THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER IWA Among the thousands who have seen the PNE display of loggers’ skills at the Log- gers’ Festival, few recall that today’s entertainment merely dramatizes features of the hazardous and unrewarding life endured by those who first opened up our timber resources. Our younger people need. to be reminded that once the loggers were scorned as “homeless, womanless and voteless” transients. To a large extent, sawmill work- ers were also treated as the “scum” of the early work force, the low men on the in- dustrial totem pole, ASSURED STATUS Today the younger worker enters the lumber industry with an assured status and contract certainties about his pay and job rights. The reason for this benefic- ial change is found in the type of organization develop- ed first by the loggers and later jointly with the sawmill workers to remedy intoler- - able conditions of employ- ment. By unremitting strug- gle they won their rightful place in the house of labour. The price paid by the early pioneers is rarely appreciated by the more recent entrants into the lumber industry. The novices have had little oppor- tunity to grasp what they owe their ‘rough and tough’ pre- decessors. They step into ready made job conditions without effort and accept these as an ordinary common- place and not as an inheri- tance, LOGGERS’ REVOLT The loggers’ revolt against a sub-human working life was first sparked by the “wob- blies”, the IWW. Direct action tacties of the IWW “cleaned- out” unsavoury conditions in the logging camps and turned the spotlight on cruel neglect of civilized job relations. Upon the advent of the IWA in 1937 ei auc adopted a more business-like approach toward solution of their problems. The begin- nings of organization coincid- ed 1 the introduction of tion protecting the right union for all sections of the industry to include also saw- mill, plywood plant and shingle mill workers. The sturdy independence of the loggers also influenced the introduction of an unique constitutional structure. Rig- orous adherence to demo- cratic procedures is still fol- lowed as officers are elected and major policy decisions de- termined by membership ref- erendum. Although affiliated with the International Union the West- ern Canadian Regional Coun- cil enjoys complete autonomy in respect of negotiations and administration of the strike fund. In its effort to maximize its bargaining strength, the IWA has steadily promoted indus- try-wide bargaining for a standard contract to cover all sections of the industry. To- day, in the coastal area, the terms of a master agreement are negotiated between two central bargaining agencies, one representing 26,000 work- ers and the other the prin- cipal employers. FORMER CHAOS It cannot be gainsaid that the organization of one union for the entire industry and centralization of bargaining procedures, culminating in uniform contract terms, has promoted orderly collective bargaining in place of the former chaos. The primary responsibility of a trade union is to protect and improve the living and working standards of its mem- bers. In this respect, the IWA has not failed to respond to the needs of lumber workers. Those who worked for 40c- 50c and hour in 1937, are now assured of a base rate of $2.56 an hour. This consti- tutes a floor for a wage struc- ture, which provides for var- ious categories of skills and in which the average rate is con- siderably higher. 40-HOUR WEEK _The 60-hour week has been displaced by the 40-hour week, with provision for over- time penalty rates, and shift Union shop conditions have eliminated the earlier black- listing of men for union ac- tivity and assures every mem- _ ber in each bargaining unit a voice in decisions affecting nis the conditions of his ploy- e ment, feat a 2 Sie IMPROVED CONDITIONS The only vacations known in 1937 were compulsory lay- offs without pay. Today, va- cations with pay range from two weeks to four weeks ac- cording to the length of serv- ice. In 1937, holidays for hourly rated workers were seldom observed. Now, the paid stat- utory holidays number nine days for all workers in the industry. NO JOB SECURITY In the early days, length of service assured no rights to job security. The present con- tract upholds defined prin- ciples of seniority for lay-offs, re-hiring and promotion. Once, the man who aired a grievance “went down the road.” He may now process any legitimate grievance through IWA channels, even to arbitration, without fear of victimization. In the past, loggers were expected to suffer ruinous travel expense, poor grub, un- sanitary camp conditions, and disproportionate board rates. They now have fare allow- ances, travel time on company property, decent food, com- fortable and sanitary bunk- houses, and stabilized board rates. BAD OLD DAYS In the bad old days, the in- dustry killed two men in every week of production. The occupational hazards are now shielded by a safety pro- gram promoted cooperatively by management and the Un- ion. This has accomplished a spectacular reduction in the accident frequency rate. The lumber worker and his fam- ily also enjoy the protection of a Health and Welfare plan, with medical coverage and a measure of insurance against disaster, negotiated by the Union. Training programs, coupled with provision for labour- management preparation, en- able adjustment to techno- logical change to minimize worker displacement by the accelerated mechanization of the industry. Because of collective bar- gaining made possible through his Union, the IWA, the lot of a B.C. lumber worker is a much happier one than when the Union appeared on the scene in 1937. , ones OLD LOGGING CRUMMY OLD STEAM POT AND WOODEN SPAR TREE .* - - - . em - (Sey S a NS his eee aan a 7 = : tN Scone PN \ ~ | N\ ene \ _ ‘te \ ean ate t =e ker Tas y / g - Meg MODERN STEEL SPAR AND GRAPPLE Later