n forthcoming federal vote.
Convenient Arrangement
"The voluntary revocable check-
ff was described as “the least
mtentious form of union secur-
the CCL pointed out in its
brief to the parliamentary com-

It constituted merely a con-
‘venient arrangement by which
the employer deducted union dues
from the employee’s pay and re-
mitted them to the union. The
provision applied only to union
members and was on an entirely
voluntary arrangement revocable

at any time.

-No Compulsion

“Jt does not force anyone to
join the union, or stay in the
union, or pay dues to the union,
or do anything else,” the memor-
andum said. “At most it tends to
keep a union member in good
standing.

‘So far as the employer is con-
cerned, it is an indication that he
respects the wish of his employ-
ees to have such a deduction
made from their pay, and an ex-
pression of goodwill toward the
union itself.

“What reason can the employer
have against this kind of check-
off, except a wish to frustrate the
union and make its existence
more precarious ?”

. Employers’ Idea
There was nothing peculiar
about the principle of the check-
off, the brief pointed out. De-
ductions from employees’ pay
had first been introduced by em-
ployers as a means of collecting
for purchases made in company
stores,

It was now general practice to
make deductions for income tax
and unemployment insurance as
well as for such purposes as hos-
pital and medical insurance, sav-
ing bonds, and charitable dona-
tions. The Canadian National
Railways checks off 60 to 170
items.

Practice General

Submitting figures to illustrate
growth of the practice of check-
ing off union dues the memoran-
dum cited a federal government
survey made in 1953 and cover-
ing 564 contracts affecting 343,-
100 employees, Of these 407 con-
tracts covering 288,600 had some
form of check-off.

Legislation governing the
check-off, along lines similar to
that in the bill now under con-
sideration, were already in effect

principle of inserting a check-off clause in federal labor law, |
by the CCL, has been accepted by a parliamentary com-

the committee’s approval came too late to have legisla-
d at the recent session of parliament this action paves the

e of an act at the next session. Such action will, of
‘be dependent on the sympathies of the government elected

in six provinces—Newfoundland,
Prince Edward Island, Nova Sco-
tia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and
British Columbia.

“Surely if unions are an ac-
cepted part of our society, as'|
they are, and-if they are accord-
ed legal protection in regard to
their collecitve bargaining func-
tion, as is the case in every prov-
ince, and the Dominion as a
whole, there should be no con-
troversy about their being grant-
ed the meagre additional status
which this bill sets out,” the CCL
said.

He’s so dumb he thinks he’s
getting stronger because it’s
much easier than it used to be for
him to carry $5.00 worth of gro-
ceries.

STANDARD COAT
Note the “tailored” de-
sign, giving maximum
comfort and freedom; the
cape and sleeves all’ one

jiece, and seams oaly un-
jer-arm. Note also the
more generous use of ma-
terials with interlining
away down at back. (Also
made without interlin-
ing.)

STANDARD PANTS.

Sec the extra depth of
double thickness, front
and back, and interlining
down entire front. Lots
of pockets, é too, "(Also
made without interlin-
ing.)

THE THINGS YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR IN

CANVAS RAINWEAR

YOU WILL FIND IN

~ REGISTERED

\ HAT

You will find that it is
substantial and water re-
pellent . . . a real hat
- but. soft, pliable,
aad fight io weight.
BUY ONLY GENUINE
“PIONEER BRAND”

“DRY-BAK”’

From Your Local Dealer or Commissary .t¢pe!lent poplin.)
IT IS MADE IN VANCOUVER, B.C., BY JONES TENT & AWNING LTD.

CRUISER’S COAT
Notice how it is moulded
to fit with comfort and

freedom. Double thick-
ness over shoulders,
chest,, back and sleeves;

Look’at the four roomy
outside pockets and pen-
cil pocket., and see the
inside breast map pocket,
then look at the back and
see the large pack pocket
with openings both sides.
(This design of coat
comes in featherweight
olive drab water repellent
poplin, too.)

FALLER’S SHIRT
‘The fallers’ and buckers’
shire is an original “Pio-
eee Brand” design, built
to give full freedom with
extta protection where
needed, and with extra
Jong skirt at back. (This
comes in olive drab

featherweight water-

SEE

Jamaica Muzzles

Millard’s Speech

A testrictive order banning public or private discussion of trade
union matters or participation in negotiations aimed at strike settle-
ment was handed C. H. Millard, CCL vice-president and Canadian

director of the United Steelworkers,

on his recent arrival at the Kings-

ton, Jamaica, airport. Millard went to Jamaica to assist the striking
Bauxite local of the National Union of Workers, Jamaica, whose
basic rates run as low as 20 cents an hour.

