B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“package” of improved working
conditions could be regarded as
the best obtainable this year
through methods of bargaining

* and conciliation.

The utmost effort will be made
to set forth the changes to be
made in the contract in language
that will admit of no misunder-
standing in regard to interpreta-
tion on the job. It will be of
great importance that every
member working under this con-
tract should be familiar with its
provisions. It is quite as import-
ant to police the contract vigil-
antly as it is to bargain militant-
ly for a good contract in the first
instance.

Major Changes Beneficial

Our revised contract will make
provision for three additional
paid statutory holidays—Empire
Day, Armistice Day, and either
Good Friday or Easter Monday.
Thirty calendar days before and
ufter the holiday will constitute
the qualifying period.

‘The seniority provisions of the
contract will be enormously
engthened by a clause which
will enable each employee hay-
ing one or more year’s service to
retain seniority rights for 12
months after a lay-off. Those
with less than one year’s sen-
iority will enjoy the same rights
for six months, after lay-off.

In future, fallers and buckers
will have the right to negotiate
their contract rates under the
contract procedures.

This protection has long been
sought by the falling crews,
because of the pressure con-
stantly exercised to reduce their
earnings.

New employees will in future
be asked to sign a check-off
authorization slip for union dues
to become effective after thirty
days service with the employer.

Ends”

This step toward full union
security will assist organization
in those Local Unions now han-
diecapped by~a high labor turn-
over,

Shingle Mill Rates

The rates set for piece work
in the shingle mills will now be
subject to negotiation. The pur-
pose of these negotiations is not
to accomplish any reduction in
the earnings of sawyers and
packers but rather to adjust the
xates to meet changing condi-
tions in the industry, and protect
their present earnings.

M.S.A. benefits will, in future,
be transferable from operation
to operation, where such benefits
have been in effect.

The board rates in logging
camps will be increased by 25¢
per day, increasing the rate to
$2.50 per day.

In accepting this condition by
their votes, the membership evi-
dently agreed with the Policy
Committee members, that this
25c increase was preferable to
the much larger increase de-
manded by the employers.

The shift extending two hours
into a statutory holiday, will now
be completed at straight time,
but no changes will be permitted
in the starting time of the shift
following the holiday.

Policing Required

This “package” of working
conditions was considered by the
membership as being of sufficient
importance and benefit to war-
rant a quick settlement this year.

For the same reason it is of
sufficient importance to be safe-
guarded by an alert job orga-
nization, The revised contract,
adequately policed, will lay the
basis for vastly improved work-
ing conditions, for such was the
purpose declared by the member-
ship in this year’s negotiations.”

Forster.

PRESIDING

TABLE OFFICERS, Greater Vancouver-and Lower Mainland Labor
Council, CCL, preside over busy session at recent meeting. (Left) |
Vice-president Ed Sims, President Lloyd Whalen, Secretary Vic

FROM PAGE 1
“Council

Secretary George Home, of the
B.C. Federation of Labor, re-|
counted the efforts made since
1949 to secure labor representa-
tion on the Board of Industrial |
Relations. All CCL representa- |
tions had been ignored. Mr.
Murdock had never been nomi-
nated by the TLC unions, he said.

The resolution adopted by the
Council was as follows:
WHEREAS: The Canadian Con-

gress of Labor have been re-
questing representation on the
Board of Industrial Relations |
since 1949, and
WHEREAS: It is our opinion

that the Board of Industrial
Relations is not constituted ac-

Protests”

cording to the intent of the Male
Minimum Wage Act, Section 4,
which provides for the setting up
of the Board:

Section 4 states:
“.. . the other members of
the Board . . . shall be repre-
sentative of organized groups

of employers and employees

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED: That the
Labor Council requests the

Provincial Government to consti

tute the Board of Industrial

Relations in accordance with the

intent of the Male Minimum
Wage Act.

The meek little gent in the
restaurant finally sighed and de-
cided to give up on his steak. It
was tougher than shoe leather.
He called the waiter and plead-
ed that it be taken back to the
kitchen, The waiter shook his
head and said: “Sorry, pal, I
can’t take it back now. You've
bent it.”

