8 Continued Big Gains be continued and eyen intensi- fied during 1944. Biggest growth was recorded by the Vancouver Labor Council. With an affiliated membership— now that the International Wood- workers of America and the Boilermakers Union have re- joined the council—of some 22,- 000 workers, the CCL council can show a growth of 7,800 members since January of 1943. This includes the chartering of eight new locals, with a com- bined. memibership of 1,900, a Gain of another 1,900 members in four locals of the TWA, and an imerease of at least 4,000 in the Boilermakers Union during its suspension from the council. These are general figures: a cemplete checkup will “not be available until sometime in Janu- ary, but the estimate is believed to be conservative. New locals chartered by the Vancouver Labor Council during 1943 were: Industrial Union of Sugar Workers: Vancouver News Guild, Local 2: United Oil Work ers, Local 1; B.C. Woodworkers Union, Local 2; United Packing- house Workers: International Woodworkers of America, Local 1-367; Britannia local of the Mine. Mill and Smelter Workers: and a new division of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Em- ployees. The Trades and Labor Council, with 21,560 members on its books in December, recorded a gain of 3,000 members during 1943. These new members were gained through the establishment by the council’s organizing committee of 10 local unions with a member- ship of 1,200. The remaining 1 800 members were recruited into the $0 other affiliated locais. New unions affiliated with the AFL council were: B.C. Seamen’s Union, Wational Association of Marine Engineers, Embalmers end Undertakers Assistants, Rail- way and Steamship Clerks, Local 630; United Brotherhood of Car- penters, Local 1843; First Aid At- tendants Union; Distillery Work- ers Union: Distillery Workers Union; CPR-CNR Constables and Special Agents Union: Ship- yard Riggers Union, Local 661; Building Service Employees Union. On a provincial scale, labor could fook back on equally sig- nificant progress. Beginning with the big victory for united labor resulting from passage of amend- ments to the Industrial Concilia- tion and Arbitration Act, union organization spurted ahead in all parts of the province. Twelve jocals of the CIO In- ternational Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, with a to- tal membership of 7,000 hardrock miners and smelter workers, were established during the year. The International Woodworkers of America won union agreements with a score of the biggest Jum- ber and Jogging concerns in the province, and doubled its mem- bership in a district scale to ap- proximately 13,000. Unionism de- veloped for the first time among farm and packinghouse workers in the Okanagan, where 11 local unions were chartered and the Okanagan Labor Council, CCl, was organized. The United Fish- ermen’s Union grew in member- ship and influence, and Native Indians for the first time moved to become part of organized la- bor. Seamen began to establish their union. A beginning was made in reorganizing Vancouver Jongshoremen. At the end of 1943 the total membership of trade unions of all affiliations in the province stood well over the 100,000 mark, and the prospect for further ad-~- vances, in spite of the bigger problems looming, were the best in any year in recent history. Rural Teachers Want Pay Boost Following up resolutions passed at its annual convention at Easter, the British Columbia Teachers Federation will start a campaign for the establishment of a salary scale for teachers in rural areas, as the first step towards obtaining minimum wage seales throughout the profession. The Federation is proposing that minimum wage for rural teachers be set at $900, with ten annual increases of $60 each. The decision to tackle the prob- lem of rural teachers’ salaries first was made at a two-day meet- ing of the BCTF executive held in Vancouver Hotel this week, and was announced by L. GC. Stibbs, BCTE president. The campaign for an inerease in rural teachers’ salaries, now based at $720 yearly, is particu- larly directed at the provincial government, since the BCTF has elready associated itself with the movement to improve education- al standards by divorcing school cests from land taxation. Under this system, the provincial gov- ernment with its wider taxing powers would bear the brunt of educational costs. Therefore, the establishment of minimum wages would not mean greater burden on rural communities. Because of low salaries for ru- tal teachers, points out the BCTF, many classrooms in British Co- lumbia are empty because there are no teachers to fill them, and 117 teaching positions are filled by teachers holding temporary certificates. Many school boards have al- ready found it necessary to go to other provinees to secure teach- ers. The teachers’ organization is also. demanding better equip- ment for rural schools. Better libraries particularly are needed, they maintain, as another step in bettering the standard of tuition given to pupils in small communi- ties. Trail Certification Defeated By ICA Act The “extremely unfair” elause in the ICA Act by which a union can apply for certification as bargaining agency for its members only after such members have been three months in good standing was blamed this week by officials of the In- ternational Union of- Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers for the union’s failure to receive certifi- eation at Trail and Pinchi Lake. Both the union and Consoli- dated Mining and Smelting Com- pany were notified by the govern- ment that an examination of union records showed an insuf- ficient number of CM&S em- ployees were members in good standing to allow certification. “At the time of the count, the government had hired a consid- erable number of new employees at both Trail and Pinchi Lake,” declared Harvey Murphy, inter- national representative of the TUMMSW. “These new workers counted against us, since the act calls for a clear majority, even though many of them had joined the union. But with that three months clause, its a simple