4-Day Ban

The ban, which lasted four
days, was lifted following the
CCL vice-president’s protest to
the Colonial Secretary of the
Island. Millard-then spoke to a
meeting of miners on strike at
the Shooters’ Hill holding of
Alumina Ltd., a subsidiary and
supplier of the Aluminum Co. of
Canada.

Millard stated on his return to
Canada that he would protest to
the Canadian and British govern-
ments the conditions imposed on
him by the restrictive order
handed him in Jamaica.

Company Orders

“{ have good reason to be-
lieve,” he charged, “that despite
the acceptance of full responsi-
bility by the Colonial Affairs
Secretary on the island, the police
ban was sponsored before my ar-
rival by the Aluminum Company
of Canada and other vested in-
terests to maintain prevailing de-
pressed wage standards.”

A spokesman for Aluminum

May 29th.

Publication date of the next issue of the B.C, LUMBER WORKER
is June 4th. Deadline for ad copy is May 28th and for news copy

President
Ist V
2nd V
Ard Vice-President

ret
— International Board Member

Subscription Rates.

AaVertising Representative.
‘as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa

Repreienting the Organized Leggert.end Mill
PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY BY
= INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (C1O-CCL)
ThE. DISTHICT COUNCIL No.
. DISTRICT OFFICERS

Address «ll communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer
45 Kingsway - Phone FAirmont 8807-8
‘Vancouver, B. C.

Workers of B.C.

<=>

«. Joe Morris
William N. Gray
t M. Hodgson
. Fred Fieber
eH, Mitchell
. William N. Gray

1,50 per annum
-@, A. Spencer

Ltd, at Montreal, parent com-
pany of the Jamaica branch, in-
sisted that any interference en-
countered by Millard was not due
to any action of the firm. The
official said that the company had
no knowledge of the union lead-
er’s visit to Jamaica.

The opposition to paying the
Jamaican workers more than 19
cents an hour comes from two
sources, Millard said. The first is
the corporations that keep wages
low to keep profits high. The sec-
ond is the sugar plantation own-
exs who have a vested interest
in the island’s agrarian economy.

The Steel Union has already
made a contribution of $3,000 to
the Shooters’ Hill strikers who
are presently receiving a rate of
19 cents an hour in comparison
with $1:46 for similar work per-
formed in the United States.

Appalling Poverty

The Jamaicans are an able and
industrious people, living in ap-
palling conditions of destitution,

|“A change must come to Ja-

maica,” he asserted. “During the
war thousands of these people
were taken to the U.S, to aleviate
the manpower shortage. There
they learned that there is a bet-
ter way to live, and will not now
be satisfied with the depressed
living to which they are sub-
jected.” i

“There is a widespread desire
in all sections of Jamaica for

closer relations" with Canada,’”"

Millard said. “It must be remem-
bered that Jamaicam workers are
British citizens living closer to
Toronto than workers on the
West Coast of Canada.”

Much: of the treated aluminum
ore treated at the Jamaican
bauxite mines will be shipped to
the new Alcan plant being built
at Kitimat, B.C. Indirectly, Ca-
nadian workers at Kitimat will
be competing in the wage market
with bauxite workers in Jamaica
... dollars an hour against pen-
nies an hour.

OTTAWA — More than three
dollars out of every hundred
spent by Canadians during 1950
went on medical. care, Stanley
Knowles (CCF Winnipeg North
Centre) was told in the Commons
this week.

Although no accurate estimate
of how much the average Cana-
dian spends on health care was
available it is certain to be higher
than three percent of his income.

The three percent figure repre-
sents only those medical expenses
which are allowable under the

HEALTH CARE COSTLY

Income Tax Act. However, in
1951, 3.3 percent of personal in-
come was spent on medical ex-
penses and prescribed drugs
alone. There is no government
estimate of the amount spent on
drugs, medicines, spectacles and
other items not allowed as de-
ductible under the Income Tax
Act.

Under present tax laws only
those medical expenses in excess
of three percent of personal in-
come are allowed as deductions
against income tax.

See for yourself—today.

THE CAN

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.

TAN BANK

' OF COMMERCE

80 Branches in British Columbia

i