’ B.C. LUMBER WORKER

EDMONTON PLYWOOD WORKERS’ oo MEET

U.S. Miners Set
New Wage High

Claim made by John L. Lewis that the contract re-
cently negotiated by him for the United Mine Workers
places the coal miners at the top of the industrial wage
schedule in the United States, has attracted widespread
attention among trade unionists. The new rate to be estab-
lished by the recently-negotiated contract will be $22.25
a day.

The increase for the two-year

contract is $2.00, made applicable
in two installments, the first be-
ing for $1.20 a day. The rate then
established will be virtually dou-
ble the rate paid in 1946, which
was $11.85 a day. The new con-
tract also provides the miners
with additional vacation benefits.

Welfare Fund

Some of the fringe benefits are
derived from the welfare fund
which in ten years has collected
more than a billion dollars. The
income of the union itself is now
$12 million a year, with expenses
listed as $10 million. Claiming a

UNITED MINE WORKERS’ WELFARE FUND
For 10 Years, Ending July, 1956

INCOME SINCE 1946

Payments by mining companies to the pound

OUTGO SINCE 1946

1,036,650,955.03"

Pensions (approximately 61,500 retired

miners now get $100 a month) =
Medical care (includes hospitalization of miners

403,075,052.57

and their families in 10 new hospitals built ee

the Fund) ...

298,756,004.17

Cash aid to disabled miners (this program has

been discontinued)

Payments to widows and families of deceased

miners .
Administration costs ..
‘Total outlay in first 10 y

CASH ON HAND (as of June 30, 1956).

105,006,474.97

78,981,957.39
25,659,095.35
906,478,584.45,
130,172,370.58

op

Includes $8,551,082.03 income earned by investments of the Fund.

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membership of over 600,000, in-
cluding District 50, a miscellany
of workers in several industries,
the balance now in the treasury
of the UMW is 24.6 million exclu-
sive of other investments.

The Union controls a bank in
Washington, D.C., one of the lar-
gest in that city, with assets of
over $260 million.

The Miners’ Welfare Fund has
a current reserve of $130 million.

The latest venture made by
Lewis in the name of the Union
is the formation of a shipping
firm to promote the export. of
coal. Permission has been granted
by -the Federal Government to
charter 30 Liberty ships from the
Government's moth-ball fleet.
These ships will carry coal to
Europe and bring ore back. The
firm was capitalized at $50 mil-
lion.

Prospects Good

In making the announcement
regarding the shipping firm,
Lewis declared that the prospects

-|for the coal industry, after six] y

years of industrial peace were
never better. He asserted that
not until 1965 would the atomic
energy projects offer any real
competition.

The average earnings in the
coal industry, according to gov-
ernment statistics, have been
$2.83 an hour, or $22.64 a day,
including overtime.

The UMW, at its recent quad-
rennial convention, expressed op-
position to guaranteed annual
wage plans, for the reason that
such plans should-be made uni-
versal through action by the Fed-
eral Government.

CITIES GET
MIGRANTS

OTTAWA (CPA) —A large
scale migration of labor from
Canada’s farms to the cities
during the period 1941-51 was
revealed by the latest national
census. Figures showing a de-
cline of more than 250,000: in
the agricultural labor force
during the ten-year period are
recorded in volume ten of the
11-volume census series which
was published recently.

AO}

eACH

The Dental Association has for-
bidden Dr. R. Llewellyn Douglas
(Old Doc) ‘from announcing
publicly that he is willing and
able to provide top quality,
guaranteed dental plates at
only $40 per plate.

Dr. R. Llewellyn Douglas

712 Robson St.
(Corner of Granville)

Vancouver 1, B.C.

Phone: PAcific 4022

AREA LABOUR

Prince George trade unions
meeting in the Civic Centre,
October 17, formed the Prince
George and District Labor
Council and elected the Council
Officers.

The meeting followed several
meetings of a unity committee
which laid the ground work for
the merger meeting.

The Council’s jurisdiction will
cover a large area with boun-
daries covering an area of 45
miles south of Prince George, 100
miles north, 150 miles east, and
160 miles west of Prince George.

Elected Officers

Jacob Holst, Business Agent of
Local 1-424, IWA, was elected
the Council’s new President; R.

PRINCE GEORGE FORMS

COUNCIL

Sandine, 1st Vice-President; W,
H. Chance, 2nd Vice-President;
E,. Shaw, Secretary-Treasurer;
C. H. Webb, Sergeant-at-Arms.
The three Executive Council
members elected were W, Rude-
loff, J. Sass, and R. Brochu.

TIME LOSS
REDUCED

OTTAWA (CPA) — The
time lost through industrial
disputes during September
amounted to 0.13% of the
estimated working time com-
pared with 0.24% in Septem-
ber, 1955, Labor Minister
Gregg announced.

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