7

Around the Slipways

_ By Charles Saunders

| end of the year is the time when union-olticials find : out in very definite terms how the membership views heir accomplishments of the past year. In most unions fficers are elected annually and by secret ballot. The growth #i the unions during the last year and the responsibility of irecting union affairs in wartime has placed added burdens (pon those called upon to give leadership to their workmates. Too many union members think that their responsibility inds with the payment of dues and take very little part in ae active work of the union. Policy is formed at union meet- ags and it is more necessary than ever now, when the duties nd demands made upon organized labor are so much greater, Hat members attend their meetings. The majority of shipyard workers still rely on second- and information or gossip around the yards for their in- ormation on important issues affecting them. Such vital muestions as the continuous production plan, piecework, and rage negotiations can only be carried through successfully mhen the officials of the union conducting the negotiations are Issured of the confidence of the membership. This can only 'e attained when every member is in possession of the facts. ‘he place to learn the facts is at the meeting. That is why locals hold regular meetings. Those who at- fend the membership meetings regularly are also best able © evaluate the work of the officials, to re-elect those they .old to have earned their approval, and to replace those @ bey consider unsuited for a position. ©

ie Boilermakers’ Union covers close to 12,000 shipyard workers, and seldom draws more than 300 members to general meeting, while the meetings over which I have the .oner to preside are usually attended by not more than 150 put of the 3,000 members. This, I believe, holds true of most egular meetings called by shipyard unions.

An instance of the confusion resulting from poor at- endance at union meetings is revealed by the many different 1otiens existing- resarding the conditions finally arrived at n the discussions with Justice S. E. Richards and submitted fo the membership of the unions involved for ratification or ‘ejection. One mistaken notion which I find to be most pre- ralent is that those not working the six full shifts will lose all *heir bonus time, including the overtime payment for the ast half of the sixth shift. The clause covering this in the pro- josed agreement states: “Premiums included in the foregoing xt one hour for the first shitt, two hours for the second shift ind two hours for the third shift are only payable on working tix full consecutive shifts.”

® These decisions are of vital importance to every union nember and he owes it to himself and his workmates to be- jome thoroughly familiar with them. This is one reason why prefer decisions made at a regular business meeting to } eferendums, for too often the worker who does not attend 411s meetings has to rely on rumors and yard gossip for his 4 nfiormation and is not in the best position to give a con- @sidered opinion.

That is why regular meetings are held so that the member- {ship may be fully informed, thoroughly discuss a question, and arrive at a decision calculated to advance the interest af the whole membership.

e

Wee machinery of the National War Labor Board is not satisfactory when dealing with disputes in major war Sindusiries which call for speedy settlement. Cases where Amanagement and labor haye come to an amicable agreement still linger before that body while production suffers because of the delay. The current dispute involving the reamers and passer boys, who are a part of the rivetting teams, should have been disposed of long ago. : These men are directly involyed in piecework and are a part of the gang. They are asking to be paid on a piecework basis and the opinion is that their request should be granted. Surely it should be possible, cither through the Regional War Labor Board or by granting more power to provincial representatives of the labor department to provide at least for a temporary disposition of such cases, pending decision by the board at Ottawa. These authorities on the spot are best able to appraise the local situation and in this way minor disputes could be checked before they assume serious pro- portions.

Berry Growers’ Brief )

Presented To Gov’t

Delegates to Vancouver Labor Council, at the last meeting, endorsed the demand of the Berry Growers’ Protective Society for a federal subsidy of three cents a pound for berries as contained in a brief submitted by Secretary J. K. Richardson. The brief, which has already been endorsed by Vancouver City Council and a number of organizations, was presented to Hon. K. C. MacDonald, provincial minister of agriculture, in Victoria this week.

Following is the text:

We berry growers, confronted with the possible loss of a large portion of our next crop through our inability to procure a fair price and adequate labor, appeal to or- ganized labor to assist and sup- port our attempt to secure a sub- sidy of three cents per pound which, mm our opinion, should be retroactive to May 1, 1942, to in- clude berries harvested this sum- mer.

