B.C. LUMBER WORKER

2nd Issue, August

-Labor’s Ranks

* A. R. MOSHER :
President, Canadian Congress of Labor

PERHAPS at no time since the end of World War II has

there been such widespread apprehension of the out-
break of another conflict. Every thoughtful person must
be deeply disturbed by the growing tension between free
nations and the Communist-dominated group.

However concerned any of us may be, the fact remains
that there is little or nothing which we can do as indi-
viduals to prevent another war or to delay its outbreak,
and it is almost impossible to avoid a feeling that we are
little more than pawns on the chessboard of fate, although
our influence, both in domestic and foreign affairs, is un-

doubtedly of considerable importance.

IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, |
the wisest course for us, as Can: |
adians, would appear to be to do)
our work day by day to the best |
of our ability, in the hope that, |
if we perform our tasks faith-
fully, we are making some con-|
tribution toward the general wel-
fare, and helping to create an)
atmosphere in which war will be |
less likely. |

By any standard which we wish |
to use, Canada is one of the|
greatest countries in the world, |
We are the third trading nation, |
and our progress has aroused |
envy and admiration in almost)
every other country. |

It is quite evident that no ac-,
curate forecast can be made as}
to the development of our natural |
resourees, since new. discoveries |
of highly valuable minerals are |
constantly being made. Vast)
amounts of money are being in-|
vested in Canadian industry, not |
only by Canadians themselves, |
but by the citizens of many other
nations,

FROM A LONG-RUN STAND- |
POINT, no one doubts the great-
ness of Canada’s destiny, but
there are still many aspects of
the Canadian economy which are
far from being satisfactory. The | ¢
unemployment situation is caus- | |
ing widespread alarm in many of
our industrial centres, and, as the
Labor movement has made clear
on many occasions, its opinion is
very definite that the Federal
Government has not given this|
problem anything like the atten-}
tion it demands. |

The situation with regard to |
agriculture, particularly in West- |
ern Canada, is also very disquiet- |
ing, and there are many other!
matters which deserve the closest |
possible attention of the best in- |
telligence which the country can |
master, |

Labor has advocated the Ree
ting up of committees on which
Labor, industry, agriculture and |
the Government would be repre:

Iw
i

i

constant effort must be made to

| people of Canada, which, in turn,

disparity in wage-levels in vari-
ous industries in various areas
throughout the Dominion. The
Labor moyement has never
advocated a flat and uniform
rate of wages for all workers.
It recognizes that skilled and
experienced workers deserve
higher remuneration than those
who are unskilled and inexperi-
enced.

It recognizes further that
higher wages represent an ‘im-
portant incentive to the de-
velopment of ability. However,
it is important that minimum |
wages in any industry should
be high enough to permit the |
maintenance of a reasonable
standard. of living, and this is
far from being the case in
some industrial areas.

Furthermore, there should be
a fairly close approximation
between the wage-levels in the
basic industries of the nations |
where skills and experience are
comparable, |
LABOR BELIEVES that there

room for improvement in
wage-levels throughout Canadian |
industry as a whole, and that a!

improve the general standard of
living of the workers and the

is based upon wage-levels.

The workers of Canada have
become increasingly aware in
recent years of their obligation
to do what they can to promote |
the raising of living standards
in the less-fortunate countries |
of the world. They believe,
however, that their own con-
tribution in this respect need
not result in a reduction of
their own standards, but rather
that any improvements obtain-
ed in Canada will enable them
to fulfill their responsibilities
toward the underprivileged in
other lands. %

ON LABOR DAY, therefore,

sented, and which might make | we are more aware than ever of
useful suggestions regarding the | the growing importance and in-
peliey to be followed by the Gov- | fluence of our nation, and we re-
ernment, but these proposals have | new our determination to do
not borne fruit. ‘everything we can to make Can-

ONE PERSISTENT PROB- | ada’a powerful factor in the
LEM, so far as the Labor | search for peace, goodwill and
movement is concerned, is thé | happiness throughout the world.