1-80 Meets

Local 1-80, IWA, will hold
a membership meeting, Sun-
day, July 18, at 10:30 a.m,
in the IWA Hall, Brae Road,
Duncan, Purpose of the
meeting is to elect delegates
to represent the Local Union
at the IWA International
Convention in Milwaukee.

94 Unions Sign Peace Pact

WASHINGTON (CPA) — A big step towards U.S.
labor unity was taken when 94 American Federation of
Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations affiliated
unions, with more than 10 million members, signed a two-
year ‘no raiding’ agreement here.

CIO President Walter Reuther
and AFL President George
Meany signed the master agree-
ment covering the 65 AFL and 29
CIO unions at a meeting of the
Joint AFL-CIO Unity Commit-
tee. In recent years, a number
of individual CIO and AFL
unions have signed pacts agree-
ing not to raid the other’s mem-
bership, but George Meany es-
timated that the present mas-
ter agreement was equivalent to
more than 1,800 individual ‘no
vaiding’ pacts,

The Unity Committee de-
seribed the historic signing as
“the first constructive step to-
ward labor peace and a united
labor movement since 1935.” In
its report, the committee esti-
mated that unions of the two
congresses had spent $11,418,-
000 in the years 1951-53 on
raiding or defending themselves
from raiding by rival unions,

Final arbiter in any cases of
raiding that may arise will be
New Jersey lawyer, David L.
Cole. Mr, Cole is one of the lead-
ing US experts on labor-manage-

relations,

ment
Pact Terms

disputes themselves.

3. If no settlement is reached
in 15 days, the secretary-treas-
urers of the two congresses
shall try to bring about com-
pliance with the agreement.

4, After 5. days of consider-
ation by these officials the
dispute may be submitted to
umpire David Cole, whose de-
cision as to whether a violation

- of the agreement has taken
place will be final and binding.

5, Any locals signing unions
who break the agreement will
cease the violation by with-
drawing representation claims
to the National Labor Rela-
tions Board or an employer.

Major unions who signed the
agreement were: CIO affiliates
in the auto, clothing, electrical,

oil, packinghouse, rubber, textile

and woodworking fields; and
‘AFL affiliates in the electrical,
garment, street railway, textile
and railroad fields.

SANDWICH
WHITE BREAD

BALANCED
RATION
2 The white fl

As an ald to better nutrition all @.B, White Bread
now made with Vitai

From Page 1.

AWAR

erous tribute to the cooperative
policy of the IWA in this field.

The Compensation Board
Chairman complimented. the
Union on the establishment of a
Safety Department as an integ-
ral part of the District Council’s
activities, and the appointment
of a full-time District Safety
Director.

Cooperation Appreciated

Upon accepting the award,
District Sec.-Treasurer George
Mitchell expressed appreciation
of the cooperation extended to
The B, C. Lumber Worker by the
‘Workmen’s Compensation Board
and the lumber operators in the
promotion of safety education
through the columns of the pub-
lication.

He stated that the IWA prized
the results attained in the work
of accident prevention through
cooperation, as thereby many
workers were spared death and
crippling injury.

The IWA District Officer as-
sured the gathering of safety of-
ficials that the IWA would con-
tinue an unremitting endeavor to
make the lumber industry a safe
place in which to work.

The luncheon was also the
occasion for the presentation of
similar awards to the B.C. Lum-
berman, and Radio Station
CKWX. Mr. G. M. MacDonald,
employed by Alaska Pine Ltd.,
was honored as the safe driver
of the week, by Alderman R.
Gervin.

Mr. C, Dobell, Safety Director,
BCER, Vice-chairman of the
Council, presided.

VANCOUVER) BIG, me

ee

MY BANK

10.2 HILLIOW CUAOLURS

Bank or MonTrREAL
Canada's First Sauk

WORKING WITH CANADIANS IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE SINCE 1817 —