THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER

BC Louse ey

Published Every Second Monday by. INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO) %, DISTRICT COUNCIL NO. 1 Editor: BERT MELSNESS (on leave, Canadian Army) Managing Editor: JACK GREENALL Room 504 Holden Building—Phone PAcific 4151—Vancouver, B:C. ‘ e ‘ The deadline for stories for the coming issue is 4 p.m., Thursday, February 8

Equal Pay For Women

ORKING people throughout Canada and particularly those in the woodworking industry of British Columbia will join with the workers at Hammond Cedar in congratulating the National War Labor Board on its decision on the question of equal pay for equal

» work for women.

For more than a year now the union members at this mill have struggled and fought to maintain their organization in the face of all the disappointments that went with continued appeals by the company against decisions-of the Regional War Labor Board. These appeals and the delay causec by them in signing an agreement were responsible for a let-down in morale that is difficult to measure

in terms of ‘lost production, to say nothing of the actual cost of the proceedings themselves.

Now that the Board has brought down its findings, after con- siderable delay due no doubt to the importance! of the issue involved, there ‘should be no further impediments in the way of all-out labor- management cooperation in this mill. The Hammond Cedar Com- pany has fought the fight for all those employers who oppose this principle. The IWA has fought the battle for equal rights for women in industry. A decision has been made and there should be

no further grounds for disagreement on this issue, at Hammond | Cedar or elsewhere.

Much credit is due the Hammond Cedar workers for their persistence and for the sacrifices they have so willingly made. “All other members of the IWA congratulate them wholeheartedly

The IWA and PAC

HE decision arrived at by the executive board of IWA District

Council No. 1 last week to withdraw from the National Political Action Committee of the CCL is a step that was forced upon our union, The IWA deeply regrets the action taken by Chairman C. H. Millard, in’ supporting a resolution that forced this withdrawal Mr. Millard stated that non-partisan political action was okay so long as there was no immediate prospect of a Federal election, but now that a Federal election loomed on the horizon, he feels that it is time to support the CCF. He makes this statement, notwith- standing the fact that the CCF is largely responsible for the situa- tion in Grey North, where General McNaughton faces the prospect of defeat as a result of joint opposition from the Tories and the CCF. This in turn may force a general election in the immediate future.

The resolution which the IWA was asked to support would completely negate the position taken by our Inteynational union .in recent convention in the Hotel Vancouver and our District Con- vention in Port Alberni, where in each case non-partisan political action was endorsed unanimously. No mention is made either, in the resolution passed by the National PAC, of the harm that this partisan stand will do to the labor movement in other parts of Canada, particularly in Quebec, where even the CCF admits that they have no chance of election.

The CCL committed to the election of a CCF government in the next Federal election can do nothing but is. ate the labor movement from all those progressive forces in ‘other political

* parties who are also interested in advancing the living standards of the Canadian people.

Because the IWA is withdrawing from National PAC does not mean, however, that we are not going to take political action. We have our own provincial program that demands immediate atten- tion. The IWA is one of the largest and most influential unions in British Columbia and together with other unions affiliated to the B.C. Federation of Labor, there is no doubt that labor's influence

ORRER Union Hiring Depends |

On Your Support

By DON BARBOUR, Hiring Hall Manager

FIGURES for the Union Hiring Hall show a very large increase in business since the last issue of the B.C.L.W. and to compare as at January 20, 1945, with the full month of Junuary, 1944, we have exceeded that month by 450 percent. This gives part of the story of Union Hiring and no doubt if our membership as a whole had utilized the possibilities of Union Hiring to its greatest degree and your Hiring Hall Manager had not made any mistakes, the volume of business would have been even greater. As it now stands, our Hall has greater demands than can be filled by those who as yet seek their employment only through the Union Hiring Hall.

subject to avoid the pitfalls of the past. It is true that far too many have shipped out to jobs through Union dispatching to have discovered «the job unsatisfactory, or for other reasons, and have returned to the Union Hiring Hall to have their grievance rectified.

effective.

tainly tends to make the Union Hiring more effective and efficient.

win the war. the fighting fronts all over the world.

vention by Mr. Marsh, of the U.S. Conciliation Service as follow:

100 percent vital war production.

