Unions Demonstrate,

- Parade To

Over twelve hundred unemployed trade unionists and

CitygHall

citizens, supported by workers who left their jobs to take
part in the demonstration, took part in the city’s first mass

unemployment demonstration

since 1938, on Saturday last.

The parade was called by the Marine Workers and Boiler-

makers Industrial

No.

: Union, Local 1, the union
covering the shipyard industry, hardest-hit since V-J
Day, and hundreds of unemployed shipyard workers,

supplemented by jobless aircraft
workers, veterans and sympa-
thetic people, marched in orderly
ranks from Cambie Street
grounds to the City Hall, where
a delegation of unionists were
closeted with Mayor Cornett for
labor’s demands of the council.
over half an hour presenting
labor’s demands of tre council.

The delegation, presented the
following six main demands to
the Mayor.

@ Demanded that the City
Council immediately start work
on a civic works program, util-
izing the ten million dollars
which ‘have been set aside
through money by-laws in the
last two civic elections.

@: Demanded that the City |
Gouncil immediately wire Otta-
wa and Victoria, asking an im-
mediate reply as to when the
government intended to act to
relieve the unemployment situ-
ation, and printing the reply in
the press.

promise of civic works projects.
Harold Pritchett, speaking as
representative of the {Interna-
tional Woodworkers of America
District Council, drew attention
to the fact that unless some-
thing was done immediately to
implement a reconversion pro-
grani an even more critical un-
employment ' situation would
arise.

The meeting of delegates with
the Mayor was conducted to a
steady background of chants
from the twelve hundred parad-
ers assembled ‘outside the City
Hall. The meeting was punctu-
ated by shouts of “We
want Jobs,” “Mayor Cornett, we
want action.”

Tom Parkin, recent alderman-
ie candidate, asked that the gov-
ernment take action to re-
establish the city’s aircraft in-
dustry, pointing out that this
industry alone could absorb six
to seven thousand at present. un-

@ Demanded that the City | employed.
Couneil go on record as demand- Roy Lowther, speaking for
ing immediate, implementation the Federation of Democratic
of the Dominion government’s| Youth, underlined the grave

rehabilitation program, con-
tained in the White Paper on
post-war reconversion and re-
habilitation.

@ Demanded the immediate
implementation of a low-rental
housing program, to provide
jobs and to relieve the critical
city housing situation.

@ Demanded an end to dis-
crimination against B.C. indus-
try and labor in the granting of
provincial contracts, and asked
that the civic goverment go on
record as protesting the dis
crimination shown in granting
the contracts for the Campbell
River power development pro-
ject. -

@® Warned the Mayor, and;
served warning on provincial
and federal government, that

“this is not the first demonstra- |
|

need of finding jobs for veter-
ans, high sckool students and
youth who have been {thrown
cut of employment due to close-
down of war industry. Other
speakers at the meeting includ-
ed Rev.. A. E. Cooke, United
Church; Mrs. Tilly Rolston,
MLA; Mrs. Kay Rogers, TWA
Women’s Auxiliary; John Tur-
ner, Vancouver Labor Council,
and representatives of the CCF

and other organizations sat in

on the meeting. ,

The conference with the
Mayor was marked by Cornett’s
vain attempts to slide out from
responsibilities of the city in
the emergency, stating that un-
employment was not primarily
a civic responsibility. In a pre
pared Speech, which was read
to the délegation, the mayor
pointed out that part of the

tion,” and foresaw further / responsibility for the unemploy-
demonstrations if nothing 18’ went situation rested with
done. ‘workers and servicemen from

An index of Mayor Cornett’s
concern with the plight of Van-
couver’s unemployed was evi-
dent in his flat refusal to grant
a request from the twelve hun-
dred marchers that he address
them. The Mayor informed the
delegation that he had “agreed
to speak with a delegation only”
and that is “what he was doing.”

The Mayor met the delegation
with the same listing of the
eouneil’s “record” that has ap-
peared at previous meetings
with representatives of labor

other parts of Canada who were
taking up residence in B.C. Bill
White and John Turner chal-
lenged this inference and
brought sharply to the attention
of the mayor that workers were
frozen on the jobs while in
B.c., and underlined that ser-
vicemen were entitled to “the

best that Canada has to offer.”

A request by the delegation
that the mayor immediately

City Council
authorize sending of a telegram
flatly turned

convene

to Ottawa was

and the people of Vancouver.
Bill White, president Marine-
workers and Boilermakers’ Un-
ion, pointed out that all mem-
bers of the delegation recog-
nized the seriousness of the
situation and the purpose of the
meeting was to again bring to
ithe attention of responsible au-
thorities in Victoria and Ottawa
the critical nature of the situa-
tion, as well as secure a definite

PACIFIC ADVOCATE — PAGE 2

down. The mayor stated that
the regular council meeting was
called for Monday at 10 am.,
and the council would not meet
before then.

Representatives of organized
labor on the delegation sharply
criticized Mayor Cornett’s atti-
tude toward the importance of
the unemployment situation and

(Continued on Page 3)
See PARADE

of Soviet troops from city.

To show Czech gratitude to. the Red Army which liberated
them, President Edouard Benes decorates bandstand with
Soviet flag during ceremony held in Prague on withdrawal

As is usual with conventions
of the IWA, matters coming un-
der discussion at this meeting
will cover almost every phase of
trade union activity, both eco-
nomic and political. The union,
ocupying a key position in B.C.’s
major basic industry, and fac-
ing one of the strongest groups
or organized employers in ex-
istence anywhere in Canada, has
for years been a leader in es-
tablishing policies which sooner
or later are followed to some de-
gree by all other major unions.

