FROM “Settlement” B.C. LUMBER WORKER PAGE 1 each succeeding year thereafter, Labour Day and Dominion Day. During the period September 1, 1955, to August 31, 1956, and each succeeding year thereafter, Christmas Day. This eontract gain, which has always been strenuously objected to by the Northern operators, places workers in the Northern and Southern Interior on the same footing as regards the number of statutory holidays, and the qualifications therefor. 5. Seniority Provision in the contract which will require re-employment after seasonal shut-downs on the basis of seniority previously. establish- ed. ‘This new clause in the contract will be substantially the same as now contained in the Southern Interior contract. 6. Union Security Provision for an improved pro- cedure which will strengthen the present check-off system. The improved procedure pro- posed, and which the employers are now willing to accept, will greatly assist the Union in or- ganizing all operations. New Categories Provision that a joint labor- management committee will meet within three months after the date of signing the proposed agreement in order to determine the classifications with wage rates for new categories now found necessary to be added to the wage schedules of the agree- ment. 8. Piece Work Rates Provision for a guarantee in the contract that earnings of workers on piece work rates shall not be less than the hourly rate stipulated in the wage schedule for the number of hours worked. In the case of fallers and buekers, who provide and main- tain their own power saws, the minimum hourly rate shall be 1-1/3 times the hourly rate stipu- lated for the classification in the wage schedule. Fallers and buckers who leave the employ of a company for any reason whatsoever shall re- ceive their final scale slip and final payment for same not later than thirty days after their last day of employment. 9. Board and Lodging Provision that within three months from the date of signing the contract a joint labor-man- agement committee shall examine the board and lodging situation with respect to facilities and costs, with the object of reaching a mutually satisfactory agree- ment. The District Policy Commit- tee directs the attention of IWA members in the Northern Interior to the fact that rejec- tion of these proposed terms of settlement will necessitate the appointment of a Conciliation : Officer and/or a Conciliation = Board under the provisions of the recently-proclaimed Labour Relations Act. In the opinion of the Com- mittee it is doubtful that any LOCAL MEMBERS arrived to boost the morale of the two pickets on the A.M. shift at West Oregon Lumber Co. Pictured left to right: Mathew Johnson; Herman Janicke; Bill Johnson; Mal Colby (Chairman of the Plant Comm.); Ed Coulter, Bus. Agent, Local 5-3 Plant Comm.; and Newton Kessler. ; Chet Reynolds, member of the Conciliation Board, likely to be appointed, would give a major- ity recommendation with bet- ter terms of settlement than have now been negotiated. If rejection of a majority report of a Conciliation Board should become necessary, the Union would be confronted with the new conditions in respect of a strike vote and strike action now imposed under the new Labour Relations Act. All these factors must be considered in making your de- cision.” N.S. GETS FEDERATION HALIFAX (CPA) — A Nova Scotia Provincial Federation of Labor (TLG) was formed at a convention held in the Nova Sco- tian Hotel here June 21 and 22, The 97 delegates present repre- sented 37 local unions and five Trades and Labor and Joint Councils involving about 7,000 members. Total TLC affiliated membership in the province, however, is in excess of 20,000. FROM PAGE 1 pose of signing the present agreement as is. The Union rejected both this letter and the Operators’ proposal to sign the current agreement, for the second consecutive year, without any changes. Bare Faced Refusal In addition, the Union spokes- men called the statements, in the Operators’ letter, the most “‘bare- faced” refusal to bargain that they have ever seen. The Union entered the meeting ready and willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement. But the Operators had absolutely no in- tention of negotiating. In effect they “slapped-the-face” of the Federal Mediation and Concilia- tion Service by refusing to enter into the spirit of the meeting and for notifying the Service, by letter, that they were unwilling to meet any more under such HAN SINESS GUIDE “ESQUIRE” MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” HANEY e arrangements. To the credit of the Mediator it must be said that he very bluntly told the Operator Com- mittees that under the law the Service had, not only the right but, the duty to call such meet- ings and that they would call them any time they saw fit to do so—irrespective