B.C,

LUMBER WORKER

February 21, 1952

“Breach of Faith

Ww recent weeks, the IWA has

again been confronted with the

fact that the enforcement of an agreement is as important as
its negotiation, It now appears necessary, that to secure complete

acceptance of an agreement nego!

tiated in good faith with Interior

operators, the Union must resort to a series of actions in the
courts,

We had occa-

sion previously to

seek permission

to prosecute an

employer in the

jurisdiction of

Local 1-423, be-

, cause of his arro-

gant refusal to

bargain and to

reach an agree-

ment with the

IWA, the legally certified bar-

gaining agency. After several ap-

pearances in court, he finally re-

alized that the law was on the

side of our Union, and he capitu-

lated, with a settlement which
suspended the action.

Now we find that a number of
small operators throughout the
Interior have repudiated the mas-
ter agreement to the terms of

. which they were bound by the
actions of their bargaining rep-
resentatives,

Agreement Repudiated

When presented ‘with the
agreement for signature they ar-
rogantly repudiated the obliga-
tions which had been assumed on
their behalf with their consent
and pointblank refused to sign.

Their actions constitute a
breach of good faith in bargain-
ing which is not defended by their
representatives. It is not only a
breach of faith, it is downright
dishonesty, and a flagrant disre-
gard of all accepted business
ethics.

Their actions are still more in-
tolerable to the IWA because
they are accompanied by various
forms of intimidation visited
upon their employees in defiance
of the law governing employer-
employee relations. .

We'll Fight

We are left with no alternative
but to ask that the full penalty
of the law be invoked against
such flagrant “violations of the
legally established rights of the
workers. We should not rest until
they are one by one all brought
to book before the law and ex-
posed to the whole community as
unpringjpled racketeers.

As they seem to be immune to
any appeal to reason or decency,
‘we must face them with action
they will understand—action that
will cost them the loss of dollars

WCB REPORT

IWA Studies
Implications

IWA District Officers withheld
comment pending a thorough
study of the report by the Dis-
trict Executive Board. It was
pointed out, however, that the
demand of the trade unions had
been for compensation rates of
at least 75% of former earnings,
with a predominant demand for
100%. Chief Justice Sloan held
that 100% compensation rate was
contrary to the original concep-
tion of compensation principles.

Some uncertainty exists with
regard to the Intentions of the
Commissioner in his recommen-
dation respecting widows. He
states: “I recommend that wi-
dows’ pensions be increased from
$50 to $75 a month, childrens’ al-
lowances from $12.50 to $20 a
month, and allowances to orphan
children from $20 to $30 a month.
Other dependents’ allowances to
be increased from $50 to $75 a
month,

I do not recommend that these
increases be retroactive, except
as they relate to orphans and
crippled dependent children.”

The commissioner in another
section of his report refers to his
report of 1942 and with reference
to the plight of widows now on
the $50 a month pension repeats:

“To add a cost-of-living bonus
to the compensation cheques
would mean that industries now
operating would be forced to bear
part of the burden of past acci-
dents, happening perkaps a year
ago, for the compensation of
which a capital sum had been set
‘up by assessments on those in-
dustries in which the accident
happened.”

The commissioner’s words are
therefore capable of the interpre-
tation that the increase in wi-
dows’ pensions applied only to
future awards and that those
now on the $50 a month pensions
remain at that level. .

You can‘always spot a well in-
formed man. His views are the

and cents.

same as your own,

630 WITNESSES

RECITE

SEVEN MILLION ‘WORDS

Evidence heard by Chief Justice Sloan in 226 days of public
hearings with 630 witnesses on the subject of Workmen’s Com-
pensation extended to 7 million words, recorded on 22,982 pages

of manuscript,

When a deadline was set for November 23rd, 1951, another

1000 briefs were enroute to the

Commissioner.

Sanna
Publication date -of the next

for news copy February 29.

WORKER is March 6. Deadline for ad copy is February 28 an:

issue of the B.C. LUMBER

| BCLonse

Representing the Organized Loggers end Mill Werkers of B.C.
PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY BY
INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (C1O-CCL)
B.C, DISTRICT COUNCIL Ne. 1. >

DISTRICT OFFICERS:

sti Monicen

J, Stewart Alsbury
Joe Morris

lustrated is the Cruiser’s
Stag of pure virgin wool
in mackinaw or kersey.
Mackinaw plaids are
either red and black;
green and black, or blue
and black.

or favorite dealer.

LOOK
FOR THE

Notice the four large pockets in front, and the large

pack pocket in back, which opens at both sides... a

feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments.
These-are two of the many designs of “Pioneer
Brand” clothing obtainable from your commissary

Made in Vancouver, B.C., by Jones Tent & Awning
Ltd., they are designed through careful study of the
needs and desires of B.C. workmen.

~ REGISTERED

FOR WORK CLOTHING
or 8
UNSTINTED MATERIALS
DESIGN and
WORKMANSHIP

In this he accepts the suggestion w

in the enquiry.
The Commissioner accepted the

Sloan Adapts IWA Plan

Innoyation recommended by Chief Justice Sloan in his report assisting disabled veterans to re-
on Workmen’s Compensation now before the B.C. Legislature is | ceive their full measure of pen-
the appointment of adyocates to assist workmen in presenting | sion.
their claims and appeals to the Workmen’s Compensation Board. “It is a system which ean be
ich originated with the IWA, | applied with equal success to dis-
and compliments the IWA on the active and helpful interest taken | abled workmen and for the same

basic reason.”

evidence secured by the IWA that
the procedure followed by the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs in
the appointment of Pension Ad-
vocates would be equally advan-
tageous with regard to claims for
Compensation.

The Chief Justice recommends
that the Act be amended to en-
able the appointment of an Advo-
cate in Vancouver and a Deputy
Advocate in Victoria.

He suggests that they should
be members of the Bar, and be
appointed by the Government on
recommendation of the Attorney-
General, and paid by his Depart-
ment.

Duties of Advocate

The duties of an Advocate as
outlined by the Commissioner
would be to assist claimants:

(a) To establish a claim.

(b) To re-open a claim or re-

jection of a claim for re-
View on new facts.

(c) To prepare and present an
appeal to the Medical Ap-
peal Board.

He proposes that the files of
the Board should be available to
the Advocate as not now ayail-
able to the claimant.

Independence Necessary

The Commissioner also states:
‘Much of this sort of work is now
being done by the Union officials
and with successful results in
many cases. I think, however,
that it could be to the advantage
of the claimant who finds himself
in difficulties, and to the Board
itself, to have this service per-
formed by an official respons-
ible to the Attorney-General,

“I stress the necessity of the
Advocate being completely inde-
pendent of the Board, and, on the
other hand, with nothing more
than a professional and objective
interest in the claimant. It is a
system that has been functioning
successfully for many years in

in the B.C. Lumber |

Workmen’s Cen aneniia
Board. Time-loss accidents

BANKING BY MAIL is convenient, easy fo do.
See for yourself—today.,

pce were |! THE on Me BANK
OF COMMERCE

80 Branches in British Columbia

BES ©
ée

uae

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Canadian Bank of Commerce money ordérs.
You can buy them at any Commerce branch
in British Columbia. They can be mailed -
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mailing money. Use Canadian Bank. of
Commerce Money Orders.