THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “STRIKE ACTION" reference can be made to the bitterly-fought strikes of Ce 1916 and 1917 which tipped the scales in favor of the £ eight-hour day in the lumber industry. = me: Enduring results were obtained in the series of re strikes which swept the lumber industry in 1935 and ; om mes om ier Soian pl ake was termed ae a eee eae Ot ite ae 1936, known in the Pacific Northwest as the 1935 ustry. This load of disjointed railroad running gear illus : - : : ; road loggers often had trouble with loads of this type that would sag in the middle and S*¥ ike. This struggle witnessed the most outstanding hang up on curves. : pee aettaeeae Hee ole of the woodworkers fighting forces up to that time. Make Saving The year 1935 found the woodworkers in a fighting mood. The reasons for this were evident. Conditions in a habit the lumber industry had reached an intolerable low in 1932. Less than 20 per cent of the industry’s capacity was being utilized. Less than half of the lumber workers wi with a were employed and many of these only worked part time. Recovery was slow. Wage cutting was prevalent. » The minimum wage ranged from $1.50 a day to $2.60 a SAVINGS a day in some organized operations. While wages averaged 36.6 cents an hour in the West, they dropped ACCOUNT to 15 cents an hour in the Southern States. In British Columbia conditions were worse than in the Northwest States. at The National Industrial Recovery Act (NRA), which had inspired an upsurge of union organization, failed to bring relief to lumber workers due to the employers’ opposition. Workers lost faith in the NRA, calling it the CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE “National Run Around.” Both workers and employers | MORE THAN 1260 BRANCHES TO SERVE YOU were in revolt against the NRA when it was eventually | . declared to be unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme " : Court. eT Oe altel The lumber workers had good cause to rejoice in the 1935 enactment of the Wagner Act. It changed the ex- isting situation as it more firmly established the legal right of workers to form unions and bargain collectively. lis importance in relation to strike action was found in the ban placed. upon unfair labor practices. It became illegal for employers to continue such practices as the hiring of labor spies, the use of the “blacklist,” “yellow- dog” contracts, company unions, dismissal or discrimin- ation fer union activity and refusal to bargain with a_ union. Even with this legal protection, woodworkers were obliged to fight the employers’ evasive repudiation of the law. Not until 1937 was the Wagner Act de- clared constitutional by the Supreme Court. Rank and file pressure led to the formation of the Northwest Council of Sawmill and Timber Workers’ Unions in 1933. Local unions then commenced to swing into action on a common program. Isolated strikes were common during 1933 and 1934, but not until 1935 was strong and coordinated leadership evident. Demands to be incorporated in a uniform agreement were prepared with May 6, 1935, as the strike deadline if they were not met by the employers. The list of proposed demands included the- six-hour day and 30- hour week, overtime and holiday pay, seniority pro- visions, vacations with pay, a base rate of 75 cents an hour with proportionate increases for the skilled cate- gories, and 30 days notice for termination of the contract. Most of the employers were unwilling to negotiate on the basis of these demands. Where negotiations opened they proceeded slowly with the result that workers in some operations jumped the gun on the strike deadline. Federal labor conciliators moved in but . made little headway with the employers. Inexperience in collective bargaining was a distinct handicap. On May 12, more than 4,000 mill workers and 3,000 log- gers were out on strike. By May 15, it was estimated that 90 per cent of the operations in the fir belt were strike-bound. The operators decided to play a waiting game to starve the workers into submission. Their later attempts to operate with strikebreakers created a tense situation. eer wp premium stamp! The situation was further complicated by a growing distrust of the leadership imposed on the lumber workers by the AFL decision which placed them under the juris- diction of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. These leaders attempted a compromise settle- ment with the large companies, which was quickly re- pudiated by membership voting at many points. The insurgents formed the Northwest Joint Strike Committee to renew the original demands. This action was dis- __ owned by the UBC&J and led to bitter dissension in __ the ranks which prolonged the strike and made a satis- _ factory settlement difficult. eer Premium flavor is one reason why Lucky Lager is the largest selling beer in B.C. Get Lucky today. nt is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia 7 See “STRIKE ACTION” — Page 8