“« Ped 4 ~ ad ant THE WESTERN itv gg Incorporating The z.2. Lumbewuerker Official Publication of the International Wacedworkere of rémertea Regional Council No. 1. ‘: i i CANADIAN N Ky ! VOL. XXIX, No. 4 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY 2nd Issue February, 1962 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S Winter employment slogan “Do It Now!”, is being used by the IWA loggers at Hillcrest Lumber - en eee co Se Sat ea | Company, Mesachie Lake, to both publicize their transportation clash with the Company and to poke mild fun at Company manager, Hector Stone, who is a known proponent of the Winter Employment Campaign. Group left James Crawford, Francis R. Summers and Alexander Solotki. Photo—Dodd Nanaimo Free Press Public Condemns Sweat Shop Wages Spokesmen for both the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Catholic Church strongly con- demned the present exploitation of workers in the B.C. garment industry during the hearings be- fore the Board of Industrial Re- lations in Vancouver. The B.C. Federation of Labour and the Needle Trades Council are asking for a minimum wage of $1.25 an hour, a 40-hour week and the elimination of the 45-cent learner’s rate for the first two weeks. Present rates are 75-cents an hour for men and 60-cents an hour for women. Some garment manufacturers, the Federation contends, are taking ad- vantage of the learner’s rates to force skilled men applying for work to accept this rate. Father Dermot A. McInerney, a Roman Catholic priest, told the Board that the present rates were incompatible with human dignity and even the $1.25 minimum pro- posed by labour “would not be fit- ting with human dignity.” It is hypocrisy, he said, to sub- scribe to the theory of the dignity of man and then permit social and economic conditions which prevent putting the theory into practice. The garment manufacturers in Opposing any increase in wages, stated that the industry operates generally on a piecework basis by which a machine operator receives payment according to the number of garments produced. This means that Wages vary considerably depending upon the operator’s speed and effi- ciency. Secondly, they said experienced employees are scarce and, to fill the gap, employers hire and train inex- perienced girls at the employer’s own expense. As a result, the manufacturers claim, some girls do not produce enough garments to reach the mini- mum wage rate during their first few weeks and the employer sub- sidizes the wages up to the mini- mum. They told the Board that because of this factor and mainly because of competition in Eastern Canada and elsewhere, they were opposing all wage increases. Equal Pay For Equal Work Asked Members of the Bank Employees’ Association have voted unanimous- ly to adopt a policy of ‘promoting equal pay for equal work. President Marsh Bluck claimed that many employers are not com- plying with the “Female Employees Equal Pay Act”, a Federal act applying to bank employees, which has been in force since 1956. “If the bank can get a job done by a woman for less money than by a man, there is less need to recruit men. This practice has created un- employment for men and inade- quate compensation for women”, he said. Vice - President Madeline Mc- Intosh took issue with the claim that women have less responsibili- ties than men and should therefore be paid less. She pointed out that bachelors are paid at the same rate as married men. “The old story about a man’s extra responsibilities is applicable to many women to- day”, she said. “Medical Care For All” Urge Trade Unions “Every citizen should have all the health care he needs in what- ever form he needs it, whenever he needs it. Such health care should be available without any economic barrier between the person who requires the services and the one who provides it.” This was an open- ing statement of the B.C. Federation of Labour in a submission made to the Royal Commission on Health Services sitting recently in Van- couver. The demand for a comprehensive health insurance program was sup- ported in a brief submitted by Oppo- sition Leader Robert Strachan on behalf of the New. Democratic Party. Both organizations defined “com- prehensive” as including the full range of health services and facili- ties that fall within the broad spec- trum of health care. _ The Definition As defined by the Federation, this means: “Preventive and diagnostic treat- ment, as well as curative and re- habilitative services by physicians, surgeons, dentists, eye specialists, and other specialists are included in our concept of satisfactory health ser- vices. Within the range of facilities are included hospital and specialist services to provide all forms of care and treatment for both in-patients and out-patients, dental care and facilities, opthalmic services,. drug, pharmaceutical and appliance ‘provi- sions (at cost), public health services, medico-social work, rehabilitative treatment and mental health care.” The major points made in argu- ment before the Royal