B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“Amend

Legal technicalities will
2 vent court action origin-
ally contemplated by the B.C.
"Federation of Labour to chal-
Jenge the right of the Provin-
— cial Government to invoke the
provisions of the Civil De-
fence Act in an industrial dis-
pute.
‘Alternative action now proposed
is action by the Legislature to
amend the Act to make its appli-
cation impossible merely to sup-
press an industrial dispute.

Unjust Application

At the same time the Federa-
tion registered a strong objec-
tion to the use of the Act “to

Civil

Defence Act!”

compel workers to continue work-
under unsatisfactory condi-
tions, after compliance with all
the provisions of the Labour Re-
lations Act.”

The Federation’s _representa-
tives expressed to the Govern-
ment their belief that it would be
undesirable to urge trade union
members to take all lawful means
to oppose the improper applica-
tion of the Act.

It was also emphasized that dis-
tinct danger to democratic pro-
cedures existed in efforts to apply
the Act to conditions far removed
from matters of Civil Defence and
which would confer unrestricted
powers upon the Government
without legislative authority.

In Power

Public ownership and devel-
opment of hydro-electric power
was advocated by the B.C. Fed-
eration of Labour, when its
executive members appeared be-
fore the Cabinet even though
public controversy on this issue
was then at its height.

The Federation stressed the
value of low-cost electric service
both for industry and homes as a
necessity for the future growth
and prosperity of the province.

Said the Federation: “This can-
not be possible if the power de-
velopment is left in the hands of
private owners.”

Statement Made
The statement made by the Fed-
ration on this subject was as
St
he question of hydro power is
uppermost in the minds of British

Public Ownership

Urged

Columbians. They recognize that
we have been most fortunate to
be endowed by nature with some
wonderful opportunities to develop
an overall power policy that will
be capable of bringing to the citi-
zens of British Columbia a more
abundant life and job opportuni-
ties.

“This cannot be possible if the
power development is left in the
hands of private owners,

“At the present time the con-
trol of power development and
distribution in the lower main-
land is costing their users over
$20,000,000 a year extra.

“$20,000,000 a year that is being
taken out of the consumer market
and most of it out of the Proy-
ince of British Columbia,

“$20,000,000 a year which could
reduce the power rates by approx-

to George Home, for the

Mrs. Home; and Joe Morris.

Home;
—

eee Pe.

PRESENTATION of a desk barometer is made by Joe Morris, CLC Vice-
while Secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

ine job he did on labour’s behalf in
See ceak From left, George

CREDIT UNIO

supported by IWA

IWA Credit Unions and other Credit Unions

N DIRECTORY

Local Unions in B.C.

= 6y

Cone ~

eRAWH FoR TH
AFL-CIO NEM

Man.

imately 30% and encourage the
establishment of secondary indus-
try in this Province.

“Under public ownership no in-
come tax is paid and there is no
net profit to be paid to private
ownership. Also under public
ownership much greater efficiency
is possible, with no need of extras
which bear the 6.5% return al-
lowed private owners.

“We would most strongly urge
this Government to establish a
Royal Commission to inquire into
and report on a correct power de-
velopment and distribution pro-
gram and policy for British Col-
umbia including the control and
distribution of natural gas,

“In particular: the appropriation
of the B.C. Electric Company by
the B.C. Government with proper
redress to the B.C. Electric share-
holders and guarantee to the em-
ployees that they will be given
protection of the Labor Acts of
the Province.

“The development of the Mica
Creek project by the Federal and
Provincial Government under the
agency of the B.C, Power Com-
mission.

“The employment on the pro-
ject and under the B.C. Power
Commission to be under trade
union rates of pay and working
conditions.

“The acquisition by the Govern-
ment of all other power develop-
ments which are servicing the

_ | public needs in British Columbia.”

