en B.C. LUMBER WORKER .- Son INTERIOR BATTLE By J. STEWART ALSBURY, _ . IWA District President c IWA must now present the case for the Interior lumber workers, in both the Southern and Northern Interior, before two ciliation Boards. The issues involved are of importance to the Union, and therefore require the consideration and support P of the membership throughout British Columbi: e Northern d Southern In- terior operators “ displayed same juc- e to get ie ‘enuine bar- ane g that be- tio Coast. Needless delays have aris- because of their unreadiness | to come to grips with the ques- tions involved. "They have not claimed inability to meet the monetary demands of the Unions, but have relied main- a, on the same old gloomy pr jons about their market rospects. Support Required When the issues are discussed before the Conciliation Boards, the Negotiating Committee will make the utmost effort to present a complete case for the Interior lumber workers. At this juncture a 3 a it is important that all Coast lumber workers recognize the bearing which the Interior issues have on standards already estab- lished at the Coast. It_is unthinkable that we should permit a wage structure in the Interior which will present a constant threat to the wage - Structure at the Coast. Last year, we secured a base rate for the’ Interior which was actually 4-cent above the Coast base rate—a rate of $1.30—al- though the take-home pay was not as high as at the Coast due to the late application of the cost- of-living bonus in the Interior. One feature that we cannot tolerate is the evident intention of the Interior operators to again bring the base rate below that paid at the Coast. Our purpose must be to continue the fight to establish conditions in the In- terior which are at least on a parity with those established at the Coast. This, of course, applies to all other features of the Interior contracts as well as the wage rates. The market conditions are such today, that if lower wages and conditions prevail in the Interioi our fellow-members in the I terior will be undermining any- thing gained at the Coast. The Negotiating Committee needs make no apology for enter- ing this further fight in the In- terior immediately after the con- ONT. IWA FACES ODDS Ontario [WA members faced with intimidation by the em- ployers pledged a fight to the finish in their four-week-old strike at the Durham Furniture Factory, Durham, Ont., re- cently. The strike involved 150 mem- bers of Local 152, IWA who, when faced with determined ac- tion on the part of the Company to break the Union, immediately rallied their forces for a bitter battle. Deceit Ample proof of the bad faith displayed by the Company is that at the conclusion of negotations they posted a notice saying that the Union had refused to accept the recommendations of the Chairman of the Conciliation Board. The notice added that the Company during negotiations had offered the Union an increase of 8c an hour, retroactive to July 1st, 52, which the Union turned down. | Not only had no such offer been made but the Company themselves had refused to accept their own Board nominee’s recommendation. When the workers ignored the offer of the Company and decided to go on with the strike the Com- pany returned by registered mail, Employees’ Unemployment In- surance books, and the retroac- tive pay they claimed the Union had refused. clusion of the strike at the Coast. It is all part of the same fight, and has the same purposes in view. By this action they hoped to intimidate the Employees into believing that the plant was clos- ing down for good. Sands Clai ° ms Div he Right To Damn CCL-UPWA Officers Extracts from the “Fruit and Vegetable Worker” offi- ' of which I will never forget is, cial publication of the Fruit & Vegetable Workers’ Union ‘to be true to yourself, and you (TLC), formerly edited by W. H. Sands, now appointed Deputy Minister of Labor, were read by George Home at man’... a recent meeting of the Vancouver Labor Council as evi- dence of the Deputy Minister’s bias against the Canadian Congress of Labor. The Secretary of the B. Federation of Labor cited the ci: cumstances under which the Deputy Minister had formerly been associated with the Cana- dian Congress of Labor as a paid official of the United Packing- house Workers and an elected of- ficer of the B.C. Federation of Labor. | From CCL to TLC It was alleged by the speaker that the present Deputy Minister of Labor had used his position ' within the Canadian Congress of Labor to advance the interests of rival unions. Harsh words were used to describe this action. { The quotations read from the} TLC nublication and attributed to Sands were as follows: | Tn article headed “The CCL—} A Sinking Ship”, an attack made on the CCL by the Canadian Sailor was referred to and ap- ‘proved, Villains All The writer went on to say, ‘Canadian Sailor’ was quite when they say the CCL has n ‘unclear policy. Although we -Wonde menether such men as Mil- Dowling, and Symington we any policy beneficial to la- or whatsoever, eae “They do have a policy in h they hope to gain control Canadian labor by calling they cannot control x a ‘Communist’ or a ‘com- union man’. 2 is not long ago these peo- ple were calling the International Teamsters’ Union (one of the largest and most powerful unions in Canada and the USA) a ‘com- pany union’... . “The person who we do very strenuously take exception to is the person who will take orders from such ‘power crazy dues col- lectors’ as the Millards, Dowlings and Symingtons .. .” Open Letter In an open, signed letter ad- dressed to Bill Lynch, Intern: tional Representative of the Uni ed Packinghouse Workers, Mr. Sands had this to say: “Now the preliminaries are over; I was born in the City of Kelowna, my parents were immi- grants from England, my father was killed in the First Great War; fighting for what he be- lieved would rid the world of people with dictatorial ideas, It is obvious that the ideal he and others had failed because there arose after that war such people as Hitler, Millard, Stalin, Sym- ington and others who still in their own way, large or small, conceived the idea that they, by any foul means at their disposal, could rule the’ working class. “?’m True to Me” “My mother, a very religious type of person, and one of the finest women in this world, after my father’s