ist Issue, October

. BC. LUMBER WORKER

Committee Members

In a statement released this week, International Research Direc- tor, EB. W. Kenney, has announced the personnel of the committees named in each District of the International. Union to study the organization, structure, and administration of the International and implement the resolution adopted unanimously at the 18th Consti-

tutional Convention.

‘The Highteenth Annual Consti- tutional Convention of the Inter- national Woodworkers of Ameri- ca, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August 1955, authorized and instructed E. W. Kenney, Direc- tor of Research and Education, to conduct a complete study of the structure, organization and ad- ministration of the International Union, and to report back his findings to the next International Convention scheduled to be held in Portland, Oregon, in Septem- ber 1957.

‘The instructions and authority were contained in Resolution No. 26 which was concurred in by the delegates unanimously.

As the first step in preparing for this study, Brother Kenney called upon all District Presidents and Regional Directors in United States and Canada to appoint a specified number of members to comprise the Study Committee in each District and Region.

Each District President and Regional Director was asked to set forth a brief union back- ground sketch of each of the per- sous selected to serve on this Committee, and the following list contains the names of all those selected by their respective Dis- trict Presidents and Regional Di- rectors, together with the infor-

mation about each one which was inuluded with their notification of selection to Brother Kenney:

District No. 1 JOE MORRIS

Chairman, President of District Council No. 1,

J. MacKENZIE

Local 1-118—Entered the lumber industry following his discharge from the army after service over- xeax with the 3rd Canadian Divi- sion,

Born into a trade union family at Invernesshire, Scotland, in 191i, he emigrated t family In 1920, ing his mac riuge in 1936, he moved to Vaa- couver Island from Alberta,

He first went to work in the in- dustry in a non-union operation and immediately joined Local 1- UX, IWA, Victoria, and assisted the Local’ Union to organize the plani

He took an active part in the Union in preventing the attempted dixaflilintion by the WIUC in 1948.

In 1949 he served his first tert of office ax Trustee for Local 1- 118, LWA.

‘The following year, 1950, he wax elected Local Recording Secretary and in 1051 he was elected Local Union President, which position he haw held ever since.

In 1952 he was elected Business Agent as well ax District Execu- tive Board and Policy Committee member.

Following the merger of the Victoria Councils in 1950, he was elected President of the Victoria Labor Council, CLC,

WALTER F. ALLEN

Local 1-85 — Gained his early trade union experience with the United Mine Workers, which union he joined in 1934. Upon hin return from service With the Royal Cana-

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APPRECIATION for the safety assistance given

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the members of his Union during their recent

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drive at Kitimat, is conveyed by United Steel worker Director, Larry Sefton (right), Director of Dis- trict No. 6, to District Safety Director John T. Atkinson, who, during a trip to Kitimat last year, held numerous safety meetings for the Steelworkers.

dinn Navy in 1945, he entered the plywood section of the lumber in- dustry and the IWA at the same time, He was elected ax an IWA job steward immediatley.

He took an active part in the re-organization of Local 1-85, LWA, Port Alberni, after October 1948, and wan thereupon elected Local Union Trustee. In the following year he was elected as District

Executive Board member, and has served continuously on the

District Board ever sinc

He has served his fifth year on the District Negotiating Commit- tec, and during two years of that period acted ns Secretary of the Committee. He was placed on full time duty during the 1952 strike, and for the Interior negotiations in that year,

He was elected ax President of Local Union 1-85, IWA, Port Al- berni, in 1950, and has been re- elected to that office each year since that date. In 10955, his nomi- nation to the Presidency was un- opposed.

GEORGE E, MITCHELL

Secretary-Treasurer, District N 1—Entered the trade ‘union’ mov ment 29 years ng0, when he jotned the Hod’ Carriers and Helpers’ Union. Upon change of occupation he Inter joined the Shoemakers? Guild, and retained his member- xhip during the 11 years spent in that trade.

‘When, in 1939, he secured em- ployment at Fraser Mills, Cana- dian Western Lumber Co. Ltd. he immediately became associated with the organization among the woodworkers, which later mater- falized in afiiiintion with the WA.

As Local 1-217, IWA, wax then the only Local Union on the Lower Mainland, his membership was or- iginally in what is now the Van- couver Local Union. When dele- gated by the membership in New Westminster to apply for a char- ter, he commenced a continuous period of service on the Executive Committee of the newly formed Local Union with two years as Financial Seeretary.

During this period he won ap- proval for his handling of the Local Unlon’s finances. He also served five years asa member of the District Executive Board, rep- rexenting his Local Union.

In 1944, he was appointed to the organization staf of the Interna- tional Union, and while actively opposing the Pritchett - Dalskog domination of the Union, played an active part in the campaign Which brought almost every mill in the New Westminster area un- der IWA contract.

Yor four years, he served as Vice-President of the Vancouver and Lower Mainland Labor Coun- cl, and as President of that Coun- cil’ for another two years, until his voluntary retirement in 1953.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Arth- ritie and Rheumatism Society, and is an active worker in a commun- ity enterprises.

