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© otal Pttiasion et tbe Jncbornational Wooduorhers of Amertea at disia Covsd No.2

AUGUST 7, 1952

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5c PER COPY

VANCOUVER, B. .G

EDITORIAL
Anti-Labor Policies

NOTHER crisis confronts the trade union movement in

British Columbia, by reason of policies initiated by the
newly-elected Social Credit Government at Victoria. _

The appointment of W. H. Sands as Deputy Minister

£ Labor was a brazen act of political patronage, and an
‘ront to all Canadian Congress of Labor unions.

The record of the new Deputy Minister is well known.
By no stretch of the imagination could it be said that he
possesses any qualifications for the post beyond the fact
that he resided in Kelowna, home of the Premier, and that
he invariably accommodated the business interests of the
Okanagan Valley.

The Socred appointment of a man who openly asso-
ciated himself with a notoriously anti-labor representative
of management to deprive three employee groups of the
right to select a bargaining agency of their own choice,
signals the adoption of an outright anti-labor policy.

Up until the moment of his appointment, the Deputy
Minister directed a barrage of bitter villification against

the CCL publicly, which makes it apparent that he may |}

not now be expected to act without bias toward the CCL
in public office.

Coupled with the announcement of the appointment|}

was the statement of Labor Minister Wicks asserting his
neutrality as between labor and management but darkly
hinting that labor “better be good”.

This policy of neutrality is the policy formerly pur- '

sued by the Coalition Government which aroused the deep-
seated resentment of the entire trade union movement

of this province. It means that the Labor Minister is not |}
prepared to make a stand for principles of justice in indus- |}

trial relations. k :
The position taken by the trade unions with regard to

the IGA Act is either right or wrong, as a matter of social
justice. On such questions there can be no neutrality.
Any pretended neutrality in the present circumstances is
a defence of the advantages already conferred on the
employers in the administration of the Act.

The decision to maintain co-insurance in the B.C.
Hospital Insurance Scheme, at $1.00 a day, is now being
protested hotly by the trade unions who won a decision
against co-insurance during the provincial general election.

The reduction in the premium rate of $3.00 is rightly
described as inadequate, especially in view of the recently
announced surplus for the scheme.

As co-insurance will still place a serious handicap on
those least able to pay, and as the premium rate is still
above the means of the average wage-earner, the changes
are not designed to help so much as to fool those who must
rely on the scheme in an hour of emergency.

>

Loggers’ Sports

The popular Loggers’
Sports Day, promoted by the
Sub-Local 1-80, IWA, will
again be staged on Labor
Day next, at Lake Cowichan,
with contenders from the
oie camps in aie re
giving spectators plenty o!
action, in thrill-packed con-
tests.

WHAT’S
INSIDE

President ......
Union

was designed,

CCL MEET
TO EXCEED
ALL RECORDS

The 12th annual_conyention
of the Canadian Congress of
Labor, to be held in Toronto,
Sept. 22-26, is shaping up as
the largest labor convention in
Canadian history. Toronto was
last the scene of the CCL an-
nual gathering in 1948 and that
convention was attended by
more than 850 accredited dele-
gates. Expectations are that
this year’s registration will

push close to the 1000-mark.

was

A. R. MOSHER, President, Ca-, libbed gags.

nadian Congress of Labor.

be in the Royal York Hotel and
sessions will be held in the hotel’s

main convention hall. The con-

vention banquet is scheduled for generous amounts of ice cream,

the Tuesday evening, Sept. 23,
and the dance for Thursday,
Sept. 25. A number of valuable
prizes are being donated for the
dance.

See “MEET” Page 3

Convention headquarters will! who were entertained with me-

|

Labor Council:
Protests Sands’

New Appointment

Demand for an early session of the B. C. Legislature
was the outcome of openly expressed indignation on the
part of CCL unions this week, provoked by the first acts
of the Social Credit Provincial Government dealing with

matters of direct interest to

IWA delegates joined with
those from affiliated unions at
this week’s meeting of the Great-
er Vancouver and Lower Main-
land Labor Council in condemna-
tion of the maintenance of co-
insurance and inadequate prem-
ium reductions recently an-
nounced for the B.C. Hospital
Insurance Scheme.

Sands Distrusted

Appointment of W. H. Sands,
former representative of the TLC
Fruit & Vegetable Workers’
Union as Deputy Minister of
Labor precipitated a storm of
protest because of his known bias
against the Canadian Congress
of Labor and his sponsorship of
the blanket certification which
obliterated all rights for members
of the United Packinghouse!

organized labor.

Workers in the Okanagan Valley.
Statement attributed to Labor
Minister Lyle Wicks was ac-
cepted by the trade unions as an
indication that objectionable fea-
tures in the ICA Act would be
defended by the Government.
These and other matters will
be discussed with the Cabinet
by a delegation from the B.C.
Federation of Labor. Some de-
lays occurred in securing an
appointment, which has now
been arranged for August 29.

No Dictatorship

Resolution of the Vancouver
Labor Council repeated a former
demand that an early session
should be convened to deal with

See “PROTEST” Page 3

Annual Picnic
Pleases 2,000

In a care-free mood, whi

sion, in sharp contrast to the
had preceded.

Program of colorful events was
opened by President Lloyd Wha-
len, and Auxiliary President
Muriel Bradley. As Master of
Ceremonies, Vie Mauro directed a
well-planned sports? schedule,
and kept the guests in good hu-
mor with his wisecracks and ad

The important and most-
favored guests were the children

chanical swings and kiddie cars,
and thrilled with pony. rides.
They were then regaled with

soft drinks, candy, etc., while the
grown-ups were provided with
tea and coffee.

All the sports events for young

and old were staged, and engrav-
ed trophies and other prizes were

ich discarded all unpleasant

memories of a gruelling 45-day strike period, members of
{Local 1-217, IWA, and their families,
made their 8rd Annual Picnic, Aug. 9, a memorable occa-

over 2000 strong,

days of grim struggle which

awarded to the fortunate win-
ners.

The photo-finish in the Com-
mittee Men’s Race is still a mat-
ter of open dispute to be settled
at next years’ picnic.

Art Shore, who captured the
trophy in the Aged Men’s Race,
claimed third place but was oust-
ed by M.C. Vie Mauro who, he
alleged, was lengths behind him.
Vie countered, “Sour grapes. You
couldn’t see me for dust!” there-
by quashing the appeal.

Officials of the Local Union
were loud in their praise of the
excellent work done by the nu-
merous volunteers on the com-
mittees in charge of various
phases of a most successful pic-
nic.

Gala Day For 1-217

THIRD ANNUAL PICNIC of Local 1-217, IWA, held in Confederation Park, Burnaby, August 9, attracted more
from IWA households in Vancouver. It proved a gala occasion for the younger generation, for whom the major portion of the program

than 2000 persons