‘July 5, 1951 B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page 9 — Local 1-71 in a protest agai inst the procedures followed by Board of Industrial Relations in granting overtime permits to Jogging operators. The reason behind this protest is recognition of the threat to contract provisions which have established the eight-hour day and 40-hour week in the lumber industry. The hours of work provisions ow in our master agreement vere placed there at the insistent demand of the _rank and file membership. The demand was sup- ported by sound reasoning. The shorter work week has since proven its value in its application. Better health was one of the main considerations. More than five days toil in the week, at the type of work demanded of lumber - workers, health and shorten expectancy of life. Loggers are not machines, We ro | 5 (a ey tends to undermine| and to liye the life of normal human beings require time for rest, recreation and physical re- cuperation, Their work is hazardous. With two days of rest, they work more safely. They are subject to ex- posure in all kinds of weather. | Rest days provide compensation _|in some degree as a measure of protection to their health. The conditions of logging are rapidly changing. More and more men are being given the opportu- nity to enjoy normal family life. It would be folly to throw | away the opportunities for nor- mal living established under the contract for some temporary overtime. Men who work in iso- | ‘ByJ.Stomat Albury 40-HOUR WEEK MUST BE PROTECTED "THE IWA District Executive Board has properly supported lated camps should give thought to the circumstances of workers who are able to travel to and from their homes to work, and who consider the 40-hour week a great boon. If a proven emergency exists, our, Union is prepared to enter into suitable arrangements with the employer to prevent serious interuption of production. The present demand for overtime, however, is due mainly to the un- usual demand for logs. Again it would be folly for log- gers to risk their health, and undermine wise contract provi- sions, with the net result that their employment at a later date will be curtailed. The IWA regards the 40-hour week as a necessary safeguard for health, normal leisure, and the stabilization of employment. IWA members are urged to main- tain it for their own protection. Dice Loaded he Editor: The month of April brought stiff jolts to wage earners and their families. The Bureau of Statistics announced the biggest inerease in the cost of living in 40 years of record keeping (wait until the maximum defense costs hits us). The Federal Minister of Finance brought down a- budget which put on the double squeeze —less take-home pay and higher prices. Income tax, sales tax, excise tax, they all went up. Al- most 60 percent of the federal income is derived from these taxes, The Prime Minister spoke against further social security measures. The Minister of Re- sources and Development admit- ted that lending institutions had ceased lending for house building, but he proposed no action to deal with the situation. The Judges of Canada secured their wage increases in line with the cost of living. They were happy. The COF, with the rest of the opposition giving them lukewarm support, struggled vainly for price controls and subsidies to hold down the cost of living. They struggled vainly to have the budget changed so that profiteering would be stopped and the lower income groups relieved, of the increased taxes, but the large government majority would not move—except, of course, for the judges, Political Action _ Then we wonder why trade unions are advocating political action. Trade unions came into being because of political action, Not so long ago trade unions were outlawed. Then working people elected to parliament men and women who would really repre- sent them, As a result legisla- tion was passed making trade unions legal and protecting them against powerful employers. In an attempt to improve con- ditions of woodworkers, packing- house workers, steelworkers, rs, ete, the CCF (the adopted political arm of labor) continuously upon consultation with these groups introduced bills to help us, Every time such legislation Was voted on in the House of Commons, every member of par- it except the CCF voted against it. Records prove this. The Greater Task That is political action which us and it is political action we must work for. The _ task of trade unions is something More than getting inereases in and shorter working hours in industry. If trade are to foe after their mbers properly they must pa; ition to the conditions niider their members live. it is not right that workers hould have to live in poor ee It is not right that their should be denied the extended to other chil- if such conditions are | we need the sort! jof political action which made trade unions legal. We have to | give support to those who are fighting for our interests. That is Political Action. No Profit Control The government believes that there should be no controls over profits. The result is that Cana- dian corporations are making more money than they have ever made before. ‘The same govern- ment believes there should be con- trols on the income of workers. ‘The only commodity we have to sell is our labor. Employers can increase the price of their products overnight. Working people have to’ nego- tiate, arbitrate, conciliate, even go on strike, before they