4 B.C. LUMBER WORKER From Page 2 Pine Choice’ Public opinion, and this includes working- class opinion, has been saturated with the belief that the early 1958 side-slip in business activity, called a recession, has been due to the unreason- able wage demands of the Unions. Wage increases which have lagged behind prices and profits, were held solely responsible for price inflation. With an artificially-created mass unemployment situa- tion on their doorsteps, the workers were asked to believe that by demanding further wage increases, they would be pricing themselves out of a market for their production and out of employment. _ The employers very artfully exploited the situation resulting from strikes fought and lost on the B.C. labour front, to instill fear in the minds of workers and their wives. Notwithstanding the lush profits enjoyed these many years by the owners of the lumber industry, their employees were asked to believe that addi- tional labour costs would sink the ship. Unions have been forced to the painful con- clusion that some of the workers have believed the employers more readily than they have their own Unions, whose research departments could and did disapprove the employers’ false claims. Certainly, it is true, that a large section of the public was so influenced by the employers’ cam- paign of misrepresentation that government intervention in any strike of major consequence could safely be demanded through political pres- . sure. The IWA was, in this regard, faced with the fact that in addition to the usual risks of full-scale strike action in the lumber industry, it would be under the additional handicaps of lukewarm sup- port on the part of some already impoverished workers, and an antagonistic public clamouring for government action to protect the economy of the province against a set-back. In the heat of the battle, the IWA would get no recognition for its patient efforts to remedy existing injustices without open industrial strife. Throughout, there would always be present the knowledge that some strongly entrenched employ- ers would welcome a strike, as a means to oust the IWA from its present position in the lumber industry. On the other side of the coin, the Union’s members should note that the efforts of the Negoti- ating Commitee, throughout the discussions of recent weeks, has now enabled the presentation of terms which enormously strengthen the contract in respect of working conditions. The terms of the Sloan formula make possible a contract greatly superior to the watered-down, pale imitation of a contract proposed in the ma- jority report of the Conciliation Board. As many IWA members have claimed, with some logic, it straightens up the contract in such a way as to give decided advantages to the Union, when eight months hence it again enters negoti- ations. When the pros and cons are considered in balance, the best possible choice between the two evils calls for restraint of the very natural in- dignation against the employers, and agrees that “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” This does not mean that the Union’s members should forget that those who are actually respon- sible for this choice are the employers. In their greed for profits, they have forgotten that there always comes a day of reckoning for employers who think only of profits and never of the well- being of the workers whose toil makes possible their well-upholstered living. y eh Eee "ayy oe stam Wolf © bincS n The Prowl! .... From Montreal Perhaps this should be entitled MONTREAL RE- PORT for that is the City within which a number of im- portant political matters were discussed during this week. The CCF National Convention met there on July 23, 24 and 25. Arising out of the last Conven- tion of the Canadian Labour Con- gress came a resolution regarding political action. It was part of the CCF’s function to deal with the same subject matter for the CCF was mentioned in the CLC resolution. Political Moyement What is needed said the CLC is a “broadly based political move- ment.” ‘To determine whether this was possible or not the CLC was instructed to initiate discus- sions with various political and economic groups in Canada to see whether such a political move- ment could be developed. In dealing with the matter the CCF Convention endorsed the also. The purpose, of course, is to determine if such a “broadly based political movement” can be realized. Political Confusion For too long a time in Canada there has been confusion and mis- understanding about the policies of various political parties. Of times it has been impossible to differentiate between the Liberals and the Conservatives, and more recently Social Credit has entered (and now left) the picture, It is becoming more and more appar- ent though that both of the so- called “old-line” parties are iden- tical insofar as their basic politi- cal philosophy is concerned. Working Class The working class people are apparently desirous of developing a political movement which will represent their ideas, give legis- lative effect to their goals and establish a type of society in which their needs will be met, This, the Canadian Congress realized when tl jdea of entering into discussions | / vention of that Organization de- cided to explore the possibility of finding and building such a poli- tical movement. This the CCF realized some time ago. Perhaps we in the working class moye- ments can now proceed along to- wards that goal. UK Bans Forced Labour GENEVA (CPA) — Britain is the first country to ratify the International Labor Organiza- tion’s convention against forced labor, according to an ILO ~ statement here. The convention, 105th adopted by the ILO, will come into force one year after a second ILO member nation rat- ifies it. Each member ratifying the con- vention, adopted by the ILO last June at its 40th annual confer- ence here, agrees to “take effect- ive measures to secure the im- mediate and complete abolition of forced or compulsory Jabor.” The convention forbids forced labor as a means of political co- ercion or education or as a pun- ishment for holding or expressing political views opposed to the ¢8- tablished system; as a method of mobilizing and using labor for purposes of cconomic develop- ment; as a means of labor disci- | pline; as punishment for strike participation; or as a means of racial, social, national or religious discrimination, August 15. Publication date of the next issue of the B.C. LUMBER WORKER is August 21st. Deadline for ad copy is August 14 and for news copy 2 President ... BCLunsentiVornen eee Organized Loggers aud Mill Workers of B.C. TWICE MONTHL’ srtematt HD HURSDASS Bio Cc THURSDANS Bho cory | District Council ae bee Scat ack DISTRICT OFFICERS: ist Vice-President 2nd Vice-President .... 3rd Vice-President Secretary-Treasurer International Board Member Joo Morris — ‘Joo Madden Stuart M. : George Ts ier Be Address all communications to GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer