B.C. LUMBER WORKER

and Issue, December

The aio Shop

BY UNION NEGOTIATOR

In my opinion discussion by members of the IWA
on the Union Shop is not always tailored to meet the
arguments most frequently used in opposition by the
companies. A typical employers’ argument is given

here. It was actually used

in another industry before

a board. It is quoted here for bunkhouse lawyers to
get their teeth into. It is intended simply to provoke
discussion and encourage members to supply the right

answers.

This is what the counsel for the
company said, when the Union in
question demanded union shop
conditions in the union security
clause of their contract during
conciliation:

Management’s Argument

The’ company and its subsidi-
aries in this country have Union
agreements with many unions, In
none of these is there a full union
shop clause, and the company has
no intention of breaking prece-
dent in British Columbia.

Without going into too long a
discourse regarding union secur-
ity, the company wishes to ex-
Plain its attitude towards com-
pulsion with respect to union
membership or union dues.

The key in either a union shop
or a compulsory check-off clause
is the phrase, “ as a condition of
employment”. Employees who
either refuse to comply, or who
are unable to comply, are de-
brived of employment with the
company, and the compulsion to
comply and the sanctions for non-
compliance, are in both cases by
virtue of the terms of this pro-
posed agreement, imposed by the
company,

The company is only able to
impose such conditions through
its position as an employer. This,
the company contends, and firmly
believes is an abuse of the em-
bloyer-employee relationship.

The company is unalterably op-
bosed to any device which im-
poses a condition on employees
which is unrelated to the per-
formances of their jobs. The pres-
ent clause in the agreement which
compels an employee to continue
to pay dues for the duration of
an agreement, IF THE EM-
PLOYEE HAS ONCE AGREED

Printers of
The B.C.
LUMBER WORKER

LIMITED

PRINTERS AND
LITHOGRAPHERS

An Employee Owned Co.

944 RICHARDS STREET
PAcific 6338-9

TO DO SO, is not, in the opin-
ion of the company, dangerous
compulsion but is rather designed
to protect the Union from a dif-
ficult collection problem.

Insofar as the Union Shop is
concerned, it is significant that
proponents consistently gloss over
or ignore the fact that an employ-
ee’s job may result, not from the
employee's refusal to become or
to remain a member, but because
the employee is prevented from
joining or is expelled. In other
words, there is considerably more
involved than just the volition of
the employee. The Union may well
argue that the “expulsion” or “re-
striction of membership” features
of the Union Shop are not impor-
tant in that few people are hardly
ever expelled or refused member-
ship. Obviously, this is no answer.

Even if only one employee lost
his job, or was prevented from ob-
taining another one as a result of
being refused admission to Union
membership, or being expelled
therefrom, the problem would still
be a serious one—serious enough
to over-ride any alleged virtues of
Union security provisions.

What’s Your Answer?

@ Now, what do you say? What
would-be your reply, if you were
confronted with this argument

when presenting the demand for
a Union Shop before a Concilia-
tion Board?

@ Even though a company may
have agreements in other less
well organized districts, which
lack Union security provisions,
can it logically use this reason to
oppose Union Shop development
in B.C.?

@ Do you accept the company’s
sincerity in opposing the Union
Shop, because it professes to be
solely concerned about the free-
dom of the workers?
@ Does management's  deter-
mined opposition to the Union
Shop suggest to you that exactly
for the opposite reason it is of
great value to the employees?

AFL-CIO Record
Proves Worth

AFL-CIO President George Meany issued the follow-
ing statement, marking the first birthday of the AFL-CIO

(December 5):

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organizations marks the first birthday of a uni-
fied labor movement in the United States in a spirit of con-

fidence and determination.

We have made considerable
progress so far in establishing
unity as a living fact and an ef-
fective working force. As a re-
sult, we will be able to forge
ahead more rapidly in the year to
come.

Still Problems

There are still problems to be
solved, of course. Merger at the
top level was only the first step
in a long process. Given patience
and good will, the rest of the job
will be completed ahead of our
most optimistic hopes.

Today the American labor
movement speaks with one voice
on Capitol Hill. It is recognized
as a major factor in the political

* as well as the economic life of the
j nation.

Our United Action

Our united action during the
recent political campaign resulted
in a large measure of victory for
liberal, progressive forces in the
Congress, despite the personal
popularity which produced Presi-
dent Eisenhower's landslide vic-
tory....