This convention should prove
ne exception. Like every other
union standing on the threshold
of 1946, the big~questions are
those of consolidating wartime
membership gains; maintaining
and extending wage and working
standards, and taking a leading
part in the fight for jobs and
against unemployment.

These matters will likely be
keyed, in the IWA’s ninth con-
vention, to the problem of re-
newal of the master agreement,
now in effect between the union
and all major. sawmill and logg-
ing operations in the province.
The agreement comes up for re-
newal in March. The IWA B.C.
District has already served no-
tice on the operators of its in-
tentions of seeking revision in
1946. What those changes will
be has not, of course, been de-
cided. That will be the job of
delegates when they convene
next Friday.

Yet it is thought likely the
IWA will establish a policy for
at least two major questions.
These are the 40-hour week with
pay for 48 hours, and union
security with the checkoff.

The 40-hour week proposal, if
adopted ,would be in line with
the general demand of organized
labor all over Canada for short-
er working hours. And it would
apply especially to British Co-
lumbia’s lumber industry, which

seems certain to majntain its

IWA Convention Will
Set Pattern For Labor

The ninth annual convention of the International Wood-
workers of America, B.C. District Council, the most power-
-ful and influential union in the province, opens in the Hotel
Vancouver next Friday, January 4. The 90-odd delegates
expected to attend will represent some 15,000 IWA mem-
bers from every lumbering center in British Columbia, com-
ing from 14 local unions holding contracts with 190 logging
camps and sawmills employing 25,000 woodworkers.

lthe IWA and the

major basic industry and prin-
cipal employer of labor. A short-

| tating war in recorded h

A Message

(Hxcerpts from the messa
Jack Henderson, President
B.C. Command to the Ga:
Legion). sie

Throughout six long.
of unremitting struggle
sacrifice during which,
most costly, brutal and de

history was waged, we &
emerged as the victors.
ing won the war, whe
we go from here? Is 4:
to be a repetition of the ¢*
stupidity and callous ¢
gard for human’ di
which followed in the
of World War I, or ar
really and honestly gom,
apply their intelligence ¢
end, that a New World
shall arise out of the
of the Old World Di

These are the que
which are uppermost

&
ai

peace
world over. SB

_In the brief which was. |
mitted to the House of a
mons Committee on Pog |
Reconstruction and Ree i
lishment on July 2, 1943 °
the Canadian Legion, we
on Page 1 1—under the
graph “Standard of Lix ||
—‘“‘The Legion believes '
the peace will not have j{
won for Canadians unl,
is possible to keep emp:
all who are able and #4
to work with remun

y

er working week in lumber would
go a long way toward absorbing
more workers into the industry.

Union security with the check-
off of dues would be the next
logical step in relations between
operators,
There can be no disputing the
fact that the union does repre-
sent the vast majority of B.C.

woodworkers. The union contract
now in effect covers every major
employing
around 25,000 workers. But only
15,000 of these are actual IWA
are
“riding free,” receiving all the

operation in B.C.,

members. The

remainder

benefits of actual membership

in the way of wages, hours and
yet contri-

working conditions,
buting nothing.

Politically, of course.

wage and working

B.C.’s_ population.

From the operators’ point of
union security would be
hard to take, mainly because of
the general position now being

view,

taken by all Canadian indus-
trialists as part of the attempt
to smash unionism completely.
But they could not plead inability

to grant such a demand, especially
in common with the rest
of big business in Canada, lum-
super-profits

since,

ber has enjoyed
during the war years.

This convention of the TWA
will be featured by the attend-
ance of the international presi-
dent, James “Red” Fadling. Also

expected _are Karly Larsen

1 position for some years as the |‘president of the IWA Northern

union
security in the lumber industry
would mean much more .It would
mean a recognition of the union’s
right of existence as an essen-
tial factor in the industry, and
guarantee the maintenance of
standards
won during the war and neces-
sary to the basic prosperity of
the province. For lumber still af-
fects, directly and indirectly, the
livelihood of almost one-half of

that will provide a st
of living well above the |
sistence level. The mon |
sues involved in wage, |
must be faced as wella
economic issues.”’ Bs
The above excerpt ||
the Legion’s brief give |)
pression to the desires i |
majority of our people, {
ply stated it means job
homes. Not any. kind ¢ }|
ot any kind of homes. |
jobs where the conditia: }
wages are conducive ©.
well being. of the worke
homes of a character 1}
ing wth a cultured st |
of living. These are t |
jectives to which we |
aspire and to which we ||
bend all our efforts ta_
into accomplishment.
Unemployment and: }
lines with all the ghas |
that follow in their }
must not be counténat |
is criminal to talk of £3}
and malnutrition inal @
bounteously endowed |
ture as is this land ¢ |
Let us plan and set our,
to the end that ther f
be jobs for all who 4 §
and require jobs, and §
for all where there s §
available a fair meat §
comfort, contentmen’ Ff
happiness. ai
To all those who hi Ff
fered disabilities and #
dependents who have ©
the responsibility of t @
as a result of war, le #
to it that the most £ @
treatment is extended |
so long as they requ @
treatment. 4
These I submit are @
jectives to which we @
all subscribe wholeh |
,|and unreservedly. :

JACK HENDER |
FRIDAY, DECEMBER