a

Ist Issue, October

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“Interior’

submitted minority reports.
Membership Meetings

District Policy Committee mem-
bers immediately arranged to at-
tend a series of membership meet-
ings, held to discuss the terms of
the majority reports prior to the
membership referendum,

In addition to a yote for rejec-
tion, the membership will be
asked to authorize strike action
when deemed advisable by the
District Policy Committee,

In a statement released, subse-
quent to the meeting of the Policy
Committee, District President, Joe
Morris said:

“Once more we are faced with a
situation where no genuine effort
has been made to conciliate a dis-
pute. The majority reports, if im-
plemented, will make a bad situa-
tion much worse. The Interior
lumber workers are now getting
nineteen cents an hour less than
is now paid for the same work in
the coast industry.

“The Board’s proposals will
leave them in a much worse posi-

tion comparatively at the end of
the contract term. The employers
are evidently determined to main-
tain an unfair competitive advan-
tage over their coast competitors
in the Canadian and American
markets, at the expense of their
employees. ‘
Differential Unjust

“The proposal to introduce an-
other wage differential between
workers in the Northern and
Southern Interior industry, when
in both areas production require-
ments are identical, cannot be jus-
tified on the evidence. This is re-
garded by the Union as a bare-
faced attempt to destroy the exist-
ing wage structure by inciting cut-
throat competition between the
two areas.

“The Union gave evidence of its
desire for an amicable settlement,
when all points but three in the
Southern Interior were settled by
direct negotiations. Now, these
majority reports are senseless
slaps on the face that only intens-

ify the dispute.”

From Page 1

“Institute”

by the entire student assembly to
the subject, “Labour’s Crisis.” In
his outline of the subject, Dis-
trict President, Joe Morris, pre-
sented an analysis of the employ-
ers’ campaign against the trade
unions, and suggested the manner
in which labour’s counter-offensive
should be developed.

He traced the development of
the employers’ campaign against
the trade unions, and warned that

>a determined effort was now being

made to secure the introduction of
crippling legislation at the next
session of the Legislature,

The damaging effects of the
various measures proposed by the
employers’ organizations were ex-
posed, and his remarks on this
score were prefaced by the follow-
ing:

Employers’ Aims
“The aims of the employers
are fully exposed in the briefs
submitted to the Minister of

Labour in the recent “mock”
conference, Take a long look at
what these employers who pro-

fess to desire industrial peace,
are doing. For more than a year

they have exploited an unem-
ployment situation to pressure
trade union members to drop
their wage demands, The em-

Printers of
The B.C.
LUMBER WORKER

MDM i

LIMITED

PRINTERS AND
LITHOGRAPHERS

An Employee Owned Co.

944 RICHARDS STREET
MUtual 1-6338 - 6339

ployers have been mainly re-
sponsible for the industrial con-
flict which has caused so much
public impatience with the Un-
ions. In an important degree,
they have succeeded in holding
wage levels down, while prices
have been rising. Now econom-
ic conditions are improving. The
employers see excellent pros-
pects of restoring their lush
profits of the post-war years, if
they can continue to keep wages
down, while they take advan-
tage of increasing profits from
expanding business. To grab
this profit opportunity they in-
tend to so cripple the trade un-
ions, that they will succeed in
holding wages down. They pro-
pose to do this by prevailing
upon the Provincial Govern-
ment to introduce crippling leg-
islation. They have already
sold every political party, except
the CCF, on their program. You
have all read in the local papers
the labour policies of the various
parties.”

It is expected that at the ap-
proaching convention of the B.C.
Federation of Labour vigorous
measures will be taken by the
trade unions in B.C. to counter
the employers’ designs,

Flattery: The art of telling
another person exactly what he

From Page 1

“Hartung”

Local 1-217, to defame officers for
the honorable performance of
their duty, and loyal adherence to
policies approved by the major-
ity.”

“Tt will be a sad day for the
IWA,” said its senior officer, “if
our Local leaders are to be subject
to this form of attack, by minority
groups with questionable ante-
cedents, who launch such attacks
for the purpose of securing con-
trol of the Local Union’s well-
conserved resources.” ,

Treachery Alleged

“Thave noted, that this election,
which ordinarily would pass with-
out any unseemly incident, has
been made the occasion of a num-
ber of unfounded charges, which
because they could not be sub-
stantiated, have been dropped.
There can be only one reason for
such a vicious campaign — the
deliberate intention of gaining
control of the Union and its
treasury for ulterior purposes.”

“JT deplore the fact that mem-
bers of this Local Union, which
has been built up to be the largest
in the International, should now
hear that a loyal effort from which
they have profited, and sound pol-
icies which they themselves have
approved, should be attacked in a
destructive manner, by an on-
slaught upon those who have been
mainly responsible for the
strength and prestige of the Local
Union. Such attacks constitute
treachery to the Union, at a time
of grave crisis in meeting the at-
tack of the employers.”

