Official Publication of the International Woodworkers of America, B.C. District Council No. 1.

Vol, XVII. No. 4.

VANCOUVER, B.C., FEBRUARY 25, 1946

(364)

Lobby Descends On

@ Unionists,

Veterans

Demand Legislation

An estimated 500 delegates from all sections of the labor movement, veterans and other organizations, de- scended on Victoria this week for the greatest mass lobby

in the history of this province.

Organized by a Steering

Committee composed of representatives from both AFL and CCL the lobby is the follow-up of the legislative brief

presented last month. A preliminary conference was

held at the headquarters of the Victoria Trades and Labor Coun- cil on Sunday, February 24. On Monday morning, the delegates proceeded to the Parliament ‘Buildings to interview the vari- ous representatives of the peo- ple, to gain their support for labor’s demands for improved labor and social fegislation.

There were no reports avail- able at press time from the lob- byists, but it is expected that the organized employers will do their utmost to offset the mass rep- yesentation of the labor spokes- men. Notice has been given that the employers will likewise “lobby” the legislature.

The Steering Committee con- sisting of Birt Showler, R. K. Gervin, C. H. Herrett and George Wilkinson of the AFL; Daniel O’Brien, Harvey Murphy, ‘Alex McKenzie and Harold Prit- chett of the CCL, is planning on having. a complete record kept of the reactions of the various government representatives when labor legislation comes before the house to be dealt with. This pro- cedure is in line with the metods employed in the United States where a complete record is pub- lished in labor newspapers of how each representative voted on important issues affecting labor.

All IWA locals are showing tremendous interest in the lobby and a full IWA representation is expected.

Man Killed @ At Ucluelet

Deaths in the lumber industry rose to seven this week when Ernest Udy employed by the North Coast Timber Co, Saw- mill at Ucluelet, B.C., was killed when struck on

the head by a 7

log. He is sur-

vived by his | woodworkers wife and one} have been

son in Saskat-} killed in BC's chewan and his Fie gt in- it | dust since a ng Pee gO af logging deaths last year were fallers and ‘of these the greatest pecentage were struck on the head by fall- Geo. A. Webster, 56,

Sitka Spruce W on’t Bargain

The Sitka Spruce Lumber Company is still attempting to avoid bargaining in good faith with the Trade Union Repre- sentatives selected by the em- ployees. Following an announce- ment that the National Labor Relations Board had upheld the I.W.A. as bargaining agent, the company publicly announced its reluctance to bargain with the IW.A. The company now an- nounces a change of ownership. Tommy ‘McDonald, Business Agent of Local 1-217, stated: “This is an old ruse to avoid col- lective bargaining. It is now re- ported that the company union in the plant has invited the A.F. of L. to come in and start up a separate bargaining agency. The excellent relations we have es- tablished with the A.F. of L. in B.C. with the exception of one or two instances gives us some as- surance that this latest move will meet with no greater success than previous ones.” McDonald concluded.

International Officers

To Meet At Victoria

I.W.A. International Officers will meet with District represent- atives in Victoria this week dur- ing the labor lobby. The purpose of the visit is to review the pol- itical action work being under- taken relative to the 1946 pro- gram and to work out details for full participation of the Inter- national Union in the District campaign. The Officers expect- ing to attend the meeting are President Fadling, Vice-Presi- dent Larsen, Assistant Director of Research Virgil Burtz, and Director of Organization George Brown.

wu

FLASH!

The crew at Lions Gate Lumber Co., North Vancouver, haye gone over their quota on the Fighting Fund. An aver- age of $6.50 per man has al- ready heen: turned in with

more to come.

Victori

National Wage Campaign Launched---

“Full endorsation of a National campaign for substantial wage increases in Canada was given by the National Council of the CCL,” Harold Pritchett, District President of the IWA stated this week on his return from Ottawa. The statement of policy adopted by the Council was as follows:

“J. A general increase in wages, in order to provide an adequate wage income to ensure every worker a higher standard of living. u

“2. A reduction in working hours to forty hours or less per week, with the same or

higher ‘take home’ pay.

