800 FOUNDRY. WORKERS’ STRIKE CLOSES 33 AREA PLANTS LABOR PRESSES COALITION FOR STAND ON IWA STRIKE With no indication that any basis of settlement had been reached in open- ing discussions of I!WA officers and operators with Commissioner Gordon Sloan as the Pacific Tribune went to press, representative sections of British Colum- Vol; 1. No. 14 Five Cents Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, May 24, 1946 Formerly PACIFIC ADVOCATE Prince Rupert Unions Vote IW A Support PRINCE RUPERT. — Prince Rupert fish work- ers lmed up solidly behind the IWA strike this week when the regular meeting of the United Fishermen and Al- lied Workers’ Union voted full support to the IWA, and moved to place the matter before_the local Trades and Labor}: Council. : The UPAWU aims to develop coordinated action among other points, and is actively campaign- bodies to mobilize the entire com- munity. This was stated to a Tribune correspondent by Stan Boshier UFAWWU recording secre- The Rupert local of the Mar- ine Workers’ Union have also expressed their solidarity with the IWA. The Rupert LPP has is- sued statements in both local papers calling for full public Support and also in interior B.C. ing to clarify the strike issues in the north. Meanwhile picket lines in Terrace hold solid in spite of company attempts to stir up bad feeling between married and single Iumber workers. Consensus of opinion in and around Terrace is that the win- ning of the strike will give the whole community a new lease of life with stability and decent living conditions. : - Morgan Urges Winch To Accept [WA Unity Call Flowing out of a letter sent by [WA District President Harold Pritchett, to both the €CF and the LPP, asking for the fullest support from both political parties to help win the strike of 37,000 lumber and saw- mill workers, LPP Provincial Leader) Nigel Morgan has forwarded the following pro- posals to CCP Leader Harold Winch, MLA. @ That both leaders of the CCH and LPP should jointly participate in a public meeting in Vancouver to rally support for the IWA’s demands. : @ Following the Vancouver meeting Harold Winch that both leaders jointly address public meetings in Victoria, New Westminster, : Nanaimo, Powell River and other points in support of the strike. : The LPP provincial executive feels that such a demonstration of unity at this time around the issues of wage increases, the 40-hour week and union security upon which the IWA, the IUMM&S and other unions jare moving into action, it would give a Btremendous impetus to speedy victory for the workers. @® ‘The article ‘on page eleven by Hans Berger has a timely message to adherents of both parties in the struggle for unity to defeat the mon- opolists. Nigel Morgan bia’s labor movement, backed by unprecedented popular support for the woodworkers’ strike, moved to force a stand from the reluctant Hiart gov- ernment. Dan O’Brien, Harvey Murphy and Alex Mackenzie, representing the B.C. Federation of Labor, and a rep- resentative of the IWA, were to meet ~ the provincial cabinet Thursday morning and it was understood that they would de- mand that the Coalition govern- ment take a position on vital labor questions in line with the people’s needs. Thus far the gov- ernment has contrived to avoid taking a stand, but many Md.A’s, particularly in ‘industrial areas, are already feeling the pressure of labor’s demand that they state their attitude towards the strike and this pressure is being reflect- €d upon the government. 5 this Other strike highlights week include: Union demand for appointment S 7 of a royal commission to in- vestigate the charge made by the Building Contractors’ As- sociation that “a large portion of British Columbia lumber has found its way into the black market.” = : Union authorization to release Jumber to veterans with homes now under construc- tion through a joint commit- tee of the TWA and the Gan- adian Legion. Union agreement weeks’ truce to allow CGres- ton Farmers’ Cooperative to Manufacture wooden boxes in order to avoid any waste of crops. During the truce union members will work a 40-hour week with time and a half for overtime above 40 hours, as called for in the wunion’s demands, on the understand- ing that negotiations for an agreement will be conducted within the two-week period. ‘Pledge of full support from the lLabor-Progressive Party, which, at a Vancouver mem- Continued on Page 8 See ITIWA STRIKE on a two STMT TTT Ne CSU Strike TORONTO. —Members of the Canadian Seamen’s Union on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence will strike on June 3. Announcement of the strike was made by union leaders following ship oper- ators’ refusal to accept union demands for an 8- hour day toe replace the present 12 hours. Operators’ counter - proposals to add two more men to each crew were rejected by the union because they involved wage cuts for some crew mem- bers, left the demand- for the 8-hour day unanswered and, in any event, were not to come into effect until the 1947 navigation season. The strike, already en- dorsed by am overwhelm- ing strike vote, will bring between six and seven thousand mere workers into the growing national strike movement for labor’s basic demands for shorter hours and higher wages to offset mounting living costs. all UTTDUDNLUTUCTD TUITE = Signing up for picket duty. IWA Strike Shows Need For Labor On Councils Need for direct labor representation on city and muni- cipal councils was sharply emphasized this week when union delegations appeared before Vancouver, New Westminster and Burnaby Councils, seeking support for the woodworkers strike. ; Only from Burnaby Municipal Council, on which labor has direct representation through LPP Councillor Harry Ball, did the delegations receive any positive support. By unanimous vote the council adopted a resolution supporting the IWA’s efforts to effect a strike settlement. But in New Westminster, heart of the sawmill industry, where the council had already sent fran- tic wires to Ottawa imploring federal intervention because of the effect the strike would have on business, the ITWA was un- able to move the MWiberal-domin- ated council from its evasive po- sition of “strict neutrality.” Pressed by Percy Smith, presi- dent of TWA Local 1-357, to state their individual positions, each alderman in turn fell back on the plea that such a request was unfair because they did not know all the facts of the strike. Even Ald. W. Cook, who did speak in favor of the woodwork- ers’ demands on wages and hours, had to be reminded that union security was also an issue. In Vancouver, Ald. R. K. Ger- vin, elected with labor’s support last’ December, was the lone council member to speak up for the strikers when a union dele- gation asked for the council’s endorsation of the IWA’s de- mands and for permission to hold a tag day. The council turned the delegation down and turned over to the park board the union’s re- quest for use of Stanley Park for a picnic on May 24. Mayor Cornett wanted to ‘pass the buck” on this as he has on all other major questions to come before the council. In a heated exchange with Ald. Gervin he took the position that the matter was one for federal and provin- cial governments and the city council did not want to be in- volved. Sloan Named Conciliator Chief Justice Gordon Sloan has been assigned by the fed- eral minister of labor to re- open conciliation proceedings between the lumber opera- tors and the IWA. His new commission provides for the arbitration of points involved in the demand for union se- curity. In his wire to Justice Labor Minister Mitchell Sloan, stressed the point that any agreement reached on wages would have “to be ac- ceptable to the Regional War La- bor Board.” The talks be- tween the oper- aters and the IWA with Jus-- tice Sloan are scheduled to be- gin today (May 22). Under pub- lie pressure, the operators are now ready to nego- tiate. Justice Sloan COME TO THE LPP STRIKE RALLY, CAMBIE GROUNDS, SUNDAY, 2 p. m. ViROTM* 1-3 LE ShtAOud ! !