- alization of the CPR under

Farmers Seek CNR Control Of CPR

OTTAWA — The nation-

= the management and con- ~ trol of the publicly-owned CNR was urged in the an- nual submission of the Na- tional Farmers Union to the federal-provincial farm con- = ference here.

The brief, representing - farmers in the four west- ern provinces and Ontario, called such a move part of its over-all scheme for a — soundly - based national = transportation policy.

The brief also urged im- = plementation of ‘the pro- = posed Canada pension plan = for portable and compulsory = pensions. It also said that = the Saskatchewan exper- ience with compulsory medi- = care shows such a scheme = was overdue and now it = should be extended na- = tionally.

i

Jobs Up

The combined Dominion Bureau of Statistics and Jabor department monthly estimate said the jobless rate stands at 3.7 per cent of the labor force or the lowest in four years.

ALUN

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER —

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

1st Issu> January, 1964

"Value of Collective Bargaining.

labor laws. Woodworkers demanded a Canadian Wag- ner Act until finally collective bargaining was made com- pulsory as in the United States. To their dismay, provis- ions borrowed from the Wagner Act were weakened by the inclusion in Canadian law of restrictive and com- pulsory conciliation procedures. This presented the Ca- nadian section of the Union with disadvantages in ne- gotiations unknown in the United States.

As a result of the new legislation, the IWA, when founded, was immediately plunged into a period of intense activity. Even while it strove to organize unor- ganized woodworkers into one industrial union, it was required to develop the administrative machinery neces- sary for representation elections and collective bargain- ing. Business-like organization was required to establish proof that the majority of the employees in each bar- gaining unit desired representation through the IWA. This work required a staff, trained and capable, to deal with legal complexities and the policing of signed agree- ments. Research facilities were necessary to support the Union‘s claims during negotiations. The Union’s ready adaptation to these pressures soon made a business-like organization with an enviable record of success in its negotiations.

At the outset, it was obvious to IWA negotiations that bargaining demands should be standardized on an industry-wide basis. Early attempts to establish a stand- ard contract for the fir belt were frustrated by the em- ployers who preferred to bargain individually or in small groups. Large corporations operated logging camps and mills at widely-scattered points throughout the whole

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_ard conditions were’ substantially remedied,

area. Bargaining by local unions at these points revealed a disquieting lack of uniformity. The employers ex- ploited rivalries in district bargaining which led to dis- sension and confusion. Contracts had different termina- tion dates, making it difficult to synchronize bargaining pressures and any necessary strike action. The wide disparity in wage rates and other contract conditions blocked satisfactory progress.

The steps taken by the Union to overcome the initial confusion led to industry-wide bargaining on a regional basis. The International Union formed. a Policy Commit- tee fully representative of all the local unions. Negotiat- ing demands originating in the local unions were all considered by this Committee as it prepared a set of de- mands for presentation to the employers. Allowance was made for varying conditions in each section of the industry. Pressure was exercised on the employers to bargain centrally.

The results are noteworthy. A marked degree of uniformity in wage rates and contract provisions was established in the regional areas. Uniformity in contract demands forced a greater centralization of the em- ployers’ bargaining and simplified the Union’s negotia- tions. Unfair differentials in rates for comparable work were wiped out. The Union gained formidable bargain- ing strength as it presented a united front to the em- ployers of workers in logging camps, sawmills, plywood plants and shingle mills expressing common basic needs.

The democratic procedures followed throughout in- — sured membership support in negotiations. Local union members shared in the preparation of negotiating de- mands, They delegated responsibility to representative negotiating committees but exercised final approval of negotiating results. In no aspect of the Union's activities is membership control more clearly demonstrated.

The Union's early experiences with collective bar- gaining immediately opened up the question of union security. Successful bargaining required that all the em- ployees in the bargaining unit should be members of the Union. At one stage a number of local unions op- erated their own hiring halls. By such means they elim- inated the extortionate practices of the company-con- _ trolled “hiring sharks” and abolished the notorious < “blacklist.” Through the hiring hall they were able to organize fully unionized crews, but the administrative difficulties raised by the employers were formidable. The union shop was seen as the most democratic form of union security and became one of the earliest bargain- ing demands.

If the Union was charged with the responsibility of bargaining for all the employees in the bargaining unit, it was obviously just that all the employees should have a voice in determining the conditions of their employ- menf.

Union membership is the only proper medium for | such expression. It was also recognized that those who benefit by the Union’s negotiations should share alike in the responsibilities of bargaining. The Union’s respon- sibility for observance of the contract conditions could be discharged efficiently only when all the employees became members of the Union.

The union shop demand was bitterly opposed by the employers in the Union’s negotiations. Repeated at- tempts were made to ban the union shop by legislation. When won, mainly by strike action, it has established * sound bargaining relations for woodworkers over wide _ areas. With this came the check-off which placed the col- ” lection of union dues on a business-like basis. In some instances, employer opposition lresulted in modified ” forms of the union shop usually described as “mainten- ance of membership” or the “agency shop.” Despite the employers’ gross misrepresentations of the union shop the IWA has successfully demonstrated its advantages in stable labor-management relations.

Wartime controls in World War II subjected the Un- ion’s bargaining relations to a severe test. By vigorous representations to national wartime agencies, sub-stand- baat’ vere: The Union patriotically maintained production requirements at q — high level of efficiency without relinquishing its basic bargaining rights. Better agreements resulted, although new problems arose when the national emergency ended,

Other important accomplishments of collective bar- gaining will be discussed in a future installment.

(TO BE CONTINUED)