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CUS CONFERENCE

By ELIZABETH HILL

te ae ae Congress of the Can-
ne nion of Students, just
4 Its histo i
ee ry. Since the last
policies at which many radical
‘nizatin. Were adopted, the orga-
is ta had lost about half of
droppe €nt membership, and has
sities d to 19 from 33 univer-

e . 3 .
to its question before it, crucial

further existence was,
It take positions far be-

| Yon :
4 ae that its membership
Would oe ted to accept, or

tit back u
More.’ Pp, and become a
reer social organization,
affairs, e Only with student
ot Cane Communist League
raised the in its position paper,
Me pon questions, taking
left and On that both the ultra-
in effect the right trend would
that the liquidate the CUS, and
“the reality eres must look at
tion, sone of the student situa-
ational ich Calls for a strong,
“the cot °rganization to advance
lemoctatie Struggle for the
ests of th and economic inter-
tone ne'students of Canada.
by eve Congress was attended
J Pectrany trend of the political
i Anarchi » Including Separatists,
nati ane LW.W., Ukrainian
‘Bi ists, Zionists, Technolo-
itd Worlders, Interna-
M os Liberation,
i +, a0lsts, Trotskyists,
North viberationists, and A

The
ti

SSS Sh Si a

xa)

eet in the represen-
€ ILW.W. (Waterloo)
) 4 the Trotskyists, the
like One ae Some individuals
ing, eiobe Black and Jim Hard-
ti se firm on their convic-
that «* CUS must recognize
the ain ee? imperialism is
da today ontradiction in Cana-
tetlog “gaye tte head of the Wa-
Ree eieeation, Cyril Levitt,
Tesolin: (AF as to propo
Teaucrage that, due to pheadue
ionism nature of student
way CUS should join the

“stage ®setution read, in part
| ets ; S are transitory work-
q coer Students beginning to

€ need now is to build

nion.” It w :
Nely defeated. as over

Tight, represented
€ 1969-70 president,
ne Ge the desire was
In IS only to student

his “State of the

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: a var ae, alarpshire is
2G :

mM Richargusband, Army Specialist

é phen th enest, was killed

co to ee auck that was taking
turn home 2eine area for his

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| oe Stan ae Vietnam rolled
ns : “Ar 3
“gli, Genest has refused a
ied peancral, and the flag
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She ans body ca:..e home.

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Amer;
Ca cannot police the

r os
ee Was the critical Congress

Crucial questions

nin
: WITT IO

Union” speech, opening the Con-
gress, Loney’s remarks on stu-
dents in society were corifined
to student housing and the in-
correctness of government policy
transferring the unemployment
problems of the students onto
the unemployed workers and the
high school students.

The overwhelming majority of
the CUS delegates had come to
the Congress with the hope of
strengthening CUS, and bringing
it closer to the students. This
was apparent in the discussion
following the Waterloo resolu-
tion. For more than two hours
the discussion was a serious,
clearly stated and honest rejec-
tion of the ultra-left view of
seeing only the struggle against
imperialism and the socialist
revolution.

The delegates rejected the
drama and emotional appeals of
the Waterloo delegation, stating
that they, too, recognized capi-
talism as the root cause of
“children’s rotten teeth,” but
that the way to fight it was to
work for the demands that are
possible within the competence
of an organization like CUS.

The struggle between the right
and Ultra-left, while flaring up
now and then, did not prevent
the delegates from carrying on
their efforts to find solutions to
the problems of Canadian stu-
dents.

The Congress, under great dif-
ficulties, managed to adopt half
of its resolutions, before it ended
at dawn. The remainder of the
resolutions were handed over to
the national council. A Christ-
mas Congress is planned, to elect

the president-elect, and to final- |

ize the future of CUS. The
Toronto referendum will take
place in October, and is decisive
to CUS’s future.

Some of the resolutions pass-

ed were: the policy on Quebec

remained the same; decision was
made not to concern itself with
international affairs, and the
only resolution on war is one
dealing with war research which
does not mention Vietnam.

A resolution on the Americani-

zation of Canadian universities’

rejected the quota system of
hiring, which was suggested by
two Carleton University profes-
sors. “Professors must be judged
on their concern with the needs
of the Canadian people rather
than strictly on their national-
ity,” the resolution stated. CUS
called for an open advertising

WAR WIDOW TAKES
STAND FOR PEACE

world and I’m trying to halt
further wasting of our men's
lives and our money.

“My Richard hated the army,
the military and that war so
much he aimost couldn’t stand
it. I had him buried in his civi-
lian clothes and without a mili-

tary funeral because that is what -

he would have wanted.

“J didn’t want him to go. fe

told him not to go. What was
the sense of him going over
there to die. I’d rather now have
him alive, in jail. At least, then

I could visit him.”

UUOEEUREROCRULOLORORERROREEREDLORES

system for academic positions;
for more Canadian graduate
schools, and reiterated the im-
portance of participation of stu-
dents in hiring, promotion and
tenure committees and in cur-
riculum committees.

