June 4, 1946 (20th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

For the information of the hon. member for Winnipeg North and other hon. members regarding the stoppage of work in three newspapers published by the Southam Company-I speak now of three only; there may be others to-day that I do not know of,- the Ottawa Citizen, the Hamilton Spectator and the Edmonton Journal, the employees affected are members of the international typographical union. The work stoppage at these points has its basis in a similar stoppage w-hich has been in progress at Winnipeg since November 8 of last year, affecting the Winnipeg Tribune, also published by the Southam Company, and the Winnipeg Free Press, published by the Sifton interests.
In Winnipeg, basically the issues were the union's policy that its international law is not subject to arbitration, et cetera-and when I say "et cetera" I refer to the regulations set in motion by the respective governments of this country-the forty-hour week and payment for overtime if the union could not provide labour under its closed shop agreement. Unfortunately the situation had deteriorated to such an extent in Winnipeg by the time it reached the attention of my department that the appointment of two industrial disputes inquiry commissions and the holding of several conferences in Ottawa did not bring about a settlement.
The chief reason why my department intervened in the dispute was to prevent its extension to other newspapers of the Southam and Sifton chains. The Southam Company is taking the position that each of its local newspaper managements has control over local newspaper policy and labour relations. The union's position is that certain basic labour conditions must apply in all newspapers operated by the company. Apparently its individual managers in the Ottawa, Hamilton and Edmonton newspapers would agree to the pro-
Labour Conditions

posals of the union, but no agreement can be reached in regard to the Winnipeg newspaper of the company.
My department has been in touch with the minister of labour of Ontario concerning the stoppages affecting the Ottawa and Hamilton newspapers. With regard to 'the Edmonton newspaper, my department has no jurisdiction in the province of Alberta.