March 6, 1959
THE FISHERMAN
Page 3
Newfoundland Story
"Imagine, those lazy Newfoundland loggers wanting a 54-hour week! Why, Henry spends that much time at his golf and never complains about it."
Liberal, Tory Gangup Condemned by Jodoin
Support by Conservative and Liberal members of the Newfoundland House of Assembly for Premier Smallwood's resolution condemning the International Woodworkers of America was described by Claude Jodoin, president of the Canadian Labor Congress, as "irresponsible and anti-democratic."
Mr. Jodoin said that "the blatant intervention and attempts to circumvent the laws of the province by Mr. Smallwood were fantastic, but the spectacle of the Liberal and Conservative members meekly lining up to support Mr. Small-wood's position demonstrated that the members of the legislature were equally irresponsible in their regard for their own laws.
"Mr. Smallwood has backed the paper companies in their rejection of proposals made by a body appointed by his own government and has apparently persuaded the other politicians to take the same attitude," said Mr. Jodoin.
The CLC president noted that the IWA had been chosen by the loggers in a secret ballot to represent them. "That appointment of the IWA as bargaining agent of the loggers was made under Newfoundland law. When the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Co. refus-
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ed voluntarily to improve the deplorable wages and working conditions of their logging employees, a conciliation board unanimously recommended that these improvements be made. The union accepted this report. The AND Co. rejected it out of hand. Mr. Small-wood backed the company.
"The premier then abused the powers of his office in a futile attempt to make the loggers reject their freely-chosen union representatives. He compounded this abuse of his office further by offering to organise a government 'union' led by a member of his party. Now he has used his political control of the legislature to secure approval of his actions.
"These actions have been taken by a man who said he would use 'all the majesty of British law' to deal with the labor dispute. Mr. Smallwood has changed the rules in the middle of the game. He has thrown the law, in all its majesty, to the winds."
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Loggers Conduct Gallant Struggle Against Economic, Political Peonage
The Internationa] Woodworkers of America commenced organisation in Newfoundland in 1956. Discussions were held with the Newfoundland Lumbermen's Association, which had a membership of some 7,900 members. At a convention of that organisation, delegates voted 27-14 to join the IWA but the motion was ruled out of order. The IWA then launched an organising campaign of its own.
The Anglo Newfoundland Development Company refused IWA representatives access to camps which are scattered over a wide area of the province. Unable to enter the woods by road, organisers walked through the bush, averaging about 20 miles a day.
In some instances, they used planes to land on lakes and then walked out to the highway, a distance of as much as 150 miles, visiting camps en route. Members signed at the rate of several hundred a week and finally the Company ended its policy of trying to Keep union organisers out of the camps.
Legal Recognition
First application for certification as the recognised bargaining agent was made by the IWA to the Newfoundland Labor Relations Board in January 1957. A hearing was held in March and the application was dismissed on the ground that the IWA did not meet the technical requirements of the Newfoundland Labor Relations Act. The application had been supported by application cards and dues-paid records covering 87 percent of the employees.
Organisation was resumed, the members were re-signed and local organisations were established to meet the requirements set out by the Labor Relations Board. A new application was made, supported by a membership representing, this time, 92 percent of the employees. |
A hearing was held in June, 1957, and as a result a government-con-ducted vote was ordered by the Board to determine whether the loggers wished to be represented by the IWA. The vote, which fol- j lowed prolonged proceedings before the board, was held in March 1958, and 86.4 percent of the loggers voted for the IWA. The Union was certified by the board May 1, 1958.
Negotiations
Later that month delegated elected by the loggers met and framed proposals to be placed before the AND company. Negotiations with the company commenced June 17, 1958. The Union proposed wage increases, a reduction in the 60-hour week, and improve-
ments in camp conditions.
Camp conditions were a major factor. The men wanted the use of double-decker bunks abolished in huts which housed as many as 50 or 70 men. They wanted improvements in food with the inclusion of such items as bacon and eggs and fresh meat. The Union ;.sked consideration for loggers who had to supply their own power saws at a cost of $300 to $400.
