Ree B.C. LUMBER WORKER LOCAL 1-71 s LOG OF THE NA Flagship of Local 1-71, IWA, the Loggers’ Navy, has been completing the last leg of a tour of Coast logging camps to promote IWA organization and conduct the vote on the District and Local Union elections. The following account is from the day-to-day entries in the ship’s log, May 7, 1953 Proved It’s Case” : ... ALSBURY yuncement that contract negotiations had deadlocked was first made by IWA President J. Stewart Alsbury when, over the Green Gold radio program, on 30, he stated the reasons which made further bargaining talks futile. Attempts e operators to undercut existing benefits as well as oppose all genuine fact-find- leading to contract improvements had stymied the talks, he stated. He said: Tv “It is my duty, on behalf of the -IWA District Negotiating Com- mittee, to inform all lumber workers in the Coast area, that this afternoon preliminary nego- tiations with the Coast lumber operators deadlocked. The per- sistent refusal of the operators’ ‘Tepresentatives to concede any significant improvement in the contract terms made further dis- dassions quite useless, As stated at the outset by our International Sccretary-Treasur- er, Carl Winn, a settlement was possible during this preliminary stage with mutual good will. The IWA representatives remained at the bargaining table beyond the period specified in the Act, in the belief that genuine bargaining in good faith on both sides would produce a settlement. To date, the operators’ repre- sentatives have shown. no dispo- sition to conclude a bargain that would end the dispute. They en- tered the bargaining talks with the determination to grant their employees nothing. They left the bargaining table this afternoon after renewing an expression of this same determi- nation. By their attitude they have made bargaining to reach a settlement that would be muttal- ly advantageous as remote as ever, IWA Effort Genuine The IWA has never made a more conscientious effort to bar- gain with a reasonable and con- ciliatory attitude. We believed, as we had a right to believe, that our contract demands were es- sential for the welfare of the’ workers represented, We studied all the economic factors relating to the industry, to make certain that our pro- posals could be given application - without hampering the prosperity of the industry, As a matter of fact, we believe that adoption of our proposals would enhance the general pros- perity of the province, and thus indirectly benefit the lumber in- dustry, For these purposes we brought to the bargaining table our In- ternational Research Director, Ed Kenney, a trained economist, who hot only possesses high academic qualifications, but who has had wide experience in labor-manage- ment problems on a national p Seale in the United States. : Patience Exercised We placed the conduct of our bargaining in the hands of our International Secretary-Treasur- er, Carl Winn, who has an inter- national reputation for integ: “skillful and diplomatic concilia- tion, Acting on our behalf, he made a patient and capable effort to negotiate a mutually satisfac- tory settlement with understand- ing and good will. All this effort, good faith, and reasonableness on the part of the Union has been thrown into the diseard by the obstinate attitude taken by the employers which did not attempt to justify with factual evidence, “We Don’t Want To” The one plain fact that ‘emerges at the end of the bar- ing talks is that the employ- simply don’t want to move an in the direction of any con- improvements. Actually, y made proposals which would contract relations, The they give is that they opinion that they cannot as made by the crew members,. Ozzie Matilla and Harry They have failed to realize that the Union is as interested as they are in the economic position of the lumber industry. They have completely disregarded the evi- dence set before them by the Union which placed the Union’s case within practical realization. They would not join with us in the effort to consider all the facts, and develop a solution of our problem on the basis of those facts, They seemed to be ani- mated by the fear that all the facts might be disclosed, for they concealed everything they could conceal. It is difficult to bargain with men who are wilfully blind to everything. but their own selfish interests, They made it still more difficult when they introduced proposals which would lower the living standards of the employ- ees. On a number of points they did so in a manner that could only provoke outraged opposi- tion. Board Increase Proposed For instance, they attempted to negotiate an increase in the board rates for loggers, By so doing, and in plain English, they were proposing a cut in wages for the loggers. Surely they could not expect the Union’s representa- tives to tolerate any such effort to undermine the wage structure in the logging camps. Again they proposed amend- ments to the contract clause deal- ing with statutory holidays which would deprive 95 percent of the loggers ‘of the enjoyment of the existing provision for three sta- tutory holidays. This clause, now in the contract, has proved fairly satisfactory, as far as it goes. They don’t want it to go as far as it goes, They opposed it at the outset, and now they are try- ing to undercut its benefits for their employees. Less for Shingle Mills They proposed that the shingle mill workers who are on piece work rates should accept reduced rates for lower grade shingles. They knew, as we pointed out to them, that a larger percentage of the shingles now being cut are in the lower grades, and that therefore their. proposal was in effect a lowering of wages for the shingle mill workers. In