Page 4

September 20, 1951

Battle Honors
Of The Past

ORGANIZING the workers in the lumber industry on the Pacific

Coast, both in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest
States was, at the outset, attended by bitter struggles with the well-
entrénched lumber barons. Strike succeeded strike in which some
lives were lost, and many heads were broken,

Credit for breaking the ice goes to the early IWW organizers
who gained a sufficient foothold in the industry ih accomplish aa
cal reforms in logging camp conditions.

When the IWW was smashed by outright ersecution, the lum-
ber workers in the Western States hada combined comnany wna
and semi-military organization, the “4F”, forced on them by the
U.S. military authorities during World War 1. During this period,
the attempts to organize the B.C. woodworkers were sporadic, and
short-lived. Communist organizers were in the field to develop an
oragnization for their purposes, and out-distanced the perfunctory
efforts of the AFL to establish an arm of the Carpenters & Joiners.
‘The basis was laid for the present IWA, during the years 1935-
87, when eventually the Pacific Coast area was divided into districts,
from which delegates met in conferences south of the border. Simul.
taneously, American woodworkers challenged the rule of the Car-
penters and Joiners, which accorded them only a junior status at
international conventions. The IWA founders formed an alliance
with the CIO, The early and vital assistance rendered by the CIO
to the IWA in its formative stage, is today recognized by the IWA
in the agreement with the CIO which places the veteran CIO leader,
Adolph Germer, at the head of the IWA International Organization

Formed In 1937

un 1937, the IWA came into being as an International Union,
with its present insignia, and British Columbia was named District
No. 1. It is still the strongest District, numerically, within the Inter-
national Union. From the beginning, until 1948, the membership
became involved in a struggle resulting from the endeavors of
Harold Pritchett and the Communist clique to establish control, for
their political purposes. A mounting opposition was offered by those
members and officials who clung to the principles of a free trade
union democracy.

When ousted from control of the International Executive Board,

the Communist strategists concentrated on British Columbia, with
the obvious intention of carving out a political empire of their own.
They sought to dominate labor politics in British Columbia through
the IWA, Their dictatorial policies met with increasing resistance,

- among the membership, alerted by the present leadership. This
stemmed mainly at the outset from the New Westminster Local
Union, where the Communists were first routed.

.,, The anti-Communist leaders had patiently collected evidence
with which they were steadily exposing the undemocratic, and often
illegal procedures, of the LPP-Communist officers dominating the
union. When the would-be directors saw the handwriting on the
wall, they engineered one of the most brazen coups known in labor
history. At a “packed” District Council meeting in October, 1948,
without reference to the membership, they planned a surprise seces-
sion from the International Union, and declared themselves a
national union, styled the Woodworkers Industrial Union of Canada.

In open and unlawful defiance of all recognized constitutional
procedures, they seized all assets, records, funds and properties of
the union, and transferred them to the possession of the “splinter”
group. They then boldly announced their decision to the member-

“ship, evidently expecting they could swing the majority behind

their “fait accompli”. Behind the maneuver, was the purpose of
strengthening the political and financial fortunes of the Labor Pro-
gressive Party, which had secretly ordered and openly approved the
“October revolution”.

Betrayers Repudiated

Never was the democratic strength and vitality of a trade union
more clearly demonstrated, than in the succeeding months, when
the majority of the membership repudiated this monstrous betrayal
of their interests. Though faced with the loss of all funds, records,
and the facilities which the members had acquired through the years,
a hastily improvized organization was commenced immediately. The
International officers took command of the situation until order
could be restored, and self-government again instituted. Valiant
assistance was rendered by the officers of the Canadian Congress
of Labor, and the large unions affiliated with the CIO.

New officers were elected at a District Convention in the fol-
lowing January, and by June negotiations were again successfully
conducted on an industry-wide basis despite the sniping tactics of
the WIUG. In twelve months the IWA was an even greater force in
the trade union moyement.

Action in the courts forced the WIUC to disgorge the major
portion of the funds illegally appropriated, and a disillusioned
‘WIUC membership soon abandoned the false trade union doctrines
preached by their one-time leaders.

This extraordinary convulsion which rocked the IWA, furnishes
an important clue to the present strength of the IWA. When the
Communists purged themselves out of the Union, a new democratic
spirit swept through its ranks. Confidence in the administration of
the Union’s affairs was restored, and membership strength grew by
leaps and bounds, a

‘The present strength approximates 30,000, and is rapidly grow-
ing, through the medium of twelve thriving Local Unions, strategic-
ally placed throughout the principal lumbering areas in the province.

ee. LUMBER WORKER a2

CCL DELEGATES!

In the organization and ad-
ministration of the IWA the
principles of industrial unionism
nave been rigorously adhered to,
both in form and spirit, The Un-
ion embraces within its ranks on
a footing of equality, the work-
ers from logging camps, saw-
mills, shingle mills, plywood
plants, and furniture factories.
Despite a wide diversity of pro-
duction methods and skills, the
Union has succeeded in welding
these ‘workers together in one
cohesive organization capable of
exercising the maximum bargain-
ing strength on an industry-wide
basis.

