a B.C. LUMBER WORKER Piet Too, Asi $$$ FIGHT AGAINST BILL 28 CONTINUES As a contribution toward the trade union compaign against Bill 28 in the Legislature, Local 1-217, IWA, recently sponsored a series of radio programs with inno- vations. One half-hour program presented “on-the-job” interviews with active IWA members, reproduced with the background of the sounds ordinarily heard in their operations. Interviews were recorded on the Local Union’s tape recorder, and were later pieced together as a complete program at Station CJOR. The first part of the pro- gram recorded interviews secur- ed during the joint labor confer- ence as follows: Jack Moore, Local 1-85 “Although I haven’t had time to. study the Act in any great detail, in scanning the Act, I noted many clauses which would negate the gains won by labor in British Columbia through strike action, in the past. Par- ticularly one section which would actually make null and void, a Union Shop, maintenance of membership contract now in ex- istence. Also the members of the Al- berni Valley Local Union of the IWA, are very much perturbed about the terrific amount of power now being. given to the Minister of Labor, in view of the fact that Mr. Wicks is appar- ently inexperienced in a labor movement in the aims and ob- jective of labor, and in view of the fact that no one man can actually draw up legislation or administer an Act and be impar- tial to all parties. We feel that this Act, and this terrific amount of authority given to Mr. Wicks is absolute folly.” Tony Poje, Local 1-80 “I fee] that this piece of labor legislation is the most vicious that has ever been handed down to labor in the province of Brit- ish Columbia. I feel that this will set labor back 100 years. I do not see how it will relieve the pressure that exists bétween la- bor and management; that, I believe is the purpose for which the Act was intended. I feel that it is so vicious and also takes away the rights and the privil- eges of the working people.” Ranjit Singh, Local 1-118 “Tt is true that the Bill is most reactionary and backward. We are deeply concerned about it. I was just studying the Labor Acts for Germany and Italy be- fore the war and this Act seems to me something parallel to them. I just wonder if the Minister has studied the Acts of Fascist re- gimes. It seems to me very close to Fascism and I might say that I hear that the Labor Minister and his deputy have been mem- bers of the trade union movement. I think he has forgotten all what the trade union movement has done for him and in a way it is a most discreditable treachery as far as I can see.” Warren Lowery, Local 1-367 “I feel that Bill No. 28 is one of the most infamous Acts that has ever been directed to the laboring forces of the province of British Columbia. I also feel that the present Minister of Labor, if he is allowed to admin- ister such an Act, has aimed it directly at the heart of the trade union movement within the prov- ince of British Columbia. Also I feel that there must be some- thing more behind this than meets the eye at the present time.” Tom Alsbury, President, Trades & Labor Council, TLC “I am very pleased to be asso- ciated with our fellow trade| unionists in the CCL and the Railway Brotherhoods on this important matter. Delegates to this Joint Confer- ence representing three organiza- tions that I have just mentioned came to Victoria, We have look- ed at the proposed new Labor Relations Act brought in by the HANEY NEY BUSINESS GUID “ESQUIRE” MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS’ BRITISH COLUMBIA VOGUE CLEANERS Truck Calls at Mesachie Lake, Cowichan Lake, Crofton & south to Shawnigan Hats Cleaned and Blocked Press While U Wait Phone 360 DUNCAN, B.C. DUNCAN BUSINESS GUIDE J. LINDSAY LOUTET II (C, Bradshaw & Co.) INSURANCE and REAL ESTATE DUNCAN 131 Jubilee St. LAKE COWICHAN BRANCH: Old Post Office Building WORK, SPORT or DRESS We Can Afford to Sell the BEST for LESS! PORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE MacGREGOR’S MacDONALD’S ~ MEN’S WEAR PHARMACY For Everything a Man Wears $ . Prescriptions, Drug Sundries, t Aid Supplies Registered Optometrist Argyle Street Port Alberni Phone 1600 WOODWARD STORES (PORT ALBERNI) LTD. “Your Family Shopping Centre” “Closed Wednesdays All Day” : Hours: 9-5:30 Government and’ we -don’t like | the look of it. We are unani-| mous in our opinion that it is a} very bad Act and that this is| very bad legislation. It will take many of the hard earned rights ‘of labor away from us and set us back for many years. Rights that we have won in the labor movement through many decades of effort and strug- gle and sacrifice. We think that this legislation will not promote better industrial relations in British Columbia; that it will not promote industrial peace. On the contrary we are convinced that it will lead to a greater measure of industrial strife. We are afraid that it will force our unions to take action that under the new Act will be term- ed “illegal” action. Labor is law abiding. Labor desires to pro- ceed peacefully, legally, and con- stitutionally to attain our legiti- mate aims and this legislation will not make that possible. At the very least it will make it very difficult. We are united in our opposi- tion. We intend to use the pres- sure of our many thousands of members and of the public to have the Government withdraw this Act and then proceed to in- troduce the amendments to the present ICA Act, Amendments that we have placed before Gov- ernment over the years. Amend- ments that we have been prom- isd by the present Minister of Labor, Mr. Wicks, would be in- troduced into the House. The Government has a respon- sibility to the people of British Columbia to pass good labor leg- islation that will promote indus- trial peace and enable us to be prosperous and enable working people to get that standard of living to which they are entitled.” “Qn-the-job” interviews secur- ed by the roving reporter with the tape recorder, then followed on the radio program as follows: Mags Matson, Alberta Lumber “I think those politicians in Victoria are pitching a curve against our Union, A lot of de- cent Joes in these mills have been slaving for years to build a Union so we'd have a chance to bargain for decent wages and working conditions. Right now, we're all set up to start our own IWA negotiations, and look what they’re going to do to us because they've fallen for the bosses’ line. ‘As we see