B.C. LUMBER WORKER
August 16, 1954
Congress.
The Council, meeting forja 12%-cent an hour pay boost {50,000 members of the Union
its sixth annual convention at|and three paid holidays early|here in the Pacific Northwest.
the IWA-CIO Hall, nominated
Burke Christie “of Olympia for
re-election as President without
opposition.
“Controls over wages are
working so well,” Fadling said,
“that even though we negotiated
| this spring we are still not get-
| ting them on our pay checks.”
The President predicted that a
decision would soon be forth-
coming from the Wage Stabiliza-
|tion Board on the wage increase
‘and holidays negotiated for some
Inflation Controls Hit Labor
Openly ctitical of the failure of Congress. and the present administration to enact effective
inflation controls, International President J. E. Fadling of the IWA-CIO, Portland, Oregon, de-
clared there are only two controls working at present in this country.
Speaking before the convention of his Union’s Plywood, Box Shook and Door Council at Ho-
quiam, Wash., Fadling said one control is that maintained over wages while the other control is that
maintained by the National Association of Manufacturers over national legislation being passed by
| well within” the 10 percent for-
He did not venture an opinion
as to what the decision would be
but said that both the 12% cents
and most of the amount neces-
sary for the paid holidays “is
mula.
REAL WAGES
DROP AGAIN
PROFITS UP
Real earnings of Canada’s
industrial workers are steadily
dropping, the Canadian Congress of Labor research department
shows in a study just issued in Ottawa. Continued price increases
are blamed in the survey which also points out that while workers’
earnings are being reduced, profits continue to rise. A further
deterioration in living standards
“There is no question that
workers are worse off now than
they were eight months ago,”
said the report. “While it is
true that money earnings have
risen fairly substantially since
last August, prices haye gone
up faster ‘still. It therefore ap-
pears that workers have been
compelled to accept a lower
standard of living at a time
when industrial activity and
expansion in Canada is almost
unparalleled.
“In August, 1950, three out of
10 workers were getting less in
yeal weekly earnings than short-
ly after the war ended (April,
1946). Now, because prices have
been permitted to go®still higher,
four out of 10 wage earners re-
ceive less each week. This despite
the fact that in manufacturing
average earnings rose from
$44.29 to $47.56 per week in the
period August, 1950, to April,
1951.” ‘
The percentage of over 1,-
000,000 Canadian workers whose
real weekly earnings had been
reduced jumped from 31% to
42% in the eight-month period,
the CCL found.
Some Earn Less
“Almost half are earning either
less, or only up to a dollar more
each week, in terms of real pur-
chasing power, than in April,
1946. Another 17.89 are earning
only from one to two dollars
more each week, Of the one-third
who are getting from two to five
is predicted.
dollars more, about 12% are still
below the average wage in manu-
facturing...” s
“The five highest paid indus-
tries in manufacturing are pulp
and paper mills ($60.80 per
week), automobiles and parts
($59.62), petroleum and coal pro-
ducts ($58.18), primary iron and
steel ($56.73), and aircraft and
parts ($58.62)
“Tt is highly significant that
two industries in this group ac-
tually suffered a drop in real
earnings in terms of purchasing
power at April, 1946, Employees
in automobiles and parts with a
money increase of $19.53 per
week suffered a decrease of al-
most 50¢ a week in real earnings.
In aircraft and parts it was even
worse. Wage earners with a
money increase of $13.22 a week
were actually getting $4.77 less
in terms of real purchasing
power.”
During the period that work-
ers’ real earnings were being
slashed profits continued to
rise. Preliminary figures for
profits before taxes, earned by
industry as a whole during
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1950, were $2,270,000,000.
“This is 5642% higher than
in 1946,” the labor organiza-
tion’s report said. “Profits after
taxes were $1,402,000,000. This
represents an increase of over
76% above 1946. There is every
reason to expect that profits in
1951 will be even higher.”
The report continued:
"The figures on wage-earners’ real
earnings clearly reflect the hardship
that is being suffered by thousands
of Canadian workers. The govern-
ment's failure to impose price con-
trols has led to the situation where
Canada is being cited as an example
of ‘what not to do’ in a period. of
inflation. The real living standards
of workers will unquestionably con-
tinue to fall. Months ago Canadian
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ed the government that unless effec
tive action was taken -to curb and
roll back prices precisely this state
of affairs would arise.”
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“Curb Labor Board”
Urges Federation
Submission of the B.C. Federation of Labor to the Commis-
sion of Enquiry into the ICA Act, comprised of members of the
Legislature,
tions Board be curbed.
vill de d that arbitrary acts of the Labor Rela-
ieomal Hearing will be held on August 21, and
IWA officials will be associated with the presentation of evidence
and argument.
After a recital of the numerous
instances where the rights of
CCL unions have been infringed
upon, the Federation will demand
that the Labor Relations Board
be instructed:
To cease attempting to interpret
constitutions of trade unions.
To cease ruling on the juris-
diction of trade unions.
To issue certification when em-
ployees have proved their choice
of a bargaining agency.
That whenever. requested by
contesting parties, they issue rea-
sons for judgment,
That where two or more trade
unions are vying for certification,
if a clear majority is not shown by
any union, without counting em-
ployees having dual membership,
then the Board must order a vote
‘and certify on the basis of the re-
sult of such vote.
That hearings before the Board
be open to persons invited by
either of the contesting parties.
That the Canadian Congress of
Labor be granted the opportunity
of having a member on the Board
who will have the confidence of
the membership.
That the trade unions be grant-
ed the right to take their own
strike ‘votes, iu
Thirty proposed amendments
to the ICA Act will also be pro-
posed and various improvements
jn conciliation procedure out-
lined.
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