this jit was 228%, Greene. MARCH 30—Beaver Cove. Now that the management has been made to see the light, things are progressing favorably. With Chairman Bob Ross, Secretary Bob Boiverd, and Job Stewards N. Matheson, A. Campbell, L. Carley, B, Masters, R. Pevsise doing a good job of getting the camp organized. Work has now started on the new townsite and rumour has it that the camp will be moved up the hill around the end of the year. It is hoped that these will be better facilities for recreation in the new location. The boys are hoping that at least provisions are being made for a good ball field by the town planning commission. APRIL 1—On reaching Hudson Log, we found that they have closed down and the camp is up for sale, so continued on over to Harvey’s. There are 60 men here at present and as usual a heavy turnover in crew. However, B. Laughlin, M. O’Gorman, T. Llew- ellyn, D. A. Jervise are getting good results in keeping the camp organized. It is expected that the claim will be finished this year. APRIL 2 — Sorn Log, Tribune Channel, is employing 10 men at present and expects a few more in the near future. All here are on check-off and everything is going fine. Here, too, we con- ducted Local and District ballots. We also called in at the Mc- Coskell Camp this evening where a special meeting was held to conduct Local and District bal- lots. There are 40 men here at present and Frank Best is get- ting the Camp well organized. APRIL 3 — Today we came up Kingcome Inlet to Chases Creek. We find that about 12 rig- ging men were. laid off Saturday as they have about two miles of road to punch through before log- ging operations can be resumed. They still have a crew of 12 men on the payroll. they disregarded’ indisputable facts, showing that these workers are at greater disadvantage than before, even though the market for cedar is yielding larger pro- fits than in many years, Market Advantage Obvious They have informed the IWA that their competitive position is so poor that they cannot meet any of our demands. Let us look at their competitive position in relation to the American pro- ducers, Let us remember. that the American operators now pay better than a basic wage of $2.10 an hour as compared to our basic rate of $1.35, plus cost of living bonus of 9 cents an hour, Let us also remember that the Ameri- can market is, at present their best export market, where their only real competitors are the American producers. The B.C. operator pays $15.00 less per M. board feet on stum- age. He pays $7.50 per M. board feet less on water-bourne freight. The labor costs in B,C. are $5.00 per M. board feet less than the labor costs of the American pro- ducer. This gives the B. C. opera- tor a price advantage in the United States market, over the American producer, of better than $25 a M. board feet. Apart from this feature, the Union was able to prove that the labor costs of the B.C. operators have actually decreased since 1945. In that year the labor cost in the sales dollar was represent- ed by 26.7 cents. In 1952, accord- ing to the MacMillan and Bloedel figures, the labor cost in the sales dollar was represented by 20.4 cents or a reduction of 6.3 cents in each sales dollar. Not only are the B.C. opera- tors able to produce with reduced labor costs percentagewise, but value of their production has in- creased as has the volume of their production. The volume of production in British Columbia is up 8.5% in the first quarter of 1958, as compared to the corres- ; APRIL 4—Jennis Bay Logging, Drury Inlet. This camp closed for a week at Xmas and is going ) steady since employing 40 men. The organization is picking up pretty well with M. Tesepocliski, T, Pompu, and A. Trenlonberg on the job, things will be in good hands. APRIL 5—Today we dropped in at Cracroft Timber and had a short talk with the boys. This camp has been open since-Janu- ary and there are 25 men here. Then we headed for Telegraph Mills and this evening we con- ducted Local and District ballots. APRIL 6—Today we went to Pio- neer Timber Co. and saw Pete Rothman, Camp Chairman. Everything is going fine here. They had conducted their own ballots and all Committees are doing a good job. As this was a holiday, in Alert Bay we were unable to get supplies or mail. The propeller shaft needed to be re-aligned so spent the remainder of the day on that. APRIL 7—After fueling up, get- ting our mail and taking on supplies we arrived at Maloney Log, in time to hold a meeting the same evening. This Camp has been open for some. time and there are 22 men here. APRIL 8—Today we had a nice trip across to, Seymour Inlet. We find that pretty well all the camps in this area are running capacity crews. We learned of the unfortunate death, March 12, of Albin Olus, faller, who was almost instantly killed when a sapling, hit by the butt of a falling tree, was knock- ed back over the stump, hitting him on the head and back, His sister, who lives in the State of Washington, was notified by the RCMP. ponding period in 1952. All production value rose from $36.38 per M. Bd. Ft. in 1945 to $120 per M. Bd. Ft. in 1952. The percentage increase in production value between 1945 and 1950 was 98.6% and between 1945 and 1952 SAFE FOR PETTY Local 25, (TLC-AFLI. Local 88 (TLC-AFL), THE VAN Product: of SIX UIONS / *& THE VANCOUVER * PROVINCE IS 100% UNION - PRODUCED BY MEN AND WOMEN WHO BELONG TO ONE OF THESE UNIONS: Vencouver Typographical Union, Lecel 226 (TLC-AFL. Vencouver Printing Precsmen & Assistonts Union, Vancouver Phote-engravers Union, Local 54 (TLC--AFL).) Electrotypera & Stereotypers, Vencouver end Victoris, Vancouver Mailers Union, Lecel 70 (TLC-AFL). 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