of any “letter” from the Operators. BRITISH COLUMBIA A Mockery Duncan 131 Jubilee St. DUNCAN BUSINESS GUIDE J. LINDSAY LOUTET (C, Bradshaw & Co.) INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE To assure “fair” treatment of the issues involved, the Union spokesman, at the opening of the July 14th meeting, requested that the public press be allowed to “sit-in” and observe, first-hand, what a “mockery” the Operators were making of a serious situa- tion that has such‘a grave effect Lake Cowichan Branch: Old Post Office Building PORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE MacGREGOR’S MEN’S WEAR For de) Man Wears ‘WORK, SPORT or DRESS We Can Afford to Sell ‘the BEST for LESS! _ WOODWARD STORES : (PORT ALBERNI) LTD. we ‘our Family Shopping Centre” on the entire economy of the Northwest. : The Operators refused to admit the press. This showed little gratitude, on the part of the Operators, for the brand of propaganda one of the large newspapers has been carrying for them on its editorial MacDONALD’S PHARMACY Prescriptions, Drug Sundries, First Aid Supplies The only time the press is barred is when some one or some group does not want the public to know what is taking place. The Union welcomes the press. But for obvious reasons the Op- erators won't let them be pres- ent.” A. F. Hartung, President of the CIO Woodworkers, and J. E. Dicey, Vice-President, made im- passioned pleas “for justice” in negotiations with Northwest lum- ber industry representatives. in Portland, Ore. The employers rejected all de- mands of the union, they said. They offered to renew present contracts. When the union’s nego- tiating committee rejected the employer demands, the employers said there was no point in meet- ing further. They said they were now leaving it up to individual operators to settle with the- union, provided no contract improve- ments were given. Hartung said this amounted to refusal to bargain. H. J. Greeley, employer spokesman, denied this. He said bargaining didn’t neces- sarily mean employers were re- quired to make offers to increase wages. He said the employers had every right to stand pat. Replied Hartung: “Malenkov over in Russia has a legal ‘right’ to kick his workers around and toss them in jail even, but that doesn’t make it justice.” Soint AFL-CIO Meeting The employers had no replies to make and the meeting quickly broke up. It had been arranged by the federal conciliation ser- vice, and was the third such in three days—the first two being between AFL representatives and employers. Representatives of the Wood- workers sat in on the first two meetings and AFL Lumber Workers’ leaders were present at the third as observers. More Registered Optometrist page. meetings between these two big- Argyle Street rt Alb LE PARTS IRA BECKER & SON Vancouver Island Distributors POWER CHAIN SAWS abe SERVICE Campbell River Phone 94H “Hartung Scores Operators” gest unions in the Northwest also are scheduled to coordinate ef- forts to win hetter contracts. About 100,000 logging, hard- board, plywood, sawmill and log boom workers belonging to the unions have been on strike since June 21. They seek 1244¢ an hour wage gains and the Woodworkers also want 3 weeks vacation after 5 years of seniority and a wage analysis program. : After the meeting Wednesday, Hartung gave the press copies of a letter to the employers. It was in response to a letter giving the employers the latest, unchanged offer. Hartung also issued the following statement: Hartung’s Statement “Today’s economic facts indic- ate to us that the Northwest Woodworkers should get a wage increase. So strongly did our policy committee feel about this that we requested the federal conciliators to invite the public press to sit in on our July 14 negotiations. In other words, we were will- ing to bring the public into nego- tiations insofar as possible. In this way, the true facts of the justice of our case could be judg- ed more accurately, we felt. But spokesmen for the em- ployers didn’t even stop to con- sider this proposal. They rejected becoming acquainted first hand with the situation. Instead, ap- parently, they wish to waste thousands of dollars buying ad- vertising space in the papers. Perhaps they feel they can buy editorial favors the same way. Prices Boosted They have taken advantage of the strike to boost lumber prices to outrageous levels. Prices have gone up in some instances enough to pay three or four times what the union is asking. The oper- ators are gouging the public at the expense of the workers. Inereased hourly output per man hour over the past two years has been the equivalent of a $3 per thousand saving on lumber. Why can’t the industry share some of this by lowering prices and raising wages instead of ‘taking it out’ on the public and the union? =» outright the idea of the public”