, B.C, LUMBER WORKER SUPPORT BILL 46! | By J. STEWART ALSBURY IWA District President Alu trade unionists should lend their support to Bill No. 46, introduced in the B.C. Legislature by Jim Bury, M.L.A., Secretary of the Greater Vancouver and Lower Mainland Labor Council, which, if approved, will grant all workers two weeks’ annual vacations with pay after This effort will undoubtedly be appreciated by all lumber work- ers, for to obtain this concession from the opera- tors through ne- gotiation would most likely re- quire prolonged and difficult bargaining. We all mow that the present two weeks yacation after five years’ service was gained only after consider- able pressure was exercised by our Union. . Practical Reasons There are many practical con- siderations which must appeal to all workers in this regard. The desirability of a longer vacation than one week is obvious. At least two weeks is required to provide a complete change from the monotonous routine of the daily grind, which is so necessary for health and a wholesome out- look on life. The length of a vacation very largely determines the use to which it is put. Although it is true, that for many on low wages, a vacation means little more than one spent in the backyard, two weeks does theoretically at least afford a better opportunity to get away with other members of the family. Better Results With the extra week, more time ean safely be devoted to travel, and the chances of the holiday being ruined by bad weather are reduced. From the standpoint of the employer, I suggest that the small additional cost would be more than offset by the increased efficiency to be gained in produc- tion, resulting from improved morale and better health. Three Weeks Coming That the proposal is not un- reasonable is seen, when we re- alize that many employees have already negotiated, not only the extra week after one year, but three weeks after varying quali- fying periods. A brief survey of collective agreements in this province re- veals that at least 25 unions have one year’s employment. {now negotiated the third week’s | vacation after employment per- | iods ranging from three years to | fifteen years’ employment. Canadian Trends A Department of Labor survey of vacations with pay in Cana- dian manufacturing shows that the trend is in this direction, For instance, 351,182 plant employees, or 45.5% of the entire group surveyed, received three weeks’ vacations with pay after various qualifying periods. Also, 86,457 office employees, or 64.8% of the group survey obtained similar benefits, Altogether, in 1951, 437,859 workers were in receipt of three weeks’ vacation under conditions stipulated in their contracts. It is safe to say that over one-half of the Canadian workers in in- dustry receive better than two weeks’ paid vacations each year. That gives us something to think about in the IWA, and pro- vides excellent reasons for sup- porting the Bury Bill. I suggest that all IWA mem- bers make their views known on this topic to their members in the Legislature. IWA MOURNS OLSON DEATH ‘Officers and members of the Muchalat Sub-Local 1-85, IWA, haye recorded their sincere re- gret at the untimely passing of one of their members, Brother Carl O. Olson, aged 65. The deceased was employed at Muchalat Camp, Tahsis Lumber Go., as dumpman, and oil supply tan. His wife was also employed in the camp lunch room, On Tuesday, February 24, a truck driven by the deceased plunged over the end of the camp wharf. The body has not yet been recovered. The cause of the accident was not apparent. The accidental death of the because of the high regard enter- tained for both Mr. and Mrs. Olson by all their acquaintances. = BEEEE PROVIN Product of SIX UntOnS / *& THE VANCOUVER CE Is 100% brother is regarded as a great, loss by all his fellow-members, | j/ cance to my fellow-members of OFFICERS’ REPORT COMMITTEE recommended approval of the major proposals made by the District Officers in their report. Members of the committee were: Local 1-71, H. Greene; Local 1-80, E, Boulet; Local 1-85, R. White (Secretary); Lgcal 1-118, J. Peace; Local 1-217, A. Shure; Local 1-357, R. Moore (Chairman); Local 1-363, J. Epp; Local 1-367, R. Sinclaire; Local 1-405, A. Schikow- ski; Local 1-417, R. A. Wright; Local 1-423, G. Walker; Local 1-424, J. Sales. “However interested we may} be in the problems on our own doorstep, we cannot allow our- selves to be blinded to the sweep of events in a rapidly changing national and international scene. Because these national and inte national trends shape our affairs in this province in an important degree. I have only recently returned | from Ottawa, where it was my) privilege in company with Harvey | Ladd, IWA Director in Eastern | Canada, to represent the IWA at the meeting of the Executive Council of the Canadian Congress | of Labor, March 4th and 5th. I! also had the pleasure of attend- ing on the occasion when the Ex- ecutive Council met with the Prime Minister and the Federal Cabinet to present the legislative | demands of the organized work- | ers. The experience gave me a further insight into the import- ance of trade union work on the national and international fields, | and I hope in my reports to the Union, here and elsewhere, to convey something of its signifi- the IWA, ICFTU Report An outstanding feature of the sessions of the Council was the report of C. H. Millard, National Director of the United Steelwork- ers, who had just returned from the meeting of the Executive of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions at Brussels, |include representation from 94 national trade union organiza- tions