round the
Slipways.

By Charles Saunders

HE final passage of the amendments to the ICA Act in
the British Columbia legislature, while opening the
®) for the establishment of unions in the unorganized in-
tries in this province, will not be without its effect in the
sbuilding industry. Armed with these latest amendments
“shipyard unions should be able to bring the West Coast
® oyard into line with the other Vancouver yards. One of
obstacles yet to be overcome is the jurisdictional differ-
ss between the unions. A start had already been made in
“direction before the recent dispute between the Boiler-
ers and the CCL.
(The harmful effect of this dispute to the whole shipbuild-
industry, both organizationally and in the field of pro-
ition, cannot be overestimated, and it is to be hoped that
le definite settlement will be quickly arrived at so that
‘many other problems facing the workers in the yards
+ be concretely dealt with.
€

SHE reasons for the failure of labor-management commit-
tees to function properly are mostly bound up with the

x prerogatives. Management is the coordinating element
the production process. The management's assumption
he sole responsibility for productive efficiency actually
vents the attainment of maximum output. The great un-
1 technical knowledge of the workers is separated from
management by an organizational sap which can only
widged by the establishment of functioning labor-manage-
mit committees giving labor the status of partners in in-
,iry and treating the workers on a basis of equality rather
3 unavoidable parts of the productive process. The idea
“workers cannot do any original thinking constitutes an
ediment in production efficiency. The fact of the matter
of course, that the greater public interest in the running
adusiry for the producion of war materials has disclosed
ty inefficiencies and much disorganization, to the extent

in more than one plant, governments have found it
assary to step in and take over the management.

fo)

gee contribution that workers can make was ably demon-
strated during the hearings of the Richards Commission
Fancouver when the workers giving evidence before that
‘mission demonstrated their knowledge of the short-
‘ngs and their ability to overcome them. Right now most
ae Vancouver shipyards are easily keeping the schedules
which the steel and other materials and supplies are
vered to them, yet no one would say that they have
2hed the limit of their capacity. There is room for im-
i yement and the schedule could be cut down considerably.
‘fact that some 500 men have had to be laid off in one
d demonstrates the fact that the scheduled plan for com-
ing freighters now can be considerably cut down.
The chief obstacle is the obtaining of the necessary sup-
s. With the signing of closed shop agreements in the
st Coast Shipyard the basis would be laid for an industry-
€ production committee to operate on the Pacific Coast.
* beneficial results of such a committee are undeniable
(in the United States, where such committees, partici-
sd in by unions and management, are operating,
ductive efficiency of the industries have grown tre-
ladously. Such a committee on the West Coast could deal
1a the government and the department of munitions and
plies on the problem of assuring a constant supply of
terials in line with capacity of production in the yards.
@

yNLY through cooperation of the unions can these labor-
_Management production committees be established on
7orkable basis. In no shop, where there is not a union
etioning, is it possible for labor-management committees
function properly. Workers must first be assured that
iz living conditions and rights are being unheld before
asis for cooperation in production can be obtained.
tkers like to work in a well run shop. They like to see
*k done efficiently and abhor both waste of time and
evials and wherever possible will improve the methods
working for their own benefit.

Cooperation of labor and management on an equal basis
.Ugh proper functioning labor-management committees
solve all production problems.

ictance of the managements to forego what they consider _

Continued

Elections

office. Surely the members have
eontrol over their own affairs.”

The organizational plan now be-
ing carried on in local shipyards
by CCL officials is not on an indus-
trial basis as claimed by T. Bradley,
William Stewart, twice elected
president of the union and twice
enjoined from taking office by R.
J. R. Stephen, told the court when
he took the stand.

“This plan restricts the atom
of unions and invites a pitched
battle and jurisdictional disputes
with the other 12 unions having
agreements in the shipyards,”
Stewart stated.

Secession was apparently the only
way the Boilermakers could hold
itself together and elect officers
who had not been repudiated by the
membership, he continued.

“No union can be dictated to from
afar,” he emphasized.

Stewart said he was completely
in accord with the policy of indus-
trial unionism laid down at the Sep-
tember, 1940, convention of the GCL,

Seven hundred new members
have joined the union since Feb. 23,
he stated. Asked by Branca
whether these men were aware that
they were joining a seceded union,
Stewart replied, “That was the
major reason for their joining. Now
that we've got rid of the influences
retarding the growth of the union,
many people joined who previously
had refrained from becoming mem-
bers because they were discouraged
by the recent dispute.

