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Vol. XIX, No. 98 Oct. 18 1951

SS

5e per copy

Vancouver, B.C.

Editorial
®

Balanced Representation

WA members in British Columbia have a vital interest
in the election of their International Officers for two
main reasons.

They desire the election of men who have proven their
loyalty to the democratic principles of trade unionism as
upheld by the IWA.

They desire that the top leadership of their Union shall
be of sufficiently representative character as to foster and
maintain international unity of action in the trade union
cause.

For these reasons, the B.C. delegates at the recent
International Convention advanced the names of two
trusted B. C. members'for international offices—Tom Mac-
Kenzie as International 2nd Vice-president and Rae Eddie
as International Trustee.

@ Support of these candidates does not imply lack of
confidence in the other contestants. It means that the IWA
membership in the B.C. District expects due recognition
of its place in the International union.

B. GC. delegates in attendance at the Denver Convention
haye been reluctant to believe that the omission of a B.C.
member from the delegation to attend the forthcoming
CIO Convention in New York was designed to isolate Brit-
ish Columbia from any share in policy-making at the
international level.

The B.C. members have never been isolationist in
sentiment, and have proved their loyalty to their interna-
tional affiliations.

IWA members in District 1 fought the Communists to
a standstill on the issue of secession,-though this meant
the temporary sacrifice of all their resources.

Since that-time, the B.C. members have built the
strongest single district in the International Union, with
a membership now approximating 30,000.

Almost one-third of the International’s revenue is
derived from British Columbia where, in the lumber if-
dustry, the IWA is the sole bargaining authority for the
lumber workers.

Taxation without adequate representation has always
been a fruitful source of friction. Balanced representation
is always desirable in the interests of harmony. Further-
more, it cannot be denied that the B. C. District can make
an important contribution in many ways to the growing
prestige and strength of the International Union.

The requirements of the situation must be stated
bluntly, lest they be overlooked in sectional rivalries.

The IWA members in the B.C. District have won the
right to an opportunity, which will enable them to cement,
as they desire to do, the solidarity of the IWA Interna-
tional.

Election of the candidates from the B.C. District will
demonstrate, as nothing else could, that the International
boundary does not divide IWA ranks nor. impede IWA
democratic action.

IWA WINS
TAX FIGHT

Special income tax conces-
sions haye been granted for
B.C. lumber workers as a re-
sult of application made on
their behalf by the IWA Dis-
trict Officers.

Representations made to the
Income Tax Department set
forth the manner in which
earnings were compulsorily re-
duced by the summer-long for-
est closure.

Briefly the ruling provides:

For those who lost Jess than
a month’s work, no adjustment.

For those off work for more
than a month, but less than
two, one full tax-free month
will be allowed between now
and December 31.

For those who lost more
than two months off work, two
full tax-free months will be
allowed before the end of the
year.

INTERIOR
VOTES ON
STRIKE

Interior operators have rejected the majority recom-
mendations of the Conciliation Board, it was reported
to the IWA District Officers at press-time for this issue.

Majority recommendation of the Conciliation Board in
the IWA dispute with the Northern and Southern Interior
operators has been recommended for acceptance by the
IWA District Policy Committee. Ballots have been issued
enabling Interior IWA members to indicate acceptance or
rejection. A second ballot will determine whether strike
action will be approved im the event that the majority
report is rejected by the employers. Voting ends October

24,

IWA CANCELS ‘ORG
DEAL WITH CIO

Major organizational change was ordered by the recent

The prospects of a settlement
were thoroughly canvassed at a
meeting of the IWA District
Policy Committee on October 5,
immediately the report of the
Board had been released. Al-
though not all the Union’s de-
mands had been upheld by the
Board, it was considered that the

and largest-ever IWA International Convention in Den-
ver, Colorado, when a resolution sponsored by the B.C.
District Council carried by an overwhelming majority and
returned control of the Organization Department to the

Union by cancelling the agreement with the CIO.

The resolution stated that the
reasons which caused the direc-
tion of this department to be
turned over to the CIO no longer
exist, and claimed that the Union
should exercise the rights which
pertain to all other international
unions.