We must continue to fight un-
lentingly upon the domestic front
for legislation which will make
America better and stronger. We
must oppose at every step legis-
lation designed to benefit only
the privileged few.

We cannot, however, be content
merely to resist the forces of re-
action. We must lead a nation-
wide drive for the realization of
a positive and progressive legis-
lative program, including federal
aid to education, better housing,
broader application of a higher
minimum wage and enactment of
thorough-going changes in the
first Taft-Hartley Act that will
make it fair to labor and man-
agement alike.

Organize the Unorganized

Now, as always, our first re-
sponsibility is to organize the un-
organized. This we shall proceed
to do with our full energies,

Organizers have been already
assigned to a number of impor-
tant campaigns in tobacco, tex-
tile and other industries. We ex-
pect eventual victory no matter
how bitter the opposition nor how
restrictive the legislation im-
posed upon us.

In the international field, the
AFL-CIO is determined to sup-
port strong, free, democratic
unions throughout the world —
for they are the bulwark of dem-

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ocracy, the first line’ of defense
against war,

More Effective

We achieved unity in the labor
movement in order to do a more
effective job for the men and
women we represent. Upon ac-
cepting the presidency of the
AFL-CIO, I remarked: “We must
think in terms of the true mean-
ing of a trade union movement,
a movement that has for its sole,
definite and single purpose the
advancement of the welfare and
interest of the great mass of
workers who are part of this
movement.” That will always be
our goal.

The AFL-CIO, on its first
birthday, is fully cognizant of
the great tasks and opportuni-
ties for service which lie ahead.
As we enter the second year of
unity, we dedicate ourselves to
completing a job well begun.

Insurance adjuster: “When you
found all the bureau drawers
open and the contents scattered,
why did you not report the rob-
bery at once?”

Housewife: “I just. supposed
my husband had been hunting a
clean shirt.”

CAMP
ELECTS
OFFICERS |

Children’s Jubilee Summer
Camp Conyention held Novem-
ber 18th, in the Stry Hall, Van-
couver, was attended by 58
delegates and 11 executive
members who yoted in the new
officers for the year.

The attending delegates were
representatives of 81 Local
Unions, one Labour Council, one
Union Label Trades Council, one
Building Trades Council and four
fraternal organizations.

Financial Report

The Financial Report showed
that the Committee had in the
bank and credit notes the sum of
$439.72.

During the summer of 1956
there were 392 children registered
at the Camp of which two of
these received medical coverage
through the Camp Sickness and
Accident Benefit.

A new cottage for the care-
taker and two cabins to replace
the old dormitory have been
planned by. the Committee to be
built in 1957.

Officers Elected

New officers elected are R. Ber-
ger, re-elected President; W. J.
Pierce, Vice-President; Mrs. D. L.
King, Corresponding Secretary;
Mrs.’ Reg. Lenfesty, Recording
Secretary; Alex Duff, Treasurer;
Mrs. James Cook, Publicity Chair-
man; James Cook, Building Man-
ager; Gordon Ryan, Finance
Chairman; Executive - at - Large
members, Mrs. R. Fordham; D. L.
King, E. A. Hallock, Lorne Web-
ber, Mrs. H. Berger, Reg Len-
festy. Chairman of the Ladies’

Auxiliary, Mrs. Custer Solem.

SARNIA, ONT. (CPA) — A
plant at nearby Point Edward
where Canada’s “first automa-
tion strike” took place in the
summer of 1955 has laid off its
entire work force for a period
of at-least six months due to
overproduction. Holmes Foun-
dry, a producer of engine
blocks for the Ford Motor Com-
pany, has laid off more than
300 workers as a result, accord-
ing to the United Auto Work-
ers, of automation.

A strike by Holmes Foundry
employees in the summer of 1955
lasted for nearly four months as
workers protested the “inhuman”

schedule initiated by the com-
pany. Whereas a work force of
400 had previously produced 664
engine blocks a day, the introduc-

AUTOMATION CAUSES
SERIOUS LAY-OFFS

tion of automated machines led to
the establishment of a production
target of 900 blocks.a day by 280
workers.

21-cent Package

The agreement reached by the
union and company after the
strike provided for a 21-cent
package and included a key pro-
vision that the company would
“establish production standards
that are fair and equitable to the
employees involved . . . and are
based on the working capacity of
a normal worker”.

Len Baker of UAW Local 456
said that with the new machines
used by the company, a year’s
supply of engine blocks for Ford
can now be turned out by the
Foundry in six months.

127 EAST 2nd AVE.

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