mat- ter for employers to block certi- fication by merely making changes in their payroll. “Certainly, our experience at Trail and Pinchi- Lake, where we actually had a majority be- fore the company brought in new workers, proves the need for labor to fight for a further amendment to the act striking out the three months membership clause.” Murphy said that the union will again make application for certification “within a short time,” confident that a second check will give it a clear majority at both points, COPPER MOUNTAIN, B.C. — Several hundred employees of the mine and mill operations of Granby Consolidated face mass layoffs in the new year as a re- sult of notices posted by the company recently declaring that the present contract with War- time Metals Corporation, which bas been purchasing the big cop- per mine’s entire output for some time, will expire December 31. Unless the contract is renewed, Continued Pledge Sary to struggle against reaction- ary forces blindly endeavoring to protect their privileges in defi- ance of the public will.” The success Canada has achieved in her war effort, said Mosher, would provide ‘confi- dence and experience in meeting unprecedented problems after the war. “The labor movement is willing to cooperate in every effort that is being made to bring about a peaceful and orderly develop- ment of Canada’s industrial struc- ture and policies in such a way as to ensure the most efficient use of material and human re- sources for the general welfare,” he said. Referring to possibilities of an election in the coming year, Mosher declared that there should be no confusion in the public mind with regard to the issue involved, which is simply whether Canada is to go forward into a new order of peace and economic well being, or “wheth- er her progress is to be thwarted by selfish interests intent on pre- serving their right to exploit the people for profit, rather than op- erate industry for the benefit of all.” Mosher concluded by voicing the opinion that “industry func- tions best when it is controlled and directed in the public inter- est.” the company notice warns, there is danger of the company being foreed to resort to mass layoffs. All employees of the companys mine and mill operations at Cop- per Mountam and Allenby. are members of the Copper Moun- tain Miners Union, Local 649. “tremely demagogic, Continued Bolivia Coup Linke To Argentine Gov coups, after the Buenos Aires model, in a. number of latin Am- erican countries. Hardly had I reached New York when news came of the pro-Nazi coup im Bolivia. It was led by the lodge of Young Of- ficers, associated with the ex- fascist-type leadership of the National Revo- lutionary Party. ~The president of the Bolivian military junta, Major Villaroel, is a member of the fascist group which attempted a similar coup. in 1941, in conjunction with the German Embassy. Victor Paz Es- tenssoro, a leading light in the new junta of mayors, led the re-- actionary-nationalist and pro-fas- eist opposition in the Chamber to the United Nations policy of the overthrown Penaranda Gov- ernment. By its composition, its “revolu- tionary’ tactics, its clever ex- ploitation of the deep srievances of the people, even in the word- ing of the first statements on policy, the generic relation of the Bolivian junta of majors to the Argentine junta of colonels be- came at once apparent. It is far from being merely a Bolivian affair. The events in La Paz are part of a far reaching development— a conspiracy —fanning out from Buenos Aires, the capital bridge- head of the German Nazis, the lialian fascists and the Spanish Falangists in the Americas. In Mexico City I met Rueben Izaro, secretary of the powerful Argentine Construction Workers Union, who is on an inter-Am- erican tour to win freedom for the 2,000 popular leaders impris- oned by the Ramirez regime. (The U.S. State Department recently refused Izcaro permission to tour the United States.) ‘Izearo informed me-of the en- ergetic steps being taken by the pro-fascist military cabal in Ar- gentina to create a pro-Axis and anti-American bloc in the | ern Hemisphere. It has se emissaries to work with sim: minded military groups £ cite revolts against a numb pro-United Nations demo governments. sie 4 He mentioned specifically ivia, Chile, and Peru as th points of concentration, work also being carried Columbia, Venezuela and The ultra-reactionary os ments of Paraguay and F already lean heavily towar Argentine fascist govern Heuador rushed to Fecogniz: new- Bolivian regime. The international plan o i fascists operating in Argent, plain enough. Qn the Pacific their main objective is to i Chile, the main democratic wark in South America. 7 this it is necessary to convey livia, on Chile’s northeast f£ tier, and Peru on the nor border, into aggressive alli Argentina, the only other » try bordering on Chile. But the greatest hope o Argentine conspirators is 1 | in with the powerful pros (Integralista) groups in €£ who are operating quietly b- fectively against the gover | of President Getulio Varga © It would be a serious m to consider the fascist e¢ ecy aS a conspiracy in the- row sense, as rooted only / intrigue of narrow circles connections to the fascist tals of Europe. This aspe course, is there, and ex the simultaneous nature c¢ moves, the timing with thi perate efforts of Hitler Ge to avoid the consequences ~ tal defeat at the hands ¢€ coalition. It works out as ; # of a world-wide Axis effc || an attempt to create seria. — versions against the second f- to incite inter-American w rarer e ELMORE PHILPOTT CONCERT -- Meetin IN AID OF INDIAN FAMINE RELIEF = DAY, JANUARY 2 8 p.m. VOGUE TH SANTIS — Speakers — DARSHAN SINGH SANG , Friday, 2:00 p.m. day, 8:00 p.m. Keep - Fit Centre} Re-open week of January 3 Boilermakers’ Gym, 339 West Pender — Mixed Dry Skip Tuesday, 6:30. Women: Friday, 7:30. f Crystal Pool — Mixed Swimming, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m, <§ Labor Youth Federation, 875 East Hastings — Mixed, Tht; 4 ; Information — Schedules PRO-REC H’QUARTERS — 5TH AND HEMLOC§ BAyview 4686 |