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Labor around the province

‘Tunnel Workers vote to go independent —

Tunnel and Rock Workers Local 168 this week voted to treak all ties with Inter- national Hod Carriers .and apply for a Canadian - Labor “ongress charter.

The union, which has been operating independently since its 1,500 members refused to aecept a “trusteeship” decis- ion of its international, blames the “unscrupulous tactics” of the international’s Washington brasshats for the breakaway action. ;

Trouble with the _ inter- national started when union members rejected low wage centracts signed without their approval on pipeline jobs by the international. Local 168 ~efused to surrender its office to Stacey Warner, appointed by the international as trus- tee, and went on to win better wages and working conditions by fighting independently.

«Soa « Be

Labor Day kicked off Union Iabel Buying Week, but of course to be effective union label buying must be prac- lised 52 weeks a year.

“When every trade unionist asks for the union label on the goods or services he or she pays for, then collective bar- gaining, union organisation, and improvements in earnings ana working conditions will be gained not just easily but ‘vith much greater certainty and assurance of year to year endurance,” says Claude Jod- ain, president of the Canadian Labor Congress.

“The improved working conditions won by Canada’s union members means more purchasing power, better tusiness and higher living

standards for everyone,” says a bulletin issued by the Amal- gamated Clothing Workers of America. “Union wages mean more money to buy the pro- ducts you make or the services vou provide. Symbol of these union conditions is the union label. So when you buy pro- duets with the union label, you help to protect Canada’s living standards, including your own.”

Ii is possible in Canada to- cay to buy union-made clothes, have your hair cut in a union snop, smoke union-made cig- ars, hire union labor on almost any job.

But all too many commonly used products don’t carry the union label. For instance, the most popular brands of Can- odian cigarettes.

All that has been accom- plished by the trade unions is relatively small when com- pared to the work that has still to be done is_ popularizing union-made goods. ;

* * *

The general executive board of United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union has ‘yvritten Fisheries Minister Tames Sinclair expressing satis- faction with first steps taken to include fishermen under un- employment insurance legis- lation.

* * *

Canadian Chemical and Ex- rlosive Workers, Local j28 bas settled its dispute with Canadian Industries Ltd. (James Island explosives plant) on the basis of a six percent wage boost and re- classification of some categor- ies of work.

Soviet minister on Coast for tour of fisheries

Soviet Fisheries Minister A. A. Ishkoy and party arrived in Vancouver Thursday this week and are spending a crowded few days coastal fisheries.

On Friday they were sched- uted to meet the staff of the International Pacific Salmon

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visiting .

Commission and department of fisheries officers.

Saturday morning the party will visit the Pacific Biological Station at Departure Bay and in the evening will be guests in Vancouver of United Fish- crmen and Allied, Workers Union, Later they will attend a football game.

The visitors will cruise Howe Sound on Sunday, and fly to Powell River on Monday, then proceed to Prince George with possible stops at Namu and Coal Harbor. They will return to Vancouver September 12 and leave B.C. the follow- ing day.

OLYMPIA CUSTOM TAILORS Also Ready-Made Clothes 2425 E. Hastings St. at Nanaimo St., Van. 6 Owner: Mr. Carl Pepe

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Oldest unionist in Kootend joined Telegraphers in 188%

NELSON, B.C. “In my lifetime I have put in quite a bit of overtime but I never received so much for overtime as I have today,” said 89-year-old Herb Exter at Mine-Mill Local 480 picnic recently when he was pre- sented with a $100 prize for being the oldest trade union- ist on the grounds.

The “oldest union member” contest was one of the high- lights of the picnic at Rose,Bud lake. Many labor veterans were present and proudly pro- duced ancient union cards. Fred Armishaw of Rossland hae his 1907 Western Federa- tion of Miners card, and Ben- nett Simpson of Trail carried a 1910 WFM card.

There was no doubt about the winner, however, when Herb Exter pulled out a union caid dated February 7, 1888, issued by the Railroad and Telegraphers Union in the United States.

Exter tells the story of his 6 years as a union man in the current issue of The Commen- tater, Mine-Mill paper pub- lished by Local 480,

“T was born on a farm back in Illinois in 1867,” he writes. ‘At the age of 10 I decided to

try my hand at railroading and got on with the Louiseville and Nashville as station agent, ‘vhich job paid $25 a month.

“After getting some experi- ence with the roaq I went to Tiller, Arkansas for the St. Louis, Iron Mountain. and Southern where the pay was better but malaria was bad, and it was there that I joined the Order of Railroad Tele- graphers in February, 1888.

‘In 1890 malaria got the best ci me so I went to work for ihe Denver and Rio Grande at a place called Grand Junction in Colorado.

“In those days we didn’t work under~a union contract and I remember slipping away from Grand Junction to Salida to organize a movement to secure a contract for the telegraphers. We were finally successful and our contract proved to be the second one that was ever signed by the union,

“For the next 20 years I vravelled all over Colorado as agent and operator for the

Denver and Rio Grand and I. colorful_

met. many of the characters of those times. “Eugene Debs was a frequent visitor when he ran for presi- dent of the U.S. on the socialist

ticket and campaigm'

whistle stops in a, pry painted bright red and named ‘The Red Devil

“In 1912 after 25 yo

the railroads I was @

‘man with a family am cided to leave my. $894 steady job for a life ° farming, so I bought a

Lake Chelan. crop failure in the 1» soon sent me back to ¥ roads and I moved 0 with the Great No Grand Forks, B.C. —

“After four years moved to Ehold with

and later, in 1916 ™% Kaslo where most of the™

and passenger traf 7

handled by steamby Kootenay Lake. I stay until 1930 and then me to Farron as station 86° by 1934 I was more thal over. the age limit pulled me off.

“After 40 years of uous membership in of Railroad Telegraph made me a life me {today I head the list # the longest continuols of membership ~- continent.”

&

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