Showler, Gervin under fire
for Province strike stand

Action of officials of the AFL Building Trades Council,
@eamsters and Printing Pressman in ordering union men
through the ITU picket line around the Vancouver Daily
Province came in for strong criticism from Vancouver Trades

and Labor Council delegates here
this week.

‘“Discussion was précipitated by
refusal of R. K. Gervin, council
secretary, to read a communica-
tion’ from the AFL Plumbers and
Steamfitters Union, the only
building trades gnion at -present
respecting the ITU picket lines.
‘J. Barton, Plumbers’ delegate,
opposed Gervin’s stand, declar-
ing: “This executive action isn’t
very satisfactory. By telling our
“anion men to cross the picket
fine, all organized labor is get-
. ting a black eye.”

. J. Irving, business agent for
the AFL Laundry and Dry Clean-
ers’ Union, claimed that “with
these building trades unions cross-
ing the Province picket line,
what will happen when we go on

COMING

in Our
issue Of
August
22

“YALE CELEBRATES

A BIRTHDAY’
by HAL GRIFFIN

strike? I fail to see how we can
say the Province is unfair to or-
ganized labor, and keep ordering
our union men through the picket
line.

“We holler about independence,
but some of our unions seem to
take orders directly from the Am-
erican Federation of Labor,” Irv-
ing charged. His reference was
to action of AFL international of-
ficials of the Pressmen and Team-
sters’ unions in ordering their
Vancouver locals to. “honor all
contracts” with firms, whether
these firms have dealings with
the Province or not. As a result,
Pressmen are working with ‘scab’
printers, while Teamsters’ mem-
bers are delivering newsprint to
the Province.

A delegate from the Rail-
waymen’s union then charged
that “if the Teamsters had taken
the right attitude three weeks af-
ter the Province dispute started,
the strike could be settled.” Presi-

dent Birt Showler, an executive
member of the Teamsters, denied
this, but delegates continued with
their criticism of the executive.

Ten delegates took part in the
discussion, but only one supported
the executive’s stand.

Outcome of the bitter discus-
Sion was an executive recom-
mendation to set up a commit-
tee of eight building trades un-
ion officers to look into “the
unsatisfactory situation at the
Province.” This committee is te
report to the mext council meet-
ing on its decisions.

addresses listed below.

_ }WRODAY, AUGUST 8, 1947

CASH |

_ for your empty

Beer Bottles

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bottles when you deliver them to any of the

1445 Powell Street
1040 Hamilton Street
2700 Yew Street
‘755 Homer Street
115. East Second Ave.
6 East Second Ave.

608 Moin Street
or Phone TA, 2753

Bill 39

sociation, inserted a clause in the
act providing for government-
supervised strike votes, the pre-
text was offered that unions did
not conduct ,their own strike
votes on democratic lines.

This week, employees at the
Stock Exchange Building here,
members of the AFL Building
Service Employees Union, learned
the government’s conception of a
‘democratic’ strike vote.

The procedure outlined to them
was:

The provincial labor department
sets the time and names the place
where the vote is to be held and
gives 36 hours notice to employer
and employees. Both employer and
employees present alist of those
they consider entitled to vote.
Both employer and employees
name scrutineers to attend the
vote and count the ballots.

“We feel quite capable of con-
ducting our own strike vote and
this is what we intend to do,”
was the succinct comment made
by Bert Wybrew, recording se-
cretary for the Building Service
Employees Union.

Bert Melsness, IWA district se-
cretary, whose southern interior
members in the East Kootenay
and’ Kamloops areas have already
taken their own strike votes, told
the Pacific Tribune:

“The presence of an employer
or his -representative during the
taking of a strike vote is not
democratic. For years trade un-
ions have conducted their own
strike ballots fairly and in such
a way as to exclude an employer,
who must necessarily be opposed
to a strike, from exercising any
direct influence or intimidation.
The government’s provision for
supervising strike votes was _ it-
self a violation of trade union de-
mocratic rights, and certainly it
was unwarranted.

“In the woodworking industry,
with our industry-wide bargain-
ing procedure, the government
could not possibly obtain a proper

ion on the basis it outlines.”

This week several unions, CIO-
CCL and TLC-AFL, were in the
process of conducting their own
strike votes, ignoring procedures
under Bill 39 which even union
leaders who had formerly de-
fended the bill are now forced
to admit require amendment.

JOHN STANTON

Barrister - Solicitor
Notary Publis
502 Holden Bldg. — MAr. 5746
Night: ALma 2177-M

’

HIGHEST PRICES PAID for

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Other Valuable Jewellery

STAR LOAN CO. Ltd.

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expression of our members’ opin- |

\ \
NY 77

. \ ‘Y
AS
MMA
WON
SOLA

Isn’t it awful?”

“Stocks in ‘free enterprise’ are falling rapidly. Snagsby just
phoned me from Victoria that Bill 39 is down to one dollar net.

e
od

of $25 million. This credit was
increased to $125 million by a
new agreement concluded on Feb-
ruary 5, 1946. Of this amount the
Netherlands government had used
$93 millions as of June 18 this
year.

Utilizing its position as a pre-
ferred customer for basic mater-
ials, most of which can be used
for war purposes, the Netherlands
government included in its 1946-7
purchases from Canada $10,800,000
for trucks and $5,000,000 for chem-
icals. '

According to information ob-
tained by R. H. Haviland, cor-
respondent here for the Mon-
treal Star, “by the beginning
of 1946, the Dutch government
was in the process of equipping
four divisions with Canadian ve-
hicles and arms for dispatch to

7 Netherlands

the Dutch East Indies where eo
trouble had already broken out.”

Haviland concluded: “Apart
from all the equipment involved —
for many months following the —
war, Dutch troops were give?
special training by C sy
army instructors in Holland. 1)
addition, a considerable num! :
of officers and other ranks from!
the Netherlands army went 10
the Canadian army occupation —
force in northeastern Germaty
for other training.”

With strong protests being made
by trade unions and other
ganizations throughout the coum —
try and popular feeling running
against the Dutch government fot
its open violation of the y
charter, the King government
feeling the pressure for freeziné
of remaining credits.

The L.T.U. is not seeking higher wages.
Shorter work week is not an issue

A master contract is not asked for.
Dues check-off is not wanted.

We do not seek a welfare fund. A

Holidays with pay are not sought. ; 4

Company give the

The only issue is

treatment to each division.

that the Southam
same fundamental |

—e

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PA