] 5 > B.C. LUMBER WORKER 11 “The Girls Should Get Together” By PEG STEWART Wandering around a library far from home the other day, I drifted to the magazine racks, as usual. I can’t resist looking to see if there are any Labor papers there with my articles in them. Sometimes I feel like the young father pushing a perambulator, rather hoping somebody will ask if its his; sometimes it’s more like being unable to keep the tongue away from a sore tooth. Having duly checked, (yes, , there was one!) I moved on to a magazine published for women in business—white collar busi- | ness, that is. There was an! article about the shortage of wo- men office ‘workers, and what employers are doing about it— some of them in the States even advertise that there are lots of eligible men in the office! Unions Ignored And there was an article about the difficulties of keeping house and working, too, even with all the modern gadgets. There were plenty of interesting articles, But I looked and looked, and I could not find one mention of union or- ganization. You’d think there was no such thing as a union any- place: in the white collar world. And yet there is union organ- ization among business and pro- fessional workers all over the States and Canada—both in the CIO and the AFL. There are two kinds—one type is entirely separ- ate from other unions, and the other comprises office unions that are separate locals of the same union, that operate in their plant. And the supporters of the two systems are ready, willing and able to argue far into the night. Organizing Tough White collar organization isn’t easy. Talk to the people who've been trying to organize the big stores, for instance, and you'll learn the company comes clatter- ing up with raises and shorter hours under the very threat of union organization, After the vote has been taken, and the employees have decided to be “loyal” to the company and reject the union, it usually turns out that the shorter hours are just the same old work week re- arranged to sound good. And fur- i ther raises vanish—to be heard of no more till the next union push. The Answers What union organization has done for white-collar workers is a longer story than we have room for here, but it’s so much that I keep beating my brains against the question—WHY is it so hard to organize them? Sometimes they’re timid (they are not alone in that!) .. .: some- times they’re dreamers—they’re on their way up, and they don’t want to be cluttered up with unions; sometimes they think the Boss is Simply Wonderful, and they don’t want to upset him with a union. Sometimes they consider their jobs just a bus stop where they wait till a hus- band comes along. Picket Lines And a lot of them can be frightened out of their wits by the word “Strike”. They have a vague picture in the back of their minds of somebody “higher up” suddenly ordering them to strike —for no particular reason, and then there they'll be, out in the wintry winds, carrying a great heavy sign and being ridden down by police horses! Women organize fast enough when they're convinced there’s a job to do. Look at all the church groups and Home and School, and Red Gross sewing sessions, and the way women get together when there's a picket line to feed and keep in coffee. When I lived in London, Ontario, there were labor always gets a square in ae deal... 57 groups affiliated to the Local Council of Women, and there were plenty outside it. You must have seen the way women light up and get moving when the word “bazaar” or “social” is men- tioned — like the old-fashioned fire horse smelling smoke. I’m not trying to pretend that |union organization is the same | thing, but I do think the same motives can be used—the same feeling that there’s a job to be done, and the girls have to get together and do it, for every- body's sake. Cranbrook Awarded Charter Tho recently formed Wom- en’s Auxiliary of Local 1-405, IwA, Cranbrook, received from the International Office the IWA Charter and Seal granted to all recognized Aux- iliaries within the Union. One new member, Sister An- gelina Pegrin, was initiated at the last meeting, held April 14, bringing the membership: stand- ing to 17. A dance was held at Fort Steele on April 10, with music supplied by the Rocky Mountain Boys. The Auxiliary hopes to be able to continue the monthly dances throughout the Spring and Summer months. Auxiliary Donates Hampers Food hampers were donated by the Gallaway and Jaffray Women’s Auxiliary Sub-Local of 1-405, IWA, to the families of seven union members, out of work since the