Commission may be summarized as follows: Access to the finest medical care available is a basic human right for every person in Canada regardless of his means, The medical profession should not have the moral or legal right to ob- struct or defeat a national or pro- vincial medical care plan. No per- son eligible for medical care should be refused such care by the medical profession because of inability to pay. Free Choice of Doctor The patient must have free choice of doctor. No third party, such as a private insurance company, should be allow- ed to profit from a health scheme. Drugs must be supplied at cost, See “MEDICAL CARE” Page 2 New Labour College Plans Accepted Canadian Labour Congress Education Director, Max Swerdlow announced during the CLC Winter School and Staff Conference at Parksville, February 9, that a Canadian Workers’ College has been established in Montreal, through the co-operation of the University of Montreal, McGill University, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Confederation of National Trade Unions. The new College will be chartered as an independent institution using some of the facilities of the Univer- sities. McGill and the University of Montreal will provide the main teaching body supplemented by Pro- fessors from other Universities and from the Trade Union Movement. Nationai Appeal The College will be financed by a national appeal. The 19 man Board of Governors has approved the details of a drive to seek funds from the trade union movement, as well as from private and public foundations. It is hoped that the College will start operations this summer. An initial program envisages a 14-week course, split into two seven-week periods. Courses, in both English and French, will deal with five main subjects: Economics, Political See “COLLEGE” Page 2 “ARGUE'S ‘(DOMINATION CHARGE IS By IWA Reporter Trade union opinion across Canada now unanimously sup- ports the view that Hazen Argue’s charge the New Demo- cratic Party is dominated by a “labour clique” is entirely with- out foundation. The procedures followed in founding the Party are so well known that the claim is dismissed as being absurd in the extreme. WHAT'S INSIDE Turns 2 Hazen Argue claims that the national founding convention was “run” by a few trade union leaders. The delegates who attended that convention know best whether such a charge is true. Staunch members leadership of the N.D.P.” of the newly-formed party returned to their constituencies and reported their complete satisfaction with the eonduct of the convention. Repre- sentation from all sections was well balanced. The Chairman, CCF'er LISTEN TO ma Turncoats Distrusted “Little dignity is left to Hazen Argue ... The cards are stacked against him to start with, because, instinctively, there is generally lack of sym- pathy for a turncoat. In Mr. Argue’s case, the suspicion is always present that his action is motivated by disappointment at his failure to attain Gold—CJOR George Grube, presided with com- plete impartiality. The convention committees were fully representative. If a few trade union leaders “ran” the convention, they must possess al- most supernatural powers. The unity Toronto Telegram of purpose, so enthusiastically dis- played by the convention delegates, was something that could not be “managed” by any clique. Unity Prevailed The fact is that the program and 4 7:00 p.m. “s Thursday iM constitution which emerged from the convention indicated very clearly that the trade union delegates agreed with majority CCF opinion. The votes on policy and constitution in- dicated agreement to which the ma- jority of the CCF delegates sub- scribed. Nine hundred CCF delegates could not be bossed by anyone. The chief officials of the Canadian Labour Congress who had worked in the development of plans for a new party, all declined nomination for office. By this action they made it clear that they would not take ad- vantage of any numerical support to “throw their weight around.” The &1-member Federal Council now lists only six persons who could be de- scribed as influential trade union leaders. Each one of the six had records of faithful service to the CCF long before the formation of the New Democratic Party. It is be- 1st and 3rd (KPG 32 6:00 p.m. FALSE™ yond belief that these six persons could possibly browbeat the 75 re- putable political figures who form the balance of the Council. The Clique It is equally noteworthy that the three men named by Hazen Argue as forming a dominating labour clique (Bill Mahoney, Fred Dowling and George Burt) were formerly ac- tive members of the CCF. The three men most active in or- ganization, Bert Gargrave, George Home, and Stephen Lewis are well and favorably known to British Col- umbians for their sincerity. It would be a sorry day for the working-class movement if influential trade union- ists such as these were blacklisted by innuendo, and denied the oppor- tunity to devote their energies to the promotion of the aims of the New Democratic Party. See “CHARGE” Page 2 CKCQ 22: