; - : 1 Trade unionists want to know By Our Own Correspondent more about the effects of automation on employment. The recent Labour-University Seminar on the subject explored the subject, and will _ continue its exploration. Further fact-finding is necessary. In a series of interviews, the Lumber Worker reports on the general consensus of opinion held by trade union officials with reference to questions frequently asked. Almost every discussion of auto- mation requires a definition of the term. Attempts have been made to distinguish between mechanization, or improved tech- nology, as known since the In- dustrial Revolution. When this is done the term is applied to auto- the mechanization of thought and mechanical effort, resulting in a self-regulating chain of processes. For work-a-day purposes more inclusive definitions are in current use, such as “ automatic machinery or processes which largely eliminate human labour and detailed human con- matic processes which include} trol.” Question: Is automation a factor in the present unemploy- ment? Answer: As defined earlier, | of unemployment. automation is only one of the fac- tors creating unemployment at the present time. Until a scientific survey is made, the extent of this cannot be stated with accuracy. It is known that fewer workers are producing more goods and services. This is particularly due to the displacement of human labour by machinery. It is known that after every In many industries the practical experience of the workers has shown that many thousands have been displaced by automatic pro- cesses. This is especially true of those where continuous produc- tion is possible. The Canadian Manufacturers’ Association in a submission made to the Legislature agreed that displacements had been inevitable, but that adequate provision had recession since World War II}been made for the displaced recovery has left a higher level! workers. Question: Is automation a factor in causing unemployment in the lumber industry? Answer: Output per man-hour| One report made by labour has showed a marked increase in| states that more than 8000 recent years. This has been par- tially due to improved mechaniza- tion, carried out in_ sporadic fashion. The effects are more clearly seen in ‘some sections of the forest products industry, such as the plywood plants and the pulp and paper mills. Reports on newly-built plants in Pacific coast centres, reveal the installa- tion of more automatic machinery than formerly. A conclusive an- swer for this question requires a detailed survey. In Northern Ontario, where smaller timber is harvested mainly for the manufacture of pulp, re- ports indicate that bush operations are now highly mechanized. workers have been displaced, but evidently this includes the use of the power saw. A new-type bulldozer replaces 100 men, and boosts production from one cord per man-day to 214 cords per man-day. The Nelson Skidder, a mechani- cal method of forwarding wood, has increased production per man- hour to 9 cords and in some in- stances to 21 cords. The Pope Timber Harvester, a self-propelled machine, operated by one man, fells, carries the tree to the road, limbs it, cuts into set lengths, and piles at the rate of 2 cords per hour. Question: Will automation likely affect forest products pro- duction in British Columbia? Answer: One educated guess is as good as another on this aspect of the subject. When a contrast is made with logging methods of 25 years ago, it will be seen that mechanization has worked revo- lutionary changes. This rate of change will no doubt be acceler- ated. The American authorities so predict. It is safe to assume that the industry in British Columbia will place more and more emphasis on utilization of waste. In this field, automatic processes now in use in European countries will Less Than S° a DAY... ALL THE NEWS of all the world. . . all the news of Canada, B.C., your home town, PLUS all the features to entertain every member of you coffee or five cigarettes. around in these r family Sun brings to your hae every day! And for LESS than 8 cents a day, delivered . . . LESS than the price of a cup of . .- all these The Vancouver There are still a few bargains days of inflation and your big, metropolitan newspaper, The Sun, is one of them! . the use of highly. likely be adapted for Canadian use. Automation will affect the forest products industry indirectly. Auto- matic processes are making pos- sible lower production costs for products which compete with wood products. For some pur- poses metal alloys and plastics are making a bid to replace wood. The position taken by the unions in the forest products in- dustry is that immediate consider- ation must be given to the over- all effects of automation. Serious unemployment in any industry caused by automation will ad- versely affect all employed lum- ber workers. Question: Is organized labour opposed to automation? Answer: No. The trade unions ‘}are well aware that automation is inevitable, and it can be em- ployed to promote greater pros- perity. Labour is seeking the necessary social adjustments to automation. Consumer purchasing power must keep pace with the increased pro- ductivity made possible by auto- mation. If automation is intro- duced on a large scale solely for reasons of profit, it might easily prove a curse rather than a bles- sing. Labour is demanding that the new abundance be shared on a basis that will make its benefits available to the entire population in terms of better living standards, greater leisure, and an expanded social security. Question: Is it true, as claimed by some employers, that automation will provide other employment for those now being displaced? Answer: The truth of this claim has not been established. It is now quite obvious that workers are being displaced from industries in which they will never again be employed. With automa- tion, they will never require any more than a fraction of the working force employed before automating The chances of em-| ployment in industries which ser- vice automated industries are re- mote and very uncertain. Organized labour is rightly con- cerned with the present displace- ment. Even though this may be technically regarded as temporary, it usually extends over a period that virtually condemns _ the worker to the scrapheap. Eg OE] PRINTED BY THE KEYSTONE PRESS LTD 860 KINGSWAY, VANCOUVER TELEPHONE TRINITY 9-1541 designers and producers of fine printing & lithography WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Is Automation A Curse Or Blessing? The trade unions are emphasiz- ing the point that automation re- quires new skills, and that provi- sion should therefore be made for the re-training of workers. Question: Is the advance of automation likely to be more rapid? Answer: This depends on a number of factors. One determin- ing factor is the amount of capi- tal required for the installation of automatic processes. Organized labour expects that this will lead to a greater con- centration of wealth in the control of industry. Canadian trade unions are fol- lowing the more rapid develop- ments in the United States more closely. They urge that Canada should take the necessary steps to avoid the creation of “ghost towns” if automation makes it possible for the American parent companies to close down Cana- dian factory branches. Question: To what extent is the prospect of more automa- tion likely to affect the course of negotiations? Answer: The prospects of auto- mations will require that Unions give attention to reduced hours KEEPING IT . 2nd Issue Nov., 1960 of work in order to spread avail- able employment. Negotiations may be expected, sooner or later, with regard to such matters as guaranteed an- nual income and retirement pro-, visions for the older: displaced workers. All those interyiewed were unanimous on one point. The question of automation requires that government, management, and labour should join in a na- tional survey of the situation and ascertain the exact dimensions of the problem. Whether the situa- tion may be described as good or bad for the workers, certainly the day for sound economic planning has arrived, they agree. New NEW METHOD for purifying drinking water employs ultra- violet germicidal lamp. It is in- serted between water inlet and pumping system. It requires little maintenance other than change of lamps. Maker says it can kill coliform bacteria in clear water one minute after the lamp is turned on. See as SHORT, SHORT STORY Way back, in 1906, Pierre Paris came over from the old country with nothing but boundless faith in Canada and the time-hon- oured skill of fine boot-making. He founded his own business in Vancouver and made his first pair of boots. These were eagerly snapped up by the foreman of a logging camp, in town for a bender. His name, you guessed it, was JONES. He was a man among men, famous in his es for skill, strength and (regret- . tably) profanity. SINCE THAT MEMORABLE DAY, THE TOP MEN IN THE WOODS AND MILLS OF B.C. HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH JONES . the first customer for the finest boots that money can buy and still made on the original premises by Pierre Paris & Sons 51 West Hastings St. Vancouver 3, B.C