@. B.C. LUMBER WORKER ©

Page Three

LETTERS

Sawmill News

“Every Reader a Correspondent”

REPORTS

CHIPS and SAWDUST

By GREEN-CHAIN PETE

The story of the week is the one where the fellow down on False Creek got up in a meeting to plug for a company union and then fell over in a dead faint. We pre- sume that his conscience must have dealt him a knockout blow.

Our congratulations to the very energetic shop stewards at the Eburne Sawmill. They have been doing such a fine job that the mill is now well on the way to being organized. They are now planning to set up a sub-local.

This week a new sub-local was established at Brownsville where ninety-five percent of the fifty-four employees are meinbers of the union. A five cent raise went with the formation of the union in this mill. Officers elected were Chair- man C. Binnington and Secretary R. Baker.

<fhree more shingle mills start- ed organizing this last week. The boys are really going to town ac- cording to all reports. Even the local office is now permeated with the odor of cedar and it really smells good.

Loss estimated at $40,000 was oc- casioned by a fire which destroyed a large quantity of felled and bucked timber, a donkey engine and other equipment on Lake Log- ging Company timber holdings at Cowichan Lake, recently. All losses are covered by insurance.

When in VANCOUVER Stop at

COLUMBIA HOTEL

LICENSED PREMISES 303 Columbia Avenue

MAr. 3757

Loggers, Shipyard Workers, Lab- orers, meet your friends at the

REX CAFE Ltd.

Where All Union People Eat HOME OF TASTY-MEALS

Union House J. Mirras, Mgr.' 6 EAST HASTINGS PAc. 6741

Hastings Steam Baths 764 EAST HASTINGS ST. Government Registered Masseurs in Attendance J, WEPSALA, Prop.

Also Agent for . . . Norwegian and American Steamship Lines

6240 ALWAYS OPEN

Word was received on Frid.

Local 1-357 IWA-CIO, held Legion Hall, New Westminster,

down to the business of the unio:

IWA Local 1-217 Sponsors Rallies

On Sunday, September 26, mem- bers of the IWA Local 1-217 met in the Canadian Legion Hall, 49th and Fraser St, where we heard an address by Harvey Murphy, In- ternational representative of the International Mine, Mill and Smel- ter Workers, GJO. Brother Murphy, in his address, dealt mainly with the question of political action and outlined the steps taken at the recent convention of the Canadian Congress of Labor, where affilia- tion of the CCF was recommended. Brother Murphy stated that if the CCF were prepared to give Labor Unions representation on its execu- tive and: its conventions on the same basis as the British Labor Party gives British trade unions, then he would be wholeheartedly in support of the trade unions af- filiation to the CCF.

Secretary .Melsness outlined briefly to the meeting the latest developments in the QCI dispute and appealed to the workers to contribute one day’s pay to the Queen Charlotte Island Support Fund. Also, introduced to the meet- ing was Mr, MacOdrum of the National War Finance Committee who spoke briefly on purchasing the Fifth Victory Loan Bonds.

On the same evening Local 1-217 held a special meeting at the For- ester Hall for the employees of the Sitka Spruce Lumber Com- pany. The meeting was addressed by John MecPeake, former organiz- er for the IUMM & SW and is at present working in the ship yards in the city. The meeting was well attended and Brother Mc- Peake’s address was enjoyed by all. Another meeting is expected in the near future. :

MODERN and OLD-TIME

DANCING

EVERY WED, AND SAT. All Modern Every Friday.

Hastings Aulitorium 828 East Hastings

MODERATE RENTAL RATES

JARBITRATION BOARD GRANTED IN CIRCLE 'F’ MILL DISPUTE

lay that the Minister of Labor

had granted the request of I.W.A. Local 1-357 for the establish- ment of a Board of Arbitration to hear evidence in their dispute with the Canadian Western Lumber Co. The unions’ member on the Board is William Burgess, Secretary of the U.F.F.U.

their monthly meeting at the with an excellent attendance.

After listening to an excellent address by Mr. MacOdrum on behalf of the Fifth Victory Bond Drive, the membership got

mn. First came filling the vacan-

cies of the members of the executive who have left for other

industries. Unanimously elected as trustees were the following,

George Langstaff, Tommy Kipp and Dave Anderson.

