" agreement then reached. In each BC. = LUMBER WORKER SIDENT’'S COLUMN COUNTER ACTION By J. STEWART ALSBURY if IWA District President, _ JN the Union’s fight to protect the contract rates for fallers and buckers, we have been brought into direct contact with the employers’ usual attitude when they are confronted with the necessity of bargaining. The general move to cut prices on the quarters is another clue to their determination to “hold the wage line”. At this time I Meal asé Giruke ‘The Union has taken up this ae teed SA da fight because all of us ordered it tail. From sev- to do so, Wishful thinking won’t deal quarters. we win the fight. We'll win the fight, have been in- only as we fight as a Union. This formed that long- means that each one of us must established rates put all we’ve got into the fight. for fallers and Act on Facts buckers have We must act on the facts as been slashed. The i made known to us through the Union, and not from the em- ployers. On the job, and off the job, we must try to convince everyone concerned that a better contract is a good thing for us and for the province. I must have enthusiastic de- termination to see this fight through. I must infect my fef- lows with the same spirit. As this spirit spreads to all the lum- ber workers, and is expressed in action, our organized force can be made so effective through the Union that we'll win the fight we want to win. Health Plan Okayed WASHINGTON — The Unit- ed States Republican admini- stration recently issued a re- port calling for the introduc- tion of a national health insur- ance plan that it is unlikely to put into effect. The report said that “a nation- express the will and the needs of | Wide system of medical care in- surance. is the most effective and the lumber workers. These needs | A 5 and this will were made known economical method of removing through the democratic processes | ‘he barrier of prompt and ade- EAMES. quate medical eare for the whole Every lumber worker must be population... as convinced as I am, that the| _, Republicans Opposed _ contract demands this year are| , Prepared by Social Security Just and yeasonable, fom the | Administrator A, J. Altmeyer for standpoint of the workers’ needs, | the Truman administration the This conviction, which we hold in| *eport was ready last October. common, must be pressed to the | However, the government Print- ing Office did not release the oint where it bi it 4 See ease aacomnpubrmntili etter Eisenhower Cl le Peas had taken office. This put the Republicans in the position of issuing a report calling for a measure to which they are strongly opposed. ‘Among the other social secur- ity measures called for in the report was protection for work- ers shifting from jobs covered by one retirement system to another. IWA has taken the proper course by appealing to Chief Justice Sloan, who stipulated last sum- mer that the settlement formula should maintain conditions then in force, by reason of custom. Barefaced Violation The attempt to cut the contract prices for fallers and buckers is a barefaced violation of the instance, the obvious injustice of the cut, without good reason, has met with outright protest on the part of the cutting crews. If the employers choose to disregard an agreement, they have no case in demanding that the workers sub- mit tamely to a broken agree- ment, This leads to consideration of the fact that our ability to police a@ contract is linked with our ability to secure a better con- tract. In each instance, the strength to accomplish our ends rests on the will of those who are working under the contract. Bargaining Needs At this time, our negotiators are facing the operators across the bargaining table. Our repre- sentatives are presenting de- mands which are backed by the conviction that these demands Wrong Influence The employers are busy at the present moment in trying to talk the “ordinary Joe” out of this conviction, The man on the job is being worked on in many subtle ways to accept the belief that the lumber markets are gone; that profits and prices have fallen ruinously; and that the LOCAL 1-71 LOG OF THE “NAVY” Most unique method of trade union organization is found in the use made of the Loggers’ Navy, flagship of Local 1-71, IWA. A vivid picture of the activities con- ducted from this floating organization centre is given this week by the crew members, Ozzie Matilla and Harry Green, as they log each day’s events during a week which took them into remote logging camps. An unexpurgated edition of the log reads as follows: MARCH 23 — Well, we got the new motor installed. It took some doing but it’s a “beaut” and should give us years of trouble- free service. We are still at the breaking-in stage and are giving it the kid glove treatment. We left Vancouver today and headed for the Jervis Inlet area. MARCH 24 — Coast Industries, St. Vincent’s Bay, is employing nine men, all of whom are on the check-off with Red Nicholson, Jack Higginson, Bob Francis, and Johnny Knudsen keeping the union affairs up in high gear. MARCH 25—We headed over to L. & M. Logging. They are employing 20 men, having opened about a week ago. This camp is coming along pretty good. We expect it will be 100% next time we call. Ronney Riley and Bill Sarcocky are committee men there. Dropped in at Osborne Logging in the evening. They have a full crew of about 47 men. The turnout there wasn’t so good, It apparently is very much to the interest of certain employees to keep the union out of that opera- tion. As we are trying to hit as many camps as possible with the union ballots, there just wasn’t time to devote to this camp. MARCH 26 — Today we headed up the inlet to take in Gustav- son’s and Burkes. Gustavson’s have 41 men working at present. The Camp Committee, consisting of Travn Wuser, Tom Higginson and Verne Granholm. They are getting the camp nicely organiz- ed again after the winter shut- down, All committees are up to scratch and functioning. Burke Lumber has 35 men on the pay roll. They opened up about three weeks ago. This Sub- Local was in poor shape but with brothers Joe Sturum and Steve Lymn on the job this state of af- fairs won’t last long. Britain River and Vancouver Bay are operating. We did not stop at these camps this trip as the camp committees are going full swing and have had ballots mailed to them. MARCH 27—Forbes Bay opened ; up some time ago. There are 40 men here at present. It was necessary to get the check-off going again as very few of the old crew returned. Blacky Shir- outlook for production is such that no wage increase can pos- sibly be granted, The success of the negotiations, which the lumber workers them- selves have ordered, depends on whether they can be influenced by the employers in this way. The Union will not be talked out of its case, We have enter- ed negotiations with the firm conviction that our case is sound, and that it must be accepted. ‘The Union is not separate from the individual members—it is the sum total of all the IWA mem- bers. It follows that the attitude instructed for the negotiators must also be the attitude of the general membership. HEAD’S Champion of All Lightweight LIGHT CRUISER Caulked Boots © Featuring High Carbon Steel Oil Tempered Boot Caulks FOR SURE GRIP No Wishful Thinking There'll be no weakening of Another Favorite . .. HEAD’S famous “SAFETY TOE BOOTS” for Mill Workers Ww. J. HEAD BOOT 21 East Hastings St. (PA, 4844) “HEADS YOU WIN” FACTORY LIMITED Vancouver, B,C. ley is Camp Chairman and with J. Tellin and J. McQuarrie on the job with him things will pick up in short order. Homfray Creek is still closed and indication is it will remain so for some time to come. MARCH 28 — Had to do some “monkey wrenching” on the new Cummins this morning and was a bit late shoving off. Ar- rived at Tekearne Arm shortly after noon. There are only five employees here at present so left ballots with Secretary Ray Ward and Job Steward Jim Steeves. Full crew expected around May Ast. 3 While waiting for the tide at the Rapids, took on fuel at Stuart Island and had a “Mug up”. We were a bit late arriving at Lough- borough Inlet. George River Log- ging is not yet in operation. However the Cook J. Eckter is staying in Camp as are R. Motti- | shaw, Carl Girslin who have been | active on committees here in the | past. Full crew expected in about | two weeks, Booth Logging is in full swing and opened a month ago. 95 men on the payroll. Camp is in good shape. Held their regular meet- ing last week and conducted the local ballot. We arrived too late to have a meeting. Saw the Camp Committee and found things to be in good shape with Chairman David Ward and Sec- retary Dave MacKay ably as- sisted by Alfred Penner and Ian Pringle doing a good job. Dave |’ MacKay is an old timer and has done a good job all along. His Quarters in camp are very popu- lar with the boys as Dave keeps a library free to all and has an astonishing number of books and magazines of all kinds. If Dave’s collection of books grows any more we fear he will have to give up his bunk to make room for them. MARCH 29 — Today we held a meeting at Western Logging. They opened a couple of weeks ago. 52 men here- at present. Held a meeting and got check~ offs started again. Some old hands returned. W. Stevens, T. Morrison, P. Hodgins, G. Roy and F, Lindquist are taking hold and doing a good job of getting the boys on the check-off and all committees going. MARCH 29—This evening drop- ped in at U.S. & B. There are 10 married families here and 5 men in bunkhouse. They start work tomorrow morning. MARCH 29—Held a meeting at Cutter Creek. tonight. This camp has been open ‘some time. Last week they laid off a cold deck crew and the fallers. Only 25 men are here at present, Ben O’Donnell, and Cris Arnet are getting things in shape around here. 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