ORS.

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

2nd Issue, December

“BREAD-FOR THE HUNGRY
IS OUR JOB" .. . Jodoin

By CLAUDE JODOIN
President, Canadian Labor Congress

As Canadians we can look back on 1956 as a year of
accomplishment. There has been new growth and vigor in
our, country and there has been an increased awakening
of a spirit of justifiable national pride. For those of us in
the labor movement, 1956 stands out as the year in which
we attained a long-sought objective—the merging of the

two largest central organizations into one body — the]:

Canadian Labor Congress.
This event had, of course, sig-
nificance beyond the actual ranks
of the organizations involved.
Organized labor has now reached
proportions which make its poli-
cies and actions of national im-
portance. The desire for unity
had been long-standing and when
a merger was accomplished those
actively participating gave sin-
cere support through action to
their dreams. As a result a new
organization, representing 1,050,-
000 Canadian men and women,
has come into being and, during
1956, has become a smoothly
functioning organization with far
less difficulty and fewer problems
than might have been anticipated.

Now we enter 1957, the first
full year of the Canadian Labor
Congress as a functioning orga-
nization. We know that as a unit-
ed organization we are better
equipped than ever before to
make labor's contribution to the
welfare of our country, and the
importance of this contribution is
likely to increase in this and the
other years to come.

Inflation Threatened

Canadians enjoyed a large
measure of prosperity in 1956.

Economie conditions were, in fact,
so good that toward the end of
the year fears of inflationary
trends were expressed. Once
again there was an effort in many
quarters to place the blame on
lahor. Organized labor has in the
past sought, and will continue to
seek better. conditions for all
workers. We are convinced that
such efforts are essential to an
expanding economy; and surely
vo one will suggest that Canada
has reached the limit of her pos-
sibilities of economic expansion.

The facts clearly prove that
with reasonable improvements in
wages and working conditions,
now over a period of a good many
years, the country has prospered.
Those who -have tried to block
labor’s efforts by predictions of
doom have proven poor prophets.
Labor realizes the responsibilities
of its position, both in relation to
its membership and to the coun-
try as a whole. Our unions see
no reason to cease efforts to ob-
tain justifiable improvements. In
fact in the face of radical tech-
nological changes and in the ex-
tension of automation, which we
may expect in 1957, it is essential

Publication date of the next issue of the B.C. LUMBER WORKER
is January 3rd. Deadline for ad copy is December 27th and for news

copy December 28th.

BC Lonpent

Representing the Organized Loggers end Mill Workers of B.C.
PUBLISHED TWICH MONTHLY ON THH FIRST
AND THIRD THURSDAYS BY.
International Woodworkers of America.
District Council No. 1

» DISTRICT OFFICERS:

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President
Ist Vice-President
2nd Vice-President
8rd Vice-Presiden’
Secretary-Treasurer

International Board Member —.

Address all communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-'Treasurer

45 Kingsway -

Vancouver, B.C.

Subscription Rates.

Advertising Representative —___.G. A. Spencer

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa
27,500 COPINS PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE

KVORKER

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British Columbia.

CLAUDE JODOIN

that a high level of purchasing
power be maintained in Canada,
if there is to be a market for the
goods which can now be produced
in increasing quantities.

Legislation Pending

We think also that this is a
time when steps could be taken
to meet other national problems.
With a high level of employment
there is an opportunity to intro-
duce an industrial pension plan.
Many workers are now contribut-
ing in one form or another to
pinas which will supplement the
entirely inadequate old age pen-
sions when they reach retirement.
The need for some more orderly
approach to industrial pensions
has been widely recognized, and
the longer action is delayed the
more complicated the introduction
of such a plan will become.

Increasing concern ‘was ex-
pressed during 1956 at the pro-
portions of the problems we face
in education. This is a matter
which is in provincial jurisdiction,
but the need is of such proportion
that the co-operation of all levels
of government is urgently neces-
sary. It was because of this that
our Congress recently urged the
calling of a dominion-provincial
conference on education to seek
approaches to the problems which
will inevitably increase as. the
years go by. We hope that 1957
may bring a concerted and order-
ly effort to meet our country’s
educational needs.

International Affairs
Critical

During 1956, the international
situation changed dramatically.
‘Phe Polish people won a measure
of freedom. The Hungarians
threw off the yoke of their op-
pressors only to be brutally crush-

munist imperialism. The Middle
East burst’into open war which
Nations and to spread over the
threatened to destroy the United
whole world. The Canadian gov-
ernment, in this perilous moment,
took the lead in measures to re-
store the authority of the United
Nations, stop the fighting and
establish an international police
force. This is the right policy.
The Labor Movement has stead-
fastly supported, and will sup-
port, the U.N., knowing that if
the U.N. breaks down, all that
Labor has won, and even civiliza-
tion itself, may be wiped out.

But the best hope of peace lies
not in settling disputes, but in
preventing them. A world in
which two-thirds of the people
are underfed is the fertile seed-

-| ground for war. If we are all to

have peace, we must help those
hungry people. During 1956, the
Canadian government increased
its aid to under-developed coun-
tries, but it must be increased
still more.

But this bread for the hungry
is not just a task for govern-
ments, It is also a job for the

trade union movement. In Canada,
strong unions have immeasurably
contributed to raise the workers’
standard of living. Strong unions
can do the same for the under-
developed countries; but their
workers cannot build such unions
without our help. That is why the
Canadian Labor Congress and
many of its affiliated unions and
their individual members are vol-
untarily making regular contri-
butions to the International Con-
federation of Free Trade Unions,
to organize workers in Asia, Af-
rica and Latin America; and we
are proud that the ICFTU has
chosen a great Canadian trade
unionist, Mr. C. H. Millard, form-
er vice-president of the Canadian
Labor Congress and Canadian
Director of the United Steelwork-
ers, to direct this work.

Free, democratic trade union-
ism, solidly established in‘ every
country in the world, would be
one of the best and surest foun-
dations for international peace
and justice. To the laying of that
foundation, strong and deep, the
Canadian Labor Congress in 1957
will devote an increasing propor-
tion of its time and energy.

Conciliation Judges Criticized
ST. CATHARINES — George Burt, Canadian UAW director,

ed once more by Russian Com-

criticized the appointment of.judges as conciliation board chairmen
and said their whole background and social life directed their sym-
pathies towards management. He said conciliation boards served no
useful purpose in Canada.

Daoust Appointed TWUA President
NEW YORK—Harold Daoust, Canadian director of TWUA since
1951, was appointed special assistant to the TWUA president in
charge of organizing. Paul Swaity of Selkirk, Man., was named act-
ing Canadian director of the union.

Canadian Unemployment Figures
OTTAWA—The number of Canadians looking for work at Octo-
ber 18 was 157,400, down 1,400 from a month earlier as a result of
the recall of Ontario automobile and allied industry workers, the
National Employment Service reported.

Electricians Win Wage Boost
VANCOUVER—A 57-cent an hour pay boost in a two-year con- *
tract will give 1,000 lower mainland electricians a base rate of $2.99
an hour next October. The IBEW members reached the new agree-
ment after rejecting a conciliation offer of 28 cents.

CLC Presents Brief, January 23
OTTAWA—The presentation of the annual legislative brief to
the federal cabinet by the Canadian Labor Congress has been sched-
uled for January 23.

Banks Pay Overtime

TORONTO—Three chartered banks announced plans to pay em-
ployees time and one-half for overtime and other banks were ex-
pected to follow suit in a move to head off union organizing activities
among Toronto bank employees. About 10% of the eligible Toronto
bank workers were reported to have already joined the Office Work-
ers Union. The payment of overtime, described as “long overdue”,
was welcomed by CLC vice-president Cushing in Ottawa.

Ontario Compensation Earnings Increased
TORONTO—Maximum coverage under the Ontario Workmen’s
Compensation Act will be raised from $4,000 to $5,000 from January
1, WCB chief assessor D. H. Brawley announced. The new maximum
compensation receivable, at 75% of earnings, will be $3900 annually.

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