can get an increase in wages. The dice are loaded against labor. Controls are completely over labor but nothing else, That is Liberal Political Action. Against Labor, Says Naylor The Labor Congresses want price controls brought back again. That is our policy and that means political action. By means of political action we can elect a government which will be the political arm of labor and farmers alike. The kind of political action which we want will give labor a chance to live in decency and with ignity. Intelligent political ac- tion on our part will mean job security as well as security in old age. It’s our country. If we want to make it better we can do so by political action. We have to get into office men and women who will support the things we want in life and who will be respon- sible to us. That is what politi- eal action on the workers’ part really means, Sandy Naylor, Chairman, PAC Committee, Local 1-357, IWA. burglar must be restricted. ~ Controls Give’ Real Freedom To give freedom to the householder, the liberty of the To give freedom to the housewife the profiteer must be controlled. necessary to prevent landlords from demanding excessive rents. That’ is how labor-looks on controls. freedom to most people, then it is right, even if it denies a few people the right to exploit the rest. _, Zhe pedestrian crossing is a restraint upon the motorist, but it is a permission to pedestrians to cross busy roads in safety. To protect the tenant it is If a measure gives By TOM MacKENZIE Recent Plywood Conference was a success. with the representative delegation, which was on determined to hammer out a sound I was pleased its toes and program which would actually solve the problems of the people employed in the ply- wood industry. In line with the conference de- cisions and instructions from the District Board, met with Forest Industrial Relations representa- tives who promised immediate consideration of all points cover- ed in our presentation. The long months of preparatory statistical work which was a necessary pre- liminary are at last producing some tangible results. Should have word in a few days of fur- ther meetings on this question. New Constitution Spent nearly a week in Port- land on the new draft constitu- tion which will be considered by the International Executive Board and subsequently referred to the membership for their con- sideration prior to the Inter- national Convention. Rewriting constitutions has not been my specialty in the past and won’t be in the future ... frankly my training as a “sea lawyer” is not of the best and the “whereas and wherefores” and why’s of our International Constitution I find rather confusing. Don't give up hope, boys, there’ll be copious quantities of draft constitutions available in a short while into which you may sink your teeth. Williams Lake Arrived _in Kamloops to pick up Jack Bethune, our new or- ganizer in Local 417. Found Jack but didn’t do so good on hotel rooms—didn’t have to sleep in the street though—Jack and I met with Local Union officials and discussed plans for our _or- ganizational drive in the Wi liams Lake-100 Mile House area: Drove to Williams Lake and didn’t do so good again on hotel rooms — slept in Lillooet that night after having arrived in Williams Lake—Lillooet happens to be the name of a venerable sleeping car with rocky lower berths which the P.G.E. must have abandoned some years past on a siding in Williams Lake. Had a look around town and enquired as to why the planing mills and saw mills were not operating and was informed that all loggers, millworkers, cowboys and Indians had gone to the stam- pede — in fact everybody goes to the annual stampede at Williams Lake —they close the.stores at ee (0 in the afternoon and woe betide any weary traveller who attempts to purchase the where- withal to quench his thirst at any other spot than the stampede grounds. We decided we had better go to the stampede. Friday, Satur- day and Sunday we spent nimbly evading wild horses, calves and cowboys astride horses~which seemed to be receiving very little guidance as to direction. Could have been the hot sun that in- fused. the stampede crowd with the holiday “spirit”! Up before breakfast Monday morning, a couple discreet shakes of the head and away to organize the Lignum Limited. Monday,, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were busy days and Jack and I managed to whistle in six applications for certification to Willy Lynch at Kamloops. Indications are that Williams Lake and 100 Mile House should be good for five certifications a week for the next month, There was- a day when you really had to beat your breast to organize woodworkers into the IWA but not so in Williams Lake area, Only when you get into an unorganized area such as this do you realize the tremendous prestige that the IWA has built up during the past few years ‘among woodworkers everywhere. Portland Again Away to Portland again last week-end, Constitutions Commit- tee, Balloting Rules, Committee and International Executive Board starting on Tuesday with a full bill of fare. Living in the lap of luxury isn’t bad except that you never know when luxury is going to stand up.—Ken Murray. THE LECKIE LOGGER UNION MADE IN B.C. WEAR A HAND-TAILORED SUIT Braemar Made in Our Own Shop WORKMANSHIP, STYLE AND FIT GUARANTEED | price SERQ-5O up 326 WEST CORDOVA We Carry High Grade Woollens for Men and Ladies Braemar Custom Tailors VANCOUVER, B.C.