in 70 countries. The total number of workers so represented is 58 million, This, beyond any | shadow of a doubt is the largest organization in the world. This remarkable growth has taken place since 1949, as a re- sult of which world centres of activity have been established from which the trade union ideals of democracy are being projected into those areas where trade unionism is practically. unknown. The nature of this task is re- alized when I say that these areas are peopled by two-thirds of the world’s population. As might be expected, the re- port from the ICFTU was grati- fying to the Canadian section, and immediate plans were made to send four delegates, and four alternates to the next Congress of the ICFTU, to-be held in Stockholm, Sweden, July 4th. The delegates named to date are, CCL. Secretary Donald MacDonald; In- ternational Affairs Department Head, Marty Levinson; and Wil- liam Mahoney, Assistant National Director, United Steelworkers of America. The remaining five will bé.named by the Executive at a later date. Reuther at CCL Turning back to developments on the Canadian Labor front, I UNION - PRODUCED BY MEN AND WOMEN WHO BELONG TO ONE OF Local 25, (TLC-AFL). Vancouver Photo-engravers Local 88 (TLC-AFL). Vancouver Mailers Union, ‘© THESE UNIONS: Vancouver Typographical Union, Local 226 (TLC-AFL), Vancouver Printing Pressmen & Assistants Union, Electrotypers & Stereotypers, Vancouver and Victoria, Vancouver Newspoper Guild, Local 207 CCL UVER Union, Local 54 (TLC--AFL).) Lecat 70 (TLC-AFL). PROVINCE Belgium. He stressed the fact that the ICFTU is now playing a vital role in world affairs, This fact is now being more generally recognized by the workers in the democracies, and it was with en- thusiasm that he described the in- creasing volume of financial sup- port which is forthcoming from all quarters. . The fund to provide educational advantages for trade unionists in East Asia, and support the ICFTU college at Calcutta, India, is meeting with a growing and more generous backing, and is proving to be a potent influence for democracy in that section of the world. International Scope This close contact with the ICFTU brings home more clearly the tremendous extent of this world movement of the workers. The ICFTU has now grown to am pleased to anonunce our close ties with the CIO in the United | States will be strengthened by | arrangements which will bring | Walter Reuther, CIO President, to the convention of the Canadian Congress of Labor to be held in Montreal next September, In two important aspects the Executive Council acted to pro- mote the welfare of the workers in our own country. On one hand, it took the necessary steps to develop stronger organization, mainly by a more intensive effort to organize the unorganized. It also gave close attention to the preparation of legislative pyro- posals for submission to the Fed- eral Government, and designed to yaise our standards of social security. New Organization Dept. The Congress has now estab- lished a new department of Or- ganization, which will be conduct- CCL CHECKS BILL 93 . . HODGSON Action to secure amendments to Bill 93, An Act to | ed under the direction. of a new- Amend the Criminal Code, was launched by the Canadian ;1y-appointed Organization Com- Congress of Labor at the recent Executive Council meet- | mittee. Chairman of this Com- ing in Ottawa, that the rights of organized labor may be! fully protected, it was reported by District 2nd Vice- President S. M. Hodgson, speaking on the Green Gold radio program. March 12. He said in part: mittee is Secretary Donald Mac- Donald, and the Secretary is Lar- ry Sefton of the United Steel- workers, Toronto. Joe MacKenzie, formerly of the | United Rubber Workers, has been appointed Director of the New department, I was informed that he is now making preparations for an extended tour of the Do- | minion. This will, it is antici- pated, bring him to British Co- lumbia during the month of April next, Bill 93 Apart from consideration of the general legislative program, which the Congress Executive ; Council discussed with the Cabi- ‘net, a great deal of attention was given to a submission to a Spe- cial Committee of the House of Commons with regard to Bill 93. This is the Bilk which originated in the Senate, then: named Bill H-8 or later Bill H-O, and which contemplates far-reaching |amendments to the Criminal Code. The provisions of the draft bill had been carefully analyzed for the Council by the Research De- partment of the Congress, and the brief which went before the House of Commons Committee was described by political obsery- ers as the best yet prepared on the subject. Our concern with regard to the Bill is that provisions intended for the security of the nation should not deprive any citizen of existing civil rights. The Con- gress also strongly protested the wording of various sections which might easily be construed as en- abling severe penalties upon trade unions engaging in strike activities. The Council urged ‘the House of Commons to include an addi- tional provision which would zead, and I quote: ‘Nothing con- tained in this section shall be deemed to affect any breach of a collective agreement resulting from a dispute between an em- ployer and a bargaining agent on behalf of a group of employees.’ Further protection, than pro- vided in the Bill, was also urged with regard to peaceful picket- ing. I ecamnot give all the details of this submission on this pro- gram, but I may assure trade union members that the Congress is fully aware of the dangers of the Bill and has taken construc- tive steps to secure necessary amendments.