2 E.G; LUMBER WORKER Sask. Legislates Union Shop Rights Union shop conditions for organized workers'in Sas- katchewan have been guaranteed under the Trade Union Act of that province, it was stated recently by Premier Hon. T. C. Douglas, when queried by IWA District President Joe Morris for the The IWA President took ad- vantage of the Premier’s visit to Vancouver to clear up uncertain- ties regarding legislation in Sas- katchewan affecting organized labor. Some of the questions ask- ed and the answers obtained dur- ing the interview on the air are set out below. “Will you please explain in * general outline how this has been done? We are especially in- terested in the attitude of your Government toward the provi- sions for the Union Shop.” A, “Within 90 days of taking of- fice, the CCF Government in Saskatchewan passed a Trade Union Act. As you know, under that Act, every employer must bargain collectively with his em- ployees and with the agent which has been selected by over 51% of the membership. Union Shop “Once a collective bargaining agreement is signed every em- ployee, and every person becom- ing an employee, must, within 30 days, join the Union. The Legis- lation also makes it compulsory to have both the maintenance of membership and the compulsory check-off. You’d also be interested “to know that under our Trade Union Act it is illegal to have a Company Union and it is unlaw- ful to dismiss a man for Trade Union activity.” “What has the Government * done in Saskatchewan with respect to protecting the same rights to collective bargaining for the employees of the Govern- ment itself?” “We will not ask any employ- * er to do anything which we were not prepared to do ourselves and so the Trade Union Act has been applied to all employees of the Government, both in the Pub- lic Service and in the Crown Cor- porations. Green Gold radio program. Unionized Civil Service “The result is that every gov- ernment employee is today a member of a trade union. We sit down each year and we work out a collective bargaining agreement with each of the Unions with which our various departments of Government and Crown Corpora- tions are affiliated.” A Timber Board . “Without attempting to draw comparisons between our re- spective Provinces, could you please outline to us your policy with regard to the forest re- sources of Saskatchewan?” ~ “When we took office we set up a Timber Board. The function of the Timber Board was twofold. The first was to see that the cut of timber in the Province was held at a figure which could be replaced either by natural growth or reforestation, in order that the timber industry might continue:to be a factor in the economy of the Province. The second thing we did was to say to those interested in the tim- ber business that they would still be welcome to cut timber but we would pay them for cutting it and that the timber would remain the property of the people of the Province and be sold through the Timber Board, in much the same way that a farmer would hire someone to come and cut his crop. He pays to have the crop cut but the crop still belongs ‘to him so we pay the Companies. “They carry on their operations but the timber still belongs to the people of Saskatchewan. It is sold and the difference between what it costs to cut it and what they receive for it becomes the property of the public domain. “Have you been successful in * balancing your cutting and regeneration?” A, “Yes, we believe we have. We PORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE MacGREGOR’S MEN'S WEAR We Can Afford For Everything A Man Wears +% WORK, SPORT or DRESS x To Sell The... BEST For LESS! 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E Campbell River Phone AT 8-6742 ist Issue, Septermigy i Joe Morris during an interview for the Green Gold radio program, that union shop conditions as now established by law in his province are good for labor-management relations. + are now able to increase the cut because of the fact that re- generation has improved as a re- sult of very extensive fire con- servation and other policies.” “Do you consider that this * development undertaken by the Saskatchewan Crown Cor- porations adds to the security of employment for the workers en- gaged in those specific industries in which the Crown Corporations operate?” “Yes, we do, because a Crown ° Corporation since it is not motivated solely by a desire to get a quick profit—To cut out and get out, is able to follow a policy of conservation and there- fore to give security of employ- ment. Also, since we are not striving to get every last dollar of profit out of the operation but to give the people of the Province a reasonable return from their resources we are able to pay gen- erally a higher -level of wages than has been paid by private in- dustries, similar industries.” “Would you care to express ° an opinion regarding the re- lationship between industrial workers and farmers on political questions?” Farm-Labor Unity “Well, we think that we have * done a good deal toward pioneering a better relationship between workers and farmers. You should take into considera- tion the fact that 12 years ago we passed what was generally conceded to bé the most advanced labor legislation on the North American continent — the Trade Union Act, which I have already mentioned, at that time the high- est Workmen’s Compensation, the highest minimum wage; 2 weeks’ holiday a year with pay; good deal of legislation which was far in advance of any labor legisla- tion on this continent. “When you stop to think that that legislation was passed by a legislature in which four-fifths of the membership were farmers, we attribute that to the fact that over the years we have been able to bring farmers and workers together in the same party and to help to disabuse them of the idea. that the one was being ex- ploited by the other. “We think now that there is a growing body of opinion in our Province and growing throughout Canada, which recognizes that the farmer and the worker have each been exploited by the same peo- ple, and instead of being mortal enemies they haye common cause and they ought to band them- selves together in order to im- prove on one hand, the wages which the worker receives, and on the other hand, to improve the price which the farmer gets for his product. We have come to rec- ognize that the farmers’ lot is not improved by having low wages, for low wages mean that the peo- WATSONS. « GLOVES « ;HE WEAR IS THERE Union Made for Union Trade Insist on WATSON’S LEATHER GLOVES THE ONLY LEATHER WORK GLOVES UNION MADE IN B.C. JOHN WATSON LTD. VANCOUVER, B.C, 127 EAST 2nd AVE. ple in the city can’t buy the farmers’ product. Nor is the workers’ lot improved by having the farmer produce below the cost of production, because the farmer if he is producing below the cost of production, can’t buy the pro- ducts of the factories, and after a while there’s unemployment. Common Cause “So, they have a common cause and we are extremely grateful for the fact that our farmers have supported progressive labor legislation. As you say, that’s go- ing to be an increasingly import- ant factor, because 10 years ago, 80% of the wealth of Saskatche- wan came off: farms. Only 20% came from industrial pursuits. “Today, 60% comes from farms and 40% from industry. We think that by 1960 it'll probably be on a 50-50 basis. So that industry is becoming more important and therefore this good relationship between the farmer and the in- dustrial worker is of great im- portance to us.” “NO REST’ HE SAYS LONDON (CPA)—As Cana- dian Labor Congress Secretary- Treasurer Donald MacDonald told a forum that organized labor “sill not rest” until a national health plan is estab- lished, a public opinion poll showed rapidly mounting pub- lic support for a federal scheme. Speaking at a meeting spon- sored by the labor-participation committee of the United Welfare appeal, MacDonald said that the CLC will co-operate with any group to provide effective welfare services in Canada. . Largest Contributors “Labor in North America,” he said, “is now one of the largest contributors to welfare services. We in Canada are determined that we will no. longer let our voice be unheard in the formula- tion of policies.” On the, same day, September 5, a public opinion poll showed that support for a government-operat- ed hospital plan increased from 62% in April, 1956, to 72% now- People interviewed clearly cated that they were in favor of the idea even though it mean higher taxation. rs