_UVE District: Council plans fight
for price controls, higher wages

C. S. Jackson, president of the United Electrical Workers’ (CIO) Canadian District
Council, declared this week that his union would fight for the re-establishment of price
controls, but stressed the necessity for wage increases in 1947 to halt the decline in living
Standards of Canadian workers. ;

_ “There is no need for the price
Mereases that have been granted
at an accelerated rate by, this gov-
stmment over the past several
™onths,” the UE leader charged,
adding “we have repeatedly urg-
ed on the government the reten-
tion and stiffening up on _ price
centrol,”

“We will continue to so urge
82d will give support to any move
‘© Ye-establish price control and
to roll back prices,” Jackson de-
Clared. “At the same time we
Wish to reiterate that even if
Prices were rolled back 10 percent
Sad held at that point, it would
Not remove the need for further
Wage increases in 1947.”

Jackson was commenting on the
Previous statement ‘by C. H. Mil-
ard, Canadian director of the
ClO Steel Workers’ Union, that

latter’s union was abandoning
the wage struggle until April,
1948, and instead calling for a 10

percent reduction in prices. ~
’s proposals have met

With a widespread resentment
Mong leading unions through-
®ut the country, who realize the
need for wage increases to win
back losses incurred through
tising living costs. ‘

Citizens’ rally
on money bylaw

a Meeting to discuss the impli-
300ns of the proposed $50 mil-
°n bylaw, which will be voted
Pa March 5, will be held in the
A uth Slope Community Associa-
°n hall on Monday, March 3rd,
. 8 pm. Speakers from the
tvic Reform and Town Planning
ae eee have been invited to
y dress the meeting. Alderman
» Bennett has also, been invited

explain the features of the

Posed money borrowing plan.

Cc. 8. JACKSON
‘.. wage increases are a necessity.’

The UE statement continues:
“The Federal Minister of Finance
is reported in the press to have
stated that he cannot promise
that there will be no increase in
rent ceilings. Until it is denied
this must be taken as a_ state-
ment of the government’s inten-
tion to retreat before the pres-
sure of real estate interests and
grant rent increases. The great
majority of the Canadian people
cannot absorb a rent increase
without cutting deeply into their
budget for food and other neces-
sities. ,

“Wage increases are now an
urgent necessity for Canadian
workers. It is our intention to

ask for substantial wage increases
in 1947. These increases must be
forthcoming for all Canadian

workers as a necessary measure
against another major depres-

{| sion.”

McGeer seeks to pass
buck on housing issue

A -large representative delegation from the Vancouver
Housing Association and 20 other groups appeared before
Mayor G. G. McGeer and city council’s building committee,

is week with extensive proposals for relieving the city’s

Setious housing crisis.
Pee demands of the delega-
ee were for the city to enter
dice & contract with ‘federal au-
orities for the construction of
aA low-rental homes in Van-
adhe with construction to
“mmence this spring. Delegates
Proposed that ’ the civic

ILWU wins new
Wage agreement

: arotable gains were won by Lo-
CaN 501, International Longshore-
(Cre and Warehousemen’s Union
0), here last. week for work-
“ts &t the Vancouver Barge Trans-
nak Company, in the new agree-
*nt which has been ratified.
Among the points won by the
ah _were: the irrevocable
eae overtime wages for Sat-
ah Yy afternoons and the estab-
ment of regular meal hours.
na hew agreement was reached
tats after three months of nego-
pea Ed. WWennerlow, ILWU
th ™ational Representative, told
® Pacific Tribune.
yeas union is also asking for a
a a wage classification of $1
Trak our at thé Vancouver Barge
£5 Sport. This request is now
ae the provincial arbitration
han G. Curry of the provincial
cilint, department served as con-
Rew Cr in megotiations for the
agreement.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1947

authorities themselves launch &
low-rental housing project, by call-
ing for amendment of the Na-
tional Housing Act, so as to make
federal funds available to the city
on the same terms as to limited
divideng corporations, insurance
companies, etc. It was pointed out
to the mayor, that similar pro-
jects are at present in successful
operation in 600 American cities.

Attempting to pass the buck to
the federal and provincial auth-
orities, Mayor McGeer lamely
pleaded, “There is a limit to what
Vancouver can do.” McGeer at-
tempted to lay the blame for the
existing housing crises here, by
blaming “people from — outside
areas” who are moving to Van-
couver. This argument was very
quickly disproved by members of
the delegations.

Major Erickson of the City
‘ Rehabilitation Council, which is
operating the veteran-occupied
Hotel Vancouver declared that
the veteran’ tenants there could
not be evicted, even after their
April 1948 deadline, unless homes
were found for them.

Vic Spencer. of the housing ac-
tion committee of the Canadian
Legion pointed out to the mayor,
that the sacrifices of Vancouver’s
veterans overseas, made it a re-
sponsibility for the authorities at
home to get construction work
going, stating that the council
had a responsibility in providing
houses for Vancouver's citizens,
and especially veterans.