Local he fought the strikers.

few.”

the “no strike” policy.

__ There is one point I wish our members would keep clear in their minds, and early in 1945 would be the proper time to bring up the

May I point out that this way of settling disputes can’ never be The only way to settle such problems is through the camp committee (nearly all camps have them today), or failing to | settle the dispute, to at least bring along a written statement of what ‘has happened with a recommendation from the committee. This will work out much better for all parties cohcerned, and cer-

With the very heartening war news of the past few days, al- though Hitler and Company have not yet conceded unconditional surrender, we can be sure his hour of doom is fast approaching. It therefore is quite obvious we must have a strong, healthy. growing organization with a constructive policy that can and will do as good work in winning the peace as organized labor has in the helping to Organized labor's no-strike pledge has been the big- gest factor in keeping an uninterrupted supply of war material to In keeping our no-strike pledge, may I quote from a speech to the Eighth Annual IWA Con-

“While some people are painting a picture of recreant Labor— a small minority of the whole—they ought to know soniething of the other side of the picture. Let them hear the authenticated story of a president of a Local Union in a big International engaged in This man lay mortally ill in a hospital when told of an outlaw strike of members of his Union. He left his sick bed and for two stormy hours on the floor of his He won and sent them back to work. Then he went back to his hospital bed—and died. No soldier who died on the beachheads of Normandy deserves more acclaim from his country and these are incidents that should silence those who would blacken the name of all Labor by crying the failings of the

I feel quite confident that organized labor in the years follow- ing the winning of this war will give our nation another pledge “no unemployment,” and keep it just as inviolate as labor now keeps

SINCE WAR BEGAN CANADA HAS PRODUCED MORE

THAN, 750.000 MOTOR AND ARMOURED VEHICLES

CANADA MAINTAINS T EMBASSIES, 8 LEGATIONS,

will be felt in the legislative halls at Victoria next month.

= SHIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICES

PLA

Hello Boys: Here it is Lumber We week again and me with my down. as the saying goes, seems only yesterday that I drinking quarts of black ¢ at the insistence of the and here he is with another ju ful. Just because Greenall has get the paper out a day ear! order to attend an executi board meeting in Portland do not seem like a good reason i me for all this excitement. 3 I don’t blame Jack for bein a little nervous about that meet ing. in Portland though. 0 what I hear, delegates from B and other progressive dist1 are likely to receive a cool re- ception. I hope he comes back in one piece because in spite all his faults he is not a bad g at heart (that is, if he has heart). I effered to get the pap: er out for him in his absene but after the look he gave n I haughtily withdrew my offer, Discussion around the reffe: ment parlors this week has been — centered around three main sub- jects since the street car strike was settled (or was it?) First, of course, is the Russian drive — on Berlin. Those boys sure have the world gasping (including ’ol Yitler). It just goes to show that the Russians weren’t fool- ing when they set out to fight fascism. Not like some people I could mention who seem to thit @ strike situation at home is logical way to destroy Hitler Germany.

In the “good old days” th old bullcook had been on m a picket line and I can say wil pride that at one time I, was a ~ great supporter of strike action. Like Harvey Murphy, I too have — eaten “jail mush”, but I hope am not so stupid that I can’t see the difference between strike action in the old days and strike action now when retaining every thing labor has fought for de- pends on winning this war. é

The next issue arousing com- ment is the way C. H. Mil has been trying to use the labor Movement to disrupt the King Government at this critical sta; of the war effort and help CCF and Progressvie Conse! tives force an election on country. It beats hell the some people go to the Gove1 ment asking for better lal legislation one) day and then ki them in the behind the next. The tnird subject of d and one that is close to my heat is the decision of the National War Labor Board giving eq pay to the girls at Hammond. have always liked girls and I im glad to see them get a break

that they are doing their bit in industry, “

| I may be getting along a jbut I am not as foolish as old fellow in the crowded sti car who invited the young fl per to'sit on his knee, stati was old and ng one would ment. She kept moving arow and peering out the window such, and finally the old gé who was to look 1

ha "