is aetehtianasetnsses

Price boost swells monopoly

, s

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1967

profits

BAKERIES ROB PUBLIC

HOMER STEVENS AND FAMILY. Photo taken shortly before dismissal of the UFAWU appeal, shows the union secretary

away fishing.

PT WIRES OTTAWA

Holiday amnesty urged

_ with his daughter, Barbara, wife, Grace, and two of his three sons, John (front) and Nicholas — the oldest son, Bruce, was

— Fisherman photos: '

for Stevens, Stavenes

. . STEVE STAVENES, .UFAWU. president, is.seen here with his wife, Karen... . .

Pads l FR gs Br oR a oF ere

eae ee

The Pacific Tribune joined the demand
this week from the ranks of labor that
amnesty over the Christmas-New Year
holiday season be granted UFAWU
President Steve Stavenes and secretary
Homer Stevens.

In a wire to Solicitor General L. Pennell,
in Ottawa, the PT’s editor Tom McEwen
said: “Pacific Tribune joins with others in
labor movement urging you to follow
precedent set last Christmas in granting
two weeks amnesty to four union leaders
in B.C., and grant amnesty for holidays to
UFAWU officials Homer Stevens and
Steve Stavenes.”

The union has also asked that wires be
sent to Attorney General Bonner urging
him not to oppose application for leave to
appeal the case of the two union leaders
and that he not oppose bail.

The two union leaders were sentenced
to one year in jail and it is not expected
that their application for leave to appeal
would be heard by the Supreme Court of
Canada until the end of January. They
have been in custody since November 8.

The union said this week letters to
Stevens and Stavenes should be sent to
Chilliwack Forestry Camp, Box 320,

 Chilliwaék, B.C!’

By MAURICE RUSH

The increase in the price of bread announced this week by
McGavin Toastmaster Ltd., is wholly unjustified. It is the
latest step in the drive by big monopolies to pile up greater
profits by robbing the pockets of the people.

An investigation made this week by the Pacific Tribune
into this latest price rise proves that apart from the aim of
making more profit, McGavin Toastmaster had no reason to
raise bread prices. Our investigation proved the following:

e During this year the price of milling wheat has actually declined by

almost 20¢ a bushel.

@ Whereas the increased wage bill will cost the company $432 a day. The
company will take $2,500 a day more from the public through higher bread

prices.
When the Pacific Tribune

‘interviewed an official of the

Canadian Wheat Board this week we
were told that in January of this year
No. 2 milling wheat used by bakeries
sold for $2.10 per bushel. The price at
which the same wheat sells for now
is $1.90% per bushel — a drop of
19'2¢.

Later, when the Pacific Tribune
interviewed an official of the Bakers
Union we were given the following
facts: McGavin Toastmaster
employs 180 workers who this week
received an increase of $2.40 a day.
This accounts for a total wage bill to
the company of $432 a day.

These 180 workers produce 100,000
loaves a day. The union official told
us that the average increase in the
price of bread (2¢ for a 16 ounce loaf
and 3¢ for a 24 ounce loaf) is 2¥e¢.
The company therefore stands to get

$2,500 each day from the boost in

bread prices. That’s $2,068 more than
it will pay out in higher wages.
Remember, at the same time the

GEORGE McKNIGHT, re-elected
alderman in Alberni at top of poll. See

results on page 12.

price of wheat has also sharply
declined. .

Is it any wonder that the union
official told the PT that the company
is sorry when the workers don’t go
after a wage increase because then
they don’t have an excuse to raise
the price of bread to make more
profit? The PT was also told that
McGavin Toastmaster is-planning to
lay off thirty workers by the end of
this week.

What emerges from these facts is
the picture of a greedy,- grasping
monopoly trying to put the blame for
higher prices on labor and higher
costs in order to carry through a
profiteering gouge of the B.C. public.

This latest increase cannot be
justified on any grounds. A study
made by labor economists in
Vancouver this week shows that
McGavin Toastmaster is owned by
Ogilvie Flour Mills Ltd., and Maple
Leaf Mills Ltd. Both of these
companies last year showed profits
on their net worth in excess of 10
percent!

McGavin Toastmaster Ltd., was
forme@ in 1961 as a result of a
merger of a number of baking
companies. It now operates bakeries
in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba and Ontario. One of the
two large milling companies owning
it, Ogilvie Flour Mills Ltd., is one of
the biggest milling companies in the
British Commonwealth. It operates
mills across Canada which
manufacture flour, feed, cereals,
ready mixed cakes and buns, a
package manufacturing plant,
poultry and egg processing plant,
along With other major investments.

Ogilvie Flour Mills also operate
subsidiaries like Habitant Soup Co.,
Ogilvie Grain Co., Seaforth Milling
Co., Ault Milk Products, Industrial
Grain Products, Glenora Securities
Inc., and it wholly owns the Lake of
the Woods Milling Co. Along with
these it also owns Catelli Food
Products Ltd., and Consolidated
Bakers of Canada Ltd.

‘’~ Sée BREAD, pg. 12