“May, 1961 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER ie fighting regulations. 7 Regional Secretary-Treasurer Fred k Fieber who originally directed the fight in the courts has teamed up with ’ President Bill Wilson, Local 1-71 to ' secure a_ three-way, .B.-em- ' ployer-union conference to study _ more effective protection for pape! - engaged in fire-fighting. The discus- sions are expected to consider steps to prevent any miscarriage of justice, such as recently experienced. The incident which led to the con- viction in the lower courts of seven Joggers occurred when a company fire in the logging operation of Rus- sell Logging Co. was almost under control on August 6, 1960. The evidence heard in court estab- lished the following points. Were Wearing ‘Romeos” The seven men concerned were truck-drivers and shovel operators who had been fighting fire for three or four days by manning pumps and handling hoses. _ Successful action by Local 1-71 IWA in the Appeal Court of ' British Columbia which freed seven loggers from convictions for refusal to fight fire is now likely to lead to a fresh look at the fire- On the morning of August 6, they were ordered into a burnt-over area to put out small smouldering fires. They all expressed willingness to continue fighting fire, but pointed out they were not equipped with caulk boots, and were wearing “Romeos”. They protested that their footgear was not safe for working in burnt- over felled timber and hot ash. Superintendent Fred Laird in- sisted, but did not display his badge as a fire prevention officer of the Forestry Branch. The men asked to speak to the Forest Ranger, but could not make contact. Superintendent Laird fired the seven men and ordered them to take the plane out of camp. Following investigation by the Local Union’s officers, the seven men were reinstated, and the Superinten- dent was fired. One Man Convicted immediately, Almost information Local 1-71 Wins Appeal Protects Fire-Fighters was laid with the Forest Branch, and all seven were brought to trial be- fore a Magistrate in Alert Bay. Trial proceedings were centred on Henry Doig, and he was convicted. The Local Union appealed the Magistrate’s verdict to the County Court. The Judge in trial proceed- ings at Powell River upheld the Magistrate’s original sentence. An appeal carried by the Local Union to the Appeal Court of the province resulted in quashing the conviction. The Local Union and Regional Secretary-Treasurer Fieber report excellent prospects for a conference with the Minister of Lands and For- ests together with representatives of the Workmen’s Compensation Board and the employers. It is stated that the evidence heard in the recent trials |’ makes clear that the safety regula- tions of the W.C.B. apply to loggers fighting fire. The Local Union con- tends, therefore, that all necessary protective equipment should be sup- plied by the Forestry Department. ~ ~ ese pram ge ww a a ae ~ * eet eh paiement . , he “deceased Occupation: Chokerman Experience: 5 yrs Age: 57 mper wos assisting a cat operator to skid logs was an » experienced woodsman” A swai down a steep hillside. After choking a turn of logs, the cat started. The swamper at that time was in the clear, behind the turn and following the cat. After-moving a few yards, the operator bladed aside a log lying across the trail. This log was lying partly under enother log which swung, hitting the sycrpa in the chest fatal injuries. Th f woodsmen , 3 Time Out The ambitious young Scotia _ asked his guide to take him to e- “mote section inhabited by SS nilinis Upon meeting the tribe’s chief, the missionary told the interpreter: “Ask him if he knows anything about relig- ion. After a bit if grunting and sign language, the interpreter replied: “He says he got a little taste of it when that other missionary was here.” > + ® * An old-time waiter who had worked - for years at a famous Broadway res- y taurant died suddenly. His wife was ¢ utterly inconsolable. f a In an attempt to communicate with ~ her dead husband, she went to med- iums, fortune-tellers and magicians— all of whom were unsuccessful in bringing back his spirit. Then she read that many times, where he spent most of his So the widow went to the res- re Tiered softly. “Come sloser, Sam. I can hardly ear you.” ae ean't come closer” he replied. Ta:not my tab table.” > A navy wife saying farewell to hus- was annoyed when she saw a white dog trot aboard the ship. ange dogs be allowed to go the men’s wives _ are the demanded. of 2 bah 6 ranking officer. “Tt’s like this, ma’am,” said the old salt. “All the men can pet one dog and nobody gets mad.” * * Two friends were talking “How did you make out in that fight with your wife last night?” asked one. ,” replied his companion. “Why, before we were through she came crawling to me on her hands and knees.” “Yeah? What did she say?” “Only one thing—*Come out from under that bed, you coward!” * * * Two drunks staggered out of a bar and came to rest against a lamp post. Gazing at the light, one said, “That’s the moon,” “It ish not,” the other said. vioushly it’s the sun.” They were arguing back and forth heatedly when another gentleman reeled up. “Shay,” they asked him, “is that the sun or the moon?” “T dunno. ri don’t live around here.” “Ob- Pastor, from the pulpit: “My | friends, we have made an honest effort to raise sufficient money, but we have failed: Now the ladies are going to hold a bazaar.” * * * A smart husband is a man who thinks sai before ihe! nothing. If your sa wants to ae to drive the family ver 7 t stand in her way. * Middle age is Sa you still have the old spark but it takes more puf- Workers Probe Cave-Ins TORONTO—Construction un- ion spokesmen. spearheaded a drive -for a full probe of a sub- way cave-in which claimed the lives of two men. The two men, an engineer and a carpentry foreman, died in a twisted mass of steel and concrete when a section of the Toronto Transit Com- mission’s new east-west subway col- lapsed and trapped them. The tragedy occurred as concrete was being poured into one of the subway forms. Royal Commission Gerald Gallagher, business manager of Local 183, International Hod Car- riers, Building and Common Laborers Union, called for reconvening of the province’s Royal Commission on In- dustrial Safety. Pressed by the trade union move- ment and a newspaper expose of slipshod safety practices affecting im- migrant workers, the Ontario govern- ment set up the commission last year after a sewer project cave-in in March, 