‘ar ty 2 ceil am Vos i ply Qi "FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, FSU AS Hands across the sea These young Canadian seamen, members of the crew of the S.S. Lake Manitou, saw the link between the Canadian govern- ment’s efforts to smash their recent world-wide strike and the Australian government’s sentencing of Lance Sharkey, general secretary of the Australian Communist party, to three vend im- prisonment for a statement defending peace. Here, at Sydney, they display a banner supporting the demand of Australian unions for Sharkey’s release. “We, found out during our strike that the Communist party was the only party genuinely fighting for the workers and to prevent another war,” they stated. WIU wins wage boost in Interior conciliation An estimated 500 lumber workers in the East Kootenays will ‘benefit by a two and one-half cents an hour increase, plus an additional five cents an hour night shift differential, under recommendations by a conciliation board which sat at Nelson last week. Harold Pritchett, president of the Woodworkers Industrial Union, .tepresented the union on the _ board, and J. C. Munro acted for _ the 11 major lumber operators in- . volved. Chairman of the board _ was Judge Eric P. Dawson of Nelson. ay In sharp contrast to the “hole in the doughnut” settlements ar- rived at by IWA negotiators this year, the WIU, by adopting a fighting policy, proved that wage gains can be won. The contract will be in effect from September 1, 1949, fo Aug- ust 31, 1950. The two and one- half cent award is retroactive as from September 1. This is the first time Interior woodworkers have reached a basic wage rate of $1 an hour : BBR D DDD RN SRP RT SE and the first time also that work- ers in the Interior have _ estab- lished the night shift differen- tial. ~ IWA negotiators had previous- ly signed contracts with employ- ers in the area who were certi- fied with them) at the 97% cents an hour rate.. Many employers who were paying over the union scale promptly cut wages to that level. The WIU gains expose the complete bankruptcy of the Fad- ling machine’s policy of signing ‘ng wage gain” contracts. Company lodgings and board have been set at $2 per day,.a reduction in some _ operations which represents an added wage hoist to woodworkers. Cte. A MERRY XMAS and ‘ A HAPPY, PROSPEROUS: NEW YEAR from the Home of Union-Made rie and flies Service Deal will scuttle fleet, ‘beach’ men A deal to transfer $75 million worth of Canadian ships to Britsh aaitiy and throw. thousands of Canadian seamen out of work is being negotiated by J>,V. Clyne, Vancouver lawyer and chairman of the eet Maritime Commission. The scandalous deal, when com- pleted, will virtually scuttle Ca- nada’s merchant marine, leaving less than 50 vessels operating as “dollar” carriers. Details of the scheme which will throw more than 4,000 Canadian seamen “on the beach” were pub- lished in the December 17 issue of the Financial Post in a front page article by Kenneth R. Wil- son under According to Wilson the plan is “now near completion”. ' After admitting that only 40 to 50 ships will remain under the Canadian flag Wilson writes: “The remainder of the fieet, while still retaining Canadian ownership, will fly British flags and will be operated for the G@anadian owners as ‘sterling’ vessels with U.K. crews, etc. Net earnings of this‘sterling’ branch of the Canadian fleet will be paid to the Canadian owners in dollars.” . The government attack on the Canadian Seamen’s Union during the great East Coast strike last spring is now easily understood. The CSU led the fight for a large Canadian merchant marine; government and shipowners com- bined to smash the CSU in order to pave the way for this “transfer” scheme which betrays thé inter- ests of Canadian labor. | “U.K. crews, etc.” says Wilson. This “etc.” means lower wages and poor food; worse living conditions aboard ship. All the gains made for sea-. men sailing Canadian vessels will ‘be wiped out by this trick deal which allows Canadian shipown- ers to man their vessels with Bri- tish crews, paid in devaluated pounds instead of Canadian dol- lars. Canada’s labor moyement will -undoubtedly rally behind Cana- dian seamen in protesting this scuttling of our merchant fleet. ‘Stopeietep aaa shale pinees uoriaaaid os an Ottawa dateline. , uary 10. the longer hours and | piniabihiniieh iba GREETINGS To All Our Customers ZENITH CAFE 105 E. Hastings Street — VANCOUVER, B.C. : ie : ACA x72 Naas "Victoria Phoenix Brewers A total of 123 ships are involved ‘in the transfer; 65 ships now. operat- img under Canadian registry and 58 currently operated by the U-K. under ‘wartime’ lease- lend arrange- ment, but due to returmm to: Canadian registry in 1950. Kuzych i issue to go to workers William Stewart and William L. White, officials of the Marine Workers and Boilermakers’ Union sent to Oakalla prison for on Tuesday, succeeded in winning a stay of proceed- tempt of court”’ “e con- ing: Wednesday and were immediately released from custody. Appeal of the union leaders against the ‘contempt’ be heard’in Victoria by Court of Appeal which begins sitting Jan-. An “all-in” defense conference of trade unionists will be held in ~ Auditorium Wednesday, — Pender December 28, involving AFL, C- CL and other union bodies. A Defense Committee set up . by the Marine Workers and ’ Boilermakers’ Union met Tues- -‘day night and decided to im- _ mediately publish a pamphlet explaining the whole back- ground of the case, which re- volves around the fundamental principle that a union has the right to expel one of its mem-. bers for anti-union activities. The pamphlet will be distribu- ted in thousands of copies to trade unionists in Vancouver and throughout the province. The Defense Committee is also planning to hold meetings at plant ‘gates workers ‘with the full story of the -events which led upNo the “con- tempt” committal order, by ‘Action for . jailing the union wel \ “ é \ “Kaen REE Cee ee ae ee te from 5 COAST BREWERS | Westminster Brewers Ltd. shee ‘Silver Spring Brewers Ltd. en eee a and acquaint Vancouver - ’ Polish coal, | ‘3 ‘ : ’ / A MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW Mets reetings — ae: decision will leaders: was taken after Myron Kuzych, who was legally expelled from the union in 1945, was re- fused a union card despite a court verdict ordering his reinstate- ment. | A huge union meeting of more than 600 members held in Pen- der Auditorium on Monday night decided to hold a referen- dum vote January 7 to deter- mine the question of issuing a card to Kuzych. Poland, Sweden site new trade agreement —WARSAW. | A new trade agreement with Sweden will facilitate Poland’s program of industrialization and agricultural improvement. - Under the pact, Poland will re-— ceive $54 million worth of Swedish machinery, iron and steel pro- ducts, office machines, zine con-? centrates, cellulose and pedigreed breeding cattle. be In return, Sweden will import coke, sugar, iron, chemicals and textiles. sph ama imtataintannin iin baa! FERRY MEAT A . MARKET 119 E. Hastings PAcific 9588 WISHES THEIR PATRONS AND FRIENDS ir cnc rh UM HHP 2POLOLOLE LE LE LE LE LEE LEED Rede eee ee \ E PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 23, 1949—PAGE 12 ACA Same | ee F fore