This May Day. 1952, finds 70,000 militant trade unionists in British Columbia moving into wage struggles in the face of a vicious ‘‘bust la bor’ drive on the part of employers and govern- ments. Biggest battle is shaping up in the lumber industy, where 30,000 woodworkers, seeking wage increases to enable them to catch up with price boosts, are preparing for strike action June 14 if a satisfactory contract is not signed by then. International Woodworkers of America leaders have denounced an “offer” made by coast logging operators which would cut wages 10 percent and raise board bills, and have broken off negotiations and asked for a government conciliation officer. Alsbury takes over Berg’s union-raiding but meeting flops was signing its 1952 contract with the City of Vancouver on Mon- day this week, a second attempt to set up a splinter group was (This week 40,000 IWA mem- bers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California and Western Montana struck against 700 operators when a welfare fund bike was rejected. (Indicative of the sharpening class struggle developing in the U.S. was the strike of 700,000 steel workers Tuesday this week, shutting down mills that produce 95 percent of the nation’s steel. Ouster of the government con- trol of the industry caused Woodworkers, carpenters prepare for showdown fight on wage issue iP acl | il Arms si ag 7 oe a ; ole RR SUINS enue fi FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1952 One CCF , two Labor candidates given endorsation of LRC Labor Representation Committee has endorsed three candidate? to date in the forthcoming provincial election: Tom Uphill, veterat Labor MLA for Fernie; Leo Nimsick, CCF MLA for Cranbrook : and Orville Bratten, labor candidate in Vancouver Centre. . District Trades and Labor Council (AFL-TLC), First union- busting raid being engineered by Tom Alsbury, president of the Vancouver and against Outside Workers was led_ by Carl Berg-and Sam Lindsay, who set up an abortive union under Lindsay’s leadership. Als- bury became a member. When the group, known as Local 407. ‘dwindled to a handful, he launched qg new rump organiza- - tion, still nameless. May Day parade Marchers to assemble at Post Office Despite advance billing of Alsbury as the key speaker at the preliminary rally of the splinter group, only 60 workers turned up, most of them Local 407 die-hards, . Failure of Local 407 to func- tion has caused Alsbury ‘to make this second attempt at union raiding. Judged by the atten- dance at the group’s prelimin- ary meeting. which he chaired, his campaign will be no more successful than the Berg-Lindsay fiasco. Lumberman’s Arch, Auditorium at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Long and the Short of it is... THE HUB has sold Union - made Men’s Wear and extended. Friendly Service for over 50 years. SUITS 74950 *59.50 $69.50 BUY YOURS THE E-Z WAY HE TRIED TO SELL MT THAT DIDN'T FIT? E HUB, “/Y BOY, ANO CET YOURS WITH EASY CREDIT!” ONLY ef Balance in 12 Weeks — Absolutely No Other Charges aS aS oS a== DOWN i= i= iE 45 East Hastings Vancouver, B.C. Beaea=re Thousands of Vancouver May Day marchers will assemble at the Post Office at, noon Sunday, May 4, to take part in the tradi- tional march to Stanley Park, where a rally will be held at The parade, with bands and many colorful floats, will swing south on Burrard to Georgia -and’ west on Georgia to Stanley Rark. In case of rain, a mass indoor rally will be he held in Pender = Phillip Murray, president of Un- ited Steelworkers of America, to issue the stop work order.) Second largest group getting ready for possible strike action is Carpenters and Joiners, whose members are determined to win their demand for $2.50 an hour and other concessions, Van- couver local 452 has asked Labér Relations Board to con- duct a strike vote, Similar action is. expected in numerous other centres. Vancouver painters applied for a strike vote this week follow- ing contractors’ rejection of a 30-cent hourly increase recom- mended by a conciliation board. Federal Minister of Labor Milton F. Gregg roused the ire of (B.C. trade unionists when he gtated here that ‘‘wages are lev- elling out this year.” Another source of growing discontent in the labor move- ment is the practise of import- ing American workers to replace Canadians. Vancouver Building Trades Council (AFL) has ask- ed the federal immigration de- partment to investigate this ‘mass invasion’? of B.C. con- struction jobs by Americans. The council charges American workers are filling jobs that B.C. workers can do on the Al- can project, the smelter expan- sion program