THE BC. LUMBER WORKER

It is with a tinge of sadness
that I write my column this week.
Sadness for the passing of a
loved one who has contributed
much to the building of our great
union, in the sharing of trials
and hardships in the early days
and later in her own work in the
building of IWA Ladies’ Aux-
iliaries. Her work apparently
has not gone unheeded by the
many thousands of people in our
industry and the many friends
she has made in the city and the
provicne, and I take this oppor-
tunity to thank those people for
the many beautiful floral tokens,
and kind words which have
been written to myself and our
sons since her passing.

The struggle for better condi-
tions for the working people,
however, despite our personal
feclings must go on, and as Hazel
herself would have recommend-
ed, I am again on my way to
Ottawa this week, to participate
in the Canadian Congress of La-
bor executive council meeting
and the presentation to the Fed-
eral Cabinet for new and amended
labor and social legislation.

The Congress has pointed out
in its presentation this year, that
during the latter years of tho
war a particularly high degree
of co-ordination in industrial
production was attained, and
there was such an effective con-
centration of effort to produce
munitions and other war supplies
that new records were attained
both in volume and speed of
production,

There is no reason why the les-
sons learned through the wan
period of planning and organiz-
ing by the Government cannot be
followed through in peacetime.
Canada needs homes, consumer
goods and provisions for a decent
standard of living for all workers.
and it is with this thought in
mind that the Congress and other
labor bodies are presenting their
briefs to the Canadian Govern-
ment, Prices are going up and
the national income is going
down. Workers need consumen
goods and are unable to buy due
to the relaxation of price controls
and the maintenance of the wage
freeze order P.C, 9884, which has
been controlled by the Natienal
Labour Relations Board person-
nel. Workers of Canada are de-
termined now that the war has
been won, that we will not slip
back into the old days of over
production and under consump-
tion, due to these Orders-in-Coun-
eils and controlled by those in-
terests who can only think in
terms of profits for private en-
terprise. If necessary, the work-
ers can and will use their eco-
nomic strength to decide what
their living standards are going
to be in the future.

‘Trade unionists across Canada
are on the march, conferences
have been held to discuss wages,
hours and working conditions,
and a national demand for uni-
form conditions is the order of
the day. Recently in Toronto,
the Mine and Mill Smelterwork-
ers’ International Union went on
record in a national demand for
union security and pointed out
that the working people can no
longer submit to the delay caused
by submissions to the National
War Labour Board.

An Open Letter

To All AF of L Members

Dear Brothers:

We are printing herewith excerpts from a leaflet purported to be
published by Local 2698 of the Brotherhood of Carpenters .and
Joiners.

We would like to place before you the position of the Interna-
tional Woodworkers of America in regard to this so-called Carpenters
and Joiners Local,

The IWA started to organize several years ago in the Sitka
Spruce Ltd., Mill on False Creek, and the company, in order to
offset the organizational activities of the TWA, sponsored the
setting up of a company union, which was called Sitka Spruce
Employees’ Association.

‘This organization, for a number of years, have been publishing
leaflets called the Sitka Spruce Open Forum. and you can now see
that the following copy of the present leaflet is also called Open
Forum. In spite of the fact that the company, together with the
employees’ organization tried to stop our organization from growing,
we were able to get certification for Local 217 of the IWA as the
legal collective bargaining agency, having a majority of the employ-
ees in the plant in our union.

The company union appealed the decision of the minister of
labor, who certified the IWA, to the National War Labor Rela-
tions Board. However, the board upheld the IWA certification,
and the company union appeal was dismissed. The company
then changed its name. in order to get out from under our cer-
tification. -

What we consider is important now is that the company union
has joined the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and have re-
ceived a charter from the Brotherhood. We wish to point out that
the IWA is the only union in the lumbering industry in British Co-
lumbia, and is therefore the only one that has the power and force

to bring about the best results for the workesr in the lumbering
industry.

We also wish to point out that in the past few years, great
co-operation has been achieved between the IWA and local
unions of the American Federation of Labor in most matters of
common interest; that this unity and co-operation have been
brought to the highest degree of development to be found any-
where on the North American Continent, It would therefore be
extremely unfortunate that any jurisdictional dispute should
arise at this time, especially in view of the fact that the In-
ternational Woodworkers of America are now in a struggle with
the employers to achieve higher wages and shorter hours, which
the working people as a whole desire,

We would therefore urge that local unions of the Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners and other AF of L affiliates give serious
consideration to our specific request that the Brotherhood stay away
from the natural jurisdiction of the International Woodworkers of
America in the lumbering industry.

Fraternally yours,
IWA District No. 1 (CIO)

OPEN FORUM
March 25, 1946.

Published by Local No. 2698, Vancouver Sawmill
& Timber Workers’ Union Press Committee

A fairly well attended meeting was held Monday last. by the
members of Local No. 2698, A-F. of L., at the Maccabees Hall.

The charter was installed by J. Stevens, business agent of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners. He welcomed us into the AF.
of L. and assured us of the full support of the Brotherhood at all
mes,
Mr. Stevens also addressed us on the benefit of the union mem-
bership, especially in an organization which has gained prestige and
esteem it holds with both employers and employees.

Also in attendance were J. Chute and P. Page, local representa-
tives of the Brotherhood. The latter named gave the obligation to
those present. We were then pronounced a fully qualified local and
election of officers and general business were proceeded with.

We were also given encouragement in a short talk by a repre-
sentative of Huntting and Merrits Mill at Marpole, where the AF.
of L. are certified and hold an agreement, He spoke of the efforts

made by the IWA at their plant to get certification and which we,
like them. do not intend to swallow.

