THE LUMBERWORKER - 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION/ FROM SEPT. 1937 to SEPT. 1987 3,000,000 Join CIO in 20 Mos. HAMILTON, Ont., Aug. 26.—The Com- mittee for Industrial Organization was 20 months old in July this year. Since No- vember 1935 when eight international unions came together to do the job which the American Federation of Labor failed to tackle, almost 2,000,000 workers have been organized for the first time, declares Edward Levinson in the current issue of Photo-History. Together with the founding organiza- tions, the C.LO. totals today over 3,000,000 meh and women. Counting the supporters of the C.I.O. who remain temporarily within the fold of the A-F.of L., the C.L.0. has, in less than two years, displaced the AFiof L. as chief spokesman of American workers, Levinson says. Membership of the C.LO. as of July 1 this year is: United Mine Workers of America. Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers ... + 450,000 United Automobile Workers = 350,000 International Ladies Garment 600,000 Workers . - 252,000 United Textile Workers . « 350,000 Amalgamated Clothing Workers. . 180,000 United Electrical arid Radio Workers « 100,000 Federation of Woodworkers 80,000 International Typographical Union 80,000 United Transport Workers . 70,000 Oil, Field, Gas and Refinery Workers 60,000 United Rubber Workers 55,000 National Maritime Union 75,000 Pacific Maritime Federation ..... 40,000 Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers . 30,000 United Shoe Workers .. 25,000 United Retail Employees 25,000 United Office and Professional a Employees 3 25,000 International or! + 35,000 Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers.. 19,000 Federation Flat Glass Workers.. 15,000 American Newspaper Guild ...... 15,000 Miscellaneous + 150,000 ‘Total 2 3,083,000 All besides the International Typo- graphical Union are formally affiliated with the C..O. The Typo’s president, Charles P. Howard, is C..O. secretary, but the union has not yet formally affili- ated. Editor's Note: Bro. Gardiner died of the injuries sustained in this police riot a few months later. Riot Premeditated; Men Beaten in Cell Powell River Workers Warn Police Their Union Will Send 300 to 400 Pickets to Aid Strikers if More Provocation Used With four ribs broken, Bob Gardiner, Blubber Bay striker, lies in the Powell River Hospital as a result of the brutal beating received at the hands ‘of Provincial Police after he was arrested and lodged in jail. With him are two other strikers also brutally beaten after their arrest. Other strikers were injured and ten men have been arrested as a result of a premeditated attack on the strikers by police and scabs Saturday night. ‘According to reports from Blubber Bay the attack was planned ahead. It is reported passengers aboard the “Chelohsin” were warned by Provincial Police not to disembark at Blubber Bay because “there was going to be a showdown.” ALL PRE-ARRANGED. 'A detachment of provincial police sent up for the occasion left the vessel at ‘Vananda and motored to Blubber Bay, arriving simultaneously with the “Chelohsin,” undoubtedly following a pre-arranged. plan to ambush the strikers. "Phe arrested men were scheduled to arrive in Vancouver in time to appear for preliminary hearing this morning. A remand for one week will be asked, and the ‘Strikers gotten out on bail. A change of venue to Vancouver is being sought. Just who have been arrested, and what the charges are have not been fully learned. POWELL RIVER UNION MEN STEP IN. First intimation of the police attack was received from Secretary Johnston, of the Pulp and Sulphate Workers at Powell River. Following the attack, Secretary Johnston took a detachment of 40 of his union members to Blubber Bay and de- livered a warning to the police officer in charge that 300 to 400 Powell River union men would be sent to Blubber Bay if police brutality continued. Colin Cameron rushed over from his home at Comox on being notified of the attack by Vancouver C.C.F. headquarters. Harold Winch, C.C.F. M.L.A., and John Stanton left this morning on the first boat for Blubber Bay. Additional pickets also were sent up, and others are following. Owing to the isolation of the Texada Island port, full particulars are lacking. Undoubtedly the leaders of the strike were arrested, the strategy being to demoralize the picket line and disrupt the union machinery. The news can best be told as it was received from the scene. THE BLUBBER BAY LETTER. ‘Yesterday morning the following letter was received from one of the strikers: Blubber Bay, B.C, September 18, 1938. Editor, B.C. Lumber Worker: ‘There was another police-provoked riot here last night. I was not present this is from information from members who were there. It was a deliberately planned affair. Blondie Colborne and Mrs. Maylor were on the “Chelohsin” returning to Blubber Bay. Some of the police who came up ‘on the same boat advised them to stay on the boat as there was to be a showdown at Blubber Bay. The police started pushing the boys around for no sane reason. The next thing the clubs were being used. ‘The scab element left the wharf. As soon as they were gone the police drove off the pickets and union men with tear gas. POLICE AID SCABS. The Chinese scabs were in waiting with rocks, and stoned the boys as they went by. The Chinese scabs had white arm bands on to distinguish them. Farther up the road the white scabs started to throw rocks, the police mean- while keeping their flashlights on the union boys. It was a trap. J. Hole and Bob Gardner were arrested and taken to Powell River early this morning (Sunday). Both the police and scabs were well primed. There was a good supply of liquor came up on thé C.P.R. on Friday, which went inside the Pacific Lime Company’s property. The crew of the “Chelohsin” refused to unload cargo while the police were on the government wharf. A PHONE MESSAGE FROM COLIN CAMERON. Later in the day the following telephone message was received from Colin Cameron: ‘The attack on the men on Saturday was provoked by the police. As men left boat they were driven by the police into ambush of scabs who stoned them with rocks. The Chinese scabs were brought down to do this and had white armbands to distinguish them from the striking Chinese. They arrested ten men and charged them with unlawful assembly; these include Joe Ing, two Maylor brothers and Herman Sthed. Gardiner in hospital under arrest