The resolution on education
stated that the functions of the
educational system are derived
from the needs of society, and
can serve humanistic or anti-
humanistic ends, depending on
the given society.

Youth leader:
CUS existence

at stake.

The Canadian Tribune inter-
viewed C. McFadden, Youth
Director of the Communist
Party of Canada, to ask him
some questions about his assess-
ment of the recent CUS confer-
enca

Q. How do you see the future
of CUS?

A. I think that, in the imme-
diate future, there are some
dangers, including the threat to
its very existence. In this re-
gard the referendum on CUS at
the University of Toronto is of
critical importance because, if
it goes against, CUS might fold.
We are urging as a priority task
of Communists and all progres-
sives on the campuses the strug-
gle for CUS to continue. :

On other member campuses,
which plan referendums, we
hope progressives will concen-
trate on winning support for it.
We believe its possible to have
referendums on those campuses
that have already withdrawn,
as well.

At the same time we Com-
munists advance an indepen-
dent policy on student matters.
Its our desire to unify students
around a program which would
advance their struggle for the
democratization of education,
for co-operation with labor and
the democratic movements in
the struggle against monopoly
and imperialism.

Q. What do you think will
happen if CUS is defeated?

A. It will have a negative
effect. The students need an or-
ganization like CUS, which
fights on a broad front for their
economic and democratic inter-
ests. It would. be much harder
to rebuild’ an organization like
that than it is to strengthen the
one already in existence. CUS
has made mistakes, but it is an
organization that the students
need. It has been under heavy
and continuous attack from the
Right on the campus.

Q. What do you think about
CUS’ failure to take a stand on
the peace issue?

A. It was a mistake, probably
because of the inability of any
group within. CUS to be able to
define a clear line on this ques-
tion, during the course of a big
struggle between the extreme-
left and the right. :

I think the students would
respond to a clear position,
which must include a position
on peace, that is opposition to
the war of aggression waged by.
the United States against Viet-
nam, and Canadian complicity
in that war.

 BRIDGEWOOD

‘Workers proud —
of our fight |

The Canadian Tribune inter-
viewed James Bridgewood, who
was recently restored to the of-
fice he had held prior to being
expelled from them by his local
on the charge that he was a
Communist. ;

The following questions. were
posed, and are followed by his
answers:

What have been the results to
you, of the upsetting of the deci-
sion to bar you from holding

‘union office because of your

membership in the Communist
Party? How do you see the re-
action of your fellow workers?

First of all, the public press
calls it a labor victory, and even
a total victory. The reaction in
the shop gives you the impres-
sion that a weight has been lift-
ed off people’s shoulders. There
are many, many discussions.
They start off by congratulating
me. They’re proud of the fight
we conducted. A lot of the work-
ers now see it as their fight. I
haven’t been treated with any
hostility, nor have I come across
any negative attitudes.

I have been restored as chair-
man of a committee. But the
most important thing is the re-
action in the plant among the
guys. They view this as an out-
come that’s good for the work-
ers.

On the question of union de-
mocracy, how do you now see
the widening of this struggle in
respect to your case?

Well, on the immediate prob-
lems we are faced with, there’s
action. Negro workers are being
discriminated against. The dis-
crimination is in suspensions,
jobs, pay—arbitrary suspensions.
The company seems to be out to
drive a wedge between the white
and black workers. As Human
Rights Committee chairman, in
the union, I see that as my job
right now. Some people are of
the opinion that the decision on
me will add impetus to securing

.democratic rights for my Negro

fellow workers. Seven white
workers have come forward as
witnesses to racial discrimina-
tion, and all have made state-
ments against the company.
How do you see the outcome
of your case affecting anti-Com-

munist regulations in the union
movement? .

I believe there is a possibility
of a good outcome. My case will
have an influence in the trade
union movement in the United
States, where the same discrimi-
natory laws are still in effect.
They are really still in effect in
Canada too, in the sense that the
only place where removal of
those laws can be dealt with is
at the UAW International Con-
vention. :

The Canadian section of the
UAW has recommended that it
not be applied in Canada. We’re
saying that it has to be removed.
That opens up the possibility
that it will be lifted in the United
States also. What’s important is
the entire removal of the clause
with no half-way approaches.

How far do you think the bat-
tle on this will have to go?

The battle is the fight for the
entire removal of that clause, ©
period. In that sense, we would
have greater unity between
American and Canadian UAW
trade unionists. The UAW has
an enormous membership of
about one-and-a-half million in
the United States and about
132,000 in Canada. This would
be a big achievement.

Actually the battle hasn’t been
won. Only the first blow has been
struck, and much more needs to
be done.

The United Automobile Work-
ers’ union can live up to its
reputation of being one of the
most progressive unions, by set-
ting a precedent for the entire —
trade union movement in both
countries, by cleaning