Le _
Ast Issue December

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

the 17th Annual Constitutional Convention, IWA, and with

WHEREAS: It is becoming in-
creasingly apparent that the
lumber employers have embarked
upon a campaign designed to
destroy the hard-won working
conditions of our members gained
through struggle over a period of
years; and

WHEREAS: This campaign is
assuming form in the shape of
attempted speed-up, complete dis-
regard of seniority rights in re-
hiring employees after the long
shutdowns, attempted -chiseling
on the hours of labor provisions
of our contracts on piece work
rates long established, and by
contracting out portions of their
operations; and >.

WHEREAS: This drive against
our existing working conditions
is taking place during a period
while negotiations on demands for
improvements and betterments in
our conditions on regional, dis-
trict and local levels are taking
place with the obvious intent of
trying to force the Union to drop
such demands, and, where con-
ditions are most favorable to
their purpose, to force acceptance
of worsened conditions; and

WHEREAS: Such tactics on
the part of the employers cannot
be successfully combatted on an
individual operation or even in-
dividual Local Union basis, but
can only be thwarted through
uniform and concerted action on
the part of the broadest possible
Section of our membership; and

WHEREAS: Mounting unem-
ployment in the industry makes
it even more imperative that an
aggressive and determined stand
be taken if even present working
conditions, contractual or other-
wise, are to be maintained or
there is to be any possibility
whatsoever to secure any im-
provements; now

THEREFORE BE IT RE-
SOLVED: That the Seventeenth
Annual Convention of the Inter-
national Woodworkers of Amer-

he International

iea, held in Vancouver, B. goes
on record for the following policy
in securing the objectives set out
hereinbefore:

1. That full committees and
Shop or Job Stewards be im-
mediately set up in every oper-
ation now running where they
do not now exist and in each
operation now down as it re-
sumes.

2. That these committees and
Stewards be charged with the
immediate responsibility of
Seeing to it that full crews are
established and maintained on
the job.

3. That those committees and
Stewards be charged with the
duty to see that all workers
holding seniority rights are re-
employed~in accordance with
such rights.

4, That those committees and
Stewards be charged with the
responsibility and duty of see-
ing to it that every contract
provision is fully enforced to
the letter and that other exist-
ing satisfactory conditions that
have been in effect but which
are not included as contract
provisions ‘are likewise main-
tained intact.

5. That the Local Unions
adopt a policy of encouraging
no overtime work.

6. That all attempts by the
employers in any operation to
force unilateral changes ‘in any
established conditions be com-
batted to the extent of direct
strike action where other meth-
ods of settlement prove un-
ayailing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
That this program be adopted in
principle as an IWA program for
the protection and preservation of
the working conditions of the
membership and that the Local
Unions be charged severally and
individually with the responsi-
bility for putting it into and
maintaining it in effect.

Outlook Good Says

Employers’

“After operating on a hand-to-
mouth basis for months, sawmills
affiliated with coast exporters re-
port the acquisition over the past
few months of substantial order
files. Most of this business con-
sists of hemlock lumber.

Order files are said to be suf-
ficient to keep the mills occupied
for the next two to four months.
The present position indicates a
temporary. withdrawal of coast
exporters from the United States
market which should lend some
price strength to it.

United Kingdom—The general
opinion in local exporting circles
is that the United Kingdom will
be placing more business in the
near future with British Colum-
bia coast mills.

Because of the reluctance of
mills to promise shipment before
next April and because of the
disposition of most “distress”
stocks of logs some firming of
prices is indicated.

Press

United States—Most authori-
ties predict that residential con-
struction in the United States
this year will be close to the
volume built in 1953. Normal ad-
verse weather is restricting con-
struction now. However, it is ex-
pected that American buyers will
again be showing their traditional
interest about the middle of De-
cember.

The comparatively heavy ex-
port file indicates that coast mills
will not be too interested in this
business before spring. This may
provide interior mills with some
selling opportunities,

eee

Outlook—General attitude to-
day in British Columbia is one of
cautious optimism. Production of
lumber should remain high.
Prices should become somewhat
stronger. Business should be
reasonably good for the next six
months at least.”

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major resolution was:

At the last convention of the
CIO the officers were authorized,
through an appropriate CIO com-
mittee, to meet with a committee
of the AFL and to earnestly dis-
cuss and seek honorable labor
unity that will advance the wel-
fare of all labor.

Pursuant to this convention
mandate the officers of the CIO
communicated with the officers of
the AFL for the purpose of ar-
ranging unity meetings. A num-
ber of - discussions were there-
upon carried out with the AFL
through the medium of a joint
CIO-AFL Unity Committee.

Out of discussions by this
joint committee, and later by a
subcommittee - of the larger
group, a historic no-raiding
agreement was developed.

This document has already been
ratified by the recent convention
of the AFL. It has just been
ratified by this convention.

