B.C. LUMBER WORKER July 5, 1951 Soo ’ INTERNATIO NAL North-West Increase Goes To Wage Board WaAsE case for the IWA Northwest Regional Negotiating Committee has now been filed with the Wage Stabilization Board of the United States, providing evidence to support the re- cently-negotiated 12% cent an hour wage increase: Data prepared by the IWA Research De- partment substantiate the claim that the 124 cent increase falls within the 10% formula of the WSB. WHATEVER DECISION may be made under the 10 per- cent formula prescribed for wage increases, it is now evident that the IWA will get a better deal because an employee-paid health and welfare plan and three paid holidays were negotiated in 1950. - AFL LUMBER AND SAW- MILL workers took a 7% cent per hour increase to the Board, but after the IWA negotiations van back to thei employees for another eight cents, if they could get it approved. So far they have not secured any of the 7% cents, as they took wages in met instead of any social bene- its. THE NORTHWEST COMMIT- TEE of the IWA realized that it would take time to get approval from the Board, and therefore took the precaution to make the increase retroactive to April 1, 1951. INTERNATIONAL VICE- PRESIDENT Al Hartung on be- half of the Northwest Regional Negotiating Committee has recommended that all local unions involved in the country ~ wide negotiations take steps to open negotiations on wages under the provisions of the fall opening date. Lack of adequate price con- trols, and the rapidly rising costs of living are cited as the main reasons for the recommendation. FIRST UNANIMOUS DE- CISION on major policy of the United States Wage Stabilization Board approved a four-cent how “productivity” pay in- erease for one million CIO Auto Workers, Later, the board unanimously voted approval of a 15 percent for 29,000 Atlantic coast workers. The shipyard decision — which hiked wages of those covered by agreements to five percent above the standard freeze formula, ed these essential defense ers from unfair pay dis- crimination, It removed the threat of a rike, called and postponed several times, by CIO. shipbuild- ing workers. The board acted under “Wage Regulation 6” which wuthorizes it to make exceptions to the 10 percent limit for indus- tries suffering “base pay period abnormalities” Shipbuilding has been a depressed industry from the end of World War TI until | the recent re-arming. THE 18-MAN BOARD ap- proved the UAW increases al- though they will pierce the 10 percent ceiling on wages gener- ully in effect, It made its approval conditional, however, by requir- ing that employers give such raises without aceompanying price boosts. Sinee the average wage in the automobile industry is about $1.80 an hour, the four-cent in- evease is slightly more than wo percent, The board's decision thus makes the allowable general i erease in wages since Janu: 1950, total slightly more than 12 _ percent in those industries which mwet the conditions specified. IWA Speuker’s Manual: For- Ibe ae not an Hebi point PALIN Big business in Canada has been making money hand over fist in a record-breaking peace-time rearmament boom. These rising prices have meant, an increase in the net profits (after deduction of as much taxes and million in 1950 as compared to representative firms included survey of corporation profits. Detailed information on the profits of individual firms includ- ed in the survey yield some glar- ing examples of profiteering in a time of rearmament and inflation. While the price of meat reached new heights in 1950, Canada Packers net profits soar- ed from $2,800,000 in 1949 to $3,500,000 in 1950. Boosted by increases in Cana- dian phone bills, Bell Telephone profits rose from seven and a half million to $10,300,000. Tough With Labor Two corporations which have promised to be extra “tough” this year in negotiations with their workers, Steel of Canada and Ford, cleared considerably more in 1950 than in 1949, according to the Post's figures on business prosperity. Stelco pulled down $14 million last year, compared to a mere ten millions in 1949. Ford Motors went from 17% million net profit up to nearly 20 millions. Foremost among compani showing big new profits in 195 were several which have been benefitting and stand to benefit still further from the booming demand for materials and sup- plies needed for rearmament in Canada and other western coun- tries. For example, Canadian Gen- eral Electric profits (after taxes and depreciation) shot up from four and a half to seven million, dollars last year. International Nickel recently added to the world-wide problem of inflation by tacking an extra six cents on the price of each pound of nickel they produce. Their explanation: the increase is necessary to meet what they say will be a $15 