In asserting full autonomy for
the IWA, it was claimed that the
administrative strength of the
Union now justifies the move, and
that a sounder organization’ pol-
icy would result. When imple-
mented, the contract with the
CIO will not be renewed.

1941 Origin
The agreement with the CIO

dates back to the International |

Convention of 1941 when weak-
nesses which had developed due
to Communist intrigue necessi-
tated that organization activities
be strengthened by a close work-
ing arrangement with the CIO.

Since that time the Director of
Organization has been appointed
by the CIO National Office, and
given full authority over the
IWA organizational staff.

See ‘IWA’ Page 2

Council Meets
November 3-4

Quarterly meeting of the
B.C. District Council, which
meets in the Pender Auditor-
ium, 339 West Pender St., Van-
couver, November 3-4, will re-
view the question of overtime
in the light of recent develop-
ments in British Columbia lum-
ber industry.

- Mackenzie Runs For 2nd Vice-President

Names of two IWA members
from British Columbia were
nominated and placed on the
hallot for election of Interna-
tional Officers at the Interna-
tional Convention, Denver, Col.
October 1-5. They are Interna-
tional Board Member Tom

Contest for the post of Inter-
national Board Member from
B.C. District 1 lies between Wil-
liam N. (Bill) Gray, Local 1-217,
IWA, Vancouver, and Jacob
(Jack) Holst, Financial Secre-
tary, Local 1-363, IWA, Court-

enay.

Ballot for the election of In-
ternational Officers carries the
following names as nominated at
the International Convention.

For International President:

J. E. (Red) Fadling and A. F.
Hartung.

For Ist Vice-president: J. E.
(Jim) Dicey and Burk Christie.

For 2nd Vice-president:
Claude Ballard and Tom Mac-
Kenzie.

For Sec.-treas.: Carl Winn.

For ‘Trustee: Rae Eddie and
Walter Belka.

majority award of the Board of-
fered contract terms of sufficient
merit as to enable an amicable
settlement with the employers.

Reasons for the decision of the
IWA District Policy Committee
were found in the vastly improv-
ed €onditions which would result
from acceptance by both parties
of the majority award, as fol-
lows:

The base rate for Interior
will be the same as at the
Coast—$1.29 14.

The cost-of-living bonus, es-
tablished at the Coast, will be
extended to the Interior—ti-
cent-an-hour for every 1.3 rise
in the index.

A five-day week will be
established with overtime rates
for Saturday production work,
and two consecutive days of
rest for construction and main-
tenance workers.

The compulsory check-off
will apply in all IWA-certified ,
operations as a condition of
employment.

Two weeks vacation with
pay after five or more years
continuous service will apply
throughout the whole Interior.

A 5-cent-an-hour night shift
differential will be added.

Provision will be made for
category rate revisions.

The grievance procedure will
be improved.

A minority report was sub-
mitted by the companies’ nominee
on the Board, Mr. McDiarmid. He
recommended a wage increase of

See ‘Strike’ Page 2
See ‘Policy’ Page 10

MacKenzie, nominated for the
office sof 2nd Vice-president,
and Rae Eddie, New Westmin-
ster, Local 1-357, nominated
for re-election as International
‘Trustee.

WHAT’S
INSIDE

CONTENTS

Page
Candidates ........,... 3
Editorials
IWA Pix
Safety
President
Union Business ... 12

TOM MacKENZIE, Local 1-217,
IWA, couver, B.C., Interna-
tional Board Member and can

date for the office of Interna-
tional 2nd Vice-president.

WILLIAM N. (BILL) GRAY,
Local 1-217, IWA, Vancouver,
Secretary of the IWA District
Safety Council, candidate for the
office of B.C. District Interna-

tional Board Member, ,

RAE EDDIE, Business Agent,
Local 1-357, IWA, New Westmin-
ster, B.C., candidate for re-elec-
tion as International Trustee.

JACOB (JACK) HOLST, Finan-
cial Secretary, Local 1-363, Cour-
tenay, candidate for the office of
B. C. District International Board
Member.