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‘February 19, 1953

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

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FROM PAGE 3

1952 Officers’ Report

Director; and assisted Interior |
Locals during negotiations when- |
ever help was required by pay-
ing for such help. We also, after
the International Negotiating
Fund had been exhausted, took
over complete responsibility of
publicity, broadcasts, and nego-
tiations in general in the Interior.

Local Union Cooperation

We would like to compliment
Local Union Secretaries, Execu-
tive Boards of the various Locals,
and those who helped handle fi-
nanees during the strike. The
efunds were managed in an excel-
lent manner when we recognize,
with few exceptions, that ail our
Local officials had never had pre-
vious experience in handling fi-
nances during a strike.

The few minor posting of
charges to wrong accounts, the
billing of the Strike Fund for
amounts which should have been
paid by the Local or by the Dis-
trict, were such that could be
easily straightened out; but the
experience gained will do much
to help us in like situations, to
have an even better coordinated
plan.

The District General Fund has
shown a sound position at the
end of the calendar year. How-
ever, it will be necessary for us
to adjust our expenditures in line
with our income which is now
fixed at a per capita basis so that
no future expenditures will ex-
ceed our income.

‘As previously stated in our re-
port, we have put more than
$12,000 into the Interior as out-
right grants. This is only a stop-
gap proposition and the incoming
officers must take under con-
sideration, a review of the whole
Interior structure as it now
stands, and try to work out a
policy which will provide a sound
financial, adminstrative and orga-
nizational structure,

Your Officers feel that the in-
coming Executive Board should
give some consideration as to the
continuance of the present full-
time position of the Chinese
organizer.

Legal Problems
During the past year, we have
had many occasions on which we
had to call upon our legal de-
partment, very capably handled
by our Attorney Alex B. Mac-
donald. Because of the attitude
of the employers being unable to
defeat us on the picket lines,
they have resorted to Court In-
junctions with the purpose in
mind of weakening the Union by
draining its finances.

During the past year, we

have had many examples of
this kind of action—the Tony
Poje case being outstanding in
this regard.
- We have had to fight this
case right through to the Su-
preme Court of Canada and we
should take under advisement,
ways and means of setting up
machinery to destroy this new
form of attack by the Employ-
ers.

During the year, your Officers
presented briefs on Forestry to
the Provincial Government, and
lectured at the University on this
phase of our industry. We also
appeared before the Board of
Industrial Relations on hearings
of setting minimum rates for
various job categories.

Help was given Local Unions
in arbitration cases which
brought about considerable gains
to the membership. Protests
were lodged with the Minister of
Labor, both in writing and verb-
ally, in the matter of the Inter-
national Association of Engineers
(AFL) making application for
certification in sections of our
industry. The Union, throughout

IWA BORE BRUNT

its Locals, participated fully in

the recent signature campaign on

National Health Insurance.
LC.E.T.U.

During the past year, the
ICFTU has been brought promi-
nently to the fore because of the
splendid work they are doing to
assist the unorganized workers
in Europe and Asia. While our
membership has not extended the
amount of financial assistance
which we had wished, we feel
that this was caused by lack of
knowledge of the functions of the
ICFTU.

Recently we have had a visit
from Martin Levinson, Director
of International Affairs of the
Canadian Congress of Labor, who
has placed the policies and pro-
gram of the ICFTU before the
membership. We are happy to
say that more interest is now
shown than at any time during
the past year,

National Policy Conference

During the recent Canadian
Congress of Labor Convention
held in Toronto, the IWA dele-
gates “to this Convention from
Western Canada and Eastern Ca-
nada, held a one-day session, at
which they sat down and dis-
cussed matters affecting the
membership and exchanged ideas
on how to overcome some of their
problems. This is going to be a
regular yearly event and we look
forward with considerable inter-
est to these meetings, as we hope
they will develop a closer under-
Standing and working relation-
ship between our two respective
Canadian sections of the wood-

we had anticipated. This may
or may not have been caused
by placing our demands too
high and the failure to sell
public opinion and in some in-
stances, our members on such
a program. However, across
the board gains were made,
and the drive by the bosses to
cut wages was definitely staved
off. The “hold the line” policy,
adopted by Canadian Manu-
facturers’ Association was
dinted, even though it was only
for a small amount in wage in-
creases and Statutory Holi-
days.

