B.C. LUMBER WORKER

1st Issue, September

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HAIRS GREET MINISTER

CCL & TLC UNIONS EXPLAIN ABSENCE

Conference of empty chairs greeted Labor Minister
Wicks on August 28th, when in setting the stage for a
trade union discussion on IGA Act amendments, he failed
to invite the bodies charged by the unions with the re-
sponsibility of dealing with laborlegislation.

Only representatives to appear
in response to his invitation-were
the Mine, Mill Union and the
Native Brotherhood. As was
predicted by the CCL union offi-
cials; the spokesmen for Mine-
Mill union seized on the occasion
to deride trade union democracy,

- CCL Position
The position of CCL unions was
outlined to the Minister in a com-
munication addressed to him by
George Home, Secretary of the
B.C. Federation of Labor, as
follows:
“Dear Sir:
“We have been.informed by the
» Greater Vancouver and Lower
Mainland Labor Council, the Vic-
toria Labor Council and the Is-
land Labor Council, that they
have received invitations from

the Deputy Minister, Mr. Sands,
to send three delegates each to a
conference being convened by
yourself on August 28th in the
“Hotel Vancouver, for the purpose

HE TRIED To
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45 EAST HASTINGS
VANCOUVER, B. C.

of discussing amendments to the

Industrial Conciliation and Arbi-
tration Act.

“Each of the councils has noti-
fied Mr, Sands that the B.C.
Federation of Labor is the proper
body to deal with matters of this
kind and declined to name repre-
sentatives. To date, the Federa-
tion has received no invitation,

“Our Executive considers it
necessary in order that no mis-
representation of facts can be
bandied about, to state the posi-
tion of the Canadian Congress of
Labor membership in British Co-
lumbia, with regards to this con-
ference:

“The following is an excerpt
from our constitution:

“ “ARTICLE 2—PURPOSE

The purposes of the Federation
shall be to afford an opportun-
ity for closer co-operation be-
tween the chartered local
unions of the Canadian Con-
gress of Labor and the Locals,
Lodges or Branches, Unions,
Organizing Committees or La-
bor Councils in British Colum-
bia, affiliated with the Congress
to the end that greater service
may be rendered to the mem-
hers of these bodies, and the

general welfare of the workers
be promoted, and generally to
advance the interests, objects
and. activities of the unions
chartered by or affiliated with
the Congress. It will give spe-
cial attention to provincial
legislation, and make represen-
tations to the Government of
British Columbia subject to the
approval of the Executive Com-
mittee of the Congress, with
respect to matters of policy.’

“The B, C. Federation of Labor
has faithfully fulfilled this pur-
pose and has made detailed
studies of the ICA Act. Numer-
ous representations have been
made to B. C. Governments of the
desired amendments.

“On August 29, 1952, we met
with the first Social Credit Cabi-
net and included in our presen-
tation a copy of the Brief which
had been presented to the “Com-
mission of Inquiry into the Indus-
trial Conciliation and Arbitration
Act and its administration”. Also
on Page 12, in the main Brief
presented on August 29th we
made the following statement:

“In conclusion we pledge our-

selves to assist any subcommit-

tee of this Government which
might be set up to study any
of the matters which we have
brought to your attention . .

“A copy of this Brief was sub-
mitted to the delegates assembled
at the Ninth Annual Convention

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of the B,C. Federation of Labor
held on January 10th and 11th,
1953, and was unanimously en-
dorsed.

Our Officers met with yourself,
the Premier the Honorable W.
A. C. Bennett, the Honorable Mr.
Bonner, and the Honorable Mr.
Martin on February 10th, 1953,
and on page 9 of the Brief then
submitted we stated:

“In conclusion we repeat our
pledge that we will assist any,
department or committee of
this government which is in-
structed to study or prepare
legislation for the general wel-
fare of the citizens of British
Columbia’

“We as a Federation are pre-
pared and would welcome the
opportunity to meet with you and
discuss the IC. & A. Act, but
would strongly suggest that we
be not required. to meet in con-
junction with the officials of the
Mine, Mill District Union.

