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B.C. LUMBER WORKER

April 2, 1953

MILLARD

VISITS

JAMAICAN UNION

f By MORDEN LAZARUS

Aid to backward countries by the organized labor
movement will be carried one step further if the general
objectives, which promoted a visit by C. H. Millard to

Jamaica, materialize.

In an interview a few days be-
fore he took the plane to this
British West Indies island, Mr.
Millard said that, in co-operation
with the International Confedera-
tion of Free Trade Unions, the
Steelworkers’ Union, of which
Millard is Canadian director, hop-
ed to be able to give the National
Union of Bauxite Workers in
Jamaica the benefit of his union’s
experience.

Their long-term objective is to
raise the living standards of the
Jamaican workers in line with
the standards of workers in
Canada,

Bauxite Workers’ Welfare

The Steelworkers’ Union has a
natural interest in the welfare of
the B,W.I. bauxite workers. The
bauxite mines, which produce
aluminum ore, are operated by
the Kaiser, Reynolds and Alumi-
num Co, All of the companies
have contracts with the Steel
Union. Substandard wages in
their Jamaican operations can af-
fect wage standards elsewhere.

And bauxite workers’ wages
are extremely low, running
around 20 cents an hour. Steel-
workers’ advice has already got
an offer of a substantial increase
from the companies. If this offer
is contracted, it will mean an
almost revolutionary increase by
Jamaican standards.

Jamaican Ore to B.C.

All Canada has an interest in

the working conditions in the
bauxite minés. Much, if not most,
of the treated aluminum ore will
be shipped to the new Alcan plant
being built at Kitimat, B.C. In-
directly, Canadian workers at
Kitimat will be competing in the
wage market with bauxite work-
ers in Jamaica ... dollars an hour
against pennies an hour.

But Millard’s motives in his
Jamaican trip have nothing to do
with his union’s operations in
Canada, He is going to act ina
purely advisory capacity to the
National Union of Bauxite Work-
ers to help them to get the best
deal they can out of the Big
Three aluminum companies.

Recent Policy

“My visit stems from the policy
enunciated by the Steelworkers’
president, David J. MacDonald,
who said in his recent inaugural
speech that we will extend prac-
tical aid to the bauxite workers
of Jamaica by way of research
work and assistance in negotia-
tions.”

Mr. Millard made it clear that
the Steelworkers’ concern stems
directly from an invitation ex-
tended by the National Union of
Bauxite Workers.

There are now about 1200
workers involved but the opera-
tions planned are so extensive
that this number may be quad-
rupled before long.

GRAIN WORKERS ON STRIKE

were $82.60 better off when the IWA

delegates ot the Wages and Contract Conference passed the hat. Above,
Ed Linder (left) with Lloyd Whalen present the proceeds of the collection

April 10th,

> Publicotion date of the next issue of the B.C, LUMBER WORKER
is April 16th, Deadline for ad copy is April 9th and for news copy

to President Bert Martin, Local 333, and Canadian Director Ed Sims
{Right) of the International Grain Workers.

——

BC LuncestWornen

Representing the Organized Loggers and Mill Werkers of B.Ce
PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY, BY

INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO-CCL)
B.C. DISTRICT COUNCIL No. 1. eS

DISTRICT OFFICERS:

. George H. Mitchell
sammnnimene William N, Gray

Address all communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-reasurer
45 Kingsway - Phone FAirmont 8807-8
ere ‘Vancouver, B.C.
’ Subsoription Rates..........§1.50 per annum
Advertising Representative... A. Spencer

i as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa

Illustrated is the Cruiser’s
Stag of pure virgin wool
in mackinaw or kersey.
Mackinaw plaids are either
red and black; green and
black, or blue and black.

or favorite dealer.

Notice the four large pockets in front, and the large
pack pocket in back, which opens at both sides... a
feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments.

These are two of the many designs of “Pioneer
Brand” clothing obtainable from your commissary

Made in Vancouver, B. C., by Jones Tent & Awning
Ltd., they are designed through careful study of the
needs and desires of B.C. workmen.

LOOK
~ FOR THE
NAME

FOR WORK CLOTHING

OF

UNSTINTED MATERIALS
DESIGN and :

WORKMANSHIP

Equality
Statute
Broken

HAMILTON, Ont. — A com-
plaint against an employer alleg-
ing discrimination against women
employees in contravention of the
Ontario Equal Pay for Equal
Work Act has been lodged with
the Ontario Department of Labor
by the Ceramic Workers’ Union.

This is believed to be the first
official complaint brought. for-
ward under the “Equal Pay” Act
since it was passed by the pro-
vincial government in 1951.

Local 203 of the National
Union of Vitric and Ceramic
Workers (CCL) lodged a com-
plaint against Dominion Glass
Co. Ltd. of Hamilton claiming
that a number of women are be-

ing paid 17 cents an hour less;

than men doing the same work in
the same plant.

Ontario and Saskatchewan are
the only two provinces which
have written “Equal Pay” acts
into theix labor laws. The Sas-
katchewan Legislature passed its
“Equal Pay for Equal Work” bill
during last year.

CORDIALE
ENTENTE

LONDON, Eng.— Solidarity
of the International labor
movement recently helped Brit-
ish workers, most of them
women, who have been on
strike for nearly ten months at
a Weybridge, Surrey, lamp
works.

The dispute arose when the
company declared 28 workers re-
dundant immediately following
the signing of an agreement with
two trade unions concerned. ©

In support of the strike, work-
ers at the British Oxygen Co.,

held up the delivery of argon gas |

used in lamp manufacture. How-
ever, the company was still ob-
taining supplies of gas from
France, ‘

The British unions involved in
the dispute contacted the French
Chemical Workers’ Union who
took action.

The French union, expressing
solidarity with their British fel-
low-workers, expressed the hope
that the “lady-strikers” would be

NO FOOTSIE

WASHINGTON — In its first
such decision, the National Labor
Relations Board has ruled that a
union may strike against an em-
ployer’s unfair labor practices
despite a no-strike clause in its
contract or the 60-day limitation
in the Taft-Hartley act. The rul-
ing came in the case of the AFL
Carpenters against two New
York firms which had played
footsie with a rival union.

5-Year Contract

Displeases

DETROIT — The CIO United
Auto Workers got General Mo-
tors to agree to revise their five-
| year contract and even to make
| some specific offers, but the union
found the offers unsatisfactory
and talks were broken off. Chief
barrier was the deadlock over
translating the BLS cost of liy-
ing index from the old to the new.

uw

BANKING BY MAIL

The safe way to save
your money is to put it
in a bank. You can do
this best through any
of the branches of the
Canadian Bank: of
Commerce in British
Columbia. Get some
Banking by Mail forms
before you leave town,
or write for a supply to
your nearest branch of
the Commerce.

BANKING BY MAIL is convenient, easy to do.

See for yourself—today.

THE CAN.

IAN BANK

OF COMMERCE

80 Branches in British Columbia