Poverty among
C. Native Indians

Not“only the Sekani Indians in the Rocky Mountain
‘Trench live a poverty-ridden existence (see report on
page 9). Poverty and squalor are to be found on re-
serves in many other parts of the province, particularly
the southern part of the Island and the north-central
Interior. Pictures show (top) a typical Indian village

along the Coast (centre) Sekani Indian children and
(bottom).an Indian shack on the T’sartlip Reserve at
West Saanich.

Which do you want?

Shorter work week
or shorter day ?

he Oil Chemical and Atomic

Workers International Unon
in the United States, building
up its perspective for a shorter
work week, is developing a dis-
cussion among its members on
the issue. Contrary to the prac-
tice of most top union leaders
who claim to know what is best
for the workers, this union’s
leaders are asking their mem-
bers.

One step was a straw poll by
Union News, the union’s pa-
per when the members were
asked to show. preference for
any of several alternatives. The
poll, on the basis of 466
straws, showed:

For shorter daily hours, 50%
votes; for fewer days weekly,
226; for an occasional three day
weekend, 53; for longer vaca-
tions, 107%, and for miscel-
laneous choices, 31.

This indicated quite strongly
that these workers prefer shor-
ter weeks and more leisure
time to shorter days. Next in
line seems to be the proposal
dscussed in the United Steel-

workers Union in the U.S. for

periodical long vacations.

I found most interesting the
full page of letter$’ accompany-
ing the straw votes published
by Union News. They reflect
both the thinking of the rank
and file and the problems fac-

- ed by many workers.

One worker would rather the
retirement age were cut to 60.
He observes that “the number
of people who die between the
ages of 60 and 65 is greater
than the number who retire,
and I think that if a man could
retire at 60 it would prolong
his life for a few years and
give him a chance to enjoy his
retirement.”

Another worker writes that
he “envies” those in the indus-
try who work four ten-hour
days a week, adding: ~

“The bird in the Chamber of
Commerce who questions the
wife wanting the husband
home three days a week must
have a. very unhappy home.
My wife and I would love to
have three days a week toge-
ther.” :

Fhe idea of a°six-hour day,
whieh would add a fourth shift,
and some “‘awful time. sched-
ules,” is opposed. by another
worker. He proposes instead a
36-hour week as the next step
one week of four eight-hour
days, a total of-72 in each. two
weeks, ,

e

Another letter expresses con-
cern lest a shorter work week
or day cut earnings and lead

to search for a second job or
another job. The idea of a cut
in the week is to provide more
jobs. He therefore wants as-
surance that the unemployed
people would get the extra op~
portunities and not those al-
ready ‘on jobs. ‘

A pumper says he is for few-
er days, the only way extra
jobs could be made in his field.

Another advocate of a four-
day week gives, along with
other reasons, the fact that a
worker spends a great deal of
time on highways to and from
work, which is a loss to him in

time, expense and addded safe-
ty hazards. The cut of a day
would reduce such disadvanta-
ges. :

One advocate of earlier re-
tirement is fearful “we may
end up with six days a week
with six hours a day.”

Still another worker who

wants the retirement age cut,
also expresses fear of the “six
in six,’ recalling that such
schedules in the past made no
new jobs but gave the com-
panies opportunities to squeeze
more work out of the men on
each of the six days.

A working mother, as) might
be expected, prefers fewer
days a week, giving as the
first reason an opportunity to
look after children. She also
prefers longer vacations, at
least a month or more, “to get
away from dust, oil, chemicals
and fumes.”

One let.er writer is irate over
the two-job evil, which is al-
ready evident. He calls for
steps to prevent pumpers from
holding two jobs: “one union
job, one non-union job;” or
pumping wells on the side for
extra money.

One worker writes that the
union’s shorter work week idea
‘Ys appealing on the surface but
would not solve the ever grow-
ing condition of matching hu-
man flesh against automats.”
The oil and chemical industries
are the most automated in tthe
USS.

He says, “Your closely knit
efficiency experts (employed
by management as unorganiz-
ed white collars) would defeat
any tangible effort to distri-
bute fairly organized labor by
productions needs.”

He prefers longer vacations
with pay and believes the “so-
lution” is lowering of the re-
tirement age to 55 and provid-
ing more jobs for the young.
He thinks this would also help
keep “our juvenile delinquents
busy at gainful employment.”
He believes this is a “sensible”
approach.

Weil, there is a cross-section
of opinion of one union’s mem-
bers.

In this country, as in the
U.S., the question of shorter
working time has. become a

lively {topic throughout the
trade union. movement. . In
B..C., the International Wood-

workers has already advanced |
the perspective of the 30-hour
week and other unions have
discussed the four- day week.

MARCH 22, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 12