5, 1953

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

THE OUTLOOK

By J. STEWART ALSBURY
IWA District President

‘THE approaching Annual District Convention will provide IWA

members in British Columbia with the democratic right to
review the accomplishments of the past year, and plan, in the
light of that experience, progress for the year ahead. Whatever
has been taught by past experience, should be brought into play
to guide more successful endeavor in the future.

Our union has
made important
.gains during the
past year, which
may now be capi-
talized uponin
planning an ad-
vance for 1953.
This is not to say
that anyone
claims 100% ful-
fillment of our desires. Hindsight
is always more acute than fore-
sight. The over-all perspective,
however, discloses that the gains
made were as substantial as our
circumstances and strength made
possible.

Position Sound

It is of great importance to

note that the position of the [WA
is sound, from the standpoint of
membership growth and financial
strength. A bitter and costly in-
dustrial struggle did not succeed,
as our opponents had hoped, in
wrecking the Union, On the con-
trary, the morale of the member-
ship has never been higher, and
the ties which bind all sections
of the lumber workers into one
organization have been firmly
cemented.
. This asset, of priceless value to
a trade union, has been conserv-
ed, and can be utilized fully, as
we enter this year’s fight for
better wages and working con-
ditions.

We gained substantial im-
provements in the terms of the
master contract. These were not
as great as we had hoped, never-
theless they worked an import-
ant measure of benefit to our
members. When we add last
year’s gains to those which have
been secured since 1946, the
fighting record of the Union re-
quires no apology.

Total Gains

One fact stands out clearly.
These gains would not have been
made, had it not been for the
IWA. The increase of the base
rate from 6734 cents an hour to
$1.85 during that period is a
measure of the gains made—
made only by dint of determined
struggle,

Last year we were confronted
by more highly organized resist:
ance from the employers than at
any previous time in the history
of the Union. Rather than cen-
sure ourselves for less notable
achievement than in previous
years, we should take note of the
inereased opposition, to our aims.

Resistance Intensifying

We know now that the pro-
gress to be made in the next con-
tract year will be in proportion
to the degree in which we
strengthen the fighting ability of
the IWA,

In many important respects
our position has been consolidat-
ed-in preparation for renewed
endeavor. Organization has been
improved to a much higher stand-
ard of strength and efficiency.

Other Gains
~ Education has played a vastly
more important part in the last
year, with the result that the
IWA ean fight with a more en-
|, and therefore more
competent, rank and file soli-
darity,

The IWA has made important
~strides in the exercise of its
Political influence. This will en-
_ able us to demand more effec-

benefits for our members.

Preparation Period

It stands to- the credit of the
IWA, that faithful support of a
safety program in the industry
has greatly reduced the accident
frequency rate. This. attention to
one of the major functions of our
Union cannot fail to win increas-
ing confidence.

We may regard the past year
as a period of necessary prepara-
tion for a more determined strug-
gle this year.

If we maintain unity of orga-
nization, and plan our strategy
with wisdom, we will find our-
selves within striking distance of
our objectives for 1953.

Jobs Grow
Scarcer

OTTAWA (CPA)—Unemploy-
ment in Canada rocketed up to a
figure of 237,200 during the
month of December last year ac-
cording to figures released by
the Dominion Bureau of Statis-
tics.

Applications for work had in-
creased by 57,800 from Novem-
ber 22 to the figure of more than
237,000 recorded at December 18.
All provinces suffered increased
unemployment, but compared
with December 1951, there were
18,000 less applications in On-
tario, while the Atlantic region
registered an increase of 6,700.

Out of the total labor force of
5,276,000 more than 30,000 work-
ers were on short time during the
week of December 13, while
another 204,000 lost time because
of bad weather, temporary lay-
off, industrial disputes, sickness,
vacations and other reasons.

F.E.P.A. COMING

OTTAWA (CPA)—As a res-
sult of pressure by the opposi-
tion, the government is likely
to introduce a Fair Employ-
ment Practices Act during the
present session of Parliament.

Following upon the recent
order-in-council calling for the
insertion of: non-discrimination
clauses in government con-
tracts, the proposed Act would
outlaw discrimination in em-
ployment and union member-
ship.