“3. The increase in production of consumer goods to the utmost possible extent

with a view to preventing increases in prices. ; ice-control and subsidy of agricultural pro-

“4. The maintenance of

a policy of pr

ducts and other necessities of life, in the belief that if Canadian industry is properly or- ganized and co-ordinated, no general increases in prices are necessary to meet increased wage rates. Furthermore, the failure of the Government to replace the present National War Labor Board, in which the workers have completely lost confidence, with a fully representative Board which would have power to determine wage rates upon a basis of what it considered fair and reasonable, as repeatedly recommended by the Congress, and the realization of price level at the request of industry, leaves the Congress no al- ternative but to demand the abolition of the wartime Wages Control Order and the res- toration of freedom to determine wage rates by the process of collective bargaining.”

Following the adoption of this policy, a Co-or

‘dinating Committee of five was elected with

authority to add to its strength from National and International Unions engaged in the struggle. The Committee was elected as follows: C. H. Millard, National Director, United Steelworkers of America; Pat Conroy, Secretary-Treasurer, Canadian Congress of Labor; Alex McAuslane, Vice- President, Canadian Congress of Labor; George Burt, National Director, United Automobile Work- ers of America; and Robert Carlin, International Board Member, International Union of Mine, Mill

and Smelterworkers.

Commenting on the decisions reached, President Pritchett stated, “The Council meeting was one of the most constructive I have ever attended. The carrying out of this policy will add tre- mendous weight to the IWA Program for a 1946Contract.”

Newspa

per Spy Scare Denounced By

Canadian-Soviet Friendship Council

The current campaign to arouse anti-Soviet feeling resulted in a statement of policy being issued by the Vancouver Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship. The statement declares:

“In view of Ottawa dispatches naming “friendship” societies in connection with espionage charges, we of the Vancouver Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship — an organization of Canadian citizens—emphatically affirm that our organization exists only for the promotion of mutual understanding and cooperation.

Any allegations to the con- trary are false.

The activities of the Canad- ian-Soviet Friendship Council are well known to the citizens of Vanconver as the members of our council are drawn from all walks of life and include some of the best-known citizens of British Columbia. The purpose of our Council is to promote interna- tional understanding in a world which is sadly in need of it. Not only are we concerned with the question of Canadians under- standing our northern neighbor, but also we seek to stimulate interest in and understanding of Canada by the people of the Soviet Union.

We fully believe that the Canadian government has a serious responsibility to pro- tect Canada from espionage. However, we consider it highly regrettable that any statements issued by Ottawa were made in such a way as to stimulate speculation and to promote rumor,

This has given to the ene- mies of international friend- ship a further springboard for renewing their attacks against

an ally whose joint contr: tion with that of Great Britain and the United States made possible .the destruction of our common foe. The irresponsible actions of those guilty of en- deavoring to arouse wild specu- lations and hysteria are detri- mental to the welfare of Can- ada.

Mutual understanding and in- ternal cooperation are the only bases “for lasting peace. These have been and rémain the sole purpose of our organization.” TELEGRAM

This is the text of a telegram sent on Red Army Day, Febru- ary 23, 1946:

“Marshall Stalin: The Van- couver Council for Canadian- Soviet Friendship wishes to ex- tend its heartiest greetings of goodwill on. the occasion of the first Victory celebration of the Red Army and of the twenty- eighth anniversary of its found- ing. At this -ime, when that Army is effectively demonstrat- ing its claims to be a people’s Army by taling its full and dem- ocratic part in the life of the Soviet Union both politically, in the elections to the Supreme So-

| viet, and economically in the re-

construction of the wd4rtorn Motherland, we wish to record our confidence that together our two peoples can build the Peace so hardly won on the field of battle——Chairman, J. L. Ladner.”

Following newspaper reports that the Labor Progressive Party is involved in the current spy charges, Tim Buck, National Leader of the Party stated: “It is not true, I have not yet been able to get infomation that any member of our Party has been arrested.” Mr. Buck then went on to say: “It is quite obvious that our Government has to act if it received information, no doubt authentic, as Prime Minister Mackenzie King stated. It must be said however, that the man- ner in which this case was pre- sented to- the public suggests very strongly that the arrest of the men charged with having communicated confidential in- formation to a foreign power, is being made secondary to 2 cam- paign of hostile propaganda di- rected at the Soviet Union. t

Nigel Morgan, Provincial Leader of the Labor Progressve Party, stated: “The attempt to smear the L.P.P. and involve trade unionists as agents of a foreign power is a vicious lie,” he charged. “It is designed to dis- credit the labor movement when the struggle for higher wages and shorter hours is reaching a

critical stage”.