Agitation
Paid Off

Agitation on the part of the
organized workers to secure
improvements in the Work-
men’s Compensation Act has

Alberni District Credit Union, 209 Argyle Street, Port Alberni

_ IWA 1-217 Savings, Broadway & Quebec Streets, Vancouver 10

~ IWA (N.W.) Credit Union, Room 21, 774 Columbia Street,

New Westminster

| Local 1-118, IWA (Victoria), 904 Gordon Street,
Chemainus & District Credit Union, Box 299, Chem

Loke Cowichan and District Credit Union, Lake Cowichan, B.C.

Courtenay Credit Unicn, Box 952 Courtenay

n & District Credit Union, Box 1717, Duncan

George & District, 1046 - 4th Avenue, Prince George

& District Credit Union, 499 Wallace St., Nancimo

& District Credit Union, Box 154, Ladysmith, B.C.

resulted in improvements of
enormous benefit to injured
workmen, without any appreci-
able increase in cost to the em-
ployers states the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labour in its brief be-
fore the Provincial Government.

As costs increased with the
advent of improved benefits,
more safety measures were in-
troduced, with more education
in safety conditions which in
turn reduced accidents as well

as needless human suffering,

“Most Unions

Well Run"

Most union officers are elected
by roll-call votes at conventions,
they are subject to impeachment
or recall for misconduct, and
most of them get modest salaries
depending on the size of the
union.

‘These are the finding of a survey
made by the Labor Dept. and pub-
lished in the November “Monthly
Labor Review.”

Roll-Call Votes

Top officers of national and in-
ternational unions are most com-
monly elected by local union
delegates assembled in convention,
usually by rollcall yotes, the article
says.

Of 111 unions surveyed, 86,
with a membership of 12 million,
elect officers at conventions, and
25, with 5.5 million members,
elect by membership referendum.
The secret ballot was required
in. 15 unions (1.6 million mem-
bers) which elect at convention,
and in 16 (2.3 million) which
hold membership referendums.

Twenty-six other unions with 5.1
million members—17 choosing top
officers in convention and nine by
referendum—referred to “ballots”
in the election provisions of their
constitutions, but the word ‘secret’
or a smiliar term was not used.

Two-Year Term

Union officers are commonly
elected for two-year terms,’ the
article revealed. The longest term,
found in 10 unions, was five years.
No constitution limited the num-
ber of terms an officer could serve.

Other findings in the article:

1—Seventy-five of the 111 union
constitutions specified presidential
salaries, Most frequently mention-
ed salaries were in the range of
$15,000 to $20,000 a year, Eleven
constitutions provided annual
salaries of $30,000 or more. Three
specified $50,000. In the main,
salaries tended to vary with the
size of the union.

2—Removal procedures for in-
ternational officers were set forth
in virtually all union constitutions,
Officers can be removed by im-
peachment (84 unions); recall pro-
cedures (17 unions) or a combina-
tion of the two (nine unions).
Under recall procedures, the power
to remove rests with the member-
ship; in impeachment proccedings,
power is held by the union’s gen-
eral executive board or a similar
governing body.

3—Vacancies occurring during
the president’s term of office are
filled either (1) by a successor
being selected from among the
members of the union’s governing
body, or (2) by the automatic as-
sumption of office by another in-
ternational officer.

The study on which the article
is based covered the constitutions -
of 111 national and’ international
unions, each with-10,000 or more
members.. These 111 unions ac-
counted for 17,641,000 members, or
approximately 96 percent of total
membership of all national and
international unions in the United

States (PAI).

Firemen Ask
New Hearing

MONTREAL (CPA) — A
request by the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen and En-

ginemen for a federal concilia-
tion board to aid in negotiations
for a new contract has been re-
ferred back to the union for
clarification, according to re-
ports from Ottawa.

The Labor department isn’t sure

“whether the BLF&E wants the

conciliation board to deal with the
diesel fireman question,

_ The union, which is asking wage
increases and other benefits, has
stated that the presence of fire-
men (helpers) on diesel locomo-
tives is still an open question, de-
spite the Kellock Royal Com-
mission report and the agreement
signed by the union and the Can-
adian Pacific Railway after a brief
strike last spring,