2° B.C. LUMBER WORKER LOCAL 1-217 CONTRACT EVASIONS SPOTTED Investigation made by the officers of Local 1-217, IWA, Vancouver, has revealed that all the major mills in the area are operating to almost full capacity. Those mills which shut down during the ing operations after only three weeks interruption. Espe- cially noticeable is the fact that shingle mills, unlike pre- vious years, when 2 to 3 months were lost, have operated steadily. Steps have been taken by the Local Union to introduce the standard plywood category rates in J. R. Murray Co. Ltd:, with the revision of existing rates and introduction of other recognized categories, When this step was taken in the major plywood plants some time ago, this operation was omitted, as its working force was small. Subsequent expansion has made this step necessary, and adjustments will place the em- ployees on the same footing as those in the larger plywood plants. Violations Protested Serious contract violations by a number of companies have been discovered by the Local Union and have been brought to the attention of Forest In- dustrial Relations Ltd. A full report on the outcome will be reported in a later issue. Western Plywoods Ltd. re- cently announced a new seniority plan which will not be accepted by the Union until after a con- ference between the Local Union’s officers, the plant com: mittee, and management. The point has been made by the Local Union that all such matters of policy must be negotiated through the recognized bargain- ing authority. Plant committees __-mbayjea_no Wurisdiction, it was stat- ed in a letter to the Company, on matters which effect the plants in the whole area, The necessary negotiations are now in the hands of the Union’s accredited bar- gaining agents. Grievances A dismissed employee was re- cently re-instated at the Marpole Woodyard, as a result of interces- sion on his behalf by President Whalen and Financial Secretary Hodgson. The incident resulted from an accident incurred to a company truck. As a result of Christmas season are resum- the discussion the Union’s repre- sentatives consulted with the em- ployees regarding improved and safer methods of operating truck equipment. Responsibility of the company for call time, was the issue settled as a result of a grievance at North Shore Shingle Mills. Two men who were without tele- phones, reported for duty, un- aware that-the mill would be closed. They received their legal adjustment. |, The shop stewards undertook to assist the management as much as possible to notify work- ers without phones or who could not be located, as to any shut- down. MSA Difficulties The rights of Rod Simpson to MSA benefits were restored when the Local Union presented all the facts to the MSA officials. While employed at Eburne Sawmills his deductions were made regularly. Later, he was employed for 2% months at Bay Lumber Co. be- fore entering the employment of Lion’s Gate Lumber Co. The per- iod of employment at Bay Lum- ber Co., due to an oversight, was not covered by MSA payments, and this disqualified him for pay- ment of bills for medical atten- tion of considerable proportions later.’ The bills have now been paid by MSA, Chief project in hand at the Local Union Office at the present time is the issuing of the 1953 check-off buttons and work cards to more than 6000 persons. Another task, which is warmly appreciated by the membership is the issuing of receipts for dues payments by which exemp- tions are secured from income tax for the amounts indicated. Elections Nominations on all shifts at Vancouver Plywoods will close “*ESQUIRE”’ HANEY NEY BUSINESS GUIDE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” BRITISH COLUMBIA Phone 23 LADYSMITH BUSINESS GUIDE THE LADYSMITH CHRONICLE Society and Commercial Printing at Fair Prices “K Union Shop’ LADYSMITH, B.C, ORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE MacDONALD’S PHARMACY - Prescriptions, Drug Sundries, First Aid Supplies Registered Optometrist Argyle Street WOODWARD STORES (PORT ALBERNI) LTD. Shopping Contre” Port Alberni on January 12 for the election of Plant Chairman, and committee members, as well as the Safety Committee. Balloting will be con- ducted January 14-15. Completion of a referendum vote at Eburne Sawmills elected the following: Plant Chairman, W. Blaney; Committee members, Roy Good- hope, Bob Latham, Clarence Neely, Bill Noble, John Batchloe, Gus Perret; Safety Committee, Barney Atherton, John Batchoe, Pete Dawson, Clarence Neely, A. Wales, Mary Livingstone. Category Revisions At Bridge Lumber Co., the Local Union succeeded in estab- lishing new categories for auto- feeder, and spotter. All were established at rates above those proposed by FIR. Agreement signed by the Local Union with Sweeney Cooperage adds two paid statutory holidays to the benefits previously nego- tiated. This, coupled with the 11% cents secured last year, and other gains made since the agree- ment was taken over by the IWA in 1950, has been warmly com- mended by the membership in the plant, and full confidence in the bargaining ability of the IWA has been expressed on all sides. Nominations of Delegates Delegates to the District Con- vention (24) and to the B.C. District Council (14) will be nominated at the membership meeting of the Local Union on January 11. The Local’s member on the District Executive Board will also be nominated. It is anticipated that the Local Union will press for a structural change in administration of the Interior IWA organization at the District Convention. The view is held that the Interior organiza- tion must now be placed on a sound basis permanently. IWA workers in neighboring mills rallied to the aid of their fellow-workers in the L. & R. Mill recently as fire threatened to destroy the plant. The serious injury caused Chief Shop Steward Cy McKellar, of the Norwood Lumber Co., is re- gretted. He fell 20 feet off a roof during his fire-fighting efforts. He is now hospitalized with a serious condition. Although the mill was com- pletely demolished, the purchase of the North Shore Lumber Co.’s premises by the company offers hope that all the displaced work- ers will soon be re-employed. One Grand Prize Announcement was made re- cently by the IWA Booster Club that the One Grand Prize, spon- sored by the Club had been won by Hank Anderson, a green chain puller at Anderson Bros. Saw- mills. Preparations by the Local Union for the resumption of edu- cational classes are about com- plete, and will provide for in- struction in shop stewards’ duties, grievance procedure and trade union history, % WHO’S SELFISH? OTTAWA (CPA) — Com- menting on a newspaper edi- torial which said that “busi- ness today is more than orga- nized selfishness”, CCF’ers An- gus MacGinnis told the House of Commons how the change had been brought about. Mr. MacInnis said: “If business is not organized selfishness today, that is not due to business; it, is due to the trade unions and the socialist movement, They have civilized business,” » we matic trimmer, xe-sawyer, re-saw | - LOCAL 1-357 Special Meet NEW WESTMINSTER. — Special member ing of Local 1-357, IWA, to elect delegates for the approaching IWA Annu Convention. At the same time, important resol * be held on Januai consideration of the convention will be introduce approval. The regular membership meet- ing will be held January 25, on which occasion nominations for the election of the Local Union officers will be closed, and a bal- loting committee selected. Guest speaker at the meeting on January 18 will be Financial Secretary Jacob Holst, Local 1- 363, Courtenay. An invitation has been extended. by the Fraser Mills Sub-Local for the speaker to address its membership also. Unusual Grievance An unusual grievance arose recently at a local shingle mill, which resulted from the posting of a notice that only a half day’s work would be expected on De- cember 81. At the last moment the man- agement apparently changed its mind, due to neglected fuel re- quirements, and posted a second notice at 2:30 p.m., Dec. 80, stat- ing that the full day would be worked December 31. On such short notice the crew refused to work the full day be- fore New Year’s and eight men were fired. ‘As the company failed to com- ply with the provisions of the Hours of Work Act, reference was made of the grievance to the Board of Industrial Relations. As no precedent existed, the ques- tion has in turn been placed be- fore the Attorney-General’s de- partment, Inexcusable D Failure on the part Company’s representati’ deal promptly with the @ a Conciliation Board has intense indignation amon ployees of Brooks Woodwi Co. Ltd. with a resulting d for a strike vote. The a a wage increase of five ¢| hour and seven paid si holidays, with adjustmen! tegory rates amounting % cents was accepted by thi ployee: bs Bargaining. rep the Company was # lations Bureau, T. R. Watt, with activities the Local Union ing searching enquiries. Holidays Over Many of the plants whiel shut down to permit the. ployees their regular vag period during the Christma days, will resume on Janu: All signs point to a stépj up of production despite widespread propaganda to {I effect that market conditions have been worsening. The Loes Union’s records show numerous appointments of men to the pos tions of foremen for night shi which are now being es! in several of the larger mills, meet production back-logs. — fng, Sore Employers; Warned PORT ALBERNI—Warning statement was recently issued by J. A. Moore, Financial Sec- retary, Local 1-85,.IWA, -with regard to those employers who haye disregarded the terms of the Coast master contract. De- linquent employers have been brought to task, and obliged to make restitution to employees affected as indicated in the following press release. “Throughout this Local Union the employers have been violat- ing the master agreement con- tinually. They have been chang- ing job conditions, hours of work, wages and everything else pertaining to collective bargain- ing without notifying the Plant Committees or the Union. Occasionally the company is caught red-handed in one of their violations and are forced to make restitution. One such case hap- pened in one of our logging op- erations where the company un- derpaid a watchman for a con- siderable length of time. This man has now received $4,330 in back pay which he had been de- prived of by the company officials who are cutting down overhead at the expense of the workérs. I will say, however, that the company didn’t try to chisel or hold back but paid up manfully. The man is employed at Sarita River Division of Macmillan & Bloedel Co. Ltd.” . 8 “Pil bet if I was hurrying toa Chame {° ber of Commerce meeting ii a Union meeting, you'd be ¢ path for me!” misunderstanding, the ar dealing with the “V: Mat” top oiler, printed in December 18th issue of ‘The B.C. Lumber Worker, incorrect. Joe Striefel did not inj the top oiler but with help of two friends various experiments led to their inventing th “Va-Pro-Mat” top which they claim, is a improvement over the origi- nal invention, Ike To Get NEW YORK — President-elect Eisenhower promised Dec. 22 to name a commission “to get all the facts” on the treatment of minority groups. He made the promise to a group of Negro