Letters to the Editor

Say What You Please

Silver Skagit Crew
Gets ‘On the Beam’

To the Editor:

Silver Skagit Logging Camp
has been called a lot of hard
names since construction start-
ed on this project last year; some
of which criticism undoubtedly
was justified, but not all

This is from Camp 2, at the
foot of the hill, just off the high-
way. About 150 men are here,
with about 200 more at Camp 3,
Smiles farther up. Camp 4 has
not yet been opened and Camp
1 is the married quarters, across
the creek from Camp 2, where
“Icey men” are supplied with
comfortable, little cabins.

An IWA meeting, was held
here on Thursday, April 25th, to
set up functioning committees.
An “old timer” (23 days in camp)
reported that the main difficulty
has been the transient nature of
_the whole operation, particularly
at Camp 2, the base camp, where
men are held for a few days
until there is room for them at
"3." About a dozen men come
up from town each day and as
many more quit and go down.
Committees have been elected
before, only to last a few days.
A camp committee of eight was
elected at the meeting and also
job stewards. Each was asked
as he was nominated if he hoped
to stay for a while. Those who
didn’t were allowed to decline.

Reports at the meeting indi-
eated that there is a good base
for a functioning organization. A
Permanent camp crew, mainten-
ance, cookhouse, bakeshop; and
the boommen, truck drivers and
mechanics crew stationed here
bring the total of possible
“steadies” well over the 100 mark,

Decision was made to coordin-

ate the strike committees of
Camp 2 and Camp 3, where the
bullc of working forces are sta-
tioned and where committee are
functioning well. In line with
this, the chairman and secretary
were instructed to contact Camp
8 and if possible have represen-
tation from there at our next
meeting, scheduled for May 2nd.
Job stewards were instructed to
bring organization up to strength
and cheok all men in camp for
union membership, dues and
fighting fund. The truck driv-
ers are well organized and have
been functioning as a* separate
sub-local,

A delegation was despatched to

Camp 3, with Business Agent

Shelly Rogers. Construction on
the road is still under way and
maintenance crews were working
night shift. Arriving at the up-
per camp, the delegation finally
located the camp committee “hav-
ing it out with the kitchen staff
in the cookhouse” (New cooks
have been coming and going
about every 10 days). Interview-
ed later, the boys showed enthu-
siasm and promised to come
down in strength for the May
2nd meeting. Camp 3 has “check-
ed off” fighting fund’ donations
and is practically 100 per cent.

‘The camps are in a nice set-
ting, but on the way down, the
headlights showed a skunk park-
ed alongside the road. He seem-
ed undecided for a moment whe-
ther to spray the car as it went
by or run. It finally ran and
four men sighed with relief. In
the evenings at Camps 1 and 2,
some of the boys try out their
fishing tackle in Silver Creek, a
few feet from the bunkhouses.
Some fine steelhead have been
landed.

You will be hearing further
from Silver Skagit soon and we
hope and expect the reports will
be of progress and improvement.

PRESS COMMITTEE,
Silver Skagit, Camp 2.

WANTS NEW DEAL
FOR COOKHOUSE

To the Editor:

The letter recently published
in the Lumber Worker, March
25th, under the heading “Forward
Bay Crew Bounces Cook and
Staff” is somewhat misleading.
And the publishing of names is
somewhat alike to blacklisting, a
practice amongst operators which
the Union fought!

If that particular cookhouse
crew quit their jobs, they could
not have been bounced. But if,
as the letter suggests, they were
“bounced,” their refusal to work
could scarcely be called a si
down. strike.

Ig the writers of the letter, N.
Nelson and J. D. Sim, so strongly
disapproved of such action, why
did they themselves, two weeks
later, quit without notice their
own jobs here? On arriving at
this camp as a member of the
new cookhouse crew, Mr. Nelson
told me that the previous crew
had, amongst other things. used
the “meat house as a toilet
Such amalicious statement so ob-
viously untrue, should get the
originator of it into the law

lleads Shoes

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courts on a slander charge!

This petty bickering brings
two vital issues to light. The
first is the importance of elect-
ing responsible local officers
who can handle such situations
with tact. And the other is the
necessity of cookhouse crews
eventually forming an independ-
ent union of their own. Our in-
terests at present dre entirely at
the mercy of any local committee
unscrupulous enough to take ad-
vantage of them. As an example,
even at the moment of writing,
there are half a dozen squawkers
here who are “going to get the
union to see the cookhouse is
opened up half an hour earlier
in the morning,” in order that
they can have more time with
their pre-breakfast coffee.

Now it is impossible to expect
a cookhouse crew. whose hours
are already from 5:30 am. till
7:30 p.m. to take kindly to any
suggestion for another half-
hour’s (unpaid) work in the
morning. The solving of such
problems, calls for more tact
that certain stewards, etc., have

How about giving the cook-
house a break?

JAMES MALONE,

LUMBER WORKER

TRETHEWEY CREW
MAKES GAINS

To the Editor:

The crew of Trethewey Log-
ging Company held their second
meeting for this year on April
18th. We are proud to report
an excellent attendance, due to
the good work of our two job
stewards, and also our chairman
and secretary, Brothers Sam
MacPherson and Charles Peters.

At our last meeting the mem-
bers were brought up to date
with their dues; some of whom
were in arrears due to the long
shutdown. We wish to take this
opportunity to express our grati-
tude to the job stewards and
members in this camp for the
wonderful cooperation towards
the collecting and paying of all
arrears in dues. °

We have had very good support
in the strike fund; a total of $83
having been turned in by nine
members so far-

‘We have just a small crew
here; one set of power-saw fall-
ers, two buckers, one set of hand
fallers, a “cat” crew and one
cold-deck crew.

A grievance committee, safety
committee were elected at our
last meeting and are all func-
tioning. Also a press committee,
hence this report.

PRESS COMMITTEE,
Trethewey Log Co.,

Card No. 7362, Local 1-71.

Harrison Lake, B.C.

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