*

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Morris States Reasons

Decision of the IWA District Policy Committee to
recommend acceptance of the unanimous report of a Con-
ciliation Board was released by District President Joe
Morris over the last Green Gold radio program. After
quoting the full text of the report, he stated:

“The IWA District Policy Com-
mittee which was called into ses-
sion yesterday to consider this
report, now makes the recom-
mendation to the IWA member-
ship that this report be accepted
as a basis of settlement of the
dispute which arose during nego-
tiations, and that the master
agreement for the Coast area be
signed with revised terms as
recommended.

For reasons, which I will now
state, I urge IWA members to
endorse this recommendation, and
authorize the proposed terms of
settlement. Whatever the deci-
sion of the membership may be,
however, it will be promptly ex-
ecuted by the Union’s officers.

Expectations Dashed

The recommendation of the
District Policy Committee is
made notwithstanding the opinion
of the members of that Commit-
tee that-the proposed terms of
settlement fall far short of legiti-
mate expectations.

We are all grievously disap-
pointed that our original demands
upon the employers were not
more favorably considered. We
cannot pretend to be satisfied
with the award. During concil
tion proceedings, as observers
have borne witness, the Union
took greater pains, than ever be-
fore, to demonstrate the need
and feasibility of a much better
settlement.

We still hold to the opinion,
that the evidence submitted by
the Union justified contract terms
vastly superior to those whick
we are now tendered. Evidently,
the guiding consideration of the
Conciliation Board was the pos-
sibility of conciliating a dispute
between us and the operators
especially in view of the very de-
termined attitude of the employ-
ers, that no contract improve-
ments of any kind were possible.

Best Obtainable

The members of the District
Policy Committee are now forced
to the conclusion that the pro-
posed settlement is the best ob-
tainable under the circumstances.
It is presumed that the recom-
mendations will be accepted by
the employers, because the report
was signed by their nominee.
Our recommendation to the
Union’s membership: for accept-
ance has resulted from a careful
appraisal of all the circumstances
and is based on the firm belief
that the best interests of the lum-
ber workers will thus be served.

We consider that the Union
should act with a full sense of
responsibility, not alone toward
its membership, but also with
regard to the general . public,
whose interests would be serious-
ly inconvenienced by .any -cessa-
tion of lumber production this
summer, This Union is confront-

‘GRASP SUBSTANCE’

ed with a situation, in which the
popular belief, outside the Union,
is that conditions in the lumber
industry will not permit any
greater increase of labor costs.

We were also influenced in our
decision to recommend acceptance
by the trend of settlements
reached in other basic industries
of the province, such as mining
and fishing.

Union’s Decision

If the members of the Union
so direct, however, the unanimous
award of the Conciliation Board
may be rejected as inadequate.
It will then become the responsi-
bility of the membership to count
the costs of such rejection,. and
undertake all that will be in-
volved for them and the public in
prolonged industrial strife.

Rejection of the recommenda-
tion will of necessity set in mo-
tion full-seale preparations for
strike action, subject to approval
of such action by the member-
ship. It has become apparent to
the Policy Committee that the
prospects of gaining any substan-
tial improvement in the proposed
terms of settlement, by such
means, are so faint this year that
the Union is not warranted in
assuming the risks involved in
such action.

At the same time, it is plain
common sense to estimate hon-
estly whether the members in all
sections of our Union are well
prepared at this time to assume
the sacrifices that would be de-
manded of them in a strike. It
is also quite clear, that the re-
action of the general public
would be distinctly antagonistic
to any disruption of production,

Bonus Incorporated

On the other hand, acceptance
of the proposed terms with in-
0 of the present nine-
cent cost-of-living bonus in the

tte is a desirable measure
for our workers in

additional five cents an hour adds
up to a settlement, which is as
favorable as any secured this
year in the province’s basic in-
dustries.

I suggest that this is an occa-
sion when we should grasp the
substance, instead of reaching for
the shadow. The substance is a
$1.49 base rate, which represents
a mark for which the Union has
long striven.

It should not be overlooked
that the report of the Board
paves the way for a further con-
sideration during the contract
year of the category rates, and
better terms for shingle mill
workers, Certain classifications
of tradesmen and maintenance
employees have the definite pros-
pect of the removal of long-
standing grievances.

Board Rates

In negative terms, the pro-
posed settlement represents the
defeat of the employers’ attempts
to impose worse contract condi-
tions. This result might have
overtaken us, had it not been for
the convincing presentation made
on behalf of the Union before the
Conciliation Board.

This is especially true with re-
gard to the question of board
rates in the camps, The Board
did not approve of the increase
of 75 cents a day proposed by
the employers. By maintaining
the present uniform rate of $2.25
per diem, the loggers have been
protected against an indirect
wage cut.

Acceptance of the recommen-
dations which emerge from the
tion proceedings will

the Union in an excellent

m to consolidate gains
already made, and mobilize its
full strength for further improve-
ments in working condi ions.

When the pros and cons are
carefully weighed it will be found

An now. made by dint of determined

in balance, that the actual gains

» For Report Acceptance

struggle, should be held, without
assuming further risks at this
time, because they maintain a
rate of progress which will ulti-
mately bring the Union to the
attainment of its objectives.”

**Fight On Rice
Field’’, Reuther

LONDON (CPA)—Commun-
ism “has been taking Asia by
default,” CIO President Walter
Reuther declared here last
week. He said the free world
should fight Communism on the
“rice field” rather than on the
battlefield.