The officers reported that for- mal application to the Minister of Labor G. S. Pearson for a board of arbitration had been made and that Wm. Burgess, secretary of the powerful Fishermen’s Union had been nominated as Union Rep- resentative.

District President Harold Prit- chett reported on the Canadian Congress of Labor Convention, in which in his opioion was outstand- ing in spite of a few weaknesses. The convention is on record for all out production and no strike policy in the interest of the war effort.

The opening of a second front on the continent in the immediate future and calling for full trade union unity of all labor in Canada and instructed the incoming offi cers to make application for affi ation to the Anglo-American Soviet International Labor Committee.

The political action resolution had the support of every delegate in the convention but objections were raised on affiliation with the CCF unless the CCF’ were prepar- ed to accept Labor on a true democratic representation basis. Following the report the motion was made that we immediately af- filiate to the CCF and instruct the delegates of this Local to fight for affiliation to the District Council. Many of the delegates expressed themselves opposed to such a step without some guarantee of Board representation. The motion was then ammended to establish a com- mittee to investigate possible af- filiation and the substitute motion was accepted by the chair that we affiliate with no political party, which was unanimously endorsed with the exception of one dissent- ing vote.

Two delegates were elected to meet with all trade unions re- gardless of affiliation in the city of New Westminster to establish a New Westminster Trade Union Co-ordinating Committee.

The business agent reported that application will be made immedi- ately for arbitration in the Mo- hawk Lumber Co, Sub-local.

Lower Mainland Millmen Want Union Bargaining

bargain through legitimate,

Alaska Pine Crew Votes 326 To 44 In Favor of IWA Local-1-357

Independent and “Company Unions” in British Columbia lumbering industry are on the way out. Recent developments show decisively the desire on the part

of the mill workers to

democratic trade unions. The IWA has scored several overwhelming victories in retent weeks, one of the most outstanding of which was registered in the

Alaska Pine when the employeés® of that company who had been bar- gaining through the Alaska Pine Employees Advisory Committee voted 326 to 44 in favor of disband- ing the present committee in favor of the IWA.

The relationship between the union, IWA Local 1-357 and the company, have at all times been excellent, with the management of the company agreeing that the em- Ployees should have the right to choose by democratic vote the bar- gaining agency which they desire and further agreeing to recognize the agency so chosen. It is our sincere hope that in the near fut- ure a union agreement will be signed between the Alaska Pine Company and the IWA Local 1-357.

A decisive blow to company unions was struck last week when the employees of the Sitka Spruce Lumber Company in Vancouver voted 132 to 58 in favor of terminat- ing their present so-called “Em- ployees Association.” The desire for trade union bargaining by the employees of this company is shown by the fact that they have organized themselves into Local 1-217 of the IWA. The speed in which the majority of the employ- ees in this plant have bene organ- ized into a union exceeds all re- cent records. The management of Sitka Spruce would be well advised to adopt the attitude of coopera- tion such as the Alaska Pine Com- pany has done and allow their em- Ployees to freely bargain through the agency of their choice, the In- ternational Woodworkers of Am- erica, Local 1-217.

LIGHT CRUISERS

Always the BEST °

4 Ask for them In the Cor

mmissary Or Order Direct from

A. W. JOHNSON & CO.

63 West Cordova St. MAr. 7612

JOHNSON’S

Vancouver

SINGLE MEN SEEK GUARANTEE

At the last meeting of the Shingle Mill Sub-Local at Boundary Road the membership voted unanimous- ly to make application to the Regi- onal War Labor Board for an in- crease for all laborers paid by the hour and for the establishment of a guarantee for the Sawyer and Packers. The guarantee being asked is $110 an hour for sawyers and a probable 75 cents an hour for packers,

It is understood that in several smaller shingle mills in the district higher wages are paid on the deck and on all hourly wages. In the Huntington’ & Merritt mill at Mar- pole $1.10 guarantee for sawyers has ben in effect for some time. The decision to request guarantee was brought about by a lack of tim- ber for the sawyers which amounts to nothing more or less than a wage cut as sawyers and packers are on a piecework system. The local of- ficials are confident of a favorable award,

“Stamp Out the U-Boat”... Buy War Savings Stamps!

"Styles for Young Men and Men who Stay Young”