1960, took five lives. Gallagher said the commission should be socal to probe the sub- way collaps Ree ort Not Down ree the safety commission concluded its sessions several months ago, it has not handed down its re- port. Union sources indicated it might not report before late summer or fall. Labor Minister Charles Daley said an inquest should be able to bring out all the facts in the subway tra- gedy but Toronto Transit Commis- sion officials said a broader probe might be necessary—even a Royal Commission. Meantime the Hod Carriers’ union and the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners launched their own in- vestigation of the accident. Jacks Not Braced Angus Smith, secretary-treasurer of the Carpenters’ District Council, claimed the large jacks used to sup- port the forms into which the con- crete was being poured had not been properly braced and should never have been approved. HE TURNED HIS BACK AND WALKED AWAY- Occupation: Faller Age: 48 Experience: JO yrs. A faller felled a snag on level open ground. The snag was 15" in diameter and 120' high. When the snag started to fall, the faller picked up his saw and walked away. The falling snag struck anotherstanding tree, fracturedand "jack-knifed", striking the faller across the shoulders and causing multiple injuries which were fatal. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION BOARD OF BRITISH COLUMBIA President Morris outlined the gen- eral scope of the Committee’s func- tions as follows:— “The establishment by the Cana- dian Labour Congress of the National Committee on Occupational Health and Safety is the product of develop- ments in industry and within Cana- dian trade unions. This step has been taken because of the changing nature of iridustrial processes and their con- trols. More than in any previous period, industrial workers must con- sider ways and means of working safely within a different industrial en- vironment, with new forces at their disposal Must Eliminate Hazards Although the development of safety devices has accompanied mechaniza- tion, it has not appreciably lowered the accident rate, nor the impairment of occupational health. Industry is at a stage where only a nation-wide campaign aimed at the elimination of occupational hazards can provide satisfactory safeguards for industrial workers Factors to be considered by trade unions are: Accidents are one of the chief causes of deaths in Canada. Each year, more than 1,200 die from industrial accidents. The fatality rate among industrial workers is repérted to be 2.8 per 10,000 workers a year. More than one half million per- sons suffer crippling injuries annually. The cost of needless accidents is too high. ILO Obligations Canada has a continuing responsi- bility to implement the recommenda- tions of the International Labour Organization in the field of occupa- Executive Approves Nation-Wide Effort Initial report of the newly-established Standing Committee on Occupational Health and Safety was approved at the May meet- ing of the Executive Council of the Canadian Labour Congress, and revealed widespread interest among Congress affiliates re- ported its Chairman, IWA Regional President Joe Morris. tional safety. The national ‘commit- ments envisage the full-scale co-opera- tion of both the employers and the workers with continuing emphasis on preventive measures. In recent years management has realized the importance of safety pro- motion at the national level. The rea- sons are economic as well as humani- tarian. Indirect costs of accidents amount to an average of $4 for every dollar paid in workmen’s compensa- tion. Any plan of national organiza- tion, as well as participation in the ILO program, should include repre- sentation from the central body of the organized workers. Notable progress has been made by some unions affiliated with the Cana- dian Labour Congress. Organized trade union participation in safet education has substantially lowered the accident rate in many industries. The demand for national co-ordina- tion of these efforts has arisen, and is answered in the plan of organiza- tion proposed by the Committee. National Co-ordination Planned The endeavour has been made to lay the basis for national co-ordina- tion with every allowance for the autonomy of affiliated unions. The Committee seeks to create the oppor- tunity for voluntary co-operation in ps fa ake uses of a common pur- “The members of the Standing Com- mittee recognize that human error is an outstanding cause of accidents, and that, therefore, education for safe working and living is an essential of the trade union approach to the question. Itisa challenging task, but it offers rich rewards in the fulfillment of trade union humanitarian purposes. The Hod Carriers’ Gallagher and Smith warned that their members will refuse to take part in any large pours of concrete on the subway project until further safety precautions are taken. Research by the Hod Carriers indicated that five other accidents in- volving construction jacks had oc- curred in the last three years. Back-Up Alarm An automatic back-up alarm for trucks is now being sold in Van- couver, It is a gravity-actuated mechanical alarm which sounds four times with each revolution of the wheel in re- verse. The device, which attaches to a wheel hub, is a steel bell that gives loud and clear warning of backward movement of heavy trucks, delivery vehicles and fork lift trucks. the industry. Basis for the presentation was out- lined at a special conference of repre- sentatives from the Local Unions which’ include logging operations. All recommiendations will be reviewed by the Regional Executive Board, Representatives of the Union were present at the recent public hearing held by the Board to deal with the requirements of industry generally. It was then decided that a special hearing would be necessary to dispose Union To State Loggers Views Views of the IWA respecting revision of the accident preven- tion regulations in the woods will be incorporated in a brief for submission at a special public hearing of the Workmen’s Com- pensation ,Board devoted exclusively to the logging section of of problems which affect logging operations A matter of vital concern to loggers are the proposed changes in the sys- tem of signals. The use of the elec- tronic whistle will be given special consideration. Two fatalities on the coast during the last year are con- sidered by many as attributable to the failure of the whistle in the hands of crew members engaged in other duties.