“UNION SETS RECORD District Membership Gains Large Quota At Milwaukee Increased membership strength in District I will en- able the IWA Local Unions in British Columbia to send a Vol. XXII, No. 15 <> ** Ist ISSUE, AUGUST 1955 - VANCOUVER, B.C. “> 5c PER COPY MORRIS STATES POLICY On the eve of the Inter- national Convention, an em- phatic warning was given by District President Joe Morris on two occasions with regard to pending de- cisions relating to the merg- er, and the Union’s bargain- ing policy. The President’s declarations at the convention of District No. 9, Olympia, Wash., were again un- derlined in his address before the Annual Meeting of Local 1-367, recently. On both occasions, he warned that the true purposes of the merger should not be ob- secured, B.C. Policy Defended When confronted with the pro- posal that the IWA should adopt a policy of sectional bargaining, which would lead to separate contracts for the major sub-divi- sions of the industry, President Morris drew heavily while in Olympia on the B.C. experience. He claimed that any such notion hhad been discarded by experi- enced IWA members in British Columbia, by reason of their hard fought battles with the em- ployers. He bluntly suggested that the proposal smacked of a selfish purpose, for a sectional interest, |" he said, was usually selfish, The IWA could not afford to forget, he declared, that it was dedicated to the welfare of all the workers in the industry, Each group will find its highest welfare in the welfare of all the workers in the industry. The District Officer attacked the proposal as offering no ad- vantages to any section. He, urged that each section of the industry requires the support of all other sections in any crucial struggle. He cited his own per- sonal experience as a logger. Early struggles of the loggers were defeated until they joined hands with the mill workers in a common cause. Industry Now Integrated He pointed out that the mo- dern lumber industry is well in- tegrated, and by action of the employers is rapidly being more closely integrated. This situation required, he stated, that the See “MORRIS” Page 3 WHAT'S INSIDE Returns Financial Secretary Charlie Marshall was also returned to office, unopposed, by the mem- bership who heard from the of- ficers reassuring reports of the Local Union’s progress during the past year. Featured speaker on the occa- sion was District President Joe Morris, who made significant comment on current events, (re- ported elsewhere in these columns). Farmers’ Union In token of the cordial working relationship between the farming community and the lumber work- ers, President Lowery extended a welcome to President Leo Davies, B.C, Farmers’ Union. Mr. Davies spoke in complimentary terms-of the co-operation ex- tended by the Local Union to his organization. He declared that the nature of the exploitation to which both farmers and industrial workers were subjected, demanded a still closer relationship in 4 common cause for better social conditions. Mr. Davies pledged the support of his organization to a program of cooperation and indicated that Haney IWA Local Lowrey Warren Lowrey was re-elected President of Local 1-367 IWA by acclamation at the Annual Meeting held in Mission August 7th and which was representative of the membership throughout the Fraser Valley. further discussions were pending. Settlement Approved In reporting to the member- ship, Warren Lowrey, on behalf of his fellow-officers stated that the settlement reached by the Union this year, had, in their opinion proved advantageous to See “HANEY” Page 3 PLYWOOD PROGRAM ARRANGED © Authority to appoint and train an IWA member of the two-man team which will undertake job evaluation in plywood plants has been is- sued by the District Execu- tive Board. District President Joe Morris announced this week that the arrangements so authorized were proceeding on schedule, and that an early statement regarding the plan may be expected. VALLEY TEAM | ——<—$<<______ Green Gold-CJOR | Sas SUC NEWLY-ELECTED OFFICERS, LOCAL 1-367, IWA, face the camera at the end of their an group includes District President Joe Morris, Financial Secretary Charles Marshall, A. L. Corey, and J. R. Elliott, and Secretary Mrs. B. J. Smith. Recording Secretary D. - Local Union President Warren Lowrey, delegation to the approaching 18th and 19th Annual Con- vention in Milwaukee larger than on any former occasion in the United States, declared District President Morris, when addressing the Annual Meeting of Local 1-367 TWA in Mission recently. Dues-paying membership had averaged well over the 31,000 mark, he informed his audience. This was the gratifying result of the increased confidence placed in the organization by lumber workers in all sections of the industry, he said. The growth in membership was all the more significant, he ex- plained, because there had been a decline in the number of jobs available in the sawmill section, due mainly to expanding mech- anization, 96% of Potential He estimated that IWA mem- bership in the coast region is now 96% of the potential. The District President spoke with confidence of the progress made in Alberta, only recently added to the jurisdiction of Dis- trict I, B.C. lumber workers should know, he stated, that there are 8000 lumber workers await- ing organization in Alberta. For the first time, the IWA is meeting with success in an or- ganized drive in that province, he stated. This he attributed to the fact that organization is now in charge of lumber workers, where- as formerly organization had been initiated by unions serving workers from other industries. A.B.C. Obligation Eight new certifications had recently been secured, he added, which cover 12 operations. In re- cent weeks more than 300 mem- bers had been added to the newly- formed Local Unions, Local 1-206 Blairmore, and ‘1-207, Chisholm. He emphasized the obligations xesting upon lumber workers in B.C. with respect to the develop- ment of organization in Alberta. Wages averaged in some areas as low as 65 cents an hour he declared. This threat to B.C. standards could no longer be tol- erated, he urged. He advocated a more vigorous support of the drive in the neigh- boring province, as part of the Union’s over-all program of bridging the distance between the organization on the Pacific and its stronghold in Eastern Canada, One immediate result of the IWA campaign was that the base rate in areas touched upon had jumped from 65 cents an hour to $1.00 an hour, and would be boosted still higher in pend- ing negotiations, he predicted. Low Wage Threat These low wages, he explained offered direct competition to B.C. production for Alberta work- ers were producing for the same domestic market, mainly in spruce. He pointed to the fact that B.C. corporations were moving into Alberta. Western Plywood is now planning the erection of a million-doHar plant in Edmonton. Another firm had purchased 170 million f.b.m. of white spruce at Fort McMurray, which will take lumber workers into the sub- artic tundra, he said. Appeal Made The District President intim- ated that he would make a further appeal for support of the organizational drive in Al- berta on the part of the B.C. Local Unions. It was necessary to expand the limited staff al- located to that area, he said, in order to keep pace with a growing demand. nual meeting in Mission, August 7. The Vice-Presidents E. Del Rio and J. Anderson, Stewart, Conductor R. Drake, Warden J. Boone, Trustees J. Allison, 7.00 p.m. ¢ CKANW 7.05 pm. Sat, CJAV 6:30 p.m. Thur, Thursday (> CKPG - Ist and 3rd Thursday- 6 p.m.