In 1949, he was elected IWA

District Secretary: F and has occupied that post continu- ously since that date,

He is also Managing Editor of the B.C, Lumber Worker.

STUART M. HODGSON

Local 1-217 — Secured employ- ment in the lumber industry dur- Ing 1940, but almost immediately commenced a four-year term of service in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Upon discharge from the Navy, he returned to the Vancou MacMillan Plywood Division, und immediately joined the TWA, us the plant had been organized dur- ing his absence overseas,

‘When the October, 1948, dinat- filiation attempt was made, he was Plant Chairman of the Vancouver Plywood Division, the largest op- eration in the Vancouver Local Union. In the fight to preserve the Union, he was appointed to the International staf. Upon the re- organization of the Local Union he was elected Financial Secre- tary. He has been re-elected to that’ post continuously ever since.

He hay been an active particl- pant in all District negotiations since 1950, when he was Ioaned by his Local’ Union to ald the In- terior struggle in the Kamloops and Kelowna areas.

In 1951, he was elected District 2nd Vice-President, and was re- elected in 1953 and’1955.

In 1952 he was elected as repre- xentative of the IWA on the Ex- ceutive Council of the Canadian Congress of Labor, and in this capacity as been active in pub- lielzing the work of the ICFTU.

In IWA work he has specialized in public relations, and during the international and CCL Conventions held in Vancouver, as well as dur- ing the 1952 strike, was placed in charge of public relations.

RAE EDDIE

Local 1-357 — Recording Seere~ tary and Business Agent of Local 1-357, IWA, and CCF member of the Legisiature for British Colum- bia, first found employment in the lumber industry in 1922,

He worked at varlous jobs in sawmills, and was employed as automatic trimmerman, at Fraser Mills, ‘when he joined the staff of Loeal 1-357, IWA, New Westmin- ster.

Originally he was a member of the Lumber Workers’ Union, but joined the IWA in 1937. Later he was a charter member of Local 1-857, when the Local Union char- ter Was issued in 1942,

He was elected Warden, and later Recording Secretary, a post which he has held continuously to this date, with the exception of one term.

His experience gained as Shop Steward, and Sub-Local Secretary, led to his appointment as Business Agent of the Local Union in 1947, a position which he still holds.

His appointment as International Trustee was made in 1948 at which time he was named to complete the term of Jack Greenall, who

resigned, He was re-elected to a six-year term in 1951,

Together with his fellow officers of Local 1-357, he was largely in- strumental in precipitating the in- vestigation of XWA finances, which led to the downfall of the Prit- chett-Dalskog regime in B.C.

In 1952 he was elected a CCF member of the Legislative Assem- bly for British Columbia, in the riding of New Westminster ,where he defeated the Liberal Premler of the Province.

‘As International Trustee he nd- voeated rigid supervision of the expenditure of the Union's funds by means of a voucher system, and control of the Union’s investments by the Board of ‘Trustees,

FRED FIEBER

Vice-President, District Council No. 1—Upon securing employment with Alaska Pine Co, Ltd, in 1942, immediately joined Local Union 1-357, IWA, New Westmin- ster.

He became active in bullding up the newly-chartered Local Union, and served ax Shop Steward, and Roard Member for the Alaska Pine Sub-Local.

In October, 1948, he was asso~ eluted with ‘those who restored demoeratic control of the Union's affairs, As International Organizer he had been engaged in work in the Kamloops and Kelowna areas. He was immediately assigned to the Port Alberni Local Union to assist in rebuilding the Union at that point, and subsequently he performed ’ similar work in the Cranbrook and Kelowna Local Unions.

He was clected Finaneinl Secre- tary of Local 1-71, IWA, in July, 1949, and has been re-elected to this’ office for each succeeding term.

He was elected District Third Vice-President in 1951, and was re-elected to that office in 1953 and 1955. He has played an active part on all District Negotiating Committees from 1951.

On behalf of the District Coun- ell, he was placed in charge of strike action in the Northern In- terlor during the initial and criti- eal stages of that emergency.

JACOB HOLST

Local 1-424—Joined the Lumber and Sawmill Workers’ Union in the 30's at Lake Cowichan. He has been a member of the IWA since afliliation to the C10 and served us Recording Secretary of Local 1-863, in 1944,

At the time of the attempted split by the WIUC in October, 1948, he joined the organizational staft of the IWA and was active in helping to reorganize the IWA.

He wax elected Financial Secre- tary of Local 1-303 in May, 1949, and also served on the District Executive Board and Policy Com- mittee since that time,

He was appointed District Tras- tee in 1950 and served on the Ne- gotiating Committee in 1952, He also represented the TWA at the

See “COMMITTEE” Page 10

9

IWA DISTRICT OFFICERS Drive PLYMOUTH’S

From JOHNSTON MOTORS

THE STYLE-PACING CAR OF 1956 WITH PUSH-BUTTON “TOUCH & GO”

SPECIAL FINANCE PLANS ARRANGED FOR IWA MEMBERS

JOHNSTON MOTOR CO. LTD.

7th AVE. & MAIN STREET

VANCOUVER 10, B.C,

(Right next door to B,C, District Council No. 1)