“Implementation of the recom-
mendations of the Richards Com-
mission which sat here last summer
is also held up by the union dis-
pute,” Stewart added.

“Men in the shipyards are wait-
ing for the benefits which would
accrue if this report were adopt-
ed. Because the wording on the
ballot was confusing to the mem-
bership the plan was rejected in
the referendum last fall.

“The men were given the impres-
sion that the vote was against the
continuous production plan as op-
erated without the benefits pro-
posed by conferences that were held
with Justice Richards. Now unions
which have accepted the plan are
working under the old conditions
because the Boilermakers’ union
cannot get down to business.”

Stewart mentioned that although
Mills, Bradley and Whalen attended
the Richards commission sittings,
they were not elected or appointed

by the union.

Admission of Stephen that he kept
“around 10,000” of the approximate
13,000 membership cards in his per-
sonal custody at home, records and
corespondence of the union, as well
as union agreements with local
shipyards was scored by defense
counsel.

Continued

Production

saw afterwards
my mind.

When the raid was over I made
my way towards the station, A
young girl with a baby in her
arms was picking her way over
the debris and hose-strewn road-
way. We got talking. She said
“What's the time?’ I’m afraid I
was a little tired and brusquely
I asked her what was her hurry.
I said I was the one who should
be in a hurry as’ I hadn’t been
home for months. But what she
said next was enough to pull me
back to earth. “I mustn’t be late
for my factory,” she said. That’s
the whole story.

e

ES, there’s a lot of things to

be told but there’s one story
I’m waiting for. That’s the news
that our merchant ships have
started carying the troops over to
Burope in the final offensive of
the second front. I think most
of my mates are waiting for that
story, too.

which sticks in

Growers Appeal
For Better Prices

MATSQUI, B.C.—Bean growers here are asking increases
in prices paid to them by canneries to raise rates on this year’s
erop to $100 per ton. Negotiations have been carried on for the
past six weeks by the Bargaining Committee of Matsqui and
District Bean Growers’ Association, who have been meeting
with Canadian Canners (Western) Ltd.

Since canners insist they can-
not pay the increased rate unless
present pegged prices of the fin-
ished product are lifted, growers
have referred the dispute to Hon.
J. Gardiner federal agriculture
minister giving figures to prove
that costs of production have risen
considerably due to shortages of
farm labor.

To date no reply has been re-
ceived from Ottawa but Provincial
Assistant Deputy Minister W. H.
Robertson wrote the bean growers,
stating: = :

“The outline of cost of produc-
tion of beans would in my opinion,
indicate fairly clearly that an in-
erease in the price for this crop
was warranted insofar as the prices
paid by canneries to producers
are concerned. Recently a
meeting was held in Ottawa to
discuss points similar to the facts
which you present, and I may say
further that the dominion minister
of agriculture in conjunction with
the various provincial ministers
has appointed a committee to
Meet in Ottawa periodically to
discuss policies concerning fruit
production and supply as well as
matters such as you have pre-
Sented. Should they refer
your presentation to us for opin-
ion, we shall be very glad indeed,
to endorse the recommendations
which you have made.”

George Cruikshank, MP (Fraser
Valley), also promised the bean
growers his support.

Berry Men
Amalgamate

MISSION, BC.—At its first meet-
ing since December, 1941, BC Coast
Growers Association decided to
take over the BC Berry Growers
Association. Both groups agreed
that similarity of aims made the
step necessary at the present time.

An election of officers were held,
in which the old executive, which
many growers believed was willing
to let the organization fall apart,
was defeated. A motion that the old

officers remain as an “advisory
board” was also rejected.
New executive includes: Dave

Stroyan, Dewdney, president, J. P.
Hanson, Lulu TIsland, vice-presi-
dent; J. W. Little, Matsqui, secre-
tary-treasurer; on the directory are
Wm. Schellenberg, Yarrow; A. W.
Stevenson, Hammond; P. H. Frie-
sen, Langley Prairie; Mrs. A. 8.
Bell, New Westminster.

Thanikes!

We wish to express our sincere
thanks and appreciation to friends
who were so kind to us during our
recent bereavement. We especially
thank those who sent floral offer-
ings, and our neighbors, doctors
and nurses for their many acts of
kindness and sympathy. We also
thank Mrs. H. Kangas, Mrs. U.
Viitanen and Mrs. Saare for their
Singing, Mrs. J. Lind for the poem,
and Rev. A. B. Cornelson for his
kindness.—Mr. Adam Pudas and
daughter Helen.

119 West Pender

VICTORY .
and AFTER

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