Before the meeting got under way we also had visitors from the
IWA head office. We are beginning to think they are getting s0
they can not swallow their own line either and wanted to join up
with us. At least that is the only possible reason we could think
of for them being there: However, they departed in peace to talk
over the intended invasion of our plant on the following day, of
which we are all aware and which netted us several members. They
stated “They do not go for such ignorant methods and do not intend
being shoved into anything.” That method was tried before and
netted them nothing and it seems they will never learn that we should
he allowed to belong to the union of our choice and not theirs.

UNION SECURITY

Compulsory collection of union dues through the office, which is
the present aim of the IWA, is evidence that the workers lack con-
fidence in the officials of their union. or that the officials, seeing
the handwriting on the wall. want security for themselves.

We ask you. will taking union dues from your pay check make
you a better union member or make your job more secure? Our
answer is NO. We want the kind of union a man joins because he
can see it can do something for him; by bettering his condition
and that of his fellow men. That is what he joins for and that is
why he should be free to stay out if the union does not perform
that function,

We do not believe in hitch-hikers (those who accept the benefits
of unionism without helping to pay the cost). but believe that educa-
tion, persuasion and a strong union will make it impossible for him

to stay out.

By ERNIE DALSKOG
Political “Action Director

First reading was given in the House of Parliament on March
21 to a Bill (Bill 7) respecting Citizenship, Nationality, Naturalization
and Status of Aliens, This Bill proposes to establish Canadian citi-
zenship. The previous Naturalization Act only gave citizenship to
foreign-born people as British subjects.

Under Section 3 provision is made for any person to state or
declare himself to be a Canadian citizen and this will be considered
adequate. It also establishes, under Section 4, that only born before
the commencement of this Act is a “natural-born Canadian citizen.”

(1) If he was born in Canada or on @ Canadian ship and was
not an alien at the commencement of this Act; or
If his father was born in Canada or on a Canadian ship or
if he was a British subject with Canadian domicile.

It also establishes that any person who is born after the com-
mencement of the Act is a natural-born Canadian citizen.

(1) If he was born in Canada or on a Canadian ship; or

(2) If his father, or in the case of a child born out of wed-
lock, his mother, at the time of that person’s birth, is a
Canadian citizen. 2

(2)

It also provides retention of Canadian citizenship of persons
born outside of Canada of Canadian parents, providing that within
one year after attaining the age of 21 they register as Canadian
citizens in accordance with the regulations.

It also provides for a person, who is not a natural-born Cana-
dian citizen, to be granted citizenship if he makes application for
that purpose and satisfies the court that he has filed, in the office
of the clerk of the court for the judicial district for which he
resides, not less than one or more than five years before the date
of his application, a Declaration of Intention to become a Canadian
citizen, such declaration having been filed by him after he reached
the age of 18 years; or he is the spouse of and resides in Canada
with a Canadian citizen; or is a British subjejct and that he has
been lawfully admitted to Canada for residence therein. He must
reside continuously in Canada for a period of one year immediately
preceding date of application, except where the applicant has served
outside of Canada in the armed forces of Canada during time of
war or where the applicant is the wife of and resides in Canada with
a Canadian citizen and also resides in Canada for a further period
for not less than 4 years during the six years immediately preceding
the date of application.

(Part Two in This Series Next Week)

Unions deserve to be as secure as they deserve to be, and run
for the benefit of their members. not their officials or political
parties to which they belong.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Friday night's yellow sheet informs us we are enemies of progress
and labor unity and only attack the IWA and their leaders. We
never say nice things about them, or one word about what they
have achieved. Well, it is very hard to say something about nothing,
but we could say plenty about what they haven't achieved and that
is—labor unity amongst their own members, chiefly through its
insistence of running things from the top and keeping its members
uninformed; thus creating the mistrust it deserves.

It is very amusing to hear them tall of a split to defeat the
woodworkers; because that is just what they did across the line, and
here. the AF. of L. held the only agreements that were held in the
mills in B.C. before the war. The present IWA leaders were in it;
they should tell us why they decided to promote another union,
Could it be they could not control that one, or could political affilia~
tions have had something to do with it? Let’s hear more about this
now the shoe is on the other foot.

Wage increases are much in the limelight at the present time
and the following is published for your information.

Figures taken from the 1944 annual report of the Provincial De-
partment of Labor reveal that wages in the lumber and logging in-
dustry have increased since 1939 to the end of 1944. from $27.14 to

$41.28. An increase of 52 per cent. This increase compares favor-
ably with other industries as the table below shows:
1939 1944

Lumber 27.14 41.28 52%
Construction (25.12 38.47 AT%
Coal Mining 29,39 42.38 44%
Metal Tades 25.38 39.07 54%
Metal Mining . 30.86 39.40 289
Pulp and Paper . 2 26.54 30.71 42%
Smelting and Concentrating . 25.57 35.74 44%
Public Utilities . 2 25.63 37.29 3096!
Shipbuilding .. . 28.55 40.36 1%

Cost of living compiled by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics
shows an increase of only 19 per cent and very few will agree with
this but even if so, the average married man before the war paid no
taxes. now he has to pay approximately $4.00 per week, or 10 per
cent, which leaves 20 per cent net raise.

Increases in Western U.S. lumber industry, up until the last
raise has been from 62%c in 1939 to $1.05 in 1944 ,which Is 44 per
cent, A recent raise of 15¢ per hour would increase this to over
65 per cent and compares with our 52 per cent. Against this we
must bear in mind the cost of living, which in U.S.A. according to
USS. statistics, is 31 per cent or 12 per cent higher than here and
brings us to approximately the same when taking all things into
consideration.