As you perhaps are already aware the berry growing industry up to last spring was dominated by Jap- anese growers, since they prew about 70 percent of the total. Be- cause of this, when Japanese were evacuated, it became apparent that drastic measures must be taken to Save the berry erowing industry, which up to, but not including, this

lyear was worth $1,500,000 annually

-harvesting, ,approximate gross value. None of

to the Fraser Valley.

New white growers were induced to take over these farms on a basis of a cash payment for the standing erops, at that time almost ready for of 20 percent of the

these growers, taking over farms, had much capital, but what little they did have was invested in these farms, mostly for labor, since the money for the purchase of the crop was put up and loaned to these new growers by the different organ- izations handling berries. e ° °

Unfortunately, and through no fault of our own, these splendid crop prospects did not materialize, first because of heavy rains and second because there was a short age of pickers. The labor shortage was seriously aggravated by the refusal of the railways to concede a harvesters’ rate of one cent per mile, to enable 3,000 pickers to be brought out from the prairies and returned at the end of the season.

The best we could do, although the railways were asked by the Un- employment Insurance Commission to grant the one cent per mile rate, was to obtain a special rate of 24% cents per mile each way. This was altogether too~high for the type of people that wanted to come out, mostly women from 16 to 40 years old, and the scheme fell through.

The result was that only one- third of the strawberry crop was harvested and two-thirds of the raspberry crop. When the season was over the growers found them- selves completely without funds to carry on, not only those growers who took over Japanese farms but all berry growers, with the excep- tion of a few on Lulu Island who were able to get sufficient pickers from Vancouver and New Westmin- ster.

In consequence thousands of acres of planted berries are now being neglected and will not be worked until next season because the berry growers, in order to maintain their families, have had to look for work in industry. Their leaving the farms will ac- centuate the shortage, not only of berries, but of the other veget- ables and fruits they produce.

e e e

We have appealed to Ottawa, through the Hon. Minister of Ag- riculture, and have recently re- ceived a wire from the Department of Food Administration and also from the Special Products Board stating that no subsidy will be paid sinee, in their opinion apparently, fruit is not an essential food.

This opinion is contradicted by

advices we have received from Britain, where thousands of tons of Fraser Valley berries have been shipped during the past year, and by declarations made by food ex- perts in Britain and United States that jams and canned foods are es- sential foods during wartime, both for the army and the civilian popu- lation, especially for children. It is also contradicted by the stress laid by the federal government itself on home-canning of fruits.

Organized labor should be con- cerned over these conditions, since if they are not immediately reme- died through assistance from Ot- tawa, two-thirds of the strawberry acreage and about 40 percent of the raspberry acreage will complete destruction before anoth- er season comes around. If we can get aid, much of this acreage could still be saved.

The total amount of the three cent per 1b. subsidy asked for would be about $175,000 a year, and the federal government has itself al- ready established the precedent by granting British Columbia poultry- men a subsidy of three cents a dozen on eggs.

It is perhaps hardly necessary for us to point out that if this destruction of berry acreage is permitted, prices for fruit will rise so that the added cost to con- sumers will be more than $175,- 000 necessary to pay this subsidy to the growers.

Finally, to relieve the labor short- age, which will persist even with granting of the subsidy, we believe the provincial government should immediately investigate the possi- bilities of establishing a farm serv- ice force similar to that organized in Ontario.

face’

Continued

Lake Log

per day per Man is down 400 feet

about one-third in comparison with last year, although in other logging operations where labor- management production relations

or

are poor, production is down 40 per cent. and more. The labor shortage has been

partly responsible for this drop in production. Another contributing

factor at Lake Log was the fire which last July forced a two-week shutdown and destroyed equipment and timber already felled and bucked.

It was after they had been given these hard facts on production that the men voted to accept the com pany’s offer to donate the victory bond. if the winner is not in camp when the bond is drawn for on Jan- uary 5, then it will be drawn for again and it will go to the man who is in camp.

This, however, is only one in- stance of what the production com- mittee is doing. Knowing that the men appreciate the frank way in which production problems are placed before them, the committee is having a chart posted on which production progress will be shown.

The men are also being encour- aged to make their own sugges- tions for increasing production, with the company offering a $20 cash prize each month for the best suggestion.

Saybe FEluira’a singing is getting better, but company never used to drop in like this until we converted to

coal

Drawn for Office of War Information ,

D7B/Vs

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