“The Canadian Congress of
Labor are members of the Inter-
national Confederation of Free
Trade Unions who are engaged
in a bitter struggle against world
wide communism and fascism,
and the officers of Mine, Mill are
opposed to the policies which we
are pledged to uphold. Therefore
we consider the respective ap-
proaches to amendments of the
LC. & A, Act would not be for
the same purposes and the re-
sults of such a conference could
not be constructive.

“Yours respectfully,

GEORGE HOME,

Sec.-Treasurer.

TLC Position

Somewhat similar attitude was
taken by the Trades & Labor
Congress officials in the province,
and was stated in the following
letter addressed to the Deputy
Minister by R. K. Gervin,

“Dear Sir:

Your letter of July 23rd where-
in you state the Minister of La-
bor will meet representatives of
organized labor on August 28th
in Vancouver has been received.
I note that included among
representatives of -organized la-
bor is the International Union of
Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers
which was expelled from the Ca-
nadian Congress of Labor.

I regret that we will be unable
to meet with representatives
from the International Union of
Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers or
any union that has been expelled,
Unions affiliated to the Trades
& Labor Congress of Canada

have recently set up a provincial
organization known as the Brit-
ish Columbia Trade Union Con-
gress, The purpose of this orga-
nization is to take care of all
matters in the legislative field.

I am the Secretary of that
organization. The Trades & La-
bor Council, to which you ad-
dressed the letter, is an affiliate
of the B.C. Trade Union Con-
gress, and would expect that
organization to represent it in
placing recommendations before
the Minister for amendments to
the ICA Act. é
I want to make it clear that I
am not refusing to meet the
Minister. On the contrary, would
be delighted and most desirous
of meeting for the purpose of
making representation on mat-
ters pertaining to labor, and will
do so on August 28th, providing
that we are permitted to make
representation on behalf of the
B.C. Trade Union Congress and
without expelled organizations
being present.”

Yours truly,
R. K, GERVIN,
General Sec.-Treasurer.

Hartung
Urges
Unity

Possibilities of co-ordinat-
ed action between the IWA
and the Lumber & Sawmill
Workers’ Union will be un-
der discussion at the ap-
proaching International Con-
vention of the IWA in Van-
couver, following the recent
appeal of President A. F.
Hartung urging members of
the L. & S.W. to pull out of
the Carpenters & Joiners
and join hands with the
IWA.

President Hartung envisioned
a move which would “create a
solid front in our struggle to or-
ganize the unorganized, and gain
better wages and working condi-
tions ‘for all loggers, boommen,
millmen, plywood and box factory
workers across the continent.”

He made no official oyer-
tures to the other union, but
merely expressed his personal

opinion that this would be a

good time for the L. & S.W. to

make a move since it no longer
has the backing of the AFL.

AFL Split

The carpenters’ union presi-
dent, Maurice A. Hutcheson,
walked out of the AFL two weeks
ago, taking his 720,000 members
with him. They include some 85,-
000 Lumber & Sawmill Workers
across the nation,

AFL-CIO Agreement.

The no-raid agreement approv-
ed by the AFL and CIO Execu-
tive Boards this month will not
be binding upon any national or
international union unless said
union agrees to it, it has been
pointed out by Walter Reuther,
President of the CIO, and Meany.
“Those who don’t sign can raid
and be raided,” they said. Both
have approved it and the ques-
tion will come before the AFL
and CIO conventions later this
year,

Co-ordination Urged

IWA President Hartung’s ex-
pression of opinion followed by
less than a month two proposals
by the Plywood District 9 con-
vention at Seattle, August 1-2,
calling for greater effort on the
part of the IWA to coordinate
economic action of the IWA and
L, & S.W..in annual contract
negotiations.

The question will come before
the International Convention to
be held at Vancouver, B. C., Octo-
ber 12-16,