It must be understood that,
being the largest Union, and
being the basic industry of the
province, the whole concentrat-
ed drive of the Manufacturers’
Association would be delivered
at us. This is done because
they believe that if they could
hold our Union; “they could

nizations who work around the
fringe of our Union.

We, therefore, believe that
in the coming years of nego-
tiations, we should develop our
program in a tanner so as to
gain the utmost support from
the membership and the public.
INTERIOR—Interior Negotia-

tions of this year dragged out to
such an extent that were in an
almost untenable position from
the striking point of view. This
was caused by the negotiations
being split by one negotiation in
the north and one in the south;
and having to coordinate and
move the membership as one
solid block.

It was necessary to synchro-
nize these negotiations and that
prolonging was promoted by the
Employer to the point where they

were in a position to actually

lock-out the membership and we
had to sign last year’s contract.
Therefore, we recommend that
in future, the Interior Negotia-
tions not be allowed to drag along
and they be kept on the same
plane as Coast negotiations.

Education :

During the past year, our edu-
cational program, in cooperation
with the Canadian Congress of
Labor Education Department un-
der Brother Howard Conquer-
good, has shown considerable
achievements. Institutes were
held at Kamloops, Kelowna, and
Prince Gedrge. We recently held
a Staff Seminar at Parksville,
and institutes on Vancouver Is-
land in coopération with other
CCL groups, All of these were
outstanding successes.

We would like to express our
appreciation to the International
Union for having placed Brother
Kenney as an Educational Direc-
tor for the International Union
and for the excellent assistance
he has given us in our educa-
tional work.

We believe that we should in-
vestigate the possibility of build-
ing a library and also investigate
the possibility of correspondence
courses for the membership.

During the year, we believe it
will be necessary for us to extend
our audio-visual educational pro-
gram and that more institutes

job for a considerable period,
visiting many operations and
areas throughout the District, in-
vestigating and assessing the
various safety programs and de-
termining the needs of the mem-
bership with regard to on-the-job
safety practices and we recom-
mend to the incoming Officers
that they meet with the Safety
Director as soon as possible and
work out with him, a definite
policy and program designed to
further the interests of our mem-
bers in the protection of life and
|limb in the industry.

B. C. Lumberworker and

Green Gold

B.C. LUMBERWORKER: Dur-
ing the past year, the B.C, Lum-
berworker has operated at a loss
of approximately $2,000. This
was brought about by the cut in
Per Capita because of the Strike,
and the general tightening-up of
advertising.

We have had considerable dif-
ficulty in getting capable car-
toonists for our paper. We are
constantly on the look-out for
persons capable. of expressing
our thoughts in cartoons.

While the Lumberworker has
to the very best of its ability put
forward the needs and program
of our Union, there is plenty of
zoom for improvements. These
improvements can only be de-

;veloped by a fuller participation
easily destroy the small orga-|

of the membership in writing the
happenings in their-camps, what
has developed in negotiations
with their independent operators,
new wage categories which have
been negotiated, human interest
stories and the activity that goes
on in the bunkhouse. If we get

|this kind of support, we will be

able to produce a more interest-
ing paper which will cover the
whole industry,

GREEN GOLD: We are sorry
to report that our sponsor, Dr.
Douglas, has had to discontinue
his support to us, because of a
misunderstanding with the Den-
tal Association, wherein he be-
lieved he had the right to make
donations to assist us in our edu+
cational program. Therefore,
rather than cause any embarrass-
ment to the Association or the
Union, Dr. Douglas withdrew

such support until other arrange-

should be held with an emphasis
on “on the job” education in the
remote areas. Film strips should
also be investigated to see if they
would fill a required need in our
education program. We want to
congratulate the Local Unions
for carrying on the education
programs that they have develop-
ed within themselves, and also
for the assistance extended to
the District in the programs
sponsored by it.

Safety

While our safety program is
one of the most talked about
perhaps in Canada, we do not
believe that we should be satis-
fied with that accomplishment.
We believe it would be necessary
in coming years, to streamline
our program and to get even
fuller participation by the mem-
bership on the job.

The District Officers are happy
to report that we were able to
send two delegates to the Na-
tional Safety Council Conference
and also to the International
Safety Conference. On several
occasions, delegates were sent to
attend conferences in Portland,
Oregon, to the Governor’s State
Safety Conference.

In line with the directive of
the 15th Annual Convention, the
District Office placed a Safety
Director on the District payroll.
He has now been working on the

PUBLIC RELATIONS

ments could be made whereby he
lend ‘his whole-hearted support to
this time, their thanks to Dr.
Douglas for
operation.

