B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Ist Issue, May

—

NEWS DIGEST:

Items Of Interest To
Labor In Capsule Form

FUTURE DOUBTFUL FOR McCLELLAN COM.
WASHINGTON—The McClellan Senate committee on busi-
ness and labor abuses has a doubtful future, according to a PAI re-
port. UAW president Walter Reuther’s “shattering testimony”, and
attacks on it from the floor of the Senate and from formerly sympa-
thetic newspapers, have all gone to make the continued existence of
the committee questionable, according to the report.

MEANY ASKS ACTION ON BILL

WASHINGTON—AFL-CIO president George Meany in a let-
ter to Senate majority leader Lyndon Johnson has urged speedy
action on the Douglas-Kennedy-Ives bill for public disclosure of
health and welfare funds. Meany asked that it be passed “promptly
and without crippling amendment.”

ICFTU PROTESTS SPANISH ACTION

BRUSSELS — The ICFTU has strongly protested to Spanish
dictator Franco the repressive measures taken by the Spanish govern-
ment to break strikes in the Asturias region. The protest, cabled by
ICFTU general secretary, J. H. Oldenbroek, declared that the inter-
national labor movement supported the strikes which were caused by
deplorable living conditions not communists.

U.P.W.A. SEEK CONCILIATION AID

TORONTO—The Packinghouse Workers are requesting concili-
ation aid in talks with Canada’s “big three” packing companies—Can-
ada Packers, Swift, and Burns, Negotiations broke down when the
companies failed to “offer anything.” :

SERIOUS CRISIS HITS QUEBEC LABOUR
TORONTO—Labor in Quebec is now in the most serious crisis
of its short existence, Abbe Gerard Dion, head of the Industrial Re-
lations department at Laval University, told a seminar here on “French

Canada Today.”
U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT UP

WASHINGTON—Unemployment in the United States increased
by 25 thousand between February and March 1958 according to U.S.
government figures. About seven per cent ‘of the labor force is out
‘of work. AFL-CIO president George Meany in commenting on the
figures said that “the only way to change the situation is for the
government to act now. Optimistic press releases won't end this re-
cession but legislation can.” .

U.S. RECESSION HURTS PRESTIGE
WASHINGTON—IUE president James B. Carey, recently re-
turned from Europe, has charged that the current recession is hurt-
ing America’s prestige abroad. It is a “terrific setback in relations

with the free world and the Communist bloc,” he said.

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Publication date of the next issue of the B.C. LUMBER WORKER
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May 9th. K

BC Lowsent

Reprerenting the Organized Loggers and Mill Workers of B.C.
ee RD THIRD TAUNSDAGS BY
International Woodworkers of America (CIO-CCL) <>
District Council No. 1

=

President ....
Ist Vice-Pr
2nd Vice-President
ind Vice-President
ecretary-Treasurer
International Board Member
Address all communications to
GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer
45 Kingsway - Dickens 6261-2
‘Vancouver, B.C.
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DISTRICT OFFICERS:

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In Tl

Labour

Order
Meets

NEW YORK (CPA)—Dele-
gates representing 760 branches
and 70 thousand members of
the Workmen’s Circle, world’s
largest Jewish fraternal labor
order, will meet in Montreal
May 3-7 for the Quadrennial
convention of the organization.
Among those making major ad-

dresses to the body are CCF na-
tional leader M. J. Coldwell, Can-
adian Labor Congress president
Claude Jodoin; International La-
dies’ Garment Workers Union
president David Dubinsky; Sena-
tor Sarto Fournier, mayor of
Montreal; and U.S. Senator Hu-
bert Humphrey (D-Minn.).
Announcement of the conven-
tion was made by president Jacob
T. Zuckerman and general secre-
tary Nathan Chanin.
The convention will hear re-
ports of a multi-million dollar
housing project in New York City
and the.creation of a unique new
community near Phoenix, Ariz-
ona,

Medical Benefits
Workmen’s Circle social and
medical benefits will be enlarged
and plans for this will also be dis-
cussed.

Workmen’s Circle was founded
in 1882 on New York’s Lower
East Side, and chartered in that
state 59 years ago. It has become
known as “the Red Cross of the
labor movement” through its fin-
ancial and moral assistance to the
then-infant movement.

The convention will also dis-
cuss aid to the aged and aid to
Israel, and will commemorate the
tenth anniversary of the State of
Israel. Delegates will hear greet-
ings from U.S. president ,Eisen-
hower, Canadian Prime Minister
Diefenbaker, and AFL-CIO presi-
dent George Meany.

Cushing
Honored

WINNIPEG (CPA) — Dele-
gates at the CLC convention here
accorded retiring executive presi-
dent Gordon G, Cushing a stand-
ing ovation,

Mr. Cushing is accepting the
post of assistant deputy minister
of labor in the federal civil ser-
vice.

He denied that he was “leaving”
the labor movement, but saw in
his new post an opportunity to
rve the movement in a differ-
ent way.

Mr. Cushing was presented with
a silver tea and coffee server.

RESEARCHERS ARE SEEKING the answer to cancer in more than a
dozen projects in B.C. sponsored by Conquer Cancer campaign funds.
Dr. Sidney Zbarsky is one of the team of top researchers who have
been given National Cancer Institute grants totalling nearly $53,000
to carry on their vital work in the coming year. Research assistant
Barbara Findlay is one of the 5,000 B.C. women who are playing
leading roles in the cancer crusade,

BRT Demands
25% Increase

OTTAWA (CPA)—The Brotherhood of Railroad Train-
men (CLC) in forthcoming negotiations with all Canadian
railways except the Canadian Pacific Railway—Lines West,
will ask for a 25 percent across the board increase and
other contract improvements, according to an anounce-

ment by international president W. P. Kennedy.

The BRT has a Canadian mem-
bership of 22 thousand. Present
contracts expire May 31, and the
Brotherhood hopes to have new
contracts in effect June 1,

Union Demands

The union is asking that the
25 percent increase apply to all
wage rates, however established,
including miles, hours, overtime,
arbitraries and special allow-
ances.

Other improvements sought in-
clude:

—electric lights and ‘oil burn-
ers on cabooses; and electric
Janterns;

—eight paid statutory holidays
for road men (presently none)
and two adidtional paid statu-
tory holidays for yard men for
a new total of eight;
—issuance of pay checks every
second Thursday ;

—vacations with pay on the
following basis: roadmen six
days after one year, 12 days
after two years, 18 days after
10 years, and 24 days after
15 years; yardmen including
yardmasters and _ assistant
yardmasters five days after

one year, 10 days after two
years, 15 days after 10 years,
and 20 days after 15 years;
—vacation pay to be two, four,
six or eight percent of the
previous year’s gross earnings
respectively according to years
of service, but with the provi-
sion that pay shall in no case
be less than that now provided
for under the current agree:
ment as revised in accordance
with the general wage in-
crease;

—the car step-up rate of 20
cents be increased to 40 cents;
—employees be allowed to book
rest after ten hours on duty;
—company to pay for cleaning
and repair of standard watches;
—the “held-away-from-home”
terminal rule to be revised to
provide that road service em-
ployees in unassigned service
go under pay at the away-

- from-home terminal after the

expiration of 12 hours instead
of 16 hours;

—a reclassification of yards to
cover yardmaster classifica-
tions.

For your convenience in sending money out of town or
abroad, use our money orders and foreign remittances.

For details, call at our nearest branch — we have more thay
700 to serve you.

THE CANADIAN BANK OF COMMERCE

100 Branches In British Columbia

SENDING
MONEY

out of town?

FW -196