The free nations, Reuther told
a press conference, must seize
the initiative by raising workers’
living standards in have-not
countries instead of mouthing
“pious slogans”. As to McCar-
thyism, Reuther said it is “
wicked, immoral and un-Ameri-
can force”, but that McCarthy
has “not taken over America.”
He termed President Eisenhower
“a very decent man”, but added
that some of his appointees have
been “taking advantage of Hisen-
hower’s inexperience.”

New Party Prospect

Reuther was in London on his
way to Stockholm as leader of
the CIO delegation to the third
world congress of the Interna-
tional Confederation of Free
Trade Unions.

Also interviewed on his way to
the ICFTU Congress, AFL Presi-
dent George Meany told report-
ers that “if necessity demands”
there will be a Labor Party in the
United States. Asked why there
is no Labor Party in the U.S.,
Meany said: “it’s a difference of
methods, The British felt it ne-
cessary to get into the political
arena,

Since the enactment of a piece
of legislation inimical to our
whole structure, we have had a
League for Political Education.
So far, that’s all we've felt we
should do, but if necessity de-
mands us to go down the road
towards a political party we'll do
it”

After Meany had - denounced
dictatorships, he was asked about
Senator Joseph R. McCarthy.
Meany said: “I am sure that M
Carthy does not represent the
great mass of American people.”

MORE FORDS
UP PROFITS

OTTAWA—Workers at Ford
Motors plants boosted yehicle
production in 1952 by moré
than 10 percent over the 1951
figure. In the process they
helped Ford make $15,432,920
net profit, nearly $500,000 more
than the previous year.

Ford President Rhys M. Sale
announced to company share-
holders that during 1952, vehicle
production of 131,190 units, was
13,334 higher than in 1951. Pro-
duction figures included 82,913
passenger cars and 49,277 trucks.

The Canadian market took a
greater share of 1952 production
than it had the previous year,
registering about 85 percent of
total sales, valued at nearly $228
million, Shipments to overseas
markets dropped by 6.7 percent
during the year to $39,826,617.

President Sale attributed the
increase in domestic sales to the
reduction of excise tax and the
remoyal of credit controls,

AUTUMN
INSTITUTES
PLANNED

The International Education
Department of the IWA in co-
operation with the CCL Labor
Councils in B.C. is now busily
engaged in plans for anambitious
series of Week-end Institutes
throughout the province during
the autumn,

The tentative schedule now
under dicsussion provides for In-
stitutes at the following points:
Vancouver, September 26; Na-
naimo, October 8; Victoria, Octo-
ber 24; Kamloops’ and Kelowna,
November 7; Prince George and,
Cranbrook, November 14; Haney,
November 21.

It is also expected that a Staff
Seminar will again be held dur-
ing the month of February, as
the last seminar at Parksville re-
sulted in a demand for a repeat
performance.

The plans of the IWA Educa-
tion Department also contemplate
secondary classes throughout the
Interior early next year to pro-
vide more advanced training for
promising trade unionists,

INDIA PLANS

NEW DELHI (CPA) — One
million acres of dry land has been
brought under irrigation in the
Punjab, Central India, following
completion of a number of minor
irrigation schemes as part of the.
Indian Government’s Five-Year
Plan, according to the govern-
ment review published recently.

The extension of irrigation fa~
cilities in rural areas has been
given priority in the plan and a
sum equivalent to $7,000,000 is
earmarked for the purpose.

FROM PAGE 1

“VOTE”

He outlined the position of the
Union now faced with the most
highly organized opposition from
the employers yet experienced on
both sides of the International
boundary. :

The work of International Sec-
retary Carl Winn and members
of the Negotiating Committee
before the Conciliation Board re-
ceived high praise from the
President. “Whatever may be the
decision of the members, the re-
sulting action must command
complete unity of purpose,” he
stated.

‘All Local Unions reported a
high degree of interest in the
question, and confidence that the
Negotiating Committee had
waged a most creditable fight for
the demands of the Union.

FROM PAGE 1

FROM PAGE 1
‘Me rge r
unions were the CIO Brewery
Workers and AFL Teamsters,
CIO Packinghouse Workers and
AFL Butcher Workmen, and CIO
Utility Workers and AFL Elec-

trical Workers.

Riffe said all these unions had
reported to him that their talks
wwere.on trying to reach no-raid-
ing agreements.

SPIKES
DETECTED.

OSLO, Norway —A Norwe-
gian company, Teknisk Union
of Oslo, is seeking patents on
an electronic device that de-
tects the presence of any steel
or iron embedded in timber
logs. The sensitive “Staal-

Detektor” can spot even 2."

needle.

PILE UP YOUR

MONEY

FASTER

Sauk by Mat

Your savings grow best when you add to them

every payday .. . and keep them from temptation.

And, even when you're far away, you can save

regularly in your Bank of Montreal branch.

You can even open your account without
waiting to drop in personally. Any one of the
80 B of M offices in British Columbia will be glad 3
to help you. For the location of your most con-
venient branch, and for our folder on “How to
Bank ‘by Mail”, write: Bank of Montreal, Main
Office, Vancouver. Do it today.

Bank or MonrTReAL ~
Nk Gxnada'e Fest Bank

TOA MLN CULES

i

WORKING WITH CANADIANS IN
EVERY WALK OF LIFE SINCE 1817