Negotiations extended from June to October with the company expressing a willingness to consider some improvements in camp conditions but flatly opposing any increase in the basic rate of $1.05 an hour or reduction of the 60-hour week.
Conciliation Board
The Union then applied for a government concilation board. A board was appointed and sat for eight days in Grand Falls hearing representatives of both the company and the Union.
The board brought down a unanimous report, signed by the impartial chairman and representatives of both the company and the union. It recommended a wage -increase of three cents an hour and an additional two cents in January, 1956, and a reduction of the work week from 60 to 54 hours effective January, 1960, without loss of pay. This would establish a basic rate of $1.22 per hour. The board also proposed the establishment of machinery for improving camp conditions, consideration for owners of power saws and introduction of the union shop.
The Board's report was received December 9, and the IWA wired labor minister Charles Ballam accepting the board's proposals. A meeting was held with the company and the company rejected the board's report.
In the meantime, mill and office employees of the company had received wage increases of five and seven cents an hour. The Union said it was advancing no proposals.
Strike Vote
The Union then undertook a strike vote. Written approval had been received from the Company for access to camps to conduct such a vote.
The   company   reversed this position and refused IWA representatives   access  to   camps to take a vote to determine the wish of the employees. The vote was proceeded with and in some instances, loggers walked 10 miles to cast 'their votes in ballot boxes stationed at points along the highway.
A committee of prominent citizens, headed by the mayor of Windsor, conducted the count. They reported the loggers had voted 98.8 percent for a strike. When the strike vote was announced, T. R. Moore was quoted by the St. John's Evening Telegram as saying "We couldn't care less."
The Strike
The strike was called December 31, 1958. There were then some 1,200 men in the camps of the AND Company. Some remained in the camps until food supplies were exhausted, other walked out. Eventually the camps emptied and picket lines were established.
The number of men employed at the time the strike was called was considerably less than the peak. The government took the position that loggers who had not yet started work were not eligible for public welfare if they held IWA membership cards.
This ruling was applied so widely that possession of an IWA Union membership card made families ineligible for welfare regardless of the time since they had been employed in the woods.
There was widespread resentment at this policy of using welfare to oppose a union in a labor dispute and the restriction was eventually lifted.
On two particular occasions there were outbreaks of violence and a number of men have been arrested. These incidents occurred despite pleas from the Union leadership.
H. Landon Ladd, president of District 2, IWA, on a number of occasions obtained radio time to denounce the use of violence as being both unlawful and completely contrary to the loggers' cause. He pleaded with the loggers to avoid violence.
The Premier's Stand
These incidents were, however, made the basis for a vigorous attack on the Union by Premier Joseph Smallwood. In a television and radio address February 12, he urged loggers to resign from the IWA and to expel the Union from Newfoundland. He said he was personally prepared to organise a new union and could guarantee a contract with the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Co.
He said the government "will never work with the IWA, will never talk to them, will never answer a letter or telegram from them, will never have anything to do with the IWA."
He termed the IWA representatives "outsiders" who had come to "let loose dirt and filth and poison." He again attacked the IWA when the House of Assembly met. February 23.
This dispute follows the IWA's first efforts to establish an organisation in Newfoundland. The IWA has contracts with employers in other provinces, some extending back as long as 20 years, and covering a total of 45,000 employees.
"DID YOU | PATRONIZE OUR CO-OP IN 1951?"
If so and you were a member at that time, your patronage loans based on your 1951 business and allocated to you by authority of the Annual Meeting held in March 1952 will become repayable on demand on April 1st, 1958.
If eligible for above, kindly notify us immediately of the method of payment that you elect: (a) by Cash; (b) by credit to store account; or (c) by credit to Capital Stock for purchase of additional shares. And remember:
IT PAYS TO SHOP CO-OP
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Store Association
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