million increase in annual production costs due to introduction of the 40-hour week and higher costs of mining and processing lower grade ore which must now be used. Fifty Million Almost But they gloss over the fact that Inco cleared over 30 million dollars in 1949. They nearly reached the 50 million mark in 1950. And they aren’t going to do any worse in 1951, They could have met every ‘cent of what they say will be the in- crease in their costs of production merely from the increases in their profits between 1949 and 1950, but they evidently felt the ultimate consumers of nickel products would be willing to pay an extra six cents on each of the 240 million pounds of nickel they will likely produce this year, and so were able to leave their profits undisturbed. : There are examples of this sort in every few lines of the Financial Post's impressive statistical table. Canadian Indus- tries Limited, which has a vir- tual monopoly in the .production of chemicals used in the most widely used farm fertilizers, boosted its net profits from nine to eleven million dollars between 1949 and 1950. depreciation as possible) of $761 $615 million in 1949 for the 362 in the Financial Post’s annual REAL PRICE CURBS URGED PORTLAND, Ore. — Charg- ing that the consumer has be- come the “scapegoat” in the- battle against inflation, the Executive Board of the Inter- national Woodworkers of America, CIO, today demanded that wage controls be “elimi- nated” unless effective price controls, rent controls and price roll-backs are provided in the renewal of the Defense Production Act by Congress. Meeting here at the Union’s headquarters for its regular quarterly session, the 18-man board warned that inflation has robbed the American public “to the extent that it is not fully] behind our mobilization effort”. Calling for immediate action by Congress in the re-enactment of the Defense Production Act, the board demanded amendments to the act that will: 1. Give protection to consumers through effective control of food prices, roll-back food prices where appropriate, de- mand grade labelling, and in- sist upon continued production of low priced goods. Strengthen the Defense Pro- duction Act so that the Price Stabilizer will have full en- forcement powers of price Controls. One of E. P. Taylor's inter- ests, B.C. Forest Products, jumped its take (after taxes) over 100%, from $1,200,000 in the year ending September 30, 1949, to a shade under three million in the year ending the same date in 1950. Pulp and paper companies, whose extra- yagant exploitation of our forests is causing so much con- cern to conseryationists and a good deal of belated govern- ment expenditure on reforesta- tion and forest surveys, did very well indeed in 1950; the Workers The Suckers net profits of the 26 pulp and paper companies included in the Post’s study soared from | $66 million in 1949 to $91 mil- lion last year. And so the story goes. In in- stance after instance profits rise to new heights, while the wage earner, the farmer, and even the small businssman whom the giant corporations hold up as an example of the way: of life they m to champion, are told they have to make sacrifices and re- duce their standard of living in the national interest, First-Aider Doubts Exam The Editor: fter having taken the exami- Gation for an Industrial First Aid Course, I am of the opinion that the questions which had to be answered do not properly qualify any one to become a, First Aid attendant. ‘The questions were as follows: 1. Discuss the signs and symp- toms of fracture of base of skull. Discuss your treat- ment. What is meant by the term “asphyxia”? Name a num- ber of the more common causes What is meant by the term “rigor mortis?” When does it set in? What are the signs and symptoms of a fractured rib in a 30-year workman? The above questions, if answer- ed correctly, gives people taking the course ‘an industrial ticket. The “examination given was far too general and no practical in- structions or demonstrations had to be given by those qualifying. No examination was given as to the knowledge attendants had on _ shock or hemorrhage. The latter are two things which are veg common in the logging industry relative to accidents. To properly qualify for First Aid the following Inowledge should be required: 1. To demonstrate ability to administer First Ai 2. All industrial First Aid lec- tures should be given by a qualified doctor. A> thorough investigation should be made to see that all attendants receive 40 hours of instruction. All examinations given to attendants should deal with all phases of First Aid to properly qualify attendants. Would appreciate opinions of others having taken these courses. Card No. 5125. 2. 3. you. » quality footwear. 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