the Mine Mill
was and is Communist-dominated
was one of the reasons they want
to join Steel and be back in the
ranks of organized labor. :

“The Board has denied them
that right. .

“We have heard in the loudest
terms the ery of freedom of
choice and expression from high
places, and when a simple appli-
eation is made for a change in
the workers’ bargaining repre-
sentatives, we see a denial
granted and no reason given,

“Unions will become state-op-

WHAT’S
INSIDE

of the Board came from George

erated organizations if this de-
cision is allowed to stand. The
Board can say to a worker —
‘You will NOT have the choice of
union affiliation or membership.’”
POLITICAL DECISION

Jim Bury, secretary, Vancouver
Labor Council, pinned the impli- |
cations behind the ruling as|
“purely political.”

“Mr. Wismer,” said Bury,|

See STEEL Page 2

declared at Cranbrook, May
tract, no work”.

ACCURATE CENSUS
WILL HELP UNIONS

Members of CCL unions are
urged by Secretary Pat Conroy
to give accurate information
regarding their occupations
when visited by the census
takers after June 1. This in-
formation will later be of great
value to the trade unions when
it is finally compiled, he states.

All information is’ treated as
confidential, it is explained, and
will not be used for any other
purpose than that of presenting

| a true picture of Canadian life.

Reason given by Secretary
Conroy is as follows:
One of the most important cen-

sus questions is that on occupa-
tions. It would appear that in
previous censuses the replies to
|this question were far from
| satisfactory. “Often the question
| is answered by the housewife, the
mother or someone else in’ the
| household, and not by the worker
| himself. Those who give the in-
| formation may have only a vague
| idea as to the work of the bread-
| winner. Sometimes there may be
|a tendency to dress up the job.
Sometimes, too, the worker is not
familiar with the exact job-title
| or description of the work he per-
| forms.

INTERIOR IWA DELEGATES in attendance at Wages and Contract Conference, Cranbrook, May
6, demand wages and working conditions now established for Coast lumber workers.

Wages In Interior

District Pledges Support
In Fight For Equality

Unanimously resolved to demand and secure the same
wages and working conditions as now established at the
Coast, 40 delegates from the Interior IWA Local Unions

6, “on September 1, no con-

Negotiating committee was formed of
delegates from each Local Union, with representatives of
the IWA District Policy Committee.

Demands which will be pre-
sented to the bargaining repre-
sentatives of the lumber operators
in the Northern and Southern In-
terior Districts in conferences now
scheduled are:

Base rate of $1.2914.

Category increases as at
Coast.

Cost-of-living bonus.

Time and one-half for Satur-
day and Sunday work.

40-hour week.

Annual category revisions.

Union security.

Interior representatives were
assisted at the Wages and Con-
tract Conference by District
President J. Stewart Alsbury,
and District Secretary-Treasurer
George Mitchell, together with
International Secretary - Treas-
urer Carl Winn.

Evidence placed before the con-
ference revealed that prevailing
high ‘living costs throughout the
Interior at present wage rates
have caused grave hardships. At
many points prices on necessi-
ties are even higher than at
Coast centres.

District officers in addressing
the conference gave assurance
that the Interior lumber workers
would have the full support of
Coast IWA Local Unions in their
struggle.

It was expected, they stated,
that additional funds to be gain-
ed from the special assessment,
when approved, would further
organizational work throughout
the Interior in support of their
wage battle.

BOARD TO MEET

Announcement of the ap-
pointment of a chairman for
the Conciliation Board to hear
the dispute between Local 1-71,
IWA, and ‘the Columbia Cellu-
lose Co. Ltd. is expected
momentarily. Proceedings will
likely start early next week.

IWA nominee on the Board is
District Vice-President Joe Mor-
ris. Company nominee is J. A.

Macdonald.

WINN TOURS
1-424 AREA

International Secretary -
Treasurer Carl Winn will ad-
dress a series of meetings in
the Prince George area under
the auspices-of Local 1-424,
IWA, during the period May
18-23.

Schedule as now arranged pro-
vides for the following meetings:
Sinclair Mills, May 18; Legion
Hall, Quesnel, May 20, 2 p.m;
CCF Hall, Prince George, 8 p.m.;
Community Hall, Penny, May 2:
Upper Fraser, 6:15 p.m., May 22:
Community Hall, Giscome, 8:15

pm., May 22.

Between conferences conducted
by the Conciliation Officer at
Western Plywoods Ltd., Quesnel,
District. President Alsbury, ac-
companied by International Rep-
resentative Mike Sekora,
addressed a meeting of the em-
ployees at the plant. Progress
of negotiations were fully re-
ported upon.

Certification has now been
secured for Berg’s Satvmill at
Lindup. _

Operations that have been
closed down due to road condi-
tions are now re-opening. This
has involved a major task of
organization, which in all likeli-
hood will result in a marked
increase in me ‘ip.

Illustrated is the Cruiser’s
Stag of pure virgin wool
in mackinaw or kersey.
Mackinaw plaids are
either red and black;
green and black, or blue
and black.

LOOK
FOR THE

REGISTERED

FOR WORK CLOTHING

OF

UNSTINTED MATERIALS

Notice the four large pockets in front, and the large
pack pocket in back, which opens at both sides... a
feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments.

These are two of the many designs of “Pioneer

Brand” clothing obtainable from

or favorite dealer:

your commissary,

Made in Vancouver, B, C., by Jones Tent & Awning
Ltd., they are designed through careful study of the
needs and desires of B.C. workmen.

DESIGN and
WORKMANSHIP