B.C. LUMBER WORKER

,

2nd Issue, September

A. R. Mosher
7 schlecht

“IT WOULD MEAN
SLAVE LABOR”

In his presidential address to the delegates attending
the convention of the Canadian Congress of Labor _in
Montreal, A. R. Mosher struck out at the Canadian Bar
Association for proposing restrictions upon the legitimate

activities of trade unions.

Said President Mosher:

“J should like at this time to
call to the attention of the dele-
gates the views expressed and
the resolutions passed on Satur-
day last by a meeting of the Ca-
nadian Bar Association held in
the City of Quebec,

This group, in a very cunning
and subtle way, would—if they
succeeded in getting the kind of
legislation suggested — not only
shackle the workers to their jobs
in many, if not all, instances, but
would destroy the entire Labor
movement.

Here is what the Bar Associa-
tion suggests:

No Right to Strike

‘1. WITHDRAW THE RIGHT
TO STRIKE AND SUBSTITUTE
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION
IN LABOR DISPUTE WHERE
PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY
Is IN DANGER.

We have learned from bitter
experience how broad an inter-
pretation the courts can place on
public health and safety. Legis-
lation of that character could
have no other effect than to make
slaves of the workers.

Unless I am greatly mis-
taken, organized labor will not
only resist any further curtail-
ment of its rights, but will con-
tinue its efforts to remove the
restrictions presently in effect
which hamper and retard its
legitimate activities.

The labor movement is un-
willing to accept: compulsory
arbitration or forego its right
to strike.

There is nothing new in this
proposal, Compulsory arbitration
was adopted in Australia, and the
result was Australia’s strike rec-
ord was far worse than Canada’s.

The labor movement is as deep-
ly concerned with public health
and safety as the Canadian Bar
Association, or any other body in
Canada, and we have consistently
demanded the fullest ~possible
provision for the promotion and
maintenance of public health and
safety.

When the public will whole-
heartedly support the effort which
labor is making in this respect,
there will be no necessity for
such attempts to obtain further
restrictive legislation with re-
spect to labor.

2. RESPONSIBILITY OF
UNION OFFICERS.

Union officers now accept full
reponsibility for their own ac-
tions and for the official acts of
the union, but the Bar Associa-
tion proffesal would make them

responsible for acts of individ-
uals over whom they have no)
control.

Any employer might plant
stooges among the union’s mem-
bership and instigate harmful

activities, for which the union
leaders would be held respons-
ible, We object very strongly to
such proposals.

8. THE INCORPORATION

OF UNIONS.

The proposal that unions be
made legal entities and thus
liable to be sued for damage oc-
curring as a result of strikes or
other activities is only another

| device to weaken and destroy a

union, as it would be compelled
to meet not only frivolous claims,
but to pay for damages caused
by irresponsible persons over
whom the union had no control.
Strikes Legitimate

We fully recognize that any
strike is likely to cause financial
loss to an employer and to in-
convenience the public to some
extent. If that were not the case,
no strike would ever be settled.

What must be recognized, how-
ever, is that the strike is a legiti-
mate method, utilized by the la-
bor movement since its inception,
to induce employers to grant to
‘a group of workers improvements
in wages and working conditions
to which they feel that they: are
justly entitled. To do this they
are willing to withdraw their
labor peacefully and suffer the
loss of their wages for the period
of the strike.

With respect to violence, how-
ever, I have no hesitation in say-
ing that violence has no part in a
strike and is’ universally con-
demned by the labor movement as
a whole. Nevertheless, we must
serutinize very carefully any at-
tempt to prevent violence by
special legislation applicable only
to workers on strike, and which
might vender a union liable for
the acts of ixresponsible persons.”

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WORKERS CHEATED

In a statement issued recent-
ly, Donald MacDonald, Secre-
tary-Treasurer of the Canadian
Congress ‘of Labor, said that
the Labor Day message of
J. D. Ferguson, President of
the Canadian Manufacturers’
Association, was misleading
and would cause resentment
among the great majority of
low-income workers in Canada,
both in and out of unions.

“Mr. Ferguson's remark that
‘labor is receiving its full share
of the national wealth’, as re-
ported in press despatches from
Montreal, is considerably weak-
ened by a close look at the finan-
cial reports of Canada’s major
corporations,” Mr. MacDonald
said. “It is obvious to any fair-
minded person who has observed
these reports, as well as indus-
trial production records and the
rising consumers’ price index,
that workers have yet to secure

a just portion of the national
wealth.”

Steel Workers
Earn Praise

OTTAWA (CPA) — Assistance given to Jamaican

wealth. It is constantly striving
for a better standard of living
for all workers, in Canada and
“Organized labor is well aware , throughout the world.

of its ‘obligation to increase the| “Mr. Ferguson called for great-
prosperity of all Canadians,” the | er co-operation between labor and
CGL Secreary-Treasurer contin-| management. Organized labor
ued. “The successful efforts of; has offered that hand of coopera-
unions to increase wages is fre-| tion to industry on many occa-
quently veflected in a general sions to assist with mutual prob-
upward swing in income in areas lems. This offer has not always
where unions have become estab-| received the welcome response
lished. Labor does not seek| that it merits.”

bauxite workers by Canadian Steelworkers has helped the
West Indian workers secure a considerable pay increase,

Steel Labor, newspaper of the USWA reports.

The bauxite workers employed
by Alumina Jamaica (a subsid-
jary of the Aulminum Company

is October Ist. Deadline for ad
news copy September 25th.

Publication date of the next issue of the B,C. LUMBER WORKER

copy is September 24th and for

@

President

ist Vice-President
2nd Vice-President
rd Vice-President
Secretary-Treasures
International Board Member

Reprerenting the Orgonized Loggers and Mill Workers of B.C.

PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY ON THE FIRST
AND THIRD THURSDAYS BY
International Woodworkers of America

B.C. District Couneil No. 1

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of Canada) and the Kaiser Baux-
ite Co., were awarded a 42 per-
cent retroactive pay increase and
the granting of four paid statu-
tory holidays each year by an
arbitrator of the British Indus-
trial Court.

The employees, who are mem-
bers of the National Workers’
Union, were assisted by Steel-
workers’ Research Director, Cleve
Kidd in the preparation of their
case and Mr. Kidd was also nam-
ed “assessor” for the union at
the arbitration hearings.

Earlier this year the bauxite
workers struck for higher pay
and the Steelworkers’ Canadian
Director C. H. Millard flew to
Kingston to ascertain what as-
sistance Canadian Steelworkers
could provide for their West In-
dian fellow unionists.

“Your wife*is ugly. Why don’t
you send her to a beauty parlor
for a mud pack?”

“T did last year, and for three
days she was beautiful.”

“Then what happened?”

“The mud came off.”

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