In the early days of woodworkers’ organization in British Columbia, union agreements were unknown. Employers refused to grant union recognition and the organizers were usually chased out of camp, if discovered. In isolated cases loggers would walk off the job in protest against conditions, wages and discrimination. Settlements, after such job action, was usually achieved on the basis of an un- derstanding with the individual employers. The central organization relied on reports from the camps or the field organizers to record the prevailing scale of wages. Not only did lack of uniformity prevail, but the records regarding such matters for the early period of organization are incomplete. 1936 In an attempt to stabilize wage rates, a conference held at Cowichan Lake in 1936 approved a wage scale, which was exactly one dollar a day higher than any scale authorized by the B.C. Loggers’ Association. By deducting a dollar a day from the proposed scale, it is indicated that the general scale of wages paid in 1936 was as follows: Per day Baker (board included) ....... $4.00 Second Rigger .................. 5.00 Bed'maker .......-............. 3.25 Revermangcins: coc ue. gia a. 6.00 Blacksmith ............... 6.00 Loader (head) ................. 6.00 Blacksmith's helper ............. 4.00 Loader (second) ............... 4.25 Head boom man ................ 5.00 Loader (third) ................. 3.75 Boom man ...................-- 4.50 Pump manlss. 5. 450 Head brakeman ................ 6.00 Rigging slinger ................. 5.00 Second brakeman .............. 450 Rigging-up man ................ 4.00 BullCOOK eee ok ae ween nce 3.25 SCalO 2) sa eres hae Re 2: 4.75 Bunk and stakemaker .......... 3.50 Section man ................-... 450 Car knocker ...............----- 4.90 Section foreman ...............- 4.75 Car knocker (helper) ........--. 3.70 Signalmanues esses eee =e 3.70 ChaSeignee ee oon ee a cca. 425 Speederman (10 hrs.) .......... 4.50 Chokerman ...............-..55. 4.00 Steelgang, =.4ks. soos: cs 3.50 Cook (with board) ............. 6.00 Steel foreman .................. 475 Cook, second (with board) ..... 3.50 MOneeMan = 4.8 ee ee ies: 4.25 Dishwasher ..................-. 3.25 Track walker <..0-.2.4.2.-. 0... 3.50 Dump man ................+.++- 4.00 Unhook man ............-...... 4.25- Engineer (unit) 8 hrs. .......... 6.00 Woodbucker ...............--... 3.70 Engineer (cold deck) 8 hrs. .... 5.75 Woodsplitter ................... 3.70 Engineering (rigging up) 8 hrs. .5.90. Watchman ..................05- 400 Engineer (locomotive) .......... 6.50 Vardimantsx0.2. so saee vos 4.00 Fallers and buckers (minimum) 5.90- Powder man (grade work) ..... 4.00 Fireman (donkey) ............-- 3.70 Pitmanies oo a ee 4.00 Fireman (locomotive) .........- 4.50- Powder monkey ................ 450- Filer (8 sets) ..........---..-.. 5.75 Shop mechanic ................- 4.00 Filer (second) ................-- 5.75 Steam and gas shovel First-aid man ............--.+-- 3.25 engineer ........... prevailing rate ElunKeVige eons ee ce 3.25 Gas expert ......--...-++-++-+-- 5.75 Board and blankets to be charged at a Grading crew .............----- 3.50: maximum of $1.25 a day. Handy man (spare engineer) -..6.00 Week's work to be 48 hours; train crews 60 Hook tender .........---------> 6.50 hours. High rigger .......-.--.:+-5-+-- 7.00 Overtime at rate of one and one half. The above scale has interest today because of the disap- pearance of a number of classifications as new logging methods were introduced. 6/The Western Canadian Lumber Worker — Special Edition Upon approval of the scale, talk of strike to enforce same became general. It became necessary for the Union to appeal to the loggers to remain in camp and organize first. For the first time, the Union considered an industry-wide strike. The operators immediately proceeded to organize company unions. In taking any strike action, the Union was without any legislative protection. In May 1936, an industry-wide strike call brought out seven logging camps, eleven shingle mills, and one sawmill. Camps 3 and 6, Youbou, led the walk-out. The issues presented by the loggers were: Union recognition, union agreements, and discussion of the proposed wage scale. The strategy was developed of striking the key camps and mills. Toward the end of May the strike broadened to include four more logging camps, Comox Lake, Bonwick Island, Cracroft Island and Sproat Lake. The Provincial Government declared itself quite openly on the side of the employers, alleging that the workers were being coerced into membership in the Lumber and Sawmill Workers’ Union. The strike forced the B.C. Loggers’ Association to set a new scale, but considerably below the one proposed by the Union. Unusual features of the strike, unheard of up to that time, were the use of airplanes by the employers to shower leaflets over the camps and the use by the Union of a radio broadcast, sponsored by the Palace Hotel, Empire Inn and Angeles Hotel. An estimate made of the woodworkers employed was: logging camps 10,000, mills 7,000. On a vote, 447 voted to continue the strike, 299 voted against. After three months, the strike was settled with a wage gain of 50 cents a day. No union recognition was granted. It was the biggest wage increase up to that time. The loggers returned to work but were far from satisfied. Again the Union appealed for them to remain in the camps and organize before taking further action. Many strikers were left high and dry and to assist them the loggers assessed themselves ONE DOLLAR A DAY. Due to lack of organization, the mill workers gained only a few cents a day. 1937 Membership in the Union increased and new Locals were reported at Port Alberni, Cowichan Lake and Courtenay. Men were reported as working on an infamous green chain at Port Alberni for 50 cents an hour under intolerable conditions and faulty equipment. Great difficulty was experienced in making any wage increase stick, for no general agreement existed, and no legal protection was available. The first Union agreement reported was between the District Council LSWU and Vanderhoof and Johnson, Crofton, a firm which cut cedar for a Shingle mill at Tacoma. The agreement stipulated that the union should be recognized as the bargaining agent, that the hours of work should be 48 hours a week with an eight-hour day, and with overtime at the rate of one and one-half after 48 hours, and on Sundays, New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve. The minimum wage was to be 50 cents per hour. A safety committee elected by the employees would be recognized. In a short period, three other agreements were signed, on the basis that the employer would pay the highest rates prevailing in the industry. The sawmills were the weak spot in the organization at that time. by ae a period a ei exerted pressure on the employers uraging a boycott on i i labour in the nite eee Peet Nay YY Loggers at Pioneer Timber Co. in March secure better wages, and settled when the rate donee a set at $4.40 per day, with corresponding adjustments for other would receive 55 cents a thousand and 60 cents i ini S if they finished the quarter. Englewood Camp, Wood and English, denanaan a wage adjustment through determined P's Organizers had been ejected. : vee out of Fraser Mills in 1932 and a campaign to organize in 1937 resulted in the firing of 100,men The F Union R :