Wilson
Recovers
Back Pay

A recent visit by President
Bill Wilson of Local 1-71,
IWA, to the Moresby Opera-
tion of Alaska Pine and Cellu-
lose Company, resulted in back
holiday pay being gained by the
100 employees there.

Bill, while there, learned that
the crew had not received holiday
pay due to them for the Labour
Day holiday. On taking the mat-
ter up with the Camp Manage-
ment, he was told that the Camp
shutdown prior to the holiday, ex-
cluded the employees under the
terms of the new Coast Contract.

Following a short lesson in
understanding contract wordage
given to the Camp Management
by Bill, the matter was settled
amicably and the crew was paid

thinks of himself.

for the holiday.

UAW Takes 3-Year Deal

DETROIT (CPA)—The United Auto Workers have settled
with the other two of the “big three” auto makers, signing a
three-year pact with Chrysler and coming to terms with General
Motors after a short-lived strike.

The Chrysler contract, covering 62,000 workers, includes
wage boosts of seven cents hourly, improvements in SUB pay-
ments, higher pensions, and separation pay for workers per-

manently laid off.

SEEKS
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THERE

LOGGERS’ AND LUMBERMEN’S CHOICE
For Over 35 Years

Watson's Leather

JOHN WATSON LTD.

( VANCOUVER, B.

Gloves
Union Made by

ED. KENNEY, retiring from his position as IWA
Education, is presented with a totem pole souvenir by

rector of Research and
trict President

Joe Morris; during a luncheon giyen in Ed’s honor by District Council No.
1, September 30, in the Legion Building, Vancouver.

CLC-CCF Talks
Show Unanimity

Second of the series of area conference held under the
joint auspices of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and the CCF
Provincial Section, held in Vancouver, September 20-21 at-
tracted more than 150 trade union and CCF delegates and
revealed a remarkable unanimity of opinion regarding the
need for a closer working relationship between the two or-

ganizations.
Spokesman for the B.C, Federa-
tion of Labour was George Home,
Secretary-Treasurer. Mrs. Grace
Mac Innis, CCF Provincial Pres-
ident, stated the views of the
CCF. Harold Winch MP, in-
formed the assembly regarding
the plans of the national CLC-
CCF Committee. Leader of the
Opposition in the B.C, Legisla-
ture, Robert Strachan, outlined
the immediate problems facing
both bodies.

Discussions were exploratory
only, as it was explained that
final constitutional decisions

would be made at the national
level at the time of the CLC and
CCF national conventions in
1960.

Strictly CCF-CLC

In response to queries regard-
ing the status of independent un-
ions such as the Mine, Mill, and
Smelter Workers Union, the Fish-
ermen’s Union, and the Civic
Workers, it was explained that no
decision on the matter could be
made at the provincial level. The
status of these unions could only
be determined by negotiations be-
tween them and the Canadian La-
bour Congress, at the national
level.

Summary

An evaluation of the confer-
ence made at its conclusions set
forth the following conclusions:

(1) The size and representa-
tive character of the conference
gave evidence of a widespread
desire throughout trade unions
and CCF units in the Vancou-
ver area for more broadly based
working-class political action,

(2) The conference display-
ed almost complete unanimity
on the major issues confront-
ing the workers today.

(3) The conference recog-
nized the importance of paving
the way for the inclusion in a
joint political party of all seg-
ments of the organized workers
and farmers who can find com-
mon cause in purpose and
methods,

(4) The Conference provid-
ed assurance that all decisions
of major importance regarding
the structure and policy of the
new proposed political instru-
ment would be determined fin-
ally by the membership of both
organizations through their
membership conventions.

(5) The conference gave
serious consideration to the
proposition that combined
action by the unions and the
CCF could elect a provincial
government in the next election
which would be fully represent-
ative and responsible to the pub-
lic welfare instead of the prit
leged monopoly interests.

(6) Conference discussions
disclosed that the type of organ-
ization required to win elections:
must provide effective constit-
uency coverage.

(7) The Conference was re-
minded that the selection of
candidates for public office is of
great importance, and in any
joint plan of action will require
further consideration.

(8) Conference discussions
apparently favoured cooperative
arrangements in regard to work-
ing-class political education.

(9) The Conference recog-
nized the need for improved
echniques of public relations.

(10) The Conference heard
an analysis of previous election
returns that furnished the basis
of optimism regarding victory
in the next election,

Few Get The “Gravy”

WASHINGTON (PAI) — Who owns America’s corpora-
tions? Senator William Proxmire (D., Wisc.), quoting a letter
from the Department of Treasury, answered this question during
the last days of the 85th Congress.

Proxmire said the Treasury had informed him that “less than
one per cent — in fact, .64 per cent — of the families in America
own 80 per ‘cent of the stock in American corporations.” It’s not
hard to figure out how few people are getting the gravy.

Industrial Ridings CCF

OTTAWA — The major support for the CCF in the March 31
federal election came from unionized industrial ridings, according to
an analysis of the election prepared by CLC political education director

Howard Conquergood,