B.C. LUMBER WORKER Preparations for strike action, should the occasion de- mand, are now well advanced in Coast logging camps, it was stated by Financial Secretary Fred Fieber, Local 1-71, IWA, when speaking over the Green Gold radio program recently upon return from a tour of the major camps. 4 He said in part: “I have had the. opportunity tly of visiting a number of logging camps, that I might re- ein these negotiations, and at first hand of the opinions held by the crews on the job. On all sides the opinions expressed by the logging etews were firmly and unanimously behind the de- mands presented on their behalf by the Negotiating Committee. “That is a point that should be more generally realized. The contract demands were not dreamed up by the officials of the Union and thrust down the throats of the IWA members. They were formulated by the members themselves because they believe these demands are just and reasonable. It is for ‘the same reason that they are back- ing the demands now yas re- £ the irkable determination. Pe provers could grasp this point, id understand the faith that men have in the Union which they built themselves, greater speed would be made in negotia- tions. The time and effort spent by the employers in attempts to break down the morale of the workers is time and effort wast- ed as far as they are concerned. The determination of the !umber workers to secure a fair deal is rising to an even higher pitch, -becatise they now feel they have been given good cause to question the sineerity of the bargaining tacties followed by their employ- ers. Indignation Rife The reasons for this are un- derstandable, as I found out in the logging camps recently. The loggers everywhere are highly indignant at the proposal to in- crease the board rates by one dollar a day, As many of them must remain in camp seven days in the week, this means an actual cut in wages of seven dollars a week, or approximately thirty- one dollars a month. TRAVEL TIME AND FARES “This increased expense for the loggers is demanded by the operators on the ground that Prices have risen. They have completely overlooked the fact that prices have also risen for the loggers in their purchasing of the necessities of life. It simply doesn’t make sense, that in one breath the employ- ers should deny that rising liy- ing costs justify higher wages, and in the next breath impose increased costs on the loggers because of rising prices, “The fallers and buckers warm- s support the position taken by e Negotiating Committee in opposing the employers’ sugges- lon to incorporate the daily rate of pay in the piece-work rates. This was done to them before, and resulted in lowered pay. They are determined not to fall for the same trick again. Once they suffer loss of the daily rate, as they know, the next step will be to lower the returns on prices set for their quarters or deduct from the seale. seas Travel Time “Rejection of the Union’s de- mand for travel time is another pene of grievance with loggers. in those operations where they must travel long distances to and | J from the job, after they board the crummy,’ before and after their actual working day, the crews are heavily penalized in time required to perform an 8- hour day’s work. - “The principle of “portal to portal” pay is now generally rec- ognized in industries with similar problems, and should now be ac- cepted. in the logging industry. For the information of the gen- eral public I should explai that the Union is not requesting pay for the time spent by a worker to reach the job, but is asking pay for the time spent travelling within the operation after re- porting at the assembly point, Fare Allowance The loggers also see justice in the claim for fare allowance. Men who must travel long dis- tances to remote camps should not suffer deductions for travel expense to reach the job if they remain on the job. We have pro- posed that if a man remains at work in the camp three months, the one-way fare should he re- funded, If he works six months, he should be refunded the fare “| both ways. “Unless this system is install- ed, the men who accept employ- ment in the more distant camps are discriminated against by the lowering of their wages in the amount of deductions for travel expense. It is equally important Phone 213 CHEMAINUS BUSINESS GUIDE S. A. BRICKER, Jeweller EXPERT WATCH, JEWELRY & CLOCK REPAIRS WATCHES AND DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RINGS CHEMAINUS, B.C, 281 Craigaét. Boral Art Shop DUNCAN, B.C, Phone 588 FLOWERS for ALL OCCASIONS J. LINDSAY LOUTET (C, Bradshaw & Co.) INSURANCE and REAL ESTATE DUNCAN, 131 Jubilee Street LAKE COWICHAN BRANCH: Old Post Office Building S.M.C, PONTIAC + VAUXHALL FRED FIEBER that men who ship out to logging camps, a few weeks before they lose employment through no fault | of their own, and because of a shut-down of the camp, should be reimbursed for out-of-pocket ex- pense on travel to reach the job accepted by them in good faith. “Divide and Rule”. “I am bound to say that the loggers view with alarm the at- tempt made by the operators to establish different scales of pay in the lumber industry. They see this as another attempt to ‘drive a wedge between the workers in the logging and milling sections of the industry. The loggers see clearly, as does the IWA as a whole that any such division would react’ to the disadvantage of all sections of the industry. “The Union has spent years of effort to build one solid union for the entire industry in order to bargain on an in- dustry-wide basis. This type of bargaining makes for stability in the industry, and benefits the workers because their bar- gaining strength is thus equal- ized to some extent with that of the employers who mainly act as one unit in determining the wage pattern. The proposed differentials are seen for what they are and are meeting with a most determined resistance. « High Rates in U.S. Another point, ignored by the employers, but which is of great importance to lumber workers, is the differential between rates in this province and those just U.S. RATES HIGHER © across, the International bound- | axy. ‘The base rate in the fir belt | throughout Washington and Ore- | gon hasbeen $1.70 an hour, whereas