B.C. LUMBER WORKER 1st Issue, November Impressions of The Convention BY THE IWA ROVING REPORTER “MY REPORT” When I left the hall, after listening to Dan Radford and Vic Midgley wind up the merger convention of the B.C. Federation of Labour, I began to wish that I had been a delegate so that I could report to the Local Union my feeling about happenings that were of vital importance to me and every other worker in the province. “Well, believe it or not, we’re merged. We never thought we’d see this happen,” was the most common remark heard. It was as though the old-timers were al- most dazed by reason of the mag- nitude of the work which they had wrought. * Not only was the job done, but it was well done, It was well done because the delegates acted in a spirit of genuine ce-operation. I hate to think of what would have happened any one so rash as to sneer at the idea of unity. Sometimes TLC opinion was defeated, and on other occasions CCL views were swept aside. The delegates took this in their stride as though they had been sitting check by jowl in conventions for years. One major job accomplished was the final drafting and ap- proval of the constitution. Evi- dently, the constitution commit- tee, with George Mitchell as chairman, had been burning the midnight oil, for their report in- dicated that the document had been worked over with a fine tooth comb, I think the resolutions commit- tee also deserves a few orchids. I don’t know what happened inside the committee, but its spokesmen before the convention conducted themselves with superb tact un- der the circumstances. -At this point, their experience in trade union problems rescued the con- vention from situations that might easily have proved awk- ward, A notable innovation was the fact that the convention had two chairmen, holding equal rank. ‘Their teamwork, as well as their footwork, was remarkable and above reproach. The new Rad- ford-Midgley Rules of Order took eare of every schemozzle, Quite seriously, they were ideal chair- men for the occasion, as they could sense the desires of the convention, and acted as a well- co-ordinated team to steer the delegates past snarls in proce- dure, by the simple exercise of common sense. Four MLA’s and one member of the House of Commons were on the floor. With one exception they discreetly kept debating silence and listened attentively. In this they did themselves no harm as working-class political representatives, for the conven- tion in the main, was disposed’ to suspect anything that looked like political infiltration or interven- tion. Arthur Turner pulled a boner, when he gave vent to his wra against Local 378, OEIU. It was an incident that might easily have been blown up into disrup- tive proportions, but it gave evi- dence that the great_majority of the delegates were more inter- ested in resolving differences than exaggerating them. Just imagine! The delegates at this convention tackled every “hot” issue in the trade union movement, and came out right side up with amazing aplomb. They put the Commies in their place. They decided on the kind of political action they wanted without any too much trouble. ‘They thumbed their noses at the BCER, as well as Mr. Bennett, and Mr. St. Laurent. They really walloped the Soviet Union for the Hungarian massacres, They el- ected a slate of officers, half and half, TLC and CCL. Nice work boys, and it sure spells united action for the future. YOUR UNION MEETINGS / A Real Union Shop And No Mistake! No less than TEN unions work in harmonious association with the management of The Van- couyer Sun to produce the daily issues of Western Canada's leading newspaper that go Into two out of three British Columbia homes. The Sun is happy to be a real Union Shop throughout, with agreeable relations with all its organized crafts and personnel, e PHONE TAtlow 7140 FOR DAILY HOME CARRIER DELIVERY THE “CANDID (TLC) SHOTS To assist former CCL members to become better acquainted with former TLC members now elected to office in the newly- merged B.C. Federation of Labour, some candid facts and “shots” were hur- viedly garnered by this publication’s reporter dur- ing lulls in the convention proceedings. WILLIAM BLACK President Bill Black, who won the post of president over George Ben- gough by a handsome majority, has carved a place in the trade union movement with the radical crusading ‘spirit characteristic of a Scot with an early upbringing in the Glasgow labor unions. The accent still creeps into his speech, in moments of excite- ment. Bill looks young for his 49 years, a condition attributed by many to the devotion of his very capable wife and assistant, Mary. It is claimed by some, that Bill developed his present ardor for trade union rights while suffer- ing the distress of unemployment in the “hungry thirties”. He was then secretary of the well-known Conference of the Unemployed, and was the spokesman for the unemployed on more than one occasion before the late Premier Pattullo. Bill is business manager of the Hospital Employees’ Union, and was formerly business agent for the Vancouver City Hall Inside Civic Employees. This has placed him as an executive member of the 30,000 - member National Union of Public Employees, Among other trade union acti- vities he served for many years on the executive committee of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council. He is at present chair- man of the Labour Council’s Poli- tical Education Committee. When he made his speech of acceptance at the convention, Bill made it explicit that he would conduct his office with complete impartiality to “both sides” be- cause of his respect for those ele- ments which joined to build the Federation. His burning ambition, apart from achievement of the legisla- tive aims of the Federation is to take the “freeze” off the wage income of hospital employees. Printers of The B.C. LUMBER WORKER “LIMITED PRINTERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS An Employee Owned Co. 944 RICHARDS STREET PAcific 6338-9 GORDON CUSHING Executive Vice-President - CLC Gordon Cushing is a Calgarian, a fact that he is fond of mention- ing when his antecedents are brought into the conversation. He made his start in a success- ful trade union career when he joined the Calgary Local of the Brewery Workers as an employee in the Calgary plant of the Ca- nada Malting Co. Later he was made vice-presi- dent of his Local and finally rose to become the secretary-treas- urer of the Calgary Trades and Labour Council in 1941. He also took on the job of secretary- treasurer of the Alberta Federa- tion of Labour (TLC). His outstanding success in the Alberta positions won for him the responsibilities. of general secretary-treasurer of the Trades and Labour Congress in 1949, a position he held until unanim- ously selected to fill his present top-ranking post. The first impression to be gained is that of unbending ad- ministrative efficiency, but Gor- don Cushing shows a more genial amiability on closer acquaintance. He’s the sort of chap that pounces with quiet force and an eagle eye, when an unwary scribe happens to write Canadian Con- gress of Labour instead of Cana- dian Labour Congress. VIC MIDGLEY 2nd Vice-President Vie Midgley is an unas- suming young . man with a re- markable trade union background for his years. His full- time jobis that of inter- national rep- resentative for the Carpenters and Joiners, and his base of op- erations is Victoria. He has been a trade union member since 1939 and has been a staff member of his union since 1947. He was active on the Victoria Trades and Labour Council, hold- ing various positions, and is now a “stemwinder” on the merged Council. Vie will be remembered in trade union circles as the man who carried the fight for the Car- penters when locked out for an alleged secondary boycott, to the Unemployment Insurance umpire in Ottawa to establish decisions that have attracted widespread attention in the Dominion, and which are frequently quoted to this day. An important part of his trade union background was established by his father, who prior to his death, played a vital role in the trade union history of the proy- ince. Vie Midgley, Sr., was a force in the OBU days of 1919, and later became president of the Victoria Labour Council. Vic, Jr., in association with Dan Radford, proved his ability to chair a tense convention gath- ering, with a cool and quick ap- praisal of the mental processes of fellow trade unionists. = _PAT O'NEAL 4th Vice-President B.C. Federation of Labour When Pat O’Neal ap- peared on the scene early in the convention sessions, he was hailed as “four fellow- woodworker’” by more, than one IWA is member.. This was believed to be a prophecy of future realignments until it was discovered that he had once been an IWA member. Pat typifies the younger and more tolerant type of trade unionist. For his age, he has risen rapidly in the trade union movement. He is president of the Prince Rupert Labour Council, and in that capacity attended the con- vention. He works in the plant of Columbia Cellulose, Prince Ru- pert, and this caused his fellow- employees to elect him president of the Pulp and Sulphite Work- ers Local. He has the reputation of being a militant trade unionist and this was borne out recently in the affairs of his own Local Union. It is* rumored that he led his union to take job action that finally resulted in a major shift of nearly all the executives of the company located at Prince Ru- pert. It all signifies that he un- derstands job organization, and the reasons for the existence of trade unions. This is not to say that he blus- ters. All the way through the convention he appeared to be a very mild-mannered young man, who was intent on getting busi- ness done with the maximum ef- ficiency. Another rumor has it that he will soon be transferred to Van- ecouver on more important duties. If so, he will be enabled to serve the Federation with wider scope for his exceptional abilities. oy ws Crown p oe a .__ This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia,