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[The Labour Statesman]
BC Historical Newspapers
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**w-******M***\%%mmmm ■ ,'*»'. *\mmm SUPPORTED) BY ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR LOCAL UNIONS TO EACH UNION MEMfipR THE POLITICAL PARTY OF HIS CHOICE LABOR STATE* OWNED BY THE VANCOUVER, NEW WESTMINSTER AND DIS TRADES & LABOR COUNCI MAfc Number 627 VANCOUVER, CANADA, MARCH, 1951 MORE THAN ONE MILLION ORGANIZED WORKERS WANT PRICE AND RENT CONTROLS Four Major Labor Groups Present Controls^ Brief To Federal Government T AST MONTH Canada's four major labor organizations placed before the federal government demands for reimposition of price controls and adequate rent controls. The meeting of senior officers of four central labor bodies with Prime Minister St. SJaurent marked the first occasion on which such a united stand h .s be the labor groups. The four central labor bodies represent more than one million organized Canadian workers. The brief said these union members, with their dependents, represented at least a third of the Canadian population. The Prime Minister was very definite in stating that rent control legislation would be abandoned by the Federal Government, April , 30th. It is important, therefore, that a campaign be commenced immediately-to haver rent control legislation adopted at the present session of our Legislature, so that protection will be given to those people paying rent, every effort should be made to have legislation enacted before the Federal powers are withdrawn.*g«Sfe|^»- .-. — (All SrAMHHj "If he's a union man, get him to propose! If he isn't, propose that be eels!" Mr. Prime Minister and Members of j happened in the last six months has the Government: on]y intensified the need. The delegation which appears be- 5. By Janaary 2, 1951, the urban fore you represents practically the Lost of living index was 42.8 per entire trade union movement of _ent above April 1, 1946 i food 63.0 Canada: the Trades and Labor per cent, clothing 51.9, home fur- Congress of Canada, the Canadian Inishings and services 49.0, rent 21.5, Congress of Labour, the Canadian: fue_ and light 32.0 No farm family and Catholic Confederation of La- living cost figures for a date later bour, and the Dominion Joint Legis- - lative Committee of the Railway Transportation Brotherhoods. These bodies have about one million members, who, with their dependents, make up at least a third of the population of Canada. They represent skilled and unskilled, craft unions and industrial unions, national unions and international unions. Catholic unions and non-confessional unions, men and women of every province, every race, and every creed except Communism. They are united in the conviction that rent control must be maintained and price control imposed. That is why they are here. 1. Thc free world now faces the most ruthless and powerful aggressor in history. The best it can hope for is long years of heavy defence expenditures, a large proportion of its manpower and resources diverted from productive work to a great effort for sheer survival. In this offort Canada must play a major part We have no choice. The enemy is no longer at a safe distance. He is on our northern doorstep. Our share of the free world's industrial potential is large and important, far larger and more imports ant than at the outbreak of war in 1939. If we fail or falter, our allies may be critically weakened, and disaster may overwhelm us all. ■ 2. Labour knows this as well as any section of the Canadian people, perhaps better. Both the Trades and Labor Congress and—the—Caimittsir Congress of Labour have been engaged in a long battle with the Communists in their own ranks. Labour knows from grim experience just how tough, how clever, how elusive, how relentless, even a handful of Communists can be. It has probably fewer illusions about the size of the job ahead than any other class. It certainly knows better than any other class just what Communist domination would mean. 8, Labour is therefore fully prepared to do'its part in a common effort to preserve a free society.' But effective defence Against Communist aggression demands a great deal more than just strong armed forces. Economic strength is no less important than military. Inflation can be as dangerous as Communism itself, and Communism's most powerful ally. 4. But inflation is now in full swing. Even before the Korean war, there had been big increases in prices. Prom April 1, 1946, when the post-war rise in the cost of living began, to July 3, 1950, the urban cost of living index rose 38.7 per cent, the food index 58.6, clothing 46.7, home furnishings and services 38.3. By contrast, the rent index had risen only 20.1 per cent, and fuel and light 28.5; rents were still partly controlled, and electricity is always controlled, either by public ownership or public regulation of rates. The index of farm family living costs at August 1 {the nearest date available) had risen 43.3 per cent; food 65.3, clothing 48.9, fuel 36.2. The rise in wholesale prices . had been even steeper. At July 1, the general wholesale price index was 54.0 per cent above April 1, 1946: consumers' goods 47.7, building materials 65.8, and industrial materials 66.5. When controls were taken off.the public was assured that the "natural", "normal" forces of competition and "free enterprise" would keep prices down. But they , didn't. - Even before the fresh burst of price increases which followed the invasion of Korea, it was clear that those forces had failed, and something further was needed. What has than August, 1950, are yet available, but there is no reason to suppose they would show a different trend. At December 1, 1950, the general wholesale index was 62.1 per cent above April 1, 1946: consumers' goods 59.0, building materials 74.0, industrial materials 91.6. These higher wholesale prices are bound to be reflected in still further increases retail prices; ar.d the increasing diversion of manpower and other resources to the armed forces and defence production will have the same effect. At April 1, 1946, average weekly earnings of salary and wage earners in the nine leading groups of industries covered by the DBS Employment Situation were $32.56. By December 1, 1950, they had risen $46.59. -But ' Watchmakers' Union New Council Affiliate The recently formed Watchmakers' Local No. 57 of the International Jewelry Works' Union, has been accepted as an affiliate of the Vancouver, New Westminster and District Trades and Labor Council, upon recommendation of R. Guthrie, chairman of the Organizing Committee. The union has recently been certified in 23 watch repairing firms in Vancouver and New Westminster itiations for union Thop agreements are under way. Over 100 members have joined the union since it was chartered in Vancouver last fall. Be Sure That You Get Union Made Ice Cream Delegate McCuIloch, the Business Agent of the Milk Salesmen and Dairy Employees' Union, Local No. 464 informed the Trades Council that an agreement has been signed with Palm Dairies Limited, embracing the Ice Cream staff. Wage increases of $30 to $40 ger month have been obtained. . Other dairies operating the ice cream section under union agreements are the Arctic Ice Cream and Velvet Ice Cream companies. Be sure that your ice cream purchases are from union firms. at war now. In a formal, legal sense, that is true. In any other sense, it is not rue. By any realistic standard, we are, and have been for some time at war against Communist aggression. In Korea, our forces are actuary engaged in open battle against armies of two Communist satellite states. Elsewhere along the frontiers of the Soviet world, we and our allies stand constantly on guard, braced for a similar attack there. We are building up our armed forces, and their equipment, on a scale never before equalled except in the open conflagration of two world wars, and there is no doubt that our efforts will have ..to be further intensified. To talk of this state of affairs as "peace" is to misconceive the whole nature of the situation that confronts us. The United States, the senior partner in the Western Alliance, is formally in a state of itfrm, manufacturing electrical equip- emergency; it has, as the Londo«j*ment have had to lay off 15 union Economist puts it, "crossed the members and others may follow, watershed from a state of affairs | Further reports from delegates that was still more peace than war'showed that most of the members in to one that is definitely more war j other trades were working, and that than peace." The rest of us, ] there was an indication that mech- Material Shortage Slows Down Jobs Reports made by delegates to the Metal Trades Council show that employees are being laid off on account of material shortages. One proclamation or no proclamation, have crossed the same watershed. 10. This emergency is likely to be the most costly in our history. Mr. King, in 1941, gave as one of the anics might be in short supply in one or two trades on account of the amount of work coming in. Plans are under way for the opening up of the shipyard agreements for this year, but no definite infor- BUILD STRONG UNIONS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY Support ^Given Local Union Company For Capilano Dam Project GIVING FULL SUPPORT TO THE BUILDING TRADES unions, the Vancouver, New Westminster and District Trades and Labor Council supported the first action of the Greater Vancouver Water Board, in giving the contract for the new Capilano Dam to a well-known union firm, the B.C. Bridge and Dredging Co. Building Trades union delegates pointed out that the lowest bid was from a .firm who had no agreements with B. C. unions, although they had been operating in this province for more than a year. The B.C. Bridge and Dredging Co. had been operating as a 100 per cent union firm for many years. When the matter was brought up, the Trades and Labor Council Executive presented the following resolution to the delegates, who endorsed it unanimously: _________ Whereas to $46.59. .But in terms of April, I9ilVfncrreVeheoyfX°3n3lyce$n^fn F" '« V&* «»*"] that Pr..8 i nmti^ 1,^beeTp^eTbe£re'.^ Apri 1946 dolars. increases would make it'more costly , coun<;il yet. „ , . and therefore more difficult to fi-l _."_" i., unnecessary to labour the]nance the war." The same holds true now, to an even greater degree, beacause the emergency will probably be more intense and prolonged, and because prices start from a point far above where they were in 1941. Indeed, it may be argued that uneon point. The Government has all the information Labour has, and more. It has all the means of knowing how serious the situation already is. It phas far better means than the general public of knowing how much more serious it is likely to be even within a few months. 8. What inflation means was concisely and cogently set forth by the late Prime Minister, Mr. King, in his broadcast of October 18, 1941, announcing the imposition of-pricc con-- trol: Rising prices unless controlled will make it more costly and therefore more difficult to finance the war. Rising prices, unchecked, will spread confusion and uncertainty in industry and trade. They will hinder production and the proper distribution of supplies. They will make the cost of living rise more rapidly than wages and salaries. The value of,indeed, Labour believes that the savings will be niaterially lessened. Government will have to go much {Dairyland Office Staff Has Been Organized Secretary Gervin informed the 1 Trades Council delegates that the roled price mcreases might prac- office cm , of Dairyland have tically bankrupt the nation, or at taken t" myembershi j^ 0ffic(j Employees Union, Local No. 15, and application has been made for cer- any rate leave it with an enormously enhanced burden of debt. 11. Mr. King, in his 1941 broadcast, made it very^ clear that price pelf, "ceiling, Dy il stop inflation. control, a price was not enough to But he made it equally clear that other measures by themselves were not enough either. That is precisely Labour's position now. Higher interest rates, higher taxes, control of consumer credit, manipulation of the external value of the Canadian dollar, control and allocation of scarce materials: all these are necessary; The result would be hardship to nearly everyone, and hardship very unequarmeasure . . . Rising prices —1 a rising cost of living — do not have the same effect on all households. The smaller father with some of them than it _J_i(_has-lyet done, notably^by-imposing an excess profits tax. But even with - ik-Ii additions, these measures are not enough. They were not enough, the family incomo and the larger the family, the mose serious the hardship imposed. For those with small incomes, rising prices of clothing, food and other necessaries may mean serious hardship, while for those with larger incomes only luxuries and small comforts may have to be given up. Rising prices thus serve to aggravate the inequalities in society, and to throw the heaviest burdens on those least able to bear them. Wartime experience has shown that prices rise faster than wages or salaries, and bear more heavily still on those who live on small pensions or life savings. Nor is the position of the farmer any happier than that of the wage earner . . . Because of the heavy demands of war on industry, the scarcity of farm products. The rise in prices will consequently be unequal, if prices are left to themeselves. The things farmers have to buy tend to go up in price, more than the things' they have to sell . . . The truth is that all but an insignificant minority of the population would be worse off aa a result of rising prices, if prices were permitted to rise unchecked, and, in general, the relatively poor would suffer more than the relatively well-to-do. - ' 9. We shall doubtless be told that when Mr. King was speaking we were at war, had been at war for over two years, and that we aire not in the last struggle against aggression. They are not enough now. As the struggle is intensified, they will become steadily more and more inadequate. 12. Mr. Kenneth Taylor, Chairman of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, told the Royal Commission on Prices two years ago that the success of price control during the last war 'was made possible by a vigorous combination of supply controls, production directives, export controls, bulk purchasing, subsidies and rationing." He mentioned specifically 'orders for diverting scarce materials and keeping down costs through simplification and standardization ".- . . Typical of such orders were those prohibiting the production of motor cars and other consumers'' durables; controlling the uses of metals; eliminating designs wasteful of-textile fabrics; restricting the uses of oils and fats; and controlling the commencement or expansion of civilian business enterprises." Labour recognizes that measures of this kind also are essential. But again, by themselves they are not enough. Indeed, some of them, such as subsidies, obviously could not be applied without price controls. 13. Labour recognizes that, even with the most complete and energetic control policy, prices cannot be kept stationary. There are external forces-which not one in Canada can control. We are dependent on im- ' (Continued on Page 3) tification and an agreement is to be negotiated ——— ■- - The secretary pointed out that many unions obtained agreements with firms or industries and thereby mistakenly state that such is a union firm overlooking the fact that only a the Greater Vancouver Water Board has considered the awarding of a contract for the new Capilano Dam; and, Whereas the B.C. Bridge and Dredge Company submitted the second lowest tender; and, Whereas the lowest tender was submitted by a Company that has no union contracts in existence. Therefore be it resolved that this Council endorse the action of Alderman A. P. Proctor and Birt Showier of Vancouver, Mayor Frank Stanley of Port Moody, Reeve Christmas of Coquitlam, Reeve Cunningham of Richmond and Alderman Allison of New Westminster in voting to award the contract to a union firm of this province; namely, the B.C, Bridge and Dredge Company. LOCAL FIRMS HAVE ABILITY " •In speaking to the motion to concur, Delegate Frank Carlisle, president of the Building Trades Council, pointed out that the Gilpin-Nash Company (lowest bidder) was alleged to' be an American firm- who would have to bring in equipment from the U.S. to do the job, as well as American personnel, while the local firm# has the ability, personnel and equipment to do. the job and has been operating here for many years. "Why should this equipment, valued at thousands of dollars, lie idle here while equipment is brought in from Seattle?" he said. "Half a million dollars is a lot of money," he said, "but it will go into the pockets of our members and our citizens instead of across the line." He pointed out that the B.C. Bridge and Dredging Company had figured the job on construction wage scales, as well as taking into consideration the wage increases that will be going into effect this year. The Gilpin-Nash firm had probably figured the job on a road work wage scale, which is a lower scale, but the dam is not a road job, but a construction job. NOT A UNION FIRM Delegate Carlisle stated that the Gilpin-Nash Company had agreed to sign a union agreement "if they got the job." This is not good enough, he said. The firm has been operating in this territory for about a year and has not yet signed a union agreement with any union. They have been presented with union agreements but have not signed them. their profits out of B.C. If yoUj figure it out, it will only cost 20 cents per year for each water consumer to pay the difference of the B.C. Bridge's bid. A SOUR NOTE Delegate Hines of the Painters' Union, entered a sour note into the discussion when he stated that "$500,000 is a lot of money to pay for a union job." He was of the opinion that the trades union movement should see that the Gilpin-Nash job was organized. Delegate Hines ignored the information that efforts to obtain*, union agreement from this firm , had failed, and he also should know that building trades unions don't think it fair to assist a non-union under-cutting firm to get a job, on the chance that the nonunion low wage scale employees can be organized so that they can get the union wage scale, while union men are idle. Glassworkers Ask For Conciliation Board Glaziers and Glassworkers Union, Local No. 1527, are having to apply for a conciliation board. The union rejected an offer of 147o for journeymen, 6.7 for female workers and 9% for helpers. The present rate for journeyman is only $1.21 per hour and other categories range from 75 cents. The union is asking for a 25 cents an hour incrense for about 150 members employed in five major glass firms. Construction Trades Vacation Starts July 2 The annual holiday of the' construction trades in the Greater Vancouver and New Westminster districts will take place this year July 2nd to 7th. Such an agreement has been reached again this year between the Building Trades Council and the General Contractors' Association, and will generally be adhered to by contractors otitside of this association. Some 12,000 construction workers will be affected by this week's holi- supply day, but building material firms, as well as some manufactur- They can't be ".air"" wrw-tob"if I '"* fiwns-^vitt-trhiu take advantage uf ■_J_ %_' __ ... . . . t\,', I . ■ I. . , . . I ,, 1 IIK i.wl.l .1,4 1 I 1." . . t IF I .■. 1 it has another. COMMENDS WATER BOARD Delegate Robert Guthrie of Carpenters' Union stated that not committed itself on the the small majority or in some cases a|B.C. Bridge and Dredging Company »_. i rw_ri _ i* •*■>*? jii.mJ.iv.u.i- .i fn .i j-.t 11.. 11 ti ..I... ■_! i .___ • .... . . minority of employees are actually under union contract. The secretary appealed to affiliated unions to see to it when organizing, that office workers were given the opportunity and made acquainted with the fact that there is an International Office Workers' Union in this city. Building Trades to Conciliate Wage Scales Wage increases in the building trades this year, are headed for conciliation boards. The carpenter trades, with about 6,000 members employed in the lower mainland, with a demand for $2 per hour have applied for conciliation boards after failing to get a satisfactory offer from the general contractors. Building laborers have also applied for a conciliation board not having been able to obtain anything better than a 7 cents offer fortheir 1600 members. Plumbers and pipefitters are conciliating for a dollar per hour Increase for their 700 members in this district Most of the other trades are either carrying on negotiations or are planning conciliation boards. Shingle Weavers Get New Wage Increases Members of the Shingle Weavers Union, Local No. 2802 have accepted an 18-month contract with wage Increases ranging from nine to 18 cents per hour. The agreement also embraces vacation pay and coat of living bonus, similar to that previously agreed to by the I.W.A. settlement in the coast lumber industry. The wage was accepted under protest, as it was considered insufficient, but was the pattern set by the I.W.A. in the sawmill industry. always hired union men. They hire their men through the union offices, but I can't say the same for Mr. Nash. "I don't think he would hire any more union people than he had to." Members of the Water Board are to be commended for the ac- t-pn they took, he said. He further pointed out that office staff, superintendents and technicians would come from the U.S. and would probably be here for two years. At the same time our members caiVUgo to the U.S. for a long period. T M.C. Bridge and Dredging ComqfiH b business here, maintains a, g. staff here and is an old estab. T^- firm here, said Brother GuthrieT^SS ASKED FOR MORE MONEY Delegate Custer Solem of the Truck Drivers' Union reminded the delegates that it waa only a few years back when a group of road- building firms had obtained a few hundred thousand more dollars for road work in B.C. which they claimed had cost them more than they had estimated. The government paid up. We should support the local firm, who ia a union firm, this shutdown and do likewise. In Victoria the shutdown will between July 8th and 14th. be Printing Trades Get Wage Scales Upped Over 250 workers in Vancouver's printing establishments have obtained a wage increase amounting to 13% cents and bringing the hourly wage to $1.84 for day work and $L94 for night work. Unions affected by the wage increase are Vancouver Typographical Union No. 226, International Printing Pressmen's Union No. 69 and International Brotherhood .of Bookbinders, Local No. 105. About 20 major printing plants Sn Vancouver are embraced in the :<>cments, among them the Wrig- "T>ov*-inting Company, printers of ^> *T Statesman. City., ' Ipployees Get Nint-er Cent Boost Some nine hundred City Hall employees, embracing the inside staffs, have accepted a nine per cent salary boost, through the medium ot City ..Hall Employees' Association, Feder- mstead of a company who will take | a! Union, No. 16. ' • — I1 I JMUWWBBSf Look For This Label on TAXICABS ,V» [usioasuvicii __ TEAMSTERS LABEL IT 15 YOUR ASSURANCE OF UNION SERVICE i —, ._._■__..__■ Page Two THE LABOR STATESMAN March, 1951 THE LABOR.. STATESMAN Published third Thursday in each month at Labor Temple, 307 West Broadway, Vancouver, B. C. Authorised as second class mail. Post Office Department, Ottawa. Owned by the Vancouver, New Westminster and District Trades and Labor Council H. W. WAITS, Managing Editor Subscription Rates: $1.00 per year; to Unions, 4c per member per month. Phone: FAirmont 4343 Vancouver, Canada, March, 1951 We Don't Hear Them Now It was only a few years ago that the Canadian Manufacturers' Association and every other kind of business association -were condemning wage increases and protesting the activities of organized labor. But we don't hear much from them now. Such associations are having such a good time raising prices without any danger from government controls that they don't dare protest wage increases. As a matter of fact they have found that after there has been a general increase in prices, organized labor has had to ask for a wage increase, and by the time most organized workers have obtained a wage increase, the manufacturers have agreed to say that because wages have gone up, they must raise prices again. And so it has been going on, year after year. As a matter of fact, business has become so callous that they don't even blame'wage increases any more for an excuse to raise prices. Take store prices for instance. Look at the last C.O.L. index. In one month food prices went up 4.2 points. Clothing went up 5.2 points. Home furnishings went up 3.7 pointsi That is what has been going on since 1939 and which brings the cost-of-living index up to 175.2 as at February, 1951. Neither store employees, employees in food processing plants or farm employees have had-" hat could have any bearing on store prices. And we don't notice any fanners getting into the landed aristocracy class. «, Manufacturers and middlemen seem to be the people who do the marking up and are the profit takers. And that is where organized labor is asking for the controls to be placed. If the government is not prepared to put controls on prices, then they should pass a law to fine people who are continually yapping against wage increases. A wage increase is the only means of catching up with price increases, but we have never been able to catch up. Most of the people who complain about wage increases are the people who are'unorganized; people who are at the mercy of nonunion firms or are petty shopkeepers at the mercy of middlemen and manufacturers. The itinerant worker and the old age pensioners are caught in this mesh of prices, also, but very few of these took part in the battle to raise wages in the years gone by, hence they took no part in the efforts of organized labor to obtain a decent old age pension. There does not appear to be any likelihood of price controls being enacted, even though prices are rising at a greater amount than ever before. Last month was the biggest monthly jump in more than three years—2.7 points. With all these facts before us, it not only is imperative that organized labor should continue to seek wage increases, but it appears that it is also necessary that the wage increases should be greater and more substantial. Steel Shortages v. In several industries workers are being laid off because of _*eel shortages, and any industry that is not able to go into war supply production appears due for a long term of shortages. Vancouver is already feeling the pinch of this situation and several other manufacturing sections in Canada are suffering likewise, although some Eastern- Canada plants have been able to obtain war supply contracts, which keep the plants rolling. There must be a tremendous amount of steel going into war materials, judging by the amount of steel that is being produced in the U.S. at the present time. There is as much steel being produced in one year now, as was produced during the whole of World War II. * In 1939, the U.S. was producing 53 million tons a year. Today it is producing 104 million tons and is expected to rise to 117 million tons by the end of 1952 based on the present program to boost capacity production. And, by the way, Russia is producing 30 million tons a year, which is 50 per cent more than in 1940. With this ever increasing demand for steelit makes us wonder why the iron deposits which are alleged to exist'in Canada-^-deposits on Vancouver Island and huge deposits in Northern Ontario—are not being used. There have been rumors in the years gone by, that American steel interests prevented the construction of steel plants __i_L_Canada, but-this.does-not-appear to be true, judging by thg~<55tT gives you some idea of the pipe line wtfrk. Of course, this company is building pipe lines in other countries. There are many kinds of jobs in pipe line construction. Machines of every description are used on the job, hence operating engineers predominate. There.are carpenters, blacksmiths, welders, linemen, machinists and not so many laborers. The machines are composed of huge ditchdiggers, side-boom tractors, backhoes, tractors, truckers, automatic coaters (asphalt) and wrappers. The top mechanics in these trades can. earn as much as $300 per week. While this company will have to use many of their own me: chanics to supervise the various stages of the work, which would not be known to our tradesmen, the bulk of the work will be done by Canadians and at union wage scales. The 1,115-mile line to the Great Lakes was a union job, done under union agreements. Joint Labor Lobby Forces Recognition Although the labor union lobby, composed of delegates from four labor groups, carried out a good job of lobbying in Victoria, the results were far from satisfactory to the delegates. The government's machine was well oiled, the legislative action had been planned, caucused and settled, and although the delegates were given sympathetic words from some of the members of the legislature there was enough opposition to convince the lobbyists that there would be no change from the action and legislation contemplated by the government. There were 28 delegates in attendance at the four-day meetings and they represented the Vancouver Trades and Labor Council, the Victoria Trades and Labor Council, the B.C. Federation of Labor and the Standard Railway Labor Organizations. George Home of the B.C. P. of L. acted as chairman andTR. K. Gervin of thc Vancouver T.L.C. acteii as secretary. jB£sja__$S tinuous failure of American steel companies to keep up with the demand—irrespective of the tremendous increase in production capacity. The U.S. reserves are going down and the steel companies are looking abroad for promising sources, hence if there are large deposits of iron in Canada, it is time somebody made use of them, even it.it were only to keep the Canadian market for. steel products supplied. Canada is producing pig iron—of which 45% is required to produce a ton of steel, yet only three new blast furnaces are contemplated for Canada. The costs of building steel mills are high, but Henry Kaiser borrowed government money and built one and is making oodles of money, +enor if^hrre^sTio "private capital to launch such an enterprise in Canada, it seems that this industrial enterprise should be launched by "the Canadian Government. These mtfst be plenty of money in producing steel, because the U.S. Steel Company made $215 million last year and the Bethlehem Steel made $122 million. — ~. Oil and Gas to Vancouver . Construction of oil and gas lines through British Columbia to Vancouver appears to be getting nearer every day. Such construction work will provide jobs for several thousand workers, as well as many maintenance men after the lines" are completed. There will be storage terminals in Vancouver aS well as more refineries, all of which will add to Vancouver's growth. It is quite possible that a 715-mile 24-inch pipe line will get under way by the middle of this year, and this is likely to be followed by some others, either to Vancouver or across the line into the U.S. The cost of this one line is estimated at 86 million dollars, but that is only a small amount to what is being put into gas and oil pipe lines in the United States. They have to do something wjth the gas and oil that is being *«r>W#^^^ e%;en getting gas and oil 25 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico.' The known gas reserves in the U.S. are 180 trillion cubit feet. There are now more than 300,000 miles oif pipe lines in the U.S. stretching across the country in every direction. One line just completed was a $240 million. 1.840-mile line from the Rio Grande to New York City. This is a 30-inch gas pipe. When gas lines were first started they were 18 .inch, and 12 inch for oil. These are for main lines carrying long distances, but lines as small as sixjnch are being built from these main lines-to small towns. The group divided up into seven committees. Each group were supplied with the names of the M.L.A.'s they were to contact, and reports of the interviews" were to be made at further meetings of the delegates. The members of the legislature had previously been supplied with briefs of the subjects to be discussed, namely: Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, Workmen's Compensation Act, and the Hospital Insurance Act. The meeting also agreed to oppose a proposed change in the Fire Marshal Act. The committees had been able to meet most of the members of the legislature, but it was pointed out in the meeting that in future, the contacts should be made at the same time as the briefs were presented to the cabinet. The delegates also agreed the joint action had forced the government to take more notice of the trade union delegation, and as Secretary R. K. Gervin pointed out, that if the gathering of the three major organizations in a united front had accomplished nothing more, that labor had certainly learned a lesson through this lobby, that they must unite if they are to accomplish that which they seek in the legislative field. In reporting the result of the lobby efforts to the Trades and Labor Council, Delegate Hugh Bird* said: I feel that the present Government is the hardest to approach of any in the last 20 years. They are not a 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people", but a Government of arbitrary and dictatorial rule by the Executive Council. The Back Benchers are whipped into line by the Executive Council, and this does not tend to good government. In discussion of the I.C.A. Act with the back benchers, they know that the Government promised to open the act at this session, and openly expressed this opinion to us, "that the Government had let organ- ibed labor down." The back benchers realized that the Conpensation Act as it now stands is working a hardship on the workers. Rates of compensation set in the early HMO's do not fill the bill, with the cost of living as it stands today. In regard to Hospital—Insurance premiums. Most back benchers objected to the raising of premiums and co-insurance, but again the Executive Council laid down their ultimatum. If the people of B.C. are to have good government, the back benchers must stand upon their feet and tell the Executive Council that they intend to have a greater voice in the legislative program. Until this is done, we in B.C. cannot expect to have good government. ®I95I (ML jrAAVViTs "They're Dad's old quarterly union pins. Nobody can say he didn't have all his buttons!" Income Tax Deductions On Mechanics' Tools Auto Mechanics Local No, 1857 asked the Vancouver Trades and Labor Council to take up with the proper authorities the matter of Automotive Mechanics being allowed to deduct the cost of their tools from taxable income. , . The union pointed out that each year the changes in design and construction of automobiles makes it necessary for journeymen to purchase new tools in order to service new cars. They must also be replaced if lost or broken. The union also points out that doctors and dentists are allowed income tax exemption on the amount which they must spend in instruments, and feel that mechanics should be given the same consideration. Secretary Gervin took this matter up with the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada, who in reply stated that this matter was covered in Resolution No. 77 of the 1950 proceedings and will be part of the Annual Memorandum to thc government this year. Editor's note: This subject has been taken up with the government in previous years, after having been suggested by- building trades mechanics.). Some %J are born lucky -smart people save Today Is a good time to start a saoings account THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA J| You can bank on the "Royal" ^ Stationary Engineers Get 15c Wage Boost Members of Stationary Engineers Union, Local No. 882 have obtained wagejnereases of 15 cents per hour for engineers and 10 cents for firemen, retroactive to January 1st, in 12 B. C. lumber mills. The agreement also calls for vacation allowance of 2Mt% of earnings, up to five years of service and 5% for over five years of service, cost of living bonus and time and a half for Sunday work. The union has also obtained a new agreement with the Sweeney Cooperage, which gives a 9 cent increase to engineers making the wage $1.46 per hour and 16V- cents to firemen making the wage $1.23 h* per hour. Council Protests Cut Pension Contributions The Trades and Labor Council has sent a strong letter to the provincial government against the proposed cut in the government's contribution to the Teachers' Pension Fund. Ten years ago the pension fund was almost bankrupt, so tbe teachers increased their contributions, because the government (Employer) was not paying a sufficient amount into the fund. Since that time the cost of living has gone up 70% and the pensions remain the same, in spite of the fact that the pension fund has increased enough to justify increases up to 309?- in the service pension. Instead of increasing the miserable pensions, the government pro- proposes to reduce the amount of its contribution. Secretary Gervin sent a letter to every member of the legislature protesting the proposed cut in the contribution and replies -have been re- ceived from several supporting the stand of the teachers. It was also stated that the Minister of Education is bringing in an amendment to the Superannuation Act which will grant an increase of Vtlr to the pensions of all retired teachers. The teachers, however, are of tbe opinion that there should be a greater increase than that amount, and the government's present contribution to the fund should be maintained. GAULT BROTHERS Limited For dependable friendly service in camp or commissary supplies CARIBOU BRAND WORK CLOTHES Apprentices' Wages To render more skilled tradesmen, Certificates Issued United Brotherhood Carpenters higher quality workmanship, and and Joiners of America, Local 1641, provide apprentices with an equit- A.F. L., for employees of Burnaby ab)e wage while learning the various j Hardwood Floor Co. Ltd., employed trades, Saskatchewan repealed its inequitable "Apprentice Act" of 1944, and as the result of meetings with groups representing the various trades, a new act "Apprenticeship and Tradesmen's Qualification Act has been effected as of February 1st. The act will not deny any tradesmen the right to work. All will be entitled to a qualification certificate, creating a desire for persons holding the lower classes of certificates to improve their qualifications. The basic changes under the new regulations include: "Requirement in certain trades and areas that a worker have a certificate to produce for his employer. Wider powers for the 'Trade advisory and Examination -Boards1 representing "employers and employees. More uniform rates of pay and hours of work for apprentices. Expansion and improvement of trade training with time credit for apprentices. Certificates based on exams conducted by the trade concerned and the department. Examination, if requested, for those who hold certificates without previous examination. More precise definition of trades covered." Sign Painters Sign i. i iUfp»F>nuHU Players Delegate Kennedy, Business Agent for the Painters Joint Council reports that thc Famous Players-Corporation has signed an agreement with the Sign and Pictorial Painters Union, after many years of effort upon the part of the union to obtain a satisfactory agreement. Catherine: If you could have two .wishes, what would they be? Ann: Well, I'd wish for a hus- There are about 140 pipe line contractors in the U.S. employing' D8nd- about 60.000 men. The Bechtel Corporation, proposed builders of' A8ther_nej: Pat',.Jane- - the 715-mile Canadian line has a staff of 700 engineers alone, which J.f ? ^howherurtel out ^ Pile Drivers Hold Thirtieth Anniversary At the regular meeting of the Pile Drivers Bridge, Wharf and Dock Builders Local 2404 a presentation was made celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of granting of their charter from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. A mahogany and silver gavel was presented by Mr. Bill Page, International representative, which was received on behalf of the local by the president, A. E. Hallock with appreciation and thanks. A brief history of the local outlined some interesting highlights of the growth it has made. < A, E. HALLOCK. Ted: "There was a tremendous crowd out to watch the parade today, and only one policeman to keep order. At-one point it looked as though he might be overpowered." Ned: 'How did he manage to hold his own?" Ted: "He waited until he got pushed to the wall, and then took off his hat and asked for contributions to the policemen's ball. You should have seen the crowd disappear." as floorlayers, sandermen, and finishers at Vancouver. Sign and Pictorial Painters Union, Local 726, A.F.L., for employees of Famous Players Canadian Corporation Ltd., employed as sign painters and helpers at 820 Granville St. General Truck Drivers and Helpers Union, Local 31, A.F.L., for employees of Mainland Ice and Cold Storage Co. Ltd., employer as warehousemen at 1020 Cambie St, Vancouver. International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 882, A.F.L., for employees of Acme Shingle Co. Ltd., employed as engineers and firemen in the operation of and maintenance «£_*he—steam-planfc-afr-Slt»ughn St., Vancouver. Building Service Employees International Union, Local 244, A.F.L., for employees of Norton Investments Ltd., c/o The Yorkshire Corporation Ltd., employed in the maintenance, upkeep, and service, of the Lyric Building at 75,1 Granville SL, except engineers. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 1598, Stores Ltd., employed as carpenters atJVancouver.- Milk Salesmen and Dairy Employ* ees Union, Local 464. A.F.L., for employees of Central Creameries (B.C.) Ltd., employed as driver salesmen, employed on trucks and all inside employees at 325 Railway St., Van- Minimum pay for apprentices will j A-F-L. for employeesj of Woodwards be 50 cents per hour, or 40 per cent of the prevailing journeyman rate, or 40 per cent of the union rate, or 40 per cent of the journeyman rate paid by the individual employer, whichever is the greatest. This rate applies to the first 1,000 hours (ap- prox. 6 months) and is to be increased gradually until the apprentice starts his last 1,000 hours, when he will be paid 90 per cent of the prevailing journeyman pay. If Saskatchewan .rates applied to B.C. apprentices, they would be receiving until completion of apprenticeship, wages as following examples: "Plumbing: 70 cents to $1.57.4 per hour; Bricklaying: 75 cents to $1.69 per hour; Electrical: 72, cents to' $1.62 per hour; Carpentry: 69 The husband and wife were hav-. ing breakfast, the former ensconced behind his newspaper. . "You bad a very restless night, dear," said his wife, "and what's more, you kept murmuring a woman's name in your sleep. Now, who is Daisy?" "Oh-er," he stammered, "the fact , .,,„.,..., is, my dear, Daisy is a filly I backed cents to $1.51 per hour; Structural i yesterday. ,1. won, ten to one, and Iron Workers: 76 cents to $1.71 per!1*." « your share" He handed his nour« | wife $5 and hid himself once more What does the B.C. employer pay i behind his newspaper, where there is no union agreement?] In the evening, when he returned Majority of them pay very little! to dinner, his wife once more re- more than as per set out in *TUfflRBJBUgJistti _m Minimum Wage• OntoNo.*5 (1948) ^"Vy ttie'way, tteW, .MWWflaT' ycW- "31 cents per hawr**Vmg*trre first > know^ that horse you backed yester- two months, 34 cents the second two ] day?" months, 37 cents the third two ■ "Yes, ' he grunted, months, and 40 cents per hour the "Well, she rang you up on tbe Five-year-old Susan was helping her Daddy at his work bench in the basement. Finally he got tired of her incessant chatter and questions, and he asked her to be quiet for a little while. 'I don't have to be quiet," she stated importantly. 'I'm a woman." remainder of apprenticeship." It requires no criticism from thc writer except to say that if B.C. is to do its part in providing more and better skilled workers for Canadian industry—and the employers admit I there is a great need—then appren- I tices must be given a more equitable j deal. This means either by amend- !ing the Minimum Wage Order or re- phone this afternoon. At the supper table one night on the farm, the hired man was telling about a breeder who was developing a strain of sheep for speed. "He tells Fin-." the hired man said, "that he's got Iambs now that can. run 40 miles an hour." "But why does he want lambs that placing it with something akin to the j can run 40 miles an hour?" he was Saskatchewan Apprenticeship andjas|jed. Tradesmen's Qualification Act "To keep up with Mary?" he re- W. E. BURT. plied. ■•->* ■ (v . : "BUILD B.C. PAYROLLS' HANDY COOKING AID PRICE CONTROLS (Continued from Page 1) I ports for many important raw ma-j 19. What warrant is there for as- i terials, foodstuffs and machines, and suming that "whole-hearted accept- much else. Over the prices of these | ance," "almost unanimous support," Now Vitamin creamy-smooth D increaaed, Pacjfic Milk adds extra nourishment to favorite recipes. Its uniform goodness makes it ideal for baking, cooking or beverages, And Pacific whips easily for party meals. Pacific Milk Vacuum Packed and Ho'mogeniswl REMEMBER THE RED CROSS * *■..■ This space donated by Bill Couper 724 Seymour Street on the world market we can exert little, if any, influence. But the existence of such forces only makes it the more necessary that all the factors which can be controlled should be controlled; and with the increasing utilization of controls in the United States, from which many of our essential imports come, the uncontrollable external forces are daily being reduced. 14. The arguments against the imposition of price control now in Canada appear to be: (a)N When price controls were introduced in 1941, our war effort was absorbing about 40 per cent of our production. Our present defence effort is taking only about ten per cent What was necessary, and possible, with a 40 per cent effort is neither necessary nor possible with a ten per cent effort. (b) Mr. King, in his 1941 broadcast, explicitly stated that price control was being imposed because of actual, physical shortages of consumer goods caused by diversion of energies and resources to the armed forces and war production. "For two years," said Mr. King, "the Government has been competing with the individual consumer for almost every commodity Canada produces or imports" This is not true now; hence, so runs the argument, price control is not required. (c) The administration of price control is an enormous task. The magnificent administrative machine the Wartime Prices and Trade Board built up is largely dismantled. (Even months, the Gov- ernment has been busily dismantling what remains of the rental controls administration, an action which, Labour feels, shows a most remarkable failure to realize the nature and extent of the present national emergency. If there is one thing which ought to be plain to everyone, it is that the accumulated housing shortage, which is now worse than at the end of the war, is likely to get still worse in the next few years, as the could not be secured for price control now? Do our people really think Communism is less dangerous than Nazism? Germany had 70,000,- 000 people. Russia, China and the satelite states must have ten times that number, with far greater resources, and far more strategically placed to menace this continent. Germany could muster only a relatively small Fifth Column among her enemies. Russia has large, strong Communist parties in France and Italy, and small, but highly efficient parties in most of the Western democracies, ready and able to do much mischief. Is Communism less repugnant to us than Nazism? Which of the 'industries, groups, sections and classes" Mr. Taylor referred to is not prepared to give "wholehearted acceptance", to price control, if it is needed to preserve our free society? With the argument that price control is not needed, we have already dealt; what we are dealing with now is the argument that, even if it is needed, it would not work, because our peopte* are not willing to accept it, not "psychologically prepared" for it. They certainly were not "psychologically prepared" for it in 1941. It was sprung upon them literally overnight. Yet they accepted it, and it worked. Why? Because of the "simple singleness of purpose—the winning of the war." Have we no such "singleness of purpose" about "winning the war" against Communism? Labour is prepared tongive price control Hospital Act Causes Confusion Here Also Business Agent Bill Black informed the Trades and Labor Council delegates that his union had eom^ I pleted negotiations. They have been reasonably successful,', but he finds now that not only has he difficulty under the I.C.A. Act but also with the. B.C. Hospitals Insurance Act There has been an amendment which requires that all agreements must be completed by November 30th in any year to enable the hospitals to bring down a budget. Delegate W. Black pointed out that he /has only concluded "negotiations now and will be required to break 15 agreements in order to comply with the amendment to the Act In an effort to negotiate for the future he will have to guess at what may be a just increase in wages for his membership. The amendment as first brought down was actually worse than at present but with the assistance of the secretary, the first draft was amended. BALMORAL HOTEL Say- "MEET ME AT THE BALMORAL Oh Bm»rtljr m__»rn—oomforta.ly w fnrnlaha. . . . yat ntaiatag a qnlat, <_lr__S«- atnioaphara that makaa ft a waleoma plaoa to bring or maat yoor frlan.a. Manna-am: M*KE KOSKI BOB PATTERSON "JOHNNY" McKENZIB Phona: PAclflo 3148 159 East Hastings Street .-VANCOUVER, B. C. whole-hearted acceptance." Labour is psychologically prepared" for it. Labour has the necessary "singleness of purpose." Judging by the Gallup Poll, most of the Canadian people feel the same way. We are at war, a war which promises to be the grimmest of our history. If there are any of our people who do not understand this, it is the business of thc Government to make it clear to them. If that is done," there can surely be no question that the "al- cnsis deepens, and more and more most unanimous support" of the- ,. manpower and materials are diverted j years of the war against Hitler will me(|iate danger of anything of the from housing to defence.) ! be forthcoming again. ' .«.,:...,, (d) Wartime price control, in the I ln 1941, the Government set to words of Mr. Taylor, "was predi-1 work, with all the arts of persuasion cated on thc whole-hearted acceptance of thc policy and the pro 195ft Claims Paid Jobless Total 500,000 More than 500,000 claims totaling $7,693,444 were paid by the Vancouver office of the Unemployment Insurance Commission in 1950.. Manager Horace Keetch announced that in January and February, of this year, an additional 1,703,957 has been paid in Vancouver. In 1950 and the first two months of 1951, more than 41,000 were placed in employment by the NES, including 654 handicapped penjons. Total of 22,789 applications for employment were filed with NES at I * FcbTlB. Applications total has grad ually declined since, and officials ex pect it to go even lower with the coming of summer. not something to be decided on the basis of an exercise in formal logic, or by repeating a jingle, "Price control means wage control, price control means wage control." 23. The Labour movement recognizes that wages could go up fast enough and far enough to break a price ceiling, though it sees no im- I or aOODNESS Sake . . . DAD'S ORIOINAL Oatmeal Cookies The Most Dellcloun Health Blacult Ever Made When lending parcels overseas don't forget to include some Dad's Cookiei. They will be greatly appreciated over there I DAD'S COOKIE CO. (B.C.) LIMITED 4«. Kingsway, Vancoaver, B. C. RAY'S PATTERN WORKS Manufacturer, of Leader Sawdust Burners R. D. UcDougall, Prop. Patterns and Models ol Every Description Gearing Propeller! All Work Ouarantaad l-JMiiiupi. .1 aivan / 114 West 5th Avenue Vancouver, B. C. Phone: FA. U71 RAY'S PATTERN WORKS THOS. H. CLARK PAINTING CONTBACTOB I'AINTINO. PECORATINO AND SPRAVINO Work (lunrantaed ' Phona: AUaa 1013 SSS8 WEST EIGHTEENTH ATS. Phona: PAlr. S773 Thompson dC Company Warm Air Uniting- Genera.! 8liaet Maul Work Furnace, and Rapalra 272S Main St, Vancouver, B.C cedures by practically all industries, groups, sections and classes. And this almost unanimous support was in turn based upon, and m_.de possible by that simple singleness of purpose —the winning of the war—which imbued and pervaded the whole community throughout these years." The argument against price contrdl now, implies that this "whole-hearted acceptance," this "simple singleness of purpose" would not now be forthcoming. (e) Price control Is Impossible without wage control. Mr. King made this point in his 1941 broadcast. Price control and wage control went together before, so runs the argument; they must go together again; they are inseparable. But Labour will not now accept wage control; therefore price control now is out of the question. 15. These arguments look formidable. But Labour is'not impressed by any of them, nor by the whole lot taken together. 16. It is true that our present defence effort is taking only about ten per cent of our national production. But it is pure assumption that price control must wait till it is taking 40 per cent. Just because we waited last time iscno reason why we should wait this time. It might even be a reason for not waiting. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Besides, it is a safe guess that our defence effort will not long remain at ten per cent, nor anywhere near it. The gravity of the situation forbids. The defencelessness, or near-defencelessness, of Western Europe and of our own northern frontier, will force upon u«__i__ri-pl-l increase in the proportion of our resources devoted to self-protection. Nor will our allies, and particularly our most powerful ally, the United States, tolerate a Canadian defence effort on a scale notably smaller than their own. To talk as if we could go on at our present pace is to shut our eyes to compelling realities. 17. The second objection to price control invites a similar reply. It is pure assumption that price control must wait till there are actual physical shortages caused by diversion of energies and resources to defence. "Shortage" is a relative term; most workers find that there is a chronic shortage of things they need. But even if the actual physical shortages, in terms of a 1946 "normal," are not here—yet—, the price increases are. Price control was never a remedy for the shortages; it did not produce more goods. It was a remedy for thc price increases; it kept them to a minimum. It can do it again. Besides, there is not the slightest doubt that actual physical shortages caused by diversion of resources to defence are coming, and coming soon. Why wait till they have arrived? Why wait till a lot of the damage has been done? Why not prevent what we can? 18. The administration of price control is certainly a big job. But it was an ever bigger job in 1941. , Then there was no experience to go 'on. As Mr. King said, it was "an I experiment hitherto untried on this ■ ■. .'vpmtinenl, and perhaps having re- familiar figure gard to its breadthrand variety, hith- was complain- erto untried by the will and consent of any free people anyw„here." Now An elderly man, a in our neighborhood, ing that his strength is failing. "I used to walk around the block I there is the "whole highly successful every morning before breakfast, but 'experience of four year*. In 1941, now when I get halfway arottnd I! there was no administrative machin- hnve to turn around and come back."ery in being at all; it had all to be created out of nothing. Now there I is at least the framework of admin - "I think," said the young new istration; the Wartime Prices and stenographer to her roommate, "that Trade Board still exists. To fill in the boss has decided to keep me on {the framework must surely be far the job." easier than to create the whole thing. "Has he told you so?" asked her If Government and management friend. I were equal to -the greater and harder "Noi" she replied, 'but this morn-! task, they must be equal to the ing he bought me a dictionary." I lesser and easier. .-••.ii. 11 1 vii una Vlli- hi i.i VIJ oi 1 .mil.NPill. tA tell the people that price control was necessary and would work and must be supported. The public did accept it and it worked. It can be done again. 20. The argument that price control is impossible without wage control is grotesquely over simplified, to say the least. (a) Certainly price contril is possible without wage freezing. (b) Labour cost is a very large proportion of total cost. But labour cost and wages are not the same thing. Labour cost depends not only on wages but on productivity; not only on what you pay to the worker, but on what you get from him. High wages may mean low labour costs, and a wage increase may bring a reduction in labour costs, by stimulating increased productivity. (c) Productivity is increasing. Wages can increase with it without breaking a price ceiling. (d) Profits are at, or near, an all time high. In 1949, total corporation profits after taxes were $1,241,- 000,000. This is $18,000,000 below the 1948 figure; but there is every indication that 1950 will more than make up this difference. Financial statements of forty-eight companies with fiscal years ending August 31, 1950, and later, summarized in the Financial Post, show an increase of $12,447,868, or 14.7 per cent over 1949. Even if the percentage increase in total profits is only half as large, this would bring 1950 profits to $1,33^,000^00, or 77.4 per cent above 1946. Of course, shareholders' investment has risen also. But, for 643 companies covered by the Bank of Canada Statistical—Summary—for October, —196ft (p. 163), the 1949 return on shareholders' investment was 12.6 per cent, against a 1946 return of 9.7 per cent. On this basis, it seems safe to assume that in 1950, shareholders' return on investment may be at least a third higher than in 1946; and 1946 cannot be called a