B.C. LUMBER WORKER 9

TRADE UNIONS SUPPORT
UBC STUDENTS’ CLAIMS

Campaign waged by UBC students to secure for the University. more adequate
academic and housing facilities has in recent weeks received the full support of the
B.C. Federation of Labour and the Vancouver and District Labour Council. In order

that the problem might be better un

derstood by trade union members, the B. C. Lum-

ber Worker, in co-operation with Local 1-85, requested Hans Jonsson, a trustee of the
Port Alberni Local Union to inspect conditions and record his impressions for the of-

ficial organ of the

Union. His two sons are students at the University. Both of them

have had trade union experience. In the articles which appear below, father and son
collaborate to present the problem as it affects the families of out-of-town workers.

"l Agree”

By HANS B. JONSSON
Local 1-85, IWA

On Jan, 23, I had the very en-
lightening experience of touring
the campus of the University of
British Columbia. I made the tour
on behalf of both the B.C, Dis-
trict No. 1, and Local 1-85. My
purpose was to view the ‘condi-
tions and report on them in an
effort to aid the students of the
University who are requesting
more financial aid for the Uni-
versity: from the B. C. Provincial
Government this year.’

Ex-Army Huts

The first thing I saw when I
went there was one of the men
student’s dormitory camps—Fort
Camp. This camp is composed of
some 17 ex-army huts which were
moved to their present site im-
mediately after World War II.
They were classified “temporary”
at the time, but they are still be-
ing used. In fact, they and Acadia
Camp, another group of similar
huts, are the only men’s resi-
dences on the campus.

The fronts of these huts have
been stuccoed, but the back and
sides, which cannot be seen from
the road, are painted grey or
green. These huts have been div-
ided up into “single” and “dou-
ble” rooms, The single rooms are
on the average, about 9 feet
Square — the double rooms are
less than twice as big. In each
Single room there is a bed, a
chest of drawers, a desk and a
chair, and a clothes closet. The
result is that there is barely
enough clear floor space to turn
around in. Most of the rooms I
saw had laundry hanging from
the hot water pipes running
through the room because of the
lack of laundry facilities.

Students 50-Deep
While I was in camp, I ate

lunch in the camp dining room.
lining up 50-deep to get their
meals,

I inspected the one small laun-
There I saw the student residents’
dry room the camp has to serve
the more than 400 students liv-
ing there. It contained two wash-
ing machines, one dryer, and one
drying rack. The Study Hall was
similarly inadequate. I was told
that the students living in Acadia
Camp who do not wish to study
in their rooms have to use the
dining room between meals. It is
no wonder that many students
would rather pay more money to
live in a private home off the
campus.

No Soundproofing

One of the biggest complaints
the students have to make about
the huts they live in is the lack
of soundproofing. The partitions
are sheeted with quarter-inch
plywood, Plywood makes such in-
effective soundproofing that a
mere whisper can be heard
through the walls. With from 20
to 50 students living in each hut,
it is not hard to imagine what a
problem a little bit of noise
makes.

Another disturbing sight I saw
on the campus was the number
of ex-army huts that are used
for lecture rooms, laboratories,
and offices. Along one side of one
street alone there are 40 drab
green huts lined up side by side.
There are groups of similar huts
spotted all over the campus.

30 Years Ago

When I saw the inside of some
of these huts, my first thought
was, “These are worse than the
old one-roomed school houses we
used to see on the prairie 30
years ago.” Most of these class
rooms do not even have coat
hooks. The students must wear
their coats during their lectures.

There are on the campus, a
number of large permanent build-
ings, which have been there ever
since the University was built.
They are better than the huts,

“ON
THE
LABOR
SCENE”

BY DAN ILLINGWORTH

REGULARLY IN

The

Province

100% UNION PRODUCED BY

but there is no getting away from
the fact that they are very old.
They do not appear to have been
redecorated for many years.

Air of Drabness

I do not wish to infer that all
my impressions of the campus
were poor. There are a number of
fairly new buildings which are
very nice, and appear to be very
well furnished and equipped, But
I was struck all too strongly by
the general air of drabness about
the place. There are too many
ramshackle huts on the campus,
and the old buildings are becom-
ing dilapidated.

I have always imagined, and
I think most people will agree
with me, that a university which
is the centre of learning for a
province as wealthy as B.C.,
should reflect the wealth of the
province. What I saw of our Uni-
versity did not. I do not doubt
that B.C. can afford a univers-
ity which the whole province can
be proud of.

Poor Facilities

I cannot see how a university
can turn out top-calibre gradu-
ates when it has poor facilities
and inadequate equipment. Today
the students get along with what
they have. But statistics indicate
that there will be a tremendous
increase in the enrollment at
UBC within the next few years,
The University must have more
buildings and more equipment to
handle this increase,

The students at the University
have organized a committee to
bring the needs of the University
to the attention of the Provincial
Government. I went out to the
campus to actually see the things
which they feel need correction.
And, having actually seen some
of the conditions there, I have to
agree wholeheartedly with their
arguments. Their cause is some-
thing all trade unionists in B,C.
ought to support.

Support the Students

One very good way in which
We can aid them in their efforts
is to indicate to the Provincial
Government that we support
their requests. What both the
students and I would like to see
is for each Local to send a resolu-
tion to the government support-
ing the idea of a larger money
grant for the University of Brit-
ish Columbia.

The Case
For The
Students

By CARL R. JONSSON
Second Year Law Student, UBC

The students of UBC are
asking the Provincial Govern-
ment this year for more finan-
cial aid for the University, We
would also like to see the fin-
ances we are now getting
spread over a shorter period of
time.

A large committee of students
was set up last fall to investigate
all the financial aspects of the
University now and in the forsee-
able future. Many statistics have
been compiled. It is on the basis

of these statistics that the com-

TOTAL ASSETS OF M-S-A were reported as $5,116,097 at
the recent annual meeting. During the 1956 operations, 52,474
additional persons were covered, and 367 groups added. Approxi-
mately one-fifth of the population in B.C. is now given this pro-

tection.

Bio a oe

IWA CREDIT UNION (New Westminster) has moved to the
Wosk Building, Room 21, and reports a vast increase in the vol-
ume of business transacted. é

ee &

DISTRICT PRESIDENT JOE MORRIS attended the meeting
of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Labour Congress,
which culminated in the presentation of labor’s brief on Federal
legislation in conference with the Federal Cabinet on January 23.

ei euee

LOCAL 1-424, IWA, has secured certifications for the em-
ployees of Fred Wall & Son, Shield’s Motor Products, Prince
George, and has applied for bargaining rights at International

Planing Mills, Quesnel.
Se

STAFF SEMINAR of the Canadian Labour Congress in Parks-
ville, commencing January 28, is attracting top officials from the
Canadian Labour Congress and the AFL-CIO, including Max
Swerdlow, CLC; Geo. Guernsey, AFL-CIO; Bill Kemsley, ICFTU,
New York; and R. Showalter, UAW Pacific Coast Director.

ee

NANAIMO CLC WEEKEND INSTITUTE will be held on
February 2nd and 3rd sponsored by the Nanaimo and District
Labour Council. Arrangements have been made for five separate
classes on trade union subjects led by selected instructors, under

*

the supervision of Regional Director Tom Gooderham, CLC.
so 8

LABOR UNITY is now a fact in seven provinces, it is reported

by the Canadian Labour Congress. v :
merged in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Manitoba,

Alberta, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island.

Federations have now been

* *

ICFTU SOLIDARITY FUND target is set at the target of
$5,000,000 in the next three years, it was recently announced.
Canadian Unions have already donated more than $20,000.

mittee is presenting its argument
for more money.

Government Financing

One thing that our investiga-
tions have shown us is that at the
present rate of governmental fin-
ancing, it will be 1963 before any
new housing facilities can be
built. And when 1963 does get
here, the housing project will
probably get deferred again in
favor of something else.

We all realize, including those
of us who live in Fort or Acadia
Camps, as I do, that classrooms
and: laboratories, are an import-
ant part of the University. But
we do feel that the housing facili-
ties we are using now is defin-
itely substandard. If enough
money came in at once, new class-
rooms and new residences could
go up at the same time.

Army Huts

The housing we live in now is
made up of converted army huts
that were built for barracks dur-
ing the last war. And now they
are not much better than the
minimum standards as set down
in the i Workmen’s Compensation
Board’ Regulations for logging
camps.

There are for example, on the
average, seven men per wash
basin, 33 men per bathtub, 34
men per laundry tub, and each
telephone is shared by 73 men.
In spite of these crowded condi-
tions, only 1,143 students are ac-
commodated in the residences.
There are over 3,000 out-of-town
students attending the Univers-
ity, 2,000 of these students have
to find accommodation in private
homes off the campus.

" Dedicated Staff

Please do not misunderstand
us. We do believe UBC is a fine
school. It boasts a dedicated staff
which has worked hard to keep
the- educational standard of the
University up with the best of
the schools in North America.
That is one of the reasons we
come here. It is a good school
academically, and it is B.C,’s
own.

But if we want Canadians and
British Columbians to share in

facing, we have a long way to
Bo.

During the next ten years, the
enrollment here at the University
wil double from 7,600 students to
over 15,000 students. To meet
this problem, the Provincial Goy-
ernment authorized a grant of
$10 million dollars, at the rate of
one million a year for ten years.
The B.C, Government was the
first in Canada to act so quickly
on the problem of increasing en-
rollment, which we appreciate.
But $10 million dollars is not
enough. And having it spread
over ten years is not soon enough.

The University needs the
money to build housing and class-
rooms before the big enrollment
is a reality, not afterwards.

Cabinet Meeting

This is why the students have
sent three student delegates to
Victoria to meet with the Cab-
inet. We are asking the govern-
ment for more money in a shorter
time,

This is why the IWA and the
B.C. Federation of Labour are
helping the students to publicize
our problems and our requests.
We are very grateful to them for
the support they are giving us.
The problems of this University
are the problems of every person
in the province. I hope that you
will support by sending either
personal letters, or Local resolu-
tions to Victoria,

BRC eRR TS
Come and

Get Them

Financial Secretary Fred
Fieber of Local 1-71, IWA,
has advised the B.C. Lumber
Worker that there are
cheques in the Local office
made out to the following
people:

Henry Brown, P. Corbeil,
Malcolm Dunford, A. Gleat,
N, A. Greba, A. Isinger, Art
Klushak, R. Mareell, R.
Shang, W. Pilchowski, Knut
Voie.

the prosperity this province is

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