death became a fa- ther and mother to me and taught me the decent things of life, one INDUSTRIAL FIRST Approved by The Workmen's AID CERTIFICATES Compensation Board of B.C. Ses ghte eels Cnn aha Cormarontecs, ‘Aid Attendants Are invited to Membership never need to worry ‘that you won’t be true to your fellow- “During the time I have been working full time, I have made | mistakes, Mr. Lynch, but I be- \lieve I ‘have learnt’ something from each one of them. The only perfect man was Jesus Christ, and they crucified Him... “Those who are not governed by God, will be ruled by tyrants.” NEW BOARD WASHINGTON (LPA)—With organized labor praised for_con- tinuing to serve, a new Wage Stabilization Board drastically curbed by Congress was named by, President Truman, who ap- |pointed labor members recom- mended by AFL President Green and CIO President Murray. The new chairman, Archibald Cox, said July 31 that the board, despite loss of powers the old one had, would be an “effective” one. | Retiring Chairman Nathan Fein- singer predicted the new body, within its limitations, would function about as in the past. SAN FRANCISCO — TAILORS — LOAN MONEY ON Suits, Overcoats, ete, Loggers’ Boots, Sleeping Bags, Suitcases, Radios, Watches and Rings Expert Watch Repairing UNREDEEMED Suits and Caulk Boots For: Sale MAIL ORDER 52 West Hastings Street, VANCOUVER, B.C. Franklin Debunks C. of C. Charges Counter-blast against attempts of the Chamber of Commerce to smear trade unions with accusations of civil disobedience and Iuw-breaking was given this week by W. R, Franklin, editorial appearing recently inthe Fraser Valley “Certain inferences may be drawn from the opinions of the Chamber of Commerce, quoted in your editorial of August 6, which distort the aims and purposes of trade unions. This distortion oc- curs mainly because the C. of C. represents almost exclusively the employers’ interests, and does not represent fully a cross-section of community opinion. If the statement was intended to apply to the IWA and the re- cent strike, it fails to take into consideration all the facts, and therefore makes deductions which are inaccurate. : IWA Policy The IWA is in complete agree- ment with the statements that both labor and management should rely on collective bargain- ing and in conduct of those pro- cedures accept the rule of law. The IWA does not condone civil disobedience, nor does it advocate law-breaking. As the facts have already shown, the IWA is in a position to defend itself against all charges of intent to disregard the law. The Chamber of Com- merce should observe the simple prineiple of British justice, that innocence is assumed, until guilt is actually proven. Law Observed Despite thé fact that the law governing bargaining and con- ciliation procedures confers dis- tinet advantages upon the em- ployers, the IWA adhered scrupu- lously to the observance of the law. Had the employers done likewise, and had the law been administered with impartiality, no question of illegality could have been raised at any stage. The law prescribes sixty days for negotiations and any neces- sary conciliation, The IWA ob- served that requirement, as re- gards, both the commencement and conclusion of the stipulated period for settlement of the dis- pute. The deadline set by the IWA openl~, was the legal dead- line, the termination date of the contract, sixty days after bar- gaining had commenced. Administration Faulty The IWA did not fail the law, the administration of the law failed the IWA. The administra- tion of the law permitted need- less delays, inspired by the em- ployers, which hampered rather than facilitated possibilities of settlement. When application was made for Local 1-367, IWA, in reply to an Record, He said: held before the legal deadline. For reasons that are without precedent, and not founded in law, the strike vote was held in abeyance, ds Courts Decide Actually the illegalities per- petrated upon the IWA, while endeavoring to observe the law, made it appear that the IWA was acting in an illegal man- ner. The interpretation placed by the IWA upon its legal rights under circumstances that were deliberately confused, should not be regarded as a decision to break the law. Only the courts may decide whether the Union’s or the employers’ interpretations were in accord with the intent of the law. When required to issue direc- tives to obey injunctions restrain- ing picketing, the 1WA aid so. in accoraance with its democratic rights, the IWA contested the rignt of the courts to restrain legal picketing. It was soon dis- covered that a court order was in error, which presumed to re- strain trade union members from doing that which they are legally entitled to do. May I suggest that if the Chamber of Commerce desires to secure industrial peace, and to encourage trade union members to uphold the rule of law, that body should likewise advocate even-handed justice in industrial relations, and the administration of the law governing such mat- ters.” F.S.A. MAN TO SPEAK Oscar C. Pogge, director of the federal bureau of old-age and survivors insurance with the Federal Security. Agency, will be among speakers at the 16th annual convention of the International Woodworkers of America, CIO, according to Carl Winn, IWA Secretary- Treasurer. The convention will be Sep- tember 15 through 19 at the Ma- sonic temple in Portland, Ore. Pogge first joined the FSA 15 years ago as chief of the claims division. He has been director since 1944. Under his direction, the total administrative costs of the bureau, including internal revenue bureau collection costs, has been reduced to 2% of social a supervised strike vote, assur-security taxes. This is believed ance was given that it would be less than private insurance costs. eieietatataiattetetatate te LeL Le a a a =I *& THE VA PROVINCE UNION - PRODUCED BY MEN AND WOMEN WHO BELONG TO ONE OF Vancouver Typographical Uni Vancouver Local 25, (TLC-AFL), Local 88 (TLC-AFL). PAcific Product of SIX UNIONS / THESE UNIONS: Printing Pressmen & Assistants Union, Vancouver Photo-engravers Union, Local 54 (TLC--AFL).) Electrotypers & Stereotypers, Yancouver and Yictoric, Vancouver Mailers Union, Local 70 (TLC-AFL). BOOS ee eee a NCOUVER 1S 100% ion, Local 226 (TLC-AFL). Vancouver Newspaper Guild, Local 207 (CCL-CIO). THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE 4211