it here, they'll have us so badly tied up in phony con- ciliation, that the bosses can get away with murder. What kind of a deal would we get from any Conciliation Board if the poli- ticians get away with this trick? Can we put a man we trust on the Boaud as our representative? No. Can we be sure that the Board will dig into the facts, and come up with a reasonable ans- wer? No. Did you notice that the Min- ister can take steps to change any report of the Board, after he appoints the Chairman, him- self? If we take a strike yote in this plant, the boss can de- mand that-someone be appointed to see that its on the up and up, although every vote we take-in the Union is more efficient and more democratic than any of the government election voting. i And this really makes me, weep. If we decide on strike action, we've got to give the boss 48 hours’ notice. Why, for those | 48 hours we'd all be working our | fool heads off, helping him to break our own strike. How crazy do they think we are?” in the air until almost Christmas, if he has the notion. ‘All the way down the line, he can name his stooges to give us the works, first as a Conciliation Officer, or, maybe as a Concili tion Board Chairman. He can hurry us into a vote, or he can cool us off till New Year's. The Bill makes certain that we can’t name a good man of our own to any Conciliation Board. The Minister is given the right to stack the odds against us, if Bert Fulljames Canadian White Pine “One thing I know for sure, now that we've gone over the Bill here, and that is that it will take away our rights to strike. | we should be compelled to strike, then he can drag us into Su- preme Court, under a law that T’m no fonder of a strike than the next fellow, because I well remember what we suffered in| our homes during the 1952 strike. | But when the chips are down, ' on the bargaining table we'll get | exactly nowhere unless the boss knows that if he pushes us around too much, we’ll quit work. He can’t run this plant without our labor, and that’s a, point we’ve got to be able to! make, If Victoria ties us up in the way proposed by this Bill, | we'll have to take what the em- ployers hand us, and act like good little panty-waists. Suppose they see their chance to hand us a wage cut, what sort of a break would we have to! fight as we should, when this Act | is wrapped around our necks. As sure as shooting, if we ever are compelled to strike in this industry, the Minister will give us the works in Court. We'll lose all our bargaining rights, our check-off—our certification, and then we'll be fiat on our faces. No union, no rights, just a bunch of criminals, and we'll be back where we were in 1946, working for 76 cents an hour. I know for sure that they couldn’t make it worse for us.” Ted Salmon, J. R. Murray Co. Ltd. “I took one look at the penal- ties, and then I realized what was up. Why, we're treated like second-class citizens. The Bill makes it certain that we’re to be found guilty. of illegal acts in ad- vance, if we are on strike, and then it asks a Judge to confirm the Minister’s suspicions. What- ever they. may be the coast is then clear to wipe out any mili- tant union completely. We'll not even get a chance to defend our- selves in court, with the same rights given the worst of crimi- nals. ‘The whole Bill is written as though all trade unionists were bandits or something, and that the Government had to stamp out a sort of racketeering. Well, he'll find out that this province is trade union-conscious, and that the organized workers make up the most of the popula- tion. Just you wait till the work- ers find out all about this plot to cut their throats.” is tailored to do a job on us. If there’s a Joe around, who thinks we're peddling hot air about the Bill, I wish he’d look at the penalties in store for unions that don’t line up with the Minister and his friends. This gives the whole show away. They can de-certify a union, and cancel all bargaining rights, as well as the check-off. This is not a sentence to punish persons who do wrong under the law. It means the end of a union. You'll never make me believe, that any government, which plans in this way to wipe out trade unions completely, has at heart any belief or trust in dem- ceracy. I’m telling you, that there's only one thing to do, and that is to keep on fighting it, whatever. the consequences, until this Bill is exposed as a sell-out of the workers’ interests to the employers,” FIRST. FIND THE MONEY Under Canada’s new housing law, the would-be homeowner with $1,400 in cash can buy himself a $10,000 house. All he has to do is to find a house for sale at $10,000. And in many parts of Canada, that will be a tough task indeed. _Last year the average cost of a single story house under the Na- tional Housing Act was $11,666 with a lending value for mort- Bage purposes of $10,895. It had 1,000 square feet, which, with some squeezing, could provide a house with three small bedrooms. The prospective homeowner cannot get maximum assistance with financing even this average small house. He’s not likely to find a $10,000 house for a $1,400 down payment. So he tries to buy this average small house. He will have to provide $2,439.50, in cash. In the first place the house has a lending value some $771 less than its cost, so he will have to fill the gap. Then on the $10,895 he will have to provide 10% of the first $8,000—that’s $800, plus 30% of the additional $2,895— that’s $868.50, for a total of $2,439.50. (Financial Post) PENALTY NO CHECK OTTAWA (CPA)—Th penalty is no dsigmoatt ee tential murderers, the Canadian Charlie Lamarche, Universal Box “The Bill will put us in the pocket of the Minister of Labor, the minute we have a dispute and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be the pocket of the employers. If we ever start to conciliate, and now we'll sure have to, the Minister can do what he likes to us, just when he likes. For one thing, he could keep our negotiations dangling LE PARTS ok Nanaimo Phone 1515 IRA BECKER & SON Vancouver Island Distributors i be POWER CHAIN SAWS Welfare Council stated in a brief presented to the Parlia- mentary committee’ studying capital punishment. “The brutalizin; the eae presence of euth penalty”, ruther tl deterring crimes ‘carrying he capital penalty, stre: e factors which bring sen ett ring sw A alouterthe baat ride & crimes “We believe murder i likely in a wholesome sonal mmorghore taremsot social te SERVICE