~ March 13, 1952 3

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

5

“Kemp Asked CCL For $12000
A Year At 25c Per Member” |

HOME DEFENDS GRAY

By GEORGE HOME

Secretary, B. C. Federation of Labor

IN March 1, Dr. Kemp, seizing upon statements made at the February 26 meeting of

the Vancouver Labor Council, wrote a malicious article involving the IWA which
was published in the Vancouver News Herald of that date. It is not my intention to
provide Dr. Kemp with any further pretext to pen wild statements and air his own
petty grievances. I believe that it is only right and just that the membership of the
IWA should be informed of the background for this spiteful action by Dr. Kemp.

In the summer of 1949 the
writer was contacted by Bros.
William White and William Stew-
art, of the Boilermakers’ Union,
to ‘convene a staff meeting, in
order that an interested party
could explain to us certain ma-

Qn: in the administration
the Workmen’s Compensation
Board.

This meeting was held and at-
tended by a considerable number
of full-time people on the staff of
the Canadian Congress of Labor
affiliated unions.

The Kemp Plan

Dr. Kemp was the gentleman
produced by the Boilermakers’
Union to outline his case. The
proposals advanced by Dr. Kemp
were:

(1) That the B.C, Federa-
tion of Labor work with him in
the preparation of a Brief for
submission to the Workmens’
Compensation Commission.

(2) That ave consider his pro-
posal of paying him 25¢ per
member per year (which would
involve the sum of approxi-
mately $12,000).

For this work a committee
would be set up through which
the unions would deal with com-
plaints by their members with
regard to their treatment by the
Workmens’ Compensation Board.
The cases which our members

MALICIOUS DISTORTION
OF IWA EVIDENCE

The District Officers of the IWA concur with the views ex-
pressed by George Home, Secretary of the B.C. Federation of
Labor, with respect to the capable and conscientious presenta-
tion made by International Board Member William Gray on
behalf of the IWA before Chief Justice Sloan, during the enquiry

into Workmen’s Compensation.

We consider the attempt made by Dr. Kemp to distort repre-
sentations made in strict accordance with our Union’s instruc-

tions as being of a malicious

character, and wholly Without

foundation. The transcript of evidence heard fully exonerates
our representative from any suggestion or innuendo that he
did not faithfully present the needs of IVA members.

It should also be noted, that, with the consent of the IWA,
Bill Gray remained at his post during the enquiry to guard the
interests of many trade unions whose representatives could not
be in constant attendance. No one could have been more persis-
tent in challenging the opposing views of the employers. '

GEORGE MITCHELL,
Sec.-Treas., B.C. District Council, IWA.

found difficult would-then be
turned over to Dr. Kemp for pro-
cessing in their final stages.

After a 2%-hour session, Dr.
Kemp was asked to retire while
|the staff members gave consi-
deration to his proposals. It was
the unanimous opinion of the
staff that we should not endorse
the proposals of Dr. Kemp for
the following reasons:

(1) His proposals regarding
his Brief were mainly a concen-
trated attack on the administra-
tion of the W.C.B.

(2) It would not be a construc-
tive method of approach to the
problem. y

We believed that the major job
confronting us was to get
Amendments to the Workmens’
Compensation Act which would
provide for (1) the best possible
medical care for our injured
workmen; (2) substantial im-
provements in payments while
members were recovering from
accidents; (3) an improved re-
habilitation program in order to
re-equip and retrain the workers
suffering permanent partial dis-
jability; and (4) the placing of
responsibility on industry for
providing jobs for the injured
workmen, when they are re-
trained and prepared to re-enter
the labor field,

Pewelry -

12 Years Service to |.W.A. Members

Chothiug

On the question of retaining
Dr. Kemp as our Advisor, we
considered the job being done by
our unions had gained a greater
degree of success than could any
plan proposed by Dr. Kemp.

Plan Rejected

When these decisions were
reached, a luncheon appointment
was kept with Dr. Kemp, and he
was informed as to our position.

The writer was later informed
by William White of the Boiler-
makers that Dr. Kemp had ap-
proached the Boilermakers’
Union early in the year, and was
able to convince them that he had
a case against the W.C.B., and
was receiving the support of the
| Boilermakers’ Union and the In-
ternational Union of Mine, Mill
& Smelter Workers. The meeting
with the Federation had been ar-
ranged in an attempt to bolster
the case.

In the early days of the Com-
pensation Enouiry, it was quite
evident that Dr. Kemp with the
Boilermakers and the Mine, Mill
& Smelter Workers were work-
ing in close liaison.

The statements made during
the Enquiry by Dr. Kemp on the
stand created breaches in this
arrangement. One of the propos-
als advanced by Dr. Kemp from
the stand was the re-constitution

Chairman, and three businessmen
as the other Board members.

Liberal Employers

| Also when he: took the stand on
| March 1st, 1950, he made general
statements which could not be
supported by any trade unionists,
|for example, “Employers in B.C.
have been most liberal with the
workers of B.C., both in regards

of the W.C.B. with a Doctor as!

was “that the employers have
put in a great, considerable
amount of money for the benefit
of their employees, who do not
even show gratitude for what is
done for them.”

Yet another: “By and far the
employers of this province are
paying more than enough for
adequate care of their employees,
and should not be required to pay
more in compensation.” Dr.
Kemp, already having made a
liaison with some union groups,
now attempted to make a case
for the employers, contrary to the
intentions of the trade. union
movement to have benefits in-
creased, which could only be done
by additional assessments on in-
dustry.

Another statement made by Dr.
Kemp, worthy of note, made dur-
ing cross-examination, was to the
effect that in his opinion the only
union official doing anything for
his members in the province of
B.C. with regards to Workmens’

White of the Boilermakers’
Union.

Gray Praised

I had the privilege of attend-
ing a large number of Hearings
of the Compensation Enquiry,
and can testify to the fact that
both’ Bro. Wm. Gray and other
witnesses appearing on behalf of
the IWA kept foremost in their
presentation the interests and

‘the well-being of the membership

of their union, This fact is well
borne out by the report as issued
by Chief Justice Gordon Mac-
Gregor Sloan.

This article is written with no
intention of providing any excuse
for Dr. W..N. Kemp once again
to seek the publicity which he
evidently desires, but to acquaint
the IWA membership with the
background of an individual who
no doubt will continue his cam-
paign to present himself as the
champion of the first-aid. attend-

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