1952 B.C. LUMBER WORKER Page 9 YEAR MESSAGES challenging problems of idents of Vancouver’s Lal and Tom Alsbury, -cember 26, under the auspice; To speak for organized labor on the outlook for 1952, the trus- tees of the Foundation invited " George Mitchell, president of the Greater Vancouver and Lower _ Mainland Labor Council, CCL, and Tom Alsbury, president of _ the Vancouver, New Westminster and District Labor Council, TLC, and devoted the entire broadcast to this purpose. Voicing the CCL point of view, George Mitchell said in part; “Just Share” “Our outlook is necessarily Baped by our past experience and our responsibilities at the _ present time. Our trade unions are pledged to safeguard the well-being of the workers. By use of our organized strength, we endeavor to secure for the work- ers a just share of the wealth produced by their labor. We also Strive to establish conditions of work which will guarantee to every worker and his family, proper standards of health, safe- ty, education, and recreation, with the right to a voice in de- termining these conditions. “We have made substantial | progress in this regard, by dint of determined struggle against hostile, profit-making interests. We will continue this struggle through 1952, and seek still greater good for all those who must sell their labor to gain a livelihood. Democracy Served “Tn so doing we will serve the purposes of democracy. “As we expand the prosperity of the workers, we will expand the prosperity of the entire com- munity, for the workers form the bulk of the population. As we raise the standards for the work- ers in health, education, and re- creation, the workers themselves will make a greater contribution to the social progress of the whole nation. The purposes of the trade union movement give » reality to the democratic ideal of the greatest good to the greatest number, Demands “TI predict that the trade union movement will. demand a more democratic outlook from govern- ments in 1952. In British Colum- bia, trade unions must be grant- ed greater liberty to organize and in collectively, without the hampering interference of re- strictive legislation or the arbi- trary decisions of any govern- ment agency, “We will exert pressure to se- eure more generous consideration of the needs of the agamplover, the aged, and the physically han- dieapped, In the national field we will maintain unrelenting opposi- tion to policies which permit the privileged few to exploit the a of the many for exorbitant “The present inflationary poli- cies, which have disregarded the needs of the average worker's home, must be “abandoned, for < profit-making has dan- in a joint broadcast over CKNW, De- 1952 was expressed by the bor Councils, George Mitchell s of the Boag Foundation. gerously lowered the workers’ standards of living and imperiled the health and security of the nation. Political Decisions “T predict that organized labor will find ways and means to in- fluence directly political decisions touching on the welfare of the workets. How this will be done is our business, but the trade unions are no longer content to be the puppets of the employers’ politi- cal designs. Nothing can_ shake my confidence that in 1952, or- ganized labor will be fighting, with still greater determination for a democracy that means what it says: ‘government of the peo- ple, by the people, for the peo- ple”, President of the TLC Council, Tom Alsbury, declared: Debt to Labor “The Labor movement hopes that your family will enjoy the good things of life, not only dur- ing the Christmas season, but to- day, tomorrow, and all the days of the year. Labor believes in, and works for, happy,-healthy, secure family life. In fact, in the labor movement, it is our proud boast that we are the largest Canadian family—the great family of working people of Canada—the men and women who produce the: goods and ser- vices for our day-to-day needs. “Let us not forget that it was the food for your Christmas din- ner, that mined the coal that kept you warm, and that created, with skilled hands, the gifts you gave and received. “To safeguard and promote the welfare of this great Cana- dian family of working people is the aim and purpose of the labor movement. This has been its ob- jective since the moment of its birth, some 70 years ago. - Great Crusade “The Labor Movement is, and always has been, a great humani- tarian crusade. From its very it ception it fought against the evil of child labor. It fought against the 12-hour day, and the 7-day week. It has consistently fought against long hours, against low wages, against unhealthy and dangerous working conditions. “Tt has fought for, and won, the 8-hour day, the 5-day week, holidays with pay, sickness and accident protection—for every- thing that makes family life real, enjoyable, healthy and happy. “You and I today owe more than we can ever repay to the pioneers of the labor movement, many of whom were martyrs in the struggle. Seventy Years’ Progress “This great movement was born only 70 years ago. It has behind it 70 years of service and accomplishment in the interests of ordinary people} who do the work, produce the goods, and cre- ate the wealth of this country. Labor is determined that they -TAtlow 