During the year, our radio pro-
gram had various commentators.
We believe consideration should
be given to establish as far as
possible, a permanent commen-
tator,

Publicity

gress for some time, the daily
press gave us good coverage for
our press releases and general
matters we wished to place be-
fore the public. We wish to ex-
press our appreciation for their
consideration.

We were also able to work out
a joint ad with the Trades and
Labor Council (AFL) pointing
out the attack of the Manufac-
turers’ Associations as it affected
all Unions, regardless of affilia-
tion. We also used our East In-
dian Lumberworker and our
Chinese Lumberworker to good
advantage during this period and
they proved their worth.

The Time Books, this year, had
to be the sole financial responsi-
bility of the District Council as
the International Union had
spent beyond their budget during
the negotiations, and could not
see their way clear to assist. We
hope that next year, they will be
able to help us in this endeavor.

P.A.C.

During the past year, we have
experienced a political debacle to
say the least. Not knowing
whether we are going to have
any particular political party
strong enough in the provincial
house to form a government.
However, the Social Credit Party
has been able to successfully
emerge with the support of other
parties, and the CCF again be-
ing the official opposition.

‘At the time of writing this re-
port, we must express our dis-
appointment in finding the Social
Credit government in the Speech
from the Throne, did not set out
anything which would develop the
present program of the Labor
Unions for changes to the ICA

hopes he will be again able to
us. The officers wish to express at

his splendid co-

After our strike was in pro-|

Sloan Compensation Hearing
recommendations, proper con-
sideration for the Hospital In-
surance Act changes.

Our membership should keep
a watchful eye to what hap-
pens at this session of legisla-
ture, so they can best guide
their political thinking in fu-
ture that consideration will be
given to the program for which
they have been fighting.

We view with alarm the posi-
tion of the Provincial Govern-
ment in instituting a part-time
Labor Relations Board. The
problems of organized labor in
British Columbia are such that
a full-time Board is essential in
maintaining industrial harmony.
This, in no way, should be mis-
construed to mean that we sanc-
tion the dictatorial powers taken
upon themselves by the previous
Labor Relations Board.

Women’s Auxiliaries

We want to extend our appre-
ciation to the Ladies’ Auxiliaries
of the Local Unions for the ex-
cellent help they gave during the
strike in providing sandwiches,
coffee, and meals when necessary
to maintain the morale of our
workers, This, in no small way,
assisted to bring about the settle-
ment of the strike.

We would also like to thank
them for the excellent job that
is being done in visiting the sick
and injured members of our or-
ganization in the hospitals. Many
kind words have been expressed
by members and non-members of
the organization, for the kindly
words and articles of comfort ex-
tended to them by the Auxil-
jaries.

In conclusion, we would like to
thank the International Officers,
B.C. Federation of Labor, Van-
couver Labor Council, Local
Union Officers, Job Stewards,
Committee Men, Members, Gana-
dian Regional Office, and Staff for
the support they have given your
Officers during the past year. We
hope the same support will be
extended to the incoming Execu-
tive.

DICEY,
ALSBURY
AT 1-85

IWA International 1st Vice- -
President Jim Dicey and Dis-
trict President J. S. Alsbury
were guest speakers at the
Annual Meeting of Local 1-85,
IWA. in Port Alberni, at which
delegates were elected to at=
tend the Wages & Contract
Conference and nominations
made for Local Officers.

Candidates for Office on the
ballot are as follows:

President: Walter Allen and
Alex Cox.

1st Vice-President: John Squire
and Hugh Hamilton.

2nd Vice-President: Tom Bar-
nett and Maurice Corbiel.

Recording Secretary: Len ae
dall (unopposed).

Financial Secretary: Geonee
McKnight and Jack Moore.

Warden: Al Mannix (unop-
posed).

Conductor:
Alex Melvin.

‘Two-year Trustee: Fred Whipp
(unopposed).

Three-year Trustee: Stan Jow-
sey (unopposed).
One-year Trustee: Frank San-
ders and O, Gulbranson,
Wage & Contract Delegates:
Jack Moore, Walter Allen, Tom
Barnett, John Squire, Gil Ingram,
Bob White, Tara’ Singh, Bob
Muir, Alex Cox and George Me-

Adam Knorr and

Act, the implementation of theKnight.

7