at present; was beaten by the police after he was taken to police station and has four broken ribs. Two other but men, Jacobs and Bergman, also beaten by police in police station; also in hospital. by contract. Men Apathetic; Conditions Bad at This Camp; Men to Blame ‘As for camp conditions, there is plenty of room for improvement. The cook is far from being the best of cooks, ‘There is no bullcook, Sheets have not been changed since June 8. Some of the crew pack their| own blankets. So much for the camp. . . Now to the meeting. MEN SHOW INDIFFERENCE. We were disappointed at the turnout. Despite the poor conditions and despite the fact that the crew is dissatisfied, there is marked indifference. There is no need Laur Wayne at Half Moon Bay The “Laur Wayne” pulled into Half Moon Bay Sunday afternoon, August 1, but as most of the crew were away from camp, we decided not to hold a meeting till Monday night. Consequently, we spent thi afternoon and following day taking stock. There are about 55.men working here. The fallers, three sets of whites and two Chinese, work} the day, the white fallers getting $5.50 per, and the Chinese 50.cents an hour. The rigging is done mos! for the situation that exists at Half Moon Bay, except that the men themselves are apathetic. However, we had an interesting meet- every promise that this will be followed in the course of a couple of weeks with a bunch of individual subscriptions. We will call in here again on our way ing, and the discussion was frank and | back. lively. Early tomorrow morning we head up- A committee was elected, and I went | coast. along with them to meet the boss, Mr. Osborne, to see if we could’ get a cheque through the office. We were refused this. We argued this thing from all angles, without success. However, a start in the right direction has been made. It was decided that the committee already elected would stand as an organizational committee, to carry on the work, A bundle of ten B.C, Lumber Workers weekly has been ordered, and there 1s AT SOINTULA. ‘At 12:30 noon, August 6, ‘Laur Wayne” made fast at the wharf in Sointula. Every- thing is fine as can be expected. Since leaving Vancouver we called at Half Moon Bay, Ellingen’s Camp at Stew- art Island, Rolston’s Camp at Beaver Creek, Loughborough Inlet, and last night we took in Oscar Soderman’s Camp. From Half Moon. Bay we proceeded to Stewart Island to Hllingsen’s Camp. We Published Weekly at 130 W. Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. Phone Trinity 4464 Editor Business Manager - GEORGE H. BROWN - GEORGE E. MAYNARD Subscription Rates: Year $2.00, 6 Mos. $1.10, 3 Mos. 60¢ Make All Payments to: B.C. LUMBER WORKER, care of GEORGE E. MAYNARD. WE MUST TAKE A HAND Ue to the time this is written forty-three log- gers have been killed in the logging camps of B.C. sinco January 21 this year. Nor does that figure tell the whcle story. Of the 43 fatalities, 26 of them have occurred during the two months of July and August and the 10 days of September. ‘This is an average of practically 12 each month. Nor does this take into consideration the hun- dreds of accident victims, broken bones, cuts, lost limbs, fractured skulls; a list that reathes in the neighborhood of a thousand a year, a monument to the calousness and grecd of the boss loggers, and to the apathy of ourselves and our fellow workers. ‘So accustomed have we become to this appalling slaughter, that we accept it as a matter of course. ‘The appalling part is not only the slaughter, but that nothing is done to stop it. Local 71 is taking this matter up with the gov- ernment, but ainly Local 71 cannot get far unless the men in the woods play their part. The ultimate elimination of avoidable accidents de- pends almost wholly on the men in the woods; we recognize that no government, whose spokesmen are the spokesmen of the boss Loggers’ Associa- tion, will lose any sleep over the 43 loggers who have been killed this year unless we can bring ing so forcibly to their attention, and their alliance with the boss Loggers’ Association so clearly to the attention of the public, as to disturb their slumber. Minister of Labor Pearson’s pro- nonncement on the bill for the right to organize, or members will present to the next ses- lature, leaves no doubt but that the slaughter in the woo does not disturb that honorable gentleman. It condemnation of the Department of Labor that this union should have to take steps to bring si uation to the notice of the department. Diegraceful as it is, it is still a fact. water. On our way back from the north we intend to call back there. $56.15 FOR BOAT FUND. The next day, August 4, to be exact, found us at Roltson’s Camp. There we received a very good reception from the crew. A well-attended meeting was held after supper. New members were signed up; dues collected from old members, besides a donation to the boat fund amounting to $56.75—a splendid donation given in a splendid spirit. About 60 men are working in this camp. The main grievance of the men seems to be the high price charged for board, which is $1.50 per day. The following morning, August 5, we started out for Oscar Soderman’s Camp. Arrived there about 11 o'clock in the morning. About 40 men are working in Soder- man’s. The men seem to be coming and going to this camp. The fallers are work- ing by the day. Head faller receives $4.75 per day. Second faller and the buckers make only $4.50 per day. We found out! that the most important union paper to the loggers did not come here. Of course, this situation has been remedied and from now on the B.C. Lumber Worker will be| sold every week in this camp. $33.00 COLLECTED FOR NAVY. A good meeting was held in the evening} —attended by néarlyall of the workers More new members, more dues and a col lection of $33.00 was received for the boat fund, also 50 cents for the Arne Johnson} Other Camps Show Contrast Where Organization Ex- ists; Conditions Better defence fund. If the loggers continue to take the samg active interest in helping to pay for the new diesel as they have done to date, we need not have any worries that organiz- tion on this coast will ever be stopped: As long as we can have and maintain qur “Navy” the camps can be visited and we know that some day within a not too dis. tant future we will have an organization in the lumber industry that no Loggen’ Association or anyone else will ever be able to break. found this camp closed due to shortage of