CHECK-OFF
URGED
IN HOUSE

OTTAWA (CPA)—Introduc-
ing a resolution calling for a
revocable check-off of union
dues, Stanley Knowles (CCF,
Winnipeg North Centre) said
it was a minimum form of
union security only and was
already in effect in the labor
codes of a number of proy-
inces.

Mr. Knowles said that if his
resolution became law it would
mean that where a union re-
quested the check-off, “the com-
pany is required to deduct from
the pay of employees their trade
union dues, and pay them over
to the union, but only in the cases
of individual employees who in-
dicate in writing that it is their
desire that it be done. In addi-
tion to that provision, it is stipu-
lated that after any person has
directed that his dues be checked
off in that way he can, at a later
date, revoke that decision if he
wishes to do so.”

Specious Argument

Mx. Knowles said that the Rail-
way Association of Canada, had
ih the past put up the “rather
specious argument” against this
measure on the grounds that it
would involve considerable book-
keeping, although employers al-
yeady made many other deduc-
tions at the request of their
employees.

The resolution was not put to
the vote as Liberal members
“talked it out” until private mem-

hers’ time had expired.

JOE MORRIS

“Unions Have Vital
Community Role”

‘Concluding address at the final luncheon of the IWA-
CCL Staff Seminar at Parksville, January 24, was made
by District 1st Vice-President Joe Morris, in his capacity
as Chairman of Arrangements. Summarizing highlights
of discussions during the week, he stressed labor’s role
in the community. In part, he said:

“This last week we have con-
ducted a Seminar whose purpose
was by means of intensive edu-
cation to fit us for the role which
we must play in the organization
and development of the Trade
Union Movement within the in-
dustrial sphere but there is an-
other phase of education, which,
in my opinion, should also be
taught at Seminars of this type
and that is Community Relations.

Unions Have Influence

Labor Organizations, while
they usually are composed of a
major part of the community and
exert a tremendous force on the
economic security of the com-
munity, very seldom pay much
attention to the general social
and educational efforts of that
community.

I believe that in order to gain
our rightful place in the com-
munity, we, as workers, and
members of the Trade Union
should see to it that we pull our
weight in community efforts and
most important of all that we
participate in group endeavors
such as P-TA, Fraternal Organi-
zations, Blood Donor Drives,
Civie Government, School Boards,
Co-operatives, Credit Unions, and
other worthwhile community en-
deavors.

We must see that our Trade
Unions receive the same rights
and privileges that are accorded
to other community groups.

Education Pays

Through education, we must
train our people to interpret the
unions’ aims and objectives and
formulate them into the kind of
language that can be used to im-
press upon the community the
honesty of the Unions’ program.

We should impress upon the
community at large why they
should be anxious, rather than
hesitant to have labor as such,

ipate in community affai

‘We have made a real contri-
bution to the building of our
communities in the past and we
can do so in the future. We
must make the community
aware of the contributions that
we make in a material way in
the form of purchasing power
and, more important, in the
goods and services that we as
trade unionists contribute to
the good things in life that we
enjoy.

Community Responsibilities

We must, by education, pro-
vide our membership with the
necessary information to enable
them to get across to the com-
munity our message and even
more important, to place in their
minds the facts that will destroy
the distrust that the community
has of Trade Unions in general.
The dictionary defines a com-
munity as ‘a body of persons hay-
ing the same interests and privi-
leges, living in the same locality
and under the same laws.’

This is a true definition. The
most important part is that por-
tion which states that they have
common interests and privileges.
Were it not so, there would be
no reason for the community to
exist, So, in order for us both
as individuals and as members of
the labor movement to take our
rightful place in the community,
we must, out of necessity encour-
age participation in community
activities and train some of our
people to become community
leaders.

And in conclusion, I would urge
that in order'to broaden the per-
spectives of the labor movement
and in order for our membership
to realize their proper place in
the social structure of the com-
munity and the country, that we,
as trade unionists, participate
when, and wherever possible in
all worthwhile community en-

. |deavors,””

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°

LiMiTED