The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-07-11
|. i. 7. PRESIDENT
TO Membership

President Covert, of the Interna-
tionaf Union of Timberworkers,
makes the following CHEEKY report
to the membership:
am pleased to report that our
international is progressing with the
trend of the present times. and there
was never greater prospects for COM
plete success than now prevails. The
reaction has set in, and complete
confidence is restored i'm the lum-
bering business; building in all parts
of the United States has taken a
permanent start; every one seems to
have come to the realization that the
sooner they do their building the
cheaper their material will be. The
waited for drop in prices has failed
to develop.
Supply and demand, coupled with
competition, is tho fundamental ba-
sis that is and will continue to de-
termine conditions i'm the lumber
ing game. Consequently we have got
to base all Of our program and plans
for the future accordingly. All ele-
ments are working i'm our favor at
present and all indications are that
there will be no lct-up within the
near future. There is a wonderful
demand for all lumber products all
over the world due to the dcvasta-
| ton OF the war in all European ma
tons, and due to inactivity i'm build
ing operations in practically all other
nations of the world while the war
was in progress, and this demand is
far in excess of any possible produc-
ton. This in turn naturally raises
the price. And the demand for la
Dor is fast reaching proportions in
# hA ,1,- L,
viii be severe competition for labor,
which will result in u natural adj
vance in wages. SO | say all ele-
mentS are in our favor now.
The employing lumbcTmen have
not, up to this time, shown a very
marked degree of fairness, for in
spite of the enormous increase in
prices, they have not advanced
wages to any extent; this is true
more particularly in districts where
we are not so well organized, and it
demonstrates very forcibly the ne
cessity of fully developing our or
ganization in all districts, for well
should we understand that whom
times become normal, when the de-
mand is not so brisk, that the bet
ter paid districts will be forced into
severe competition with those dis
tricts, and this is not only true as to
wages, but it is true regarding the
number of hours worked per day, so
We should establish the eight-hour
day in all mills and camps on this
continent The employers who arc
operating their plants eight hours
should cooperate in a campaign to
bring a universal eiEht-hOur day in
the numbering business.
In view of the unfair attitude of
the employers not advancing wages
at this time it becomes necessary
that all our locals in all districts of
the United States make a move to
accomplish substantial increases in
wages and this should be done with
out hesitation, for if we were ever
justified in such a position it is now.
The employer that rcsiSts the de
mandS of the union for more wages
under the present circumstances is
wholly unfair and will not be able
to defeat the union in it's attempt to
increase wages; so l say so after
more wages
The Executive Board of District
No 1 met at international Head |
quarters June A and 3, and worked
out a detailed scale of wages for all !
departments of the numbering indus
try. The scale was sent out to all |
locals of the district for ratification
and | am pleased to report that the
scale as adopted was oVerWhelm- |
ingly agreed to and will be printed
in sufficient numbers to allow all
camps and mills to have copy. The |
scale carries minimum of So perl
day in the logging camps and $3.50
in saw mills. Some Of the largest
employers in the Northwest have al |
ready put the scale into effect, COM
menCing July l, so we are assured of
it's universal adoption in District |
No. 1.
Our organizers in all districts of
tbe United States are getting great
results now and unless all indica- /
tons fail we will double our mem
bership by September IS. Districts /
Nos, and 4 are doing particularly /
we'll Wisconsin, Minnesota and /.
Michigan are organizing very fast
and it is now hoped that the eight
hour day will be adopted there this /
year. The yellow pine district shows |
more activity in organization than /
at any time since our International |
was formed.
Organizer Harry Call is working /
in the red woods of California and .
all indications are that a substan-
tial increase in organization activi-
ties will be effected there this year
The pine district of Northern Cal /
ifornia has also made start. We
are organizing in the Weed and Nc
Leod district and we think that eight
hours can be accomplished there this
season also.
In conclusion, | want to impress
upon all our locals the urgent me-
cessity, at this time, to press organ
ization work, for never was there
such great opportunity.