depressed year for profits. With profits at such a level, there is" certainly room for a transfer of income from profits to wages, which would allow for a further increase in wages without breaking the ceiling. «_ (el Wages are already subject to a larsre measure of control. They are usually fixed, by contract, for a year, sometimes (as in the recent railway agreement) for longer, rarely for less than six months. Even if the contract is reopened before its termination, claims for increases usually gd through a prolonged process of negotiation, and conciliation or arbitration, which may take months, sometimes ovei' a year. .This Is' not true of prices. They can, and often do, jise overnight. They are rarely subject to formal negotiation, almost never to anything like conciliation or arbitration (except in public utilities). That is why price control js urgent, while wage control, even if ultimately necessary, not. 21. It is quite possible that if there had been as much control over prices as there already is over wages price increases would have been much more moderate than they have been. If every firm or industry that wanted an increase had been obliged first to submit its case to a ..public Board, and to keep its prices as they were till the Board had investigated and reported, price increases would certainly have been much slower and probably much smaller than they have been. 22. In short, is it not self-evident that, if the Government imposed a price ceiling now, existing WBge Uvels. or any immediately in prospect, would put any serious pressure on such a ceiling. A wage freey would certainly not be jiecessary. Whether some form of wage control or wage stabilization would be necessary is.a question„for investigation, YOU... /f Jtfe'Sae&i? Yes, your Red Cross contribution literally saves lives. For every day to hundreds of dangerously ill patients across Canada ... the Red Cross free blood trait-fusion service is the promise of life. Through the Red Cross, you are, day after day, a saver of lives. GIVE NOW . . . AND GIVE GENEROUSLY*TOJ'THE 1951 RED CROSS CAMPAIGN. REMEMBER . . . the work of mercy never ends. Give from the heart CANADIAN RED CROSS Red Cross House, 1235 W. Pender St., Vancouver B.C. sort. It believes that the proper way to deal with this question is a Government - Labour - Management Conference to work out methods of wage stabilization. This offers a prospect of "a wage policy which will do two things, both essential: (a) preserve the spirit, the principle, of collective bargaining, and (b) bring the experience of Labour and Management into the defence effort. If our Government institutes a general policy of price and production controls, Labour is ready to take part in a joint Government - Labour - Management Conference to consider wage, stabilization. 24. In the present crisis, which is likely to last a long time, we face, inevitably, many restrictions. We are living in a period in which the abnormal has become the normal, and seems likely long to remain so. Taxes will go up. Some of the things we want, and have been used to getting, will be unobtainable. Not-even the most obdurate opponent of price control suggests that we shall be able to go ahead on a "business as usual" basis. But the inevitable restrictions will be far more readily and cheerfully accepted if people know, and have clear, visible proof, that the Government is doing everything it can to keep price increases to the irreducible minimum. Price control supplies that proof.' 25 The Labour movement therefore wants four things: (a) Adequate rent control. If rents are allowed to continue to go the way other prices have gone, the already heavy burden of the increased cost of living will become, for hundreds of thousands of families, almost unbearable. They will be able to provide themselves with shelter only at the cost of severe cuts in other parts of their living standards, Including food. Mt. Pleasant Undertaking Co. Ltd, KINGSWAY at ELEVENTH AVENUE Kindliness — Understanding — Dependability Lady Attendant Phones: FAirmont 0058 and 0059 Harwoods Rye Thh advertlionent b not publisher, or displayed by die Liquor Control Board or by the Government c* BrltfA Columbia. v. (bj freezing of prices. (c) A public Board to pass on all applications for price^and rent increases. (d) Labour representation on that Board. The absence of such representation on the Wartime Prices and Trade Board was a serious error, which should hot be repeated. 26. Labour is well aware that what it is proposing is neither an easy nor a painless solution. Rome faint hearts tell us that prolonged price control would mean the end of democracy. Experience is against them. Others say it would involve drastic changes in our economic system, changes which it might prove impossible to undo. But what are we defending? Freedom, or an economic system which, at best, is only a means of freedom, and which, if freedom is lost, will not suffer changes but just disappear? Labour will fight, work and sacrifice to preserve freedom. It will not fight, or work, or sacrifice, to preserve any economic system if that system imperils freedom. It believes that price control is needed now to preserve freedom and to ensure the highest possible standard of living compatible with that great object. It believes the Government will ultimately be driven to institute price control. It urges action now to prevent the disillusionment, unrest, misery and Injustice which uncontrolled prices will inevitably bring in their train. . ... Bespectfully sabmiit«d.>»iKW,'*'i PERCY R. BENGOUGH, President, Trades and Labor Congress of Canada. A. R. MOSHER. President, Canadian Congress of Labour. GERARD PICARD, President, Canadian and Catholic Confederation of Labour. A. J. KELLY, Chairman, Dominion Joint Legisla- i , tive Committee of the Ralway Transportation Brotherhoods. YALE HOTEL 1300 GRANVILLE STREET Fully Licensed Refreshments Served John Corlett, Prop. i APPLIANCES • APPLIANCE REPAIRS *»FLOOR COVERINGS • PAINTS faudc/u&$ftfaim. 400 WEST BROADWAY FA. 7107-1 LOCATED ON BROADWAY. ONC BLOCK EAST Or CAMBIE AUSTIN HOTEL ~ - \ Licensed Premises — Good Service 1221 GRANVILLE ST. VANCOUVER, B. C. PUBLIC STENOGRAPHY SERVICE ... AVAILABLE IN UBOR TEMPLE Room 119— MURYLJOSLYN —FA 8936 j __]m»o_-r_phintr, typing-, comipoii'.nci, mailing liata, agrtumata, btl*f>, reports, mannicrlpw, ato. &..,..„_-'-* -.»•-_. Woman Customer (in bank): "I would like to make a loan." Bank Official: "You'll have to see the I6an arranger." "Who?" Official: "The loan arranger, the loan arranger." Woman: "Oh, you mean-pfthe one who says, 'Hi-ho, Silver'?" Lies buried here one William Bold, Departed from this life, Because he went out in the,cold Attired like his wife. He was in deep disgrace, and, try as he would, he could not get- a smile out of his wife at breakfast "Are you cross with me because I came home with a black eye last night?" he asked in desperation. "No," replied his wife, tersely. "You hadn't got it when you came home." The dollar may not go as far as it used to, but what it lacks in distance it makes up in speed. ■ . ■ mawmxwi*ipii*msx I " / ■*ff Page Four THE LABOR STATESMAN March, 1951 Vancouver's Only Union Funeral Home E L HAROLD EDWARDS LTD. THE FUNERAL HOME OF SERVICE HEATHER CHAPEL 704 W. Broadway at Heather FAirmont 0528 #^^I A. DRUGS REXALL THE OWL DRUG CO. LTD. (A OAMSlDIAM COMJPAVT) OWNEI1 AND OPERATED BT A VANCOUVER CITIZEN Always Ready to Serve Labor . TOBACCO CANDY THE BIG ^AMLL¥ STORE ivackr-T. 1409 KINGSWAY Try Us for Values — E.UMh___J hs 19I» Phone: FAirmont 6276 Stoneberg Bros. Plating Works We Specialise in Hard Chromium and Heavy Industrial Plating' Chrome, Nickel, Copper, Electro Tinning, Polishing, etc. 436 Bast 5th Ave., cor. Guelph and 5th Ave., Vancouver UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS OF AMERICA M -c_i_Xicr> By GEO. R. BENGOUGH Wage negotiations are proceeding on all fronts for Locals Nos. 452, 1251, 2213, 1843, 2404, 1928, 2534, 2533, 1541 R, 2968, 2802, 2346 of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. rIE VANCOUVER, NEW WESTMINSTER AND FRASER VALLEY District Council of Carpenters were notified by Local No. 452 Vancouver, and Local No. 1251 New Westminster that the Vancouver General Contractors' Association were offering the carpenters a wage increase of 12 cents per hour. This offer was recommended for rejection by both the Vancouver and New Westminster carpenters in meeting and referred to the District Council Corpenters for information and consideration. DISTRICT COUNCIL The regular meeting of the District Council felt that negotiations for the construction carpenters' 1951 agreements had developed to the stage where it would possibly expedite matters more quickly if the assistance of a conciliation officer was immediately applied for. Results of this meeting was that the District Council Secretary R. E. Guthrie was instructed to apply for a conciliation officer to assist the four construction carpenters' locals. Such an application was mailed to the Labour Relations Board on behalf of Locals No. 452, Vancouver; No. 1251, New Westminster; No. 2213 Mission City and No. 1843, Chilli- wackr-To date no further word has developed that would be beneficial to the.carpenters of the Lower Mainland of these four locals. G. W. RIBCHESTER 8C SON LTD. Automobile Commercial Bodies and Repairs 1253 HOWE STREET MArine 0827 METROPOLE HOTEL VANCOUVER'S POPULAR FAMILY HOTEL — BEl'BESHMENT PAKX.OB — 320 Abbott Street (Opposite Woodward's Stores) J. E. (BLACKIEI BENGERT. PROPRIETOR ANGELUS HOTEL Corner Dunsmuir and Howe Streets, Vancouver, B. C. Phones: MA. 2435-36-37 s; A. H. HARRISON, Manager GEORGE'S CAFE Yukon and Broadway — Clow to New Labor Temple Home Cooked Meals and Pastries — Reasonable Prices MUSIC AND DANCING EMBASSY