strike, in the Interior. CC Stk Lost__pd Vancouver General Cla M. B, King—Cartilege moved Stewart, Alberts Injury. Asscibora, Carlson & Leg injury $. Scott, Walsh Ruskin—Leg in- * Sur: HW, Switzer, Fraser Mills — Hand injur: . Lind, Englewood—Leg injury. J. Toth, Lamb—Il, Wellwood, Englewood—Leg broken A, Korotash, Galloway Lumber Co. —Leg injury. & 1, WARDS ©, Coftay, Eburne—til. K. Yoshio, Blackwater Timber Co. Hand ‘injury. S. Quaye, Cranbrook—Broken back. Empire Box — Hand Lumber—Kney April 8, distributing jgarettes and copies of the imber Worker: T.B. WARD man, Seymour” Inlet—1 ‘inch cling AND A. Ogren, Canadian Forest Pro- ducts—Broken leg, Feeling fine. Conly, Menzies Bay—Arthritis. Pretty’ well. Williams Lake — F._A. Bennie, Pretty well. Jacob May, Gordon River—Chest injuries. ‘Coming along. HEATHER ANNEX L, Delaire — Arthritis. Looking . well. LD. H. WARD A. SEL) Prince George—Pretty well. Marle Bain, Pacific Veneer—Polio, Feeling pretty well. W. Simis—Polio. Doing better. 0. Mercer, Prince George—Improv- J Bute Inlet—Sore throat. Alice Bowman and Mar- garet Kamm of the W.A., Local 1-217, IWA, visited the following patients in the Vancouver General Hospital, April 13, distributing candy, cigarettes and copies of the B.C. Lumber Worke: T.B, WARD Seymour Inlet—Up wheel chair, Looking well. ANNEX Canadian F8rest Pro- roken leg. Doing fine. ny, Gordon River — Chest injuries.’ Pretty well. : A. Cleary, Alert Bay—Pneumon Doing fine. Ixrone, Pri wheel chai O. Mercer, Pri’ well. Marie Bain, Pacific Veneer—Polio. Looking well. Ww. 5S! ; Ganner, Turner Logging—Weel- ing better, Sisters Alison Brown and Mabel son of the W.A., Local 1 ‘A, visi following patients in the Vancouver General Hospital April 13th, distributing candy, cig- arettes and copies of The’ B.C. Lumber Worker: WARD D 0. der, Courtenay — Back in ce George—Up in George—Looking y ©, Howes, Canadian White Pine — ‘Heart condition. S._ Wolfe, Timber Slipped ‘dise. WARD © H., Lourick, Simoon Sound — Leg W. Ganner, Turner Logging — Up injury. ‘in wheel’ chair. Royal Columbian jabeth Thiel and Gla- Yau f the W.A., Local Preservers Imroving gra- . Box — Blocked Mfg. er Mills—Oper: nik, Alaska Pine — Car t. Gordon Young, Fraser Mills, V. Yates, P.V.—Operation. E. Webber, P.Y. J. Schlichenmeyer, Brownsville, Singh—Broken leg. R. Hansen, Markland Sawmills —| ‘amputation. Burns and broken back. W. Price, Timberland. sno’: King’s Daughters Financial Secretary Ed Linder | George Rhodes, Honeymoon Bay. of Local 1-80, IWA, visited the | Larry Aw) in, Duncan. following patients in the King's | Harry Jung, Youbou. Daughters Hospital, Ap Gordon lerson, Meade Creel, tributing cand; cigar Norn Winquist, Youbou, copies ok Cc. uehaoe Wap James Herrling, Shawnigan Lake. illlam Kexserlek Jr., Hillcrest, eer sik, Ken Williams, Duncan. Baugh Reid), Punsan yburles, Ozzie Logan, Deerholme, B.C, — | William ‘fin, Youbou. Robin MacDowell, Duncan. Recovering from accident. Ladysmith General 7 Financial Secretary Ed Linder of Local 1-80, IWA, ed the following patients in the Lady- smith General Hospital, Apr: Fi distributing candy, cigarettes and copies of B.C. Lumber Worker: ~ Ronald F. Birkeland, Ladysmith. George Copp, Sr., Ladysmith, William Sparks, Ladysmith. Bob Hunter, Ladysmith injury. Harry McAdam, Ladysmith, Mrs, Jen Elmer Ladysmith, Mrs, Doris Jones, Diamond Cros: ing District. Mrs. John Shank, Ladysmith — Injuries. Mrs, Matt Gilson, Ladysmith, Mrs. Kathleen Munts, Ladysmith, Mr. Pat Noon, Ladysmith, Fernie Memorial isters Lila Larsen and of the W.A, visited the n in the ‘ernie Hospi March 15th, di ributing can cigaret and copies of The B. Lumber Worker: Pine. Pine — Blood A. Boucher, Fraser Mills. J. Auguston, Chemainus Leg distributing candy, ei ttes and copies of B.C, Lumber Worker Mrs. Ruth Dow ne 's Porter_and Beday of the Local 1 ted the following p . Eugene Hospital distributing candy, ciza: ettes and copies of The B.C. Lum ber Work Mrs. Hotterill, Movie, B, C. Mrx, Gordon Rauch, Canal Plat, B.C, Mr. Alna Donaldson. Eye ollowing Pp The B.C. : LUMBER WORKER Mrs. Bice. St. Eugene Sisters Whitfield, and Anderson the W.A,, Local 1-40: ed the following p: of Eugene Haspital, - HEAD’S Champion of All Lightweight e LIGHT CRUISER Caulked Boots “@ Featuring High Carbon Steel Oil Tempered Boot Caulks FOR SURE GRIP NUN G00 . Another Favorite .. “SAFETY TOE BOOTS” for Mill Workers LIMITED PRINTERS AND LITHQGRAPHERS W. J. HEAD BOOT 21 East Hastings St. (PA, 4844) “HEADS YOU WIN” An Employee Owned Co. 944 RICHARDS ‘STREET PAcific 6338-9 FACTORY LIMITED Vancouver, B.C.