Forest products production is
the major basic industry in Brit-
ish Columbia. The working force
throughout the entire province is
estimated as 40,000. Of this num-
ber approximately 30,000 are
members of the IWA. In the
Coast area the membership po-
tential at many points has been
almost fully realized. The IWA
has vigorously undertaken the
task of organizing the unorganiz-
ed in newer developments in the
northern and southern sections of
the Interior of the province.

Trade Unien Democracy

Policies of common interest to
Canadian and American wood-
workers are decided at interna-
tional conventions and the regu-
lar meetings of the International
Executive Board at Portland, to
which the B.C, District sends an
International Board Member.

In matters, purely of concern
to British Columbia, the govern-
ing body for the Union in the
province is the Annual District
Convention, Between conventions,
authority is vested in the quar-
terly meetings of the B.C. Dist-
rict Council, upon which dele-
gates from the Local Unions are
seated in ratio to membership
strength. The day-to-day prob-
lems of administration are direct-
ly: under the control of a more
compact body, the District Execu-
tive Board, comprised of the
elected District Officers and a
representative from each Local
Union.

Contract Negotiations

The pattern of wages and
working conditions is mainly de-
termined by the Coast master
agreement, negotiated through

policies laid down at District
Conventions. The employers in
almost 400 operations bargain
for the most part through one
agency also, Forest Industrial
Relations Ltd.

Employers, not associated with
the central bargaining agency,
commonly known as “independ-

aay Alwa'

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the District organization, under | =

The International Woodworkers of America, CIO-CCL,
as organized in British Columbia, constitutes the largest
single District (No. 1) within the International Union
with headquarters located in Portland, Oregon. The Dist-
rict organization which maintains affiliations with the [o} (0)
and the CCL is at the same time the largest single trade
union organization in the province. In this way it occu-
pies a strategic position in both the national and interna-
tional trade union movement. The extent and manner of
its development is therefore of more than ordinary signifi-
cance to labor’s interests in Western Canada.

ents”, usually sign agreements in
conformity with the master
agreement when signed.

Interior Negotiations

The lumber operators have
formed two separate bargaining
agencies for the Interior of the
province, under the wing of the
Canadian Manufacturers’ Asso-
ciation. The IWA is therefore
compelled to negotiate two sep-
erate Interior master agreements,
one for the northern Interior and
one for the southern Interior.
Both these agreements cover a
large number of small and widely
scattered operations.

The Union’s bargaining has
brought the present Coast basic
wage rate plus cost-of-living b
nus to $1.40% an hour. An intri-
cate system of job classifications
has been worked out for all the
skilled categories in both logging
camps and mills, with establish-
ed and uniform wage rates. In
the higher categories, many
workers receive a wage rate well
over $2.00 an hour. As the indus-
try employs many tradesmen,
provision is made in the category
rate which allows them the pre-
vailing rate of their trades or
better.

Piece Work Rates

Although the Union is opposed
in principle to piece work rates,
the custom of the industry makes
special allowance for fallers and
buckers in woods operations.
Contract prices for falling and
bucking are negotiated on the
job, with special consideration
for’ the upkeep of power saws
owned by the men themselves.
Shingle sawyers and packers
also work on a contract basis,

WHEW WAS THE
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VANCOUVER, B.C,

na

with special protective features
in the contract regarding their
earnings.

Hours of Work

By dint of determined struggle,
the IWA has established the 40-
hour week in the Coast industry,
Premium rates are invariably
paid for Saturday and Sunday
production work, Maintenance,
and construction, workers are es-
pecially provided for, that they
may have two consecutive days of
rest in the week, and premium
pay if required to work on their
specified days of rest. Shift work.
ers, other than the regular day
shift,-receive a shift differential,

Union Security

Union security is maintained
through a maintenance of mem-
bership clause in the master
agreement. To this is added an
undertaking by the employers to
encourage new employees to join
the Union.

Where Local Unions have suc-
ceeded in impressing employers
with the desirability of cooperat-
ing with the IWA, union shop
conditions are in existence in all
but name. :

The IWA maintains a full-time
staff of approximately 45 persons
in British Columbia, including in-
ternational representatives, Dist-
rict and Local Union staffs, By
arrangement with the Interna-
tional office, organizers are main-
tained in those areas where the
union is breaking new ground,
and where the Local Unions have
not reached their maximum
strength. For the most part, the
Local Unions in the Coast area
are now fully self-sustaining.

At the present time, the IVA
is engaged in a bitter struggle
with the Interior employers to
wipe out the differential between
Interior wages and working con-
ditions and those established at
the Coast. All the signs point to
another one of the strikes, which
have marked the progress of the
IWA, and haye made it a formid-
able antagonist of anti-labor em-
ployers.

The slogan “from stump to fi-
nished product” has real mean-
ing in the organization of the
lumber workers under the banner
of the IWA. Democratic admini-
stration and militant policies
have forged a solidarity that is
remarkable in an industry where
workers are scattered throughout
the diverse operations of a gigan-
tic and sprawling industry.

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