VST

CONTRACT TALKS CONTINUE: FOR.

IM. RITCHIE «44

BS&W, INDEPENDENTS & INTERIOI

INTERIOR CONFERENCE
IN CRANBROOK IN MAY ©

WW
KE ie Final preparations for the negotiation of contract
Nye terms with Bloedel, Stewart and Welch, other independ-
ents, and Interior operators were completed by the 86
delegates who attended the IWA District Wages and Con-
Vancouver, B.C. | tract Conference, held in the IWA Hall, New Westminster,
March 10-11. Decision was reached to hold the Interior
Wages and Contract Conference in Cranbrook, early in

Ott! Pubticstion of the Dnlernational Wooduarhers of America nt. dinsic Coinct NoL

=

Vol. XIX, No. 84

‘ar. 15, 1951 Se per copy

EPP GETS
JOB BACK

7 POINTS)

SETTLED

Re-instatement of Faller
Jacob Epp, Camp 5, Bloedel,
with restoration of seniority
rights, and retroactive adjust-
ment of pay for time lost was
agreed to by management of
Bloedel, Stewart and Welch
following a conference on
March 13 with officials of Local
1-363, IWA, Courtenay. Six
other long standing grievances
of employees at Camp 5 were
also settled at the conference.

As previously reported in these
columns, Jacob Epp had heen
summarily dismissed from the
company employ, upon his return
from the IWA District Conven-
tion, and Safety Conference for
which he had obtained leave of
absence. Dismissal had been or-
dered on the complaint of the
bullbucker that Epp had failed to
bring in his power saw as
ordered.

In his defense, Epp submitted,
that due to road conditions, he
had been compelled to take ad-
vantage of the only means of
transportation available in order

After The

oe

rial

May.

Strategy for the District
Policy Committee was outlined in
respect of negotiations with Bloe-
del, Stewart and Welch, which
opened in Port Alberni, March
14. These conferences are pro-
ceeding at time of going to press.
Contract terms, equally as ad-
vantageous as those incorporated

_|in the FIR master contract are
_|being insisted upon.

International Board Member

'|Tom MacKenzie, as spokesman

for the District Policy Commit-
tee, was questioned at length re-
garding intrepretation of the
amended sections of the Coast
FIR master contract, previously
approved by the membership.

The final draft of the revised
contract terms were presented to
the conference and fully ex-
plained.

In the negotiation of the In-
terior master contracts, members
of the District Policy Committee
will be associated with represen-
tatives of the Interior Local
Unions. The conference express-
ed full support to the effort of
Interior lumber workers to secure
contract terms equivalent to
those now negotiated at the
Coast.

Interior Complaints

Complaints voiced by Interior
delegates were to the effect that
many Interior lumber operators
have shown a disposition to dis-
regard the terms of the master
contract negotiated through their
representatives.

Difficulties have arisen in con-
nection with the check-off, and
observance of the hours of work
clause, in the matter of overtime.
Some have even evaded the actual

BCHIS ‘Steal’
Protested

With a roar of indignation,
delegates to the IWA Wages
and Contract Conference in
New Westminster, March 10-
11, supported a resolution
voicing a strongly worded pro-
test against any increase in
premiums or charges under the
B.C. Hospital Insurance
scheme. Although telegraphed
to Victoria the protest was ig-
nored by the Government as
second reading of the amend-
ing Bill was demanded in the
Legislature on the following
day.

Failure of the Federal Gov-
ernment to institute price .con-
trols was another matter which
aroused the wrath of the dele-
gates and a wire was despatched
to the Prime Minister, endorsing
the submission made by the joint
legislative committee of the cen-
tral labor bodies,

A wealth of evidence was sup-
plied the conference by Inter-
national Research Director Virgil
Burtz to show the steady depre-
ciation of wage values under
runaway inflation, and the prob-
ability of still. sharper price
increases in the immediate future.

. Immigration Discussed

The application of Bloedel,
Stewart and Welch for permis-
sion to import Scandinavian wood
workers came in for sharp con-
demnation, Delegates pointed to
the existing army of unemployed
in B.C., and the unsatisfactory

signing of agreements. Serious | !abor-management policies of the

discontent has followed this | Company. ;
studied evasion of the require-| District President J. Stewart

to reach the Safety Conference 2 - % i
in Victoria on ime. He had EES ;
arranged that another employee | 1~GAL DEFENSE was provided for rigging slinger Ole Belsheim a ining | Alsbury secured endorsement for
should bring in the power saw. | by the IWA, when he was charged with breaches of the Accident Picea Preptnmear tans cerned preg yrs DEL:

Company officials maintained at| Prevention Regulations. Seen here leaving Powell River police court | fulfillment of contract terms. ing the previous week when he
the conference that the grievance | 8Te (left) Ole | Belsheim, District Secretary-Treasurer George The conference was attended | publicly protested the application
had not been properly processed | Mitchell, and IWA solicitor, Alex. B. Macdonald. by International Secretary-Treas-|of the company. Immigration

ne eres

under the terms of the contract,
but waived this point in the in-
terests of more satisfactory
labor-management relations.

urer Carl Winn and International
Research Director Virgil Burtz,
who informed the conference of
developments in the Pacific North

must be planned, he declared, and
cannot become the responsibility
of private corporations. Our
Canadian standards must be

BOILERMAKERS DE-CERTIFIED
The Only

Workers and Boilermakers’ In-
dustrial Union at Weldco Co.,
‘DRY-BAK

Vancouver, was ordered by the
Labor Relations Board, March
7, on the ground that strike
ASK FOR IT BY NAME
AT YOUR COMMISSARY
OR LEADING STORES

maintained, he added.

West States.

Grievances Settled

Other decisions reached at the
conference between the Local
Union and management of Bloe-
del, Stewart and Welch included:

Provision for a twice- action had been taken contrary
month conference to discuss | to the provisions of the ICA
camp problems and grievances | Act,

in order to deal with any
grievances arising at the camp | ‘Delegates at the March 13
level. meeting of the Greater Van-
couver Lower Mainland Labor
Agreement on the part of the | Council heard from the delegates
management to permit the | of the Local Union that the order
erection of a Post Office to | had been issued without permit-
serve the camp on a section of | ting the Union an opportunity to
company property now occu- | present any proper defence.

pied by the new school. Aveeptance of the report of the
o “ppp: eal Union delegates indicated
See “EPP” Page 3 that officials of the Labor Council
| would be authorized to take fur-
ther action in protest should such
be warranted by the circum-
stances,

The events leading up to the
de-certification, as related to the
Council, were that a grievance
had arisen due to the actions of
‘two employees, regarding wage
rates and overtime which were in
violation of the contract terms.

The alleged violation of the
agreement was brought to the at-
tention of the Labor Relations
Board but no attempt was made
to investigate the complaint of
the Union, it was stated.

This resulted in an indignation
meeting of the employees, where

See ‘WELDCO’ Page 3

WHAT'S
INSIDE

The treatment by which canvas is made
water repellent to produce “‘DRY-BAK”
is a development and exclusive process of
Jones Tent & Awning Ltd., and is entirely
processed in our own plant. You should,
therefore, look for the name “‘DRY-BAK”’
on every garment as your guarantee of
obtaining the finest water repellent can-
vas clothing obtainable. Ask for it with
or without interlining.

IWA Pik ... pra
Safety eesseseeenneeeeee 607