ALBERTA CONTRACT MARKS GAIN IN UNION’S DRIVE FOR HIGHER WAGES

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Vol. XXIII, No. 19

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STAN H. RUTTENBERG, AFL-CIO Research Director; confers with IWA officials during a short

yisit to Vancouver, and briefs them on the latest developments in the American Labor movement as well as the Presidential election. (From left) IWA Research Director E. W. Kenney, District Presi- dent Joe Morris, Stan H. Ruttenberg, and Associate Research Director Joe Miyazawa.

P.E.C. Decisions

Promise

Action

Steps to implement the resolution adopted at the mer- ger convention of the Canadian Labor Congress with respect to political education were taken at the initial meeting. of the National Political Education Committee which assembled in Toronto earlier this month. Repre- sentatives from British Columbia .were IWA District President Joe Morris, and George Home, Secretary of the

B.C. Federation of Labor.

'The Committee was comprised of a representative from each of the affiliated unions and the Fed- erations. Chairman was Don Swailes, Winnipeg Congress Vice- President, and Secretary was Howard Conquergood, Director, CLC Department of Political Education. The conference opened with remarks from the Congress President, Claude Jodoin, and dealt mainly with the comprehen- sive report submitted by the Dir- ector.

An Imperative

‘The report was adopted with a number of minor amendments.

Its introduction stated in part: ————————

WHAT’S INSIDE

Page

Fallers

Editorial ...

“Never before has there been a greater need for labor to play its full part in the political life of the nation. With an increasing trend towards government involv- ment in industrial relations; with government at all levels increas- ingly influencing the general economy of the country and thereby influencing the standard of living of all; with the second industrial revolution posing new problems, the Labor Movement must take political action if it is to achieve its basic objectives of peace, security, and a higher standard of living for all.”

In consideration of the develo, ment of a political education pr gram for the locals of the affiliat- ed internationals, it was declared that political education to be ef- fective must reach the rank and file. This requires as a first step, it was affirmed, that a political education committee should first be set up in each Local Union.

See “PEC” Page 2

STUDENTS

APPROVE INSTITUTE

First major educational project since the merger of the Vancouver and District Labor Council, held during the weekend, Vancouver La- bor Institute, October 18-14, attracted 250 students who enthusiastically approved the value of expert instruction on five trade union subjects.

Subjects selected for the Insti- tute were: Parliamentary Pro- cedure, Instructors G. Home, and T..Alsbury; Shop Steward and Grievance Procedure, Instructors W. Black and Bud Hodgkins; History of the Labor Movement, Instructors Les Wismer and Stu- art Hodgson; Labor’s Role in the Community, Instructor Knute Butedahl; Automation, Instruc- tors Joe Morris, Ed Kenney, and Joe Miyazawa.

UBC President Opened

The large throng of students were welcomed to the Institute at the opening ceremonies by David Wade, Chairman of the Education Committee, Vancouver

See “INSTITUTE” Page 3°

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Pulpwood Cutters Win Improved Conditions

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Two-year agreement has been concluded between the IWA and North Western Pulp and Power Co. Litd., affect- ing employees in a number of operations of the Company’s Woodlands Division at Hinton, Alta. Final settlement was negotiated by District President Joe Morris, and Vice-

President, William N. Gray.

Outstanding feature of the agreement was the wage settle- ment, which establishes a rate of $1.25 an hour, as the base rate, for the second year of the con- tract. This marks an advance over the average rate of $1.10 an hour, which marked the first stage of the IWA fight to wipe out the disgracefully low rates of from 75¢ to 85¢ an hour, which existed prior to the advent of the IWA, The new wage scale was made retroactive to June 1.

Union Security

The new union security clause requires maintenance of member- ship for those now members of the union, and union membership for all new employees, after 30 days, as a condition of employ- ment. The check-off was also in- troduced.

One paid statutory holiday was included in the agreement, which also provided for such matters as a grievance procedure, seniority rights, vacations with pay, and a ceiling of $2.10 a day on board rates.

Provision is also made for medical services, as well as health and safety measures.

Contrasts Noted

An Alberta agreement such as the one negotiated at Hinton, provides an interesting contrast with a B.C. agreement. In many of the provisions contained there- in, it is possible to note problems for the negotiators, unknown in the B.C. lumber industry.

In making the contract rates subject to negotiations, clauses provide for cutting and piling merchantable pine, spruce, balsam, at a stipulated price per cord, For the purpose of scaling, a cord is deemed to be a pile 50”x 100”x48”, stacked or skidway piled. Cutters are required to take their tops out to a 4” inside the bark, top or small end diam- eter.

A bonus of 75e a cord is paid, under the contract, after 75 cords are cut in one period of employment, and is retroactive to the first cord cut. Cutters must cut their stumps as low to the ground as possible.

‘A vigorous campaign is under way to improve the camp condi- tions, as well as the working con- ditions faced by the pulpwood cutters in the Alberta industry.

Labour Expert Forecasts Win

Prediction that Adlai Stevenson, the American Presi- dential candidate, endorsed by the AFL-CIO, will win the November race for the White House, Washington, D.C., was made by AFL-CIO Research Director Stan H. Rut- tenberg, when interviewed by District President Joe Mor- ris, on the Green Gold radio program recently.

The AFL-CIO official, formerly Research Director with the CIO, spent only a few hours in Van- couver, following his attendance at an IWA educational conference in Portland. One purpose of his trip to B. C., he explained, was to visit a logging operation. His wish was gratified, when under the escort of President Joe Mor- ris, with IWA Research Directors Ed Kenney and Joe Miyazawa, he toured typical Vancouver Island operations.

Some of the questions sub- mitted to him, with his answers are quoted below:

@Q—AHave there been any out- standing results in terms of organization and collective bar- gaining gains following the merger? A — The merger has made its niche in the American scene. It has made progress, We have re- cently broken the ice and started an organizational drive in the textile plants of the South. I think this united drive, in which everybody is co-ordinating, will prove quite successful.

We have also started a sub- stantial organizing drive in the

tobacco and cigarette manufac-

turing plants in the South.

Also there have been three or four mergers of international unions. One that comes to mind off hand and that is going to prove successful in the organiza- tional field is the American Fed- eration of Municipal Workers with the CIO group, the Govern- ment and Civic Workers. This Union of Public Employees is making a substantial progress, and has added substantially to the membership already.

In the organizational field there is this progress, and I think there is substantial progress in the political action field. The bringing together of the AFL- CIO has brought together the united efforts of the American Trade Union Movement, and I think the results of this will show up in the political elections next month.

There is another ‘development that comes to mind that might be of considerable interest out here. They announced just about a week ago that the United Furni- ture Workers Union—the former

See “EXPERT” Page 3

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