Publication date of the next issue of the B.C. LUMBER WORKER
is September 2. Deadline for od copy is August 26 and for news
copy August 27.

EC LunsentVorwen

Representing the Orgavized Loggers end Mill Workers of B.
PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY ON THE FIRST
International Woodworkers of America (CIO-CCL)

‘oodworkera of America (CIO-
‘B.C, District Council No. 1 =>
wea, JOO Morris

DISTRICT OFFICERS:

Scongo BE Mitenal
‘Board Member 2 Walter F. Allen
Address all communications to
Q@BORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer
45 Kingsway - Phone FAirmont 8807-8
Vancouver, B.C.

[

Illustrated is the Cruiser’s
Stag of pure virgin wool
in mackinaw or kersey.
Mackinaw plaids are either
red and black; green and
black, or blue and black.

pack pocket in back, which

or favorite dealer.

Lte

Notice the four large pockets in front, and the large

feature of both mackinaw and kersey garments.

‘These are two of the many designs of “Pioneer
Brand” clothing obtainable from your commissary

Made in Vancouver, B. C., by Jones, Tent & Awning
dhey are designed through careful study of the
nee.s and desires of B.C. workmen.

LOOK
FOR THE
NAME

JONEER
UZBaRaNn

REGISTERED

FOR WORK CLOTHING
OF
UNSTINTED MATERIALS
DESIGN and
WORKMANSHIP

opens at both sides... a

NEW YORK (CPA)—When |
one of the largest hat manufac-
turers in the United States
found itself in financial difficul-
ties, the Hatters’ Union stepped
in and offered a loan of $250,-
000 to keep the company’s two
plants operating. |

Faced with a heavy drop in|

hat sales plus heavy capital ex-|
penses, the Kartiganer Hat Corp.
employing 1500 workers at plants
in Beacon, N.Y. and West Up-
ton and Milford, Mass., found it-
self in financial difficulties and
faced with the vossibility of hav-
ing to close two plants and dis-
charge half of its employees.

Loan Financed

President Alex Rose of the
United Hatters (AFL), stepped
in and made arrangements for a
Joan, partially from the union
treasury and partly from the
workers themselves. The union
will provide $50,000 and each
worker will lend $200 of personal
funds. Those without the neces-
sary funds can get a loan from
the bank, through an arrange-
ment with the union, which will
then be repaid out of wages.

The union recently ended a
strike of 10% months against
the Hat Corporation of America
in Norwalk, Conn., because the
corporation planned to move its
operations to non-union lower-
‘wage areas in the west and south.

In announcing the loan, Rose
said;

New Methods Required

“While the whole idea of a
union investing in a company any
seem very unusual, the fast
changes that take place in in-
dustry often require new meth-
ods. Sometimes a union must
fight on the picket line and spend
its money for strike benefits.
Sometimes it can best protect the
interests of its members by pro-
viding financial assistance to the
company on which they depend
for livelihood.
“In this case we haye been im-
pelled by a three-fold purpose:
@) to guarantee the jobs of
our members; (2) to preserve
labor standards in our industry,
and (3) to prevent communities
from turning into ghost towns.
“The shutting down of these
factories would have. left the
workers with no other jobs to
go to. There are no other hat
companies in which they could
have been employed. It was a
case of helping an employer in
order to help ourselves.”

Loan Conditions major element for stability in the
The union set up two conditions | hat industry.

for the loan: (1) no cuts in wages| “This is a very happy example
or established working conditions; | of labor-management cooperation

| (2) a union accountant be posted| to keep a company in business

in the company offices to keep

watch on the safety of the union } ple who have hat-making in their

investment. z | blood,” said Charles H. Kartiga-
The union has long been a/ ner, president of the company.

and protect the jobs of the peo-

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use Canadian Bank of Commerce money
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THE oan BANK
OF COMMERCE

80 Branches in British Columbia