” It is the sincere hope and con-
viction of this convention that as
the no-raiding agreement be-

‘CIO Meet Defines |
“No Raid” Pact

Hailing the CIO-AFL no-raiding agreement, the CIO convention
pledged continuing negotiations toward “our larger goal of organir
unity” based on principles of free, democratic unionism. Text of this

comes operative—and we hope
and trust that all the affiliates

of both the CIO and AFL will’

promptly ratify—it will inevit-
ably lead to a sharp reduction in
jurisdictional disputes and raids
between the affiliates of our two
organizations.

By the same token this agree-
ment can release the energies of
all our unions for the larger
effort to organize the unorgan-
ized.

The no-raiding agreement is in-
tended to be a constructive first
step toward the attainment of
organic unity in the American
labor movement. The successful
operation of the no-raiding agree-
ment in a real sense, therefore,
will be a touchstone of our larger
goal of seeking organic unity.

The CIO wants organic unity
in the American labor move-
ment firmly based on the prin-
ciples of free democratic union-
ism. We will do everything in
our power to achieve this goal.

In the unity discussions that

are in progress we will not sacri-
fice any of the basic principles
for which the CIO stands, and
which are essential to the build-
ing of a strong democratic and
socially responsible labor move-
ment.

In these negotiations we will
not sacrifice the interests of any
union, big or small, within the
clo.

In these negotiations we will
not permit the interests of any
individual for office or power to
stand in the way. We recognize
that the good of the whole labor
movement transcends that of any
individual or group.

RESOLVED: We direct the
CIO members of the Unity
Committee to continue the
unity negotiations in the con-
structive spirit that has already
beén displayed, seeking in the
negotiations always to carry
out the mandate of the CIO
conventions through the years
that “organic unity will be
achieved through a spirit of
cooperation, responsibility and
sincerity in the relationships of.
all democratic free trade union
organizations.”

N

cluded among which were

13th.

Safety Director John T. Atkin-
son, of the IWA, actively shared
in the preparation and presenta-
tion of the proposed amendments.
‘The Minister gave assurance that
the various suggestions would
receive careful consideration.

Management Opposed

Almost simultaneously, the
representatives of management
conferred with the Minister and
stated their objections to any
further benefits under the Act.
The main reasons advanced were
that industry was unable to ac-
cept any increased assessment.

Principal recommendation was
that compensation payments be
awarded on the basis of one hun-
dred percent of former earnings.

The Federation representatives
stated, “The cutting of a per-

Officials of the IWA, again

renewed their requests for increased benefits under the
Workmen’s Compensation Act when they attended the
conference called by Labor Minister Wicks on November

son’s income by a minimum of
30%, at a time when he suffers
an injury, is working a double
hardship on the person and his
family, where the person has
dependents. It has been proven
by Welfare Councils that the in-
come of the average family is
below what is required for a de-
cent standard of living, and few
families today have reserves to
draw on at times of accidents.
Also it must be recognized that
only those persons earning $69.28
a week or less receive 70% of
their former earnings. At the
present time, Alberta, Saskatche-
wan, Ontario and Prince Edward
Island pay on the basis of 75%.

Increases were proposed with
respect to all other monetary
awards,

Federation Urges W.C.B.
Act Amendments Soon

Representatives of the B.C. Federation of Labor, in-

Full coverage was urged for
all occupational diseases and for
all workmen, The inclusion of
domestic workers, fishermen, and
agricultural workers in the pro-
visions of the Act was specified.

A series of proposed amend-
ments dealt with such matters as
payment from the date of acci-
dent, extension of the time with-
in which proof may be establish-
ed, subsistence allowances, in-
creased maximum on earnings,
and return to employment after
injury.

Stress was laid on the desir-
ability of preventing action by
the employers to restrain an in- ©
jured workmen from reporting»
an injury in order to maintain
the safety record of the firm.

A full statement of all pro-
posed recommendations has been
forwarded to all Local Unions
within the Federation.

These proposals will be further
reviewed at the forthcoming con-
vention of the Federation in the
month of January.

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Home of Union Made
MEN’S WEAR
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45 EAST HASTINGS

VANCOUVER, B. C.

Local 25, (TLC-AFL).

Local 88 (TLC-AFL).

Product of SW UMIONS /

w THE VANCOUVER
PROVINCE IS 100%
UNION - PRODUCED BY

MEN AND WOMEN WHO

BELONG TO ONE OF
THESE UNIONS: .

Vancouver Typographical Union, Local 226 (TLC-AFL),
Vancouver Printing Pressman & Assistants Union,

Vancouyer Photo-engrayers Union, Local 54 (TLC-AFL).
Electrotypers & Stereotypers, Vancouver and Victoria,

Vancouver Mailers Union, Local 70 (TLC-AFL).
Vancouver Newspaper Guild, Local 207 (CCL).

THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE
PAcific 4211. :

B.C, Magazine, published by the Province, is the only newspaper
mogazine wholly produced in Vancouver.”

aen8

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