at Trail, the Capi- lano dam construction and the oil pipeline project.from Alberta to B.C. Fifteen B.C. delegates will attend national peace parley Thirteen and possibly 15 dele- gates will leave Vancouver May 5 to attend the National Confer- ence for Peace, Arms Reduction and Trade which opens in To- ronto May 10. Some 3.000 dele- gates from all provinces are ex- pected. - Maple Leaf Gardens, Canada’s biggest arena, has been booked by the Canadian Peace Congress for a mass public rally for peace on Sunday, May 11. Featured speakers will be Dr. James G. Endicott, who is. flying home from England for the conference and rally; Dr, W. E. B. Du Bois, noted U.S. Negro scholar; and Mrs. Isabelle Blume, , MP from Belgium. ; “We have booked Maple Leaf Gardens to give Toronto the best opportunity to hear the truth - Workers. Braaten has been active in the labor movement in B.C. for the past 11 years. He joined the Steelworkers when he _ be- gan working at Hamilton Bridge in 1941. The local switched to the Boilermakers and Braaten became a member of the press and investigating committee, a post he held for several years. In 1945, when layoffs began in the industry, he began working at Canadian Boxes and helped organize the plant into the Pulp and Sulphite In the fall of 1946 he was elected president of Local 433, Converters, and a year later became business: agent, a posi- tion he still holds, “The*trade unions of British Columbia must have better labor and social legislation,’’ says the draft program of the Labor Rep- resentation Committee, “‘For too long the interests and needs of the membership of the trade unions has been ignored by a par- liament which has few spokes- men for labor. Numerous ap- peals from labor for legislation to protect our unions. conditions and security have been ignored or pushed to one side.” The LRC puts forward this charter of labor’s needs: : nd @ ICA Act, ,Coverage to be optional to unions. Labor wants amendments ito the Act for those unions desiring coverage, that will guarantee the workers the right to organize without inter- ference, the right to belong to a union of their own choice, the from the lips of Dr. Endicott, who has recently visited China,” said Mrs, Libbie Park, Toronto Peace Council secretary. The peace conference opens with Dr. Endicott’ss address on Saturday morning, May 10, Dis- cussion by delegates from every part of Canada follows. Dr. Du Bois will greet delegates at the afternoon session, which| will then turn the spotlight on Can- ada’s youth in the crusade for peace, Seven panels will be struck off to deal with Arms Reduc- tion; Trade; Peace in the Pa- cific; Problem of | Germany; Peace and the Home; Arts, Sci- ences and Professions; and Germe Warfare. Dr. F. A. Walton of New Westminster will fly to the conference to lead the| Germ Warfare panel discussion. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MAY 2, . right to strike and run their ows affairs without interference * any source. : © Compensation Act, Lab? demands full wages while compensation. Disability por sions to. be reviewed and proug! into line with current {ot standards. Full coverage all industrial diseases. Covert for fishermen and. all classeS ~ workers not now covered. — plementation of the Sloat al commendations for a medi appeal board. : @ Hospital Insurance. ish co-insurance; roll back miums to level before the ~, increase; finance any 4 through increased taxatiot natural resources of pro 1 Free governmental diagn?”” clinics to be available to all ee ple. } @ Sales Tax. Should be x pealed, ; phe @ Natural Resources. province's resources must 7 ye squandered. Labor asks fora peal of the Forest Man License scheme; a stop porting of iron ore; actio? construction. of a steel milli PT tection of fisheries; develop, of vast power resources i) ~ best interests of the peopl — ®@ Public Utilities. The af Power Commission and ; Utilities Commission to P? 4 constituted on a more dem tatid! basis, with labor represe? 0 Bruce Mickleburgh, ~“ 15 Congress publicity directo! ded Toronto reporters who 4 ee a press conference this We yy will present a documentary i at Massey Hall, made i? © 43 and Korea, This film PO germ warfare, It will b® ies people to judge for thems® oo A Canadian business™@? | attended the recent Intern@ is? al Economic Conference speak, Among the many tural highlights. two Wo. notable: the premiere 0? yo! day night of Joris Iven’s oe | film, “Peace Will Wi Qi guest concert program £0" 4 Ml bee, In addition there “afl an exhibition of Canadia? «ll for peace. ‘The confere? ‘sy be conducted in French 4 ; lish throughout.