BALLROOM 1024 Davie Street Mod.rn D«nclai Every Night - Erak. Buchanan'. Orchr.ira COMPLIMENTS Of COMMERCIAL HOTEL Plion.: PAcific 0442 Mike Grbcic — John Car — Stan V.ljacic Fully Licemd. NEWLY RENOVATED THROUGHOUT - MODERN AND FIREPROOF 340 CAMHE STBEET VANCOUVER. B.C. PILE DRIVERS Pile Drivers Local No. 2404 notified the District Council that their employers have advised them that they are prepared to increase the present rates by 12 cents per hour. Business Agent Stewart Allen has been instructed by the Pile Drivers in special meeting that if the offer of 12 cents is not advanced to a more presentable figure that he is to speed the negotiatioji8-.along by applying for the assistance of a conciliation officer. MILLWORKERS Millwork Local No. 1928, Vancouver and Millwork Section No. 2534, New Westminster, have met jointly with their employers. To date the Imillmen have been offered 11 cents per hour increase and an additional two paid statutory holidays. Both millwork locals have met and rejected this offe.r as the basis for the 1951 agreement. Efforts are being made to meet with the employers once more, for the millworkers feel that their wages are far too low comparatively,, and the employers should be prepared to make some adjustment this year to bring the rates up to a truer relationship with other skilled and semiskilled trades. The joint bargaining committee of No. 1928 and No. 2534 is standing by in anticipation of a further meeting with their employers » ' •* ♦ FLOORLAYERS Floorlayers, Local No. 1541, have instructed their Business Aijent, Russell Nash, to apply for the assistance of a conciliation officer. We believe that this is the first time the Floor- layers No. 1541, have had to apply for such assistance in arriving at a satisfactory union agreement. The "Better Floors Bureau" which is the employers' association in the floorlaying trade, had reviewed each clause of the proposed new agreement and counter proposed a considerable number of changes that they would like to see in the new contract. These proposals of the employers were unacceptable to the members in meeting, March 19th. The employer's proposals also included a suggested rate of increase of 12 cents which is considerably less than the amount asked for by No. 1541, Floorlayers. * ' * * RESILIENT SECTION The Resilient Floorlayers' Section of Local No. 1541, have had two separate offers in wage increases made by their employers. Thc group laying carpet have been offered 17 cents per hour increase and the group laying linoleum and asphalt tile have had an offer of 10 cents per hour increase. ' Some-of tttTf employersTin this field have built up a fairly large business concern but are reluctant to pay. very much out. in wages. It is early yet to foretell the outcome but if there is ever a group that needs better waces it is the men laying the asphalt tile, linoleum and carpets. patron JBrotf. Itmtfeb FUNERAL DIRECTORS MAMT TBNTK ITIXVI **** **__*_* **»«**» aia.ua Phonal _»___*_____* A.aa •XnrtMWAT ana XOY_L_. OAX, BtTUAJ-Y ]>■_*«. am PAcific 3855 . nm)iiiij».ilMllMHWI^WII Res., MArine 3766 FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS 56 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B. C. RICHMOND TRANSFER DArtT ruxex* noma—tut LIOHT AJTD m.- tt XA-oxnra noni MMmUmta em LUMBER AND SAWMILL Local No. 2968 has completed arrangements for a wage increase under a clause in the agreement entitled "Mutual Clause". This agreement was negotiated last July with "Hardwood Milling Co.," at which time they received a 12-cent increase across the board. Last month under the "Mutual Clause", Local No. 2968 negotiated a further 9% increase for all employees of "Hardwood Milling Co." SHINGLE WEAVERS Members of Shingle Weavers Local No. 2802- are on the warpath,,,.., TW-m^'^^tik-W-WffioTrtti' the members is that the offer made by the "ForeBt Industry Bureau" on behalf of the shingle operators was not enough at this time. The special meeting on Saturday, March 9th, reviewed everything in light of present conditions, and- after hearing the report of their bargaining committee turned the wage increase down. They feel that the pattern was established when the I.W.A. accepted the "Forest Industry Bureau" offer and are now really hopping mad that Not being able to make the changes desired they (Local No. 2802) are going to advise their members to accept this increase under protest In the meantime the officers of Local No. 2802 are receiving numerous phone calls and visits from other shingle mill men commending Local No. 2802 for the position they took at this time. * • » INSULATION WORKERS Insulation workers are now in Local No. 2346. It is anticipated that from now on Local No. 2346 will be known as Shinglers, Insulation and Sound Conditioners' Union. This combinationjs a natural one fnr tho ^mplbyers over a period of years have built their business on roofing and insulation, or roofing and sound conditioning or both. Some of the men undertaking both phases of the work and it is all a part of the carpentry trade. It is too early to anticipate the final outcome of this drive to organize insulation men, but up to the present, ten firms are represented by the employees now signed up. The need is great and if the reader can do anything to help, Local No. 2346 would appreciate it, for this part of the trade was never organized before. The wage negotiations of No. 2346 coincide with the construction carpenters, for they have the uniform rate of wages established. Electrical Workers Get New Agreements Signed D. M. WILSON, _J^» Aaat. Buaineaa Manager Electrical Workers?" Union, Local No. 213, has co*_luded a new agreement with thc Semco Manufacturing! Company which gives the members a J 15c per hour wage increase and a! cost of living bonus of 2c per hour.! She agreement is for three years and! a 2c per hour will automatically go into effect the 1st of March each year. Included in the agreement is also a clause which provides for a review of the cost of living index every six months and lc per hour to be added to the above if the index has increased 1.3 points from 175.2. f*7- similar agreement is being negotiated with the Electric Panel Manufacturing Company. New Westminster Signs A new agreement has been signed with the City of New Westminster for. a"wage increase of 12% for linemen and wiremen. The agreement also calls for a reclassification of labourers to helpers, which will mean an increase of about 15% for this classification. Members will also be provided with trolley bus passes, and rubber clothing will also be supplied. Electrical Contractor! Negotiations with Electrical Contractors, employing about 560 members of the union is making progress. Another meeting is expected this week to discuss the union's demands, which will be for 25c per hour wage increase and 6c per hour for welfare fund. A further increase of 20c per hour within four months from April 1st, is also included in the demands. The T. Eaton Company The T. Eaton Company of Vancouver has declined to sign an agreement with the union, but have agreed to turn their .elMtijs^.,maintenance agreement with Local No. 213. In view of the fact that the Hudson's Bay Company operate on the same basis, this is being accepted. ... City of Raralatok* Assistant Business Agent, D. M. Wilson also reports that he is negotiating with the City of Revelstoke for a dew agreement for linemen employed by the city's power department The union is asking for a 40- uour week, with the same take-home -pay and a 10% wage increase. An they had no opportunity to make any I offer of $291.50 per month has i changes in the wages for shinglemill I been made, but the union has turned workers. | it down. ^^JW RUM >' ff// III I W»N& This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by tKe Government of British Columbia. REAL ESTATE - RENTALS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CEPERLEYROUNSEFELIACO PACIFIC 3521 ESTAB.I886 846W-HASTINOS % unztaL c^znvics, S. BOWELL & SONS Phone 2656 66 Sixth Street, New Westminster, B. C. Cloverdale, B. C. — Phone: Cloverlale 193 BIG-TIME WRESTLING EXHIBITION GARDENS ■ ■ EVERY WEDNESDAY TICKETS: $1.50, J 1.00, 75c, (Tax Free); ON SALE AT WESTERN SPORTS CENTRE 13S EAST HASTINGS STBEET Phona: MArlne 6024 LUX CAFE 838 GBANVILLE STBEET Phon*: MArlne 7834 W. J. HEADS BOOT FACTORY LTD. Makers of the "HEADS SHOE" for Loggers, Miners, Cruisers, Surveyors, etc. Our Shoes are Hand-Made — You'll be satisfied 21 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B. C. Saw* Sharpened by us "out" better EDDIE'S Tools una Cutlery Sli»rpene_l LOCKSMITHS AND Tap* Xnlai _tep_Jxa4 UKIIIDeK5 313 Main St. (Near Hastings) X*j* out la 1 minute looks Bepalred by Bon.ed Loo___alt_» Key Combination. dbanfod MArine 1959 B.C. Marine Engineers and Shipbuilders Ltd. FT. OF VICTORIA TTPP<J NEW—USED—RECAPPING— lliU-O Buy them on easy Budget Plan! BOURNE & WEIR LTD. Cor. PACIFIC and HOWE Phono: PAcific 2188 Darlington, Haskins & Co. (1943) Limited TILES — MOSAICS — MARBLE — TERRAZZO 2144 Granville Street Phona: CEdar 0232 Va_couT.r, B.C. MARR HOTEL uoissn — (old mmuj-.) Remodelled - Newly Furnished • Up-to-date - Good Service •M POWELL BTKJBET Ami PULPS, Xanarer JOHNNY'S BARBER SHOP FOR GOOD SERVICE NEXT TO LABOR TEMPLE — 335 WEST BROADWAY
Title changes in chronological order: The Labor Statesman (1924-04-25 to 1965-03), The Labour Statesman (1965-05 to 1969-09). From 1924-04-25 to 1965-03 The Labour Statesman was owned and published by the Vancouver and District Labour Council. From 1965-05 to 1967-07 it was published jointly by the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Vancouver and District Labour Council. From 1967-08 to 1969-09 it was published by the B.C. Federation of Labour.
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