in British Columbia it is $1,293 with a temporary cost- -of-living bonus. Living costs are lower now in the United States than in Canada. “The settlements which are now being made between the American operators and the IWA provide for a 744-cent-an-hour inerease above the base rate of $1.70 an hour. In addition the workers are securing additional benefits such as more paid statu- tory holidays, another 2 cents on the night shift differentials, in- cluding the “hoot owl” shifts for loggers in fire season, and im- proved conditions for annual va- cations. ‘The, American workers already have a health and welfare CONTRACT Higher wages for the B.C, workers are quite as feasible, es- pecially in view of the consist- ently high profits made by the operators over recent years, and the further expectations for which they have been planning increased production, All the bluffing in the world cannot set aside the economic facts known to the workers in the industry. plan, and certain contract provi- sions in advance of those allowed in this province. B Same Arguments “TWA members are well aware of the arguments used by the American operators in their or- iginal opposition to the Union’s demands in the States, for they have been exactly the same as now used by the Canadian opera- tors. The market prospects were poor, and the lumber industry was in a sad way, completely un- able to maintain the existing wage bill. ° When the chips were down in the States, the operators settled for the increase over and above the higher rate, for the simple reason that market prospects for many years ahead are so good that higher wages were obviously feasible. ATTACKED the camp committee would make it impossible for such committees to function in the majority of camps. It would disqualify the great majority of men in many camps and thus give the employ- er a free hand to do as he pleased about the observance of the con- tract. “The proposed restrictions on ent contract. Worse Contract Offered “The general sentiment throughout the camps is that if the employers sincerely desired a settlement through the peace- ful processes of bargaining they would not have attempted to des- troy the workability of the pres- When their pro- posed contract revisions on tech- nical points of the contract were examined in the logging camps, they were soon recognized as de- liberately anti-union. “The proposal to make it neces- sary for a man to be two years in camp before he could serve on the grievance procedure would make still more difficult the pres- ent procedure. The employers know as well as we do that griev- ances in logging camps must fre- quently be referred to the Local Union Office in Vancouver for discussion with the Company's personnel officers, and that be- cause of communication difficul- ties this requires not less but more time. “All that was proposed by the operators indicated that they wished to wipe out camp com- mittees, strangle any grievance discussions, and prevent men ‘| union, from the camps taking any active part in the affairs of their own An employment policy such as they propose is designed to provoke trouble and not elimi- nate trolible. The men said to me over and over again, that if the bosses want trouble, they'll get it, We're ready to fight. Unsafe Conditions “A matter which was under discussion during the bargaining talks was provision under which a man might refuse to worl: un- der unsafe conditions. The pro- vision is necessary, because of the accident prevention regula- tions in many camps, and also be- cause the men are now liable to prosecution if they are found in violation of any breach of the regulations, The employers rejected this proposal even when the Union’s negotiators agreed that the ques- tion should be settled by refer- ence to the job safety committee. LOGGERS FIGHT BOARD INCREASE Here is a point that the employ- ers might have readily conceded, as it would not cost them a cent, and would ensure safer working conditions. If this clause were written into’ the contract it would be the best possible assur- ance that the employers mean what they say about safe work- ing conditions. “By rejection of this proposal they dealt a damaging blow to all attempts to build up all-round co-operation on the job to secure elimination of needless hazards. Now, evidently, they wish to place the entire responsibility on the crews for the correction of accident hazards, while at the same time they take no action to curb the negligence of their su- © perintendents. I think the em- ployers should take another look at the appalling statistics of the industry and remind themselves that 93 men were killed last year and over 11,000 injured.” ANDREW M. WHISKER, member of Local 1-80 IWA, former M.L.A. and now Liberal Party Candidate in the riding. of Cowichan-Newcastle. LABOR PRESS HAS POWER CHICAGO (LPA)—The Wall Street Journal, in a long story on the nation’s labor press in column 1, page 1, of its December issue, speculates on the labor press in- fluence in the 1952 election. “Labor publications are grab- bing a solid slice of the nation’s publishing business through a myriad .of weeklies and month- lies, ranging from sickly news- papers to smart, slick paper ma- gazines,” says the article. “With a presidential election due in 1952, the influence of the labor press could be a potent factor in determining voting results. These publications currently are an im- portant means for stirring up rank-and-file discontent with wage stabilization and with ris- . ing living costs.” While “many businessmen are inclined to scoff at the en- tire labor press,” the article Goes on, “you don’t have to look far into this field to realize that it has come a long way in the last few years toward increas- ing its effectiveness.” FOR Fire - Auto Insurance Seo BOB DEY Room J, B.C. Electric Bldg., Representing CHRISTIE AGENCIES LTD. ATTENTION, ALL LOGGING CAMPS . .. Mail Orders for your DRUG SUNDRIES POST PREPAID Mail Your Drug Requirements The Only FREE 12-Hour Auto Delivery Service MEDICAL ARTS PHARMACY LTD. + Phone 3614 New Wostminster 617 - 6th St. G.M.C. TRUCKS Speer rac Top Dog Says: “Those ‘Mystery Melodies’ are getting more mys- terious every day. Monday through Saturday, 11:05 aan?”