..- But Wage Cuts, Company Unions, Anti-Labor Laws... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 As the IWA gained a foothold in the industry, it was quickly realized that trade unions required legal protection in the right to organize and bargain, with a requirement upon employers to execute an agreement reached through collective bargaining. The Loggers’ Local heard a CCF speaker, and approved of political action. The CCF commenced a fight in the Legislature for an Act guaranteeing, the right to organize without intimidation. At the same time the Loggers’ Local decided to establish a hiring hall to escape the evils of the private employment agencies. 1 9 3 8 As a result of a vigorous campaign on the part of the trade unions, and despite the opposition offered by the employ- ers, the Provincial Government enacted the first Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The International appointed three International -organizers, and the B.C. District Council named Tom Bradley and Lloyd. Whalen organizers for B.C. with instructions to concentrate on the sawmills. The fear complex abated under legal protection. In 1938, the Loggers’ Local, now 1-71, staged in July the biggest loggers’ dance yet seen in Vancouver as the beginning of an organiz- ing campaign. In that year, the Local established a sub-office in a cigar store, the Woodworkers’ Cigar Store, 179 E. Hastings, Vancouver. The Union’s problems were many in that year. The logging opera- fors tried to circumvent the ICA Act by forming company unions. The Loggers’ Agency (Black’s) included a clause on employment contract slips requiring applicants to refuse to invite any person into the camps without company permission. Fallers at Franklin River on contract rates complained that they could not compete with the new power saw gangs, as they were assigned to poor timber on the most difficult terrain. Many of them walked off the job. The Queen Charlotte loggers made a deter- mined stand against wage cuts attempted by the operators. A constant fight was waged against the blacklist which was the employers’ most deadly weapon against the Union. Unemployment was rife, and the Union organized an unemployed section, whose members, from time to time, undertook mass treks to Victoria asking work or relief. During this year the Union was deeply involved in the Blubber Bay fight, described elsewhere. The ICA Act was declared to be wholly unsatisfactory, because of loopholes for employer evasion, and the campaign for watertight legislation was again launched. The IWA District Council established its offices in the Holden Build- ing in close proximity to the loggers’ hiring hall. 1 93 9 In 1939, the Union made some headway in organizing the sawmills. The campaign to organize Fraser Mills, one of the toughest, secured the restoration of a wage cut in the previous year. It gradually began to dawn on sawmill and plywood plant work- ers that without organization they were helpless to raise their sub- standard wages or protect themselves against drastic wage cuts. When the plywood plant workers demanded a wage increase, the large companies retaliated by large lay-offs. The plywood workers moved to affiliate and in 1939, the first plywood local was formed. As World War Il broke out the slogan adopted by the Union was “raise the pay a dollar a day”. During the early stages of the war, the Union was active in taking advantage of the increased demands on production. Plans were laid to get an industry-wide pay hike. The Cowichan Lake Local won an agreement at Lake Logging which gained it union recognition, a safety committee, the established hours of work, no discrimination for union activity, and the re-hiring of employees after lay-offs. Its camps were regarded as models for that day. Fallers and buckers working at Menzies Bay reported that, work- ing in poor timber, they earned an average of only $2.00 a day. Englewood Camp, Wood and English, demanded a 15-cent an hour wage increase, and before arbitration was commenced, settled for ten cents. Chokermen were raised from $4.25 a day to $4.60 a day. The Union’s first wage conference was held in 1939. The demands formulated were: A minimum wage of 62 cents an hour; An industry-wide agreement with all employers to include: 1—Collective bargaining through a committee of the employees and provision for the peaceful settlement of disputes through arbitration. 