US firm loses to
Indian workers

BOMBAY — The 48-day strike
at the American-owned Firestone
Tire and Rubber Co. here ended
with the union winning recogni-
tion and all other major demands.
Not only are the workers getting
paid holidays and two months’
bonus, but they even won back
pay for the strike period.

The strike involved 11,000 fac-
tory workers and 100 clerks, many
of whom had not had a single
holiday for the past seven years.
Besides taking on the company,
the workers hag to fight local
police, who were treated lavishly
to American dollars in return for
firing on picketlines.

Rush stresses need of
social security laws

VERNON, B.C.—Speaking before a capacity audience
here, Maurice Rush, provincial organizer of the Labor-Pro-
gressive Party, called for united support of all workers and

farmers behind the demands of B.C’s united, mass labor lobby.

“The program of united labor,
in the brief to the

as outlined
government, is
not only what
labor wants, it
is also a prac-
tical program
of reforms that
will bring in-
creased social
security for
people in every
walk of life,”
Rush declared.
Stressing the
need for labor
legislation
which will guarantee union se-
curity and’ outlaw unfair jabor
practices, Rush charged that “BC
monopolies are at present engag-
ed in a conspiracy to smash the

Maurice Rush

trade union movement, resorting
to red-baiting, open provocation

and the hiring of agents to sow
discord in labor’s ranks.”

“The Hart coalition govern-
ment represents the interests of.
the big monopolies, which op
pose labor’s program, and will
only be compelleg to act if
there is united pressure of the
people for progressive legisla-
tion,” the LPP provincial or-
ganizer warned.

Earlier last week, Rush ad-
dressed the Kootenay Regional
convention of the LPP. At pres-
ent he is engaged in an organiza-
tional and speaking tour of the
interior points in the province.

dealer who refuses to sign an
agreement with the union guar-
anteeing prices that the trawlers
feel is the very minimum. It is
understood that any private dealer
signing such an agreement will
not be bound to take all produc-
tion, but only that amount he
may require and also that the
lealer be permitted to reopen or
terminate such agreement with
two weeks’ notice.”

The fleet, however, will likely
be out fishing soon, though not
for the species affected. Accord-
ing to a decision of the fleet,
trawlers will be free to go to
other sections of the industry,
that is, rig up with other gear;
or using trawls, fish for dogfish,
landing only the vitamin A bear-
ing livers.

Trawlers were forced to take
what amounts to strike action in
this dispute in the face of an al-
most unbelievable jump in gear
costs, which came on the heels of
Finance Minister Abbott’s removal
of price ceilings on cotton goods
late in January, and immediately
afterwards, a cut in the price of
bottom fish by the fish companies
of from one to two cents below
1946 prices.

Despite scare headlines in the
Daily Province that trawlers were
split, union leaders and_ vessel
owners maintain there is com-
plete unity and the following joint
statement was issued this week
under the signatures of UFAWU
secretary-treasurer Wm. Rigby
and Vessel Owner Jim. Pope:

“In view of misleading and
even false reports which have
been Carried by a certain Van-
couver paper, we wish to make
clear to the general public the
facts of the situation affecting
the trawl fleet of Vancouver,

“All trawl fishermen, both
crew members and vessel owners,
are united in their desire to
have signed agreements with
the dealers, establishing a mini-
mum schedule of prices to be
paid for bottom fish to the fish-
ermen. All are agreed that no
fish will be delivered in the fu-
ture to any private dealer or
company who has not signed
such an agreement, Immediately
an agreement is signed by any
dealer he will be supplied in the
regular way by the vessels from
whom he previously obtained his
supplies,

“The United Fishermen &

Allieg Workers’ Union is recog-

Trawlers tied up pending price
settlement; aid N.S. fishermen

Otter trawl fishermen in Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria are tied up tight
over prices to be paid for bottom fish during the 1947 season.
made at meetings in these ports where members of the United Fishermen & Allied Work-
ers’ Union and Vessel Owners’ Associations decided that “no fish be sold to any private

Decision to tie up was

Tied up tight

This is one of B.C,’s otter trawl fleet
tied up in Coal Harbor while the fish-
ermen fight for a minimum price agreement. There were
104 of these vessels operating in 1946 and so far this
year, 63 have taken out licenses, but all are in port.

nized by ali the trawlers as their
bargaining agent for the pur-
pose of signing a price agree-
ment, Rene
“There is no truth in the
statement that now, or at any
other time the dealers have been
asked to recognize a closed shop
for the trawl] fleet, or to make
compulsory deductions for the
union from trawl fishermen.”

While engaged in their own
complex struggle in the adjust-
ment of fish prices and wage
scales with the powerful packing
combines, the United Fishermen

and Allied Workers’
warded to date

have _ for-
approximately

$1,400:00 to the striking fishermen
in “Luneénberg, Nova Scotia’ The

Nova: Scotia fishermen’s strike is
now nearly two months old, and
every effort has been made by
the organized packers, backed by
federal and provincial government
departments, to force the fisher-
men back to work. The issue in
Nova Scotia is primarily one of
union .security, and the aim of the
operators is to break the union.
The Nova Scotia fishermen are
chartered by the Canadian Sea-
men’s Union (TLC).

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 8