2657 Call for yosr Pin-up Calendar for 1952 JORK & DRESS CLOTHES rT] Vancouver 4, B.C. their sweat and toil that raised | © CCL-TLC Leaders Outline Labor’s Fight In 1952 Confidence that organized labor will successfully meet shall have their fair share of what they. produce. “In the last 70 years we have come a long way, but we have not yet reached the millenium. The old evils are beaten, but new ones appear. Problems change, but the struggle goes on. As we move into 1952 there are dark clouds on the Canadian horizon—there is the continuing shattering effect of rising prices at home and the threat to peace and freedom abroad. End Drift “Labor is determined that there shall be an end to the gov- ernment’s present policy of drift and that it shall take immediate, swift, and effective action to save Canadian living standards. Abroad, along with the 50 mil- lion members of the International Confederation of Free Trade Un- ions, of which we are a part, Ca- nadian labor is determined in 1952 to play its part, in coopera- tion with all progressive move- ments and all men of good will to realize the aims set forth in free labor’s world manifesto to win ‘bread, peace, and freedom for the common people everywhere’.” WEN Was WE 135. “I didn’t used to care beans about Price controls. but it’s certainly be- ing brought home to me now!” PRESIDENT’S COLUMN New Stress On Safety By JOE MORRIS District 1st Vice-president 'N the absence of the District President on a well-earned yvaca- tion, I have been delegated to speak on his behalf in this column. No more important topic could be selected for my comment at this time than the importance of the recent IWA appointment of John T. Atkinson as full-time District Safety Director. ‘e The import- « ma ance of this ap- pointment lies in ¢ the fact that it places the desir- ed emphasis upon that phase of ow: Union’s _ activity devoted to the protection of life and limb among the workers in Joe Morris the lumber industry. It is the best possible proof that the IWA means business about accident prevention. IWA “First” It is a matter of pride that in this respect the IWA has estab- lished another “first” for the trade union movement. As far as I am awaré, no other Union on this continent has established a department which specializes in the problems of accident preven- tion. I am certain that IWA lead- ership in this respect will soon be accepted by many other unions. Our experience has shown that a well-organized safety program gets results in the elimination of needless accidents, Last year the appalling death and accident toll would have been much greater but for the faithful attention to safety work by many conscien- tious workers, We know now that only through systematic organi- zation on the job, and intelligent- ly directed safety work, will we cope with accident hazards every- where, Cooperation Necessary It is not my intention to out- line here the duties of the newly- appointed Safety Director. His functions within the Union must be worked out on a commonsense experimental basis between the District Safety Council and the Local Unions. The end result must be the establishment of alert safety committees in every operation, acting in co-ordination with a common plan. B.C. Last In Stat. Holidays The Labour Gazette for Octo- ber, 1951, the official publication of ‘the Federal Department of I can say that the IWA does not intend to shoulder responsi- bilities which properly rest with management. We simply intend to discharge our own responsi- bilities more efficiently. We in- tend to develop the kind of orga- nization on the job that will make safe working procedures the nor- mal procedures of every opera- tion. A Personal Word It is with warm personal pleas- ure that I commend the appoint- ment of John T. Atkinson to my fellow-members. As President of Local 1-80, I learned to appre- ciate his sincere dévotion to the safety of his fellow - workers. Throughout the entire jurisdic- tion of Local 1-80, “John T.” has given the word “safety” a reality that was never known previously. My money is on our Safety Di- rector, for I know that he will make us enthuse about the IWA safety program in the same de- gree that he enthuses about it. Lumber workers cannot fail to profit by such enthusiasm for safety, for it will bring a des- perately needed reduction in our accident rate, 2 AF ist AID SUPPLIES PROMPT ATTENTION TO MAIL ORDERS — KNOWLTONS DRUGS - 15 EAST HASTINGS ST. VANCOUVER, B.C, YOU CAN BANK i] gures on Statutory Holidays for ;| Industry. i Labour, reports the following fi- BY MAIL with IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA Banking can be carried on Canada, in the Wood Products Receiving pay for some or all Statutory Holidays: 20% in the Maritimes; 51% in Quebec; 62% in Ontario; 68% in the Prairie Provinces; 6% in B.C. Tony Gargrave, Local 1-217. simply and safely through HEADS Champion of All Lightweight e the mails. Deposits will be promptly acknowledged and instructions carried out with proper attention to detail. Miners and lumbermen in out - of - the-way places will LIGHT CRUISER find banking easy and con- venient using Imperial Bank mail banking service. 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