2—Seniority. ‘ 3—Elimination of strikes and lock-outs for the duration of the agree- _ 4—Provision for the observance of regular holidays, time and one half . aa ee double time for serge ay Provision of board and co at cost instead of the present WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 8—Arrangements for leave of absence. The minimum wage scale was approved as a means to prevent any employers paying below the accepted scale. The “cheat stick method of scaling was denounced. Steps were taken to have loggers included in the Unemployment Insurance Scheme. A shortage of log- gers was reported, which enabled the QCI loggers to gain another 50-cent an hour wage increase. Lake Logging employees won the second wage increase for the year — ten cents retroactive. 1941 At the 1941 convention, five active locals were reported, with eight sub-locals. At this time wartime regulations be- gan to pinch, and the Union protested the pegging of wages, which allowed a bonus for any increase of living costs above five per cent. Lake Logging and Crofton Export crews were prevented from taking strike action under wartime regulations, but walked off the job, finally settling for a 50-cent an hour wage increase, union agree- ment, seniority rights, leave of absence rights and the union shop, the first in the industry. The July, 1941, Wage Conference decided to step up the organiza- tional drive and force union agreements under circumstances which appeared to be favorable. Local 1-118 reported agreements with Horton Cedar Co. and McCarters with a $3.00 a week increase. 1942 The Fifth Annual District Convention, held January 3-4, 1942, indicated a distinct change in policy. The reasons were apparent. In 1939, the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler. In 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. From that time onward until the close of the war, the Union’s leadership placed the main emphasis on winning the war against Fascism and opening a second front in Europe to relieve the pressure on the Soviet Union. The Union's slogan was “Production for Victory”. Wage increases during the war came mainly as a result af de- mands upon the War Labour Board. ; The Youbou camps gained the following scale in 1942: whistle punk, $5.90; chokerman, $5.90; chaser, $6.25; back rigger, $5.90; scaler, $7.06; rigging slinger, $7.00; head rigger, $9.76. Fraser Mill employees registered a vote of 568 for.a working agreement. The IWA won a majority vote as the bargaining agent and a Fraser Mills Local was proposed. The War Labour Board granted an increase base rate for day shift of 65 cents and night shift 70 cents. An Arbitration Board gave a majority report against a union agreement in MacMillan Plywood Industries Ltd., Bert Gargrave, MLA, dissenting. The Union instituted court proceedings against the Com- pany for refusing to negotiate with the employees: olicy Youbou Mill won a new scale as follows: boom men, 75c; head sawyer, 1.50; setter, 85c; edgerman, $1.0712; head trimmer man, 98c; re-sawyer, 90c; planer feeders, 70c; yard pilers, 70c; car loaders, 70c; machinists, 75c to $1.00; carpenters, 85c; millwrights, 75c to 85c; construction helpers, 75c; crane operators, 90c. In the same year, Local 1-357 was granted a charter. Stewart Alsbury was elected President, and George Mitchell, Secretary. 1 943 In 1943, the Sixth Annual District Convention urged amend- ments to the ICA Act, and adopted the slogans, “Produc- tion on the home front,” “For action of the second front’. It was re- ported that wages totalling $1,500,000 had been gained by the IWA during the last half of 1942. _ Due to unconstitutional activities, the District Council was sus- pended from the Canadian Congress of Labour and emphatic pro- tests were made. The Union called for thé establishment of joint labour-manage- ment production committees in all operations and apparently was committed to a new form of the speed-up which previously had been persistently protested. An IWA delegation, this year, appeared before the Provincial Government to urge amendments to the ICA Act. Some of these were secured later in the year, when unions were assured that a majority in a bargaining unit would be guaranteed the right to bargain. Hillcrest Lumber Co. loggers had transportation trouble, but the dispute ended when the company granted transportation until living quarters could be provided. It was in 1943 that Hammond-Haney-Ruskin-Mission woodwork- ers were granted a charter, Local 1-367. Most serious strike of the year involved 600 loggers on the Queen Charlottes. It was settled with a victory which won union recognition, maintenance of the existing wage scale, a grievance procedure, recog- nition of a safety committee, seniority rules, 8-hour day with overtime, same board rates, leave of absence, re-hiring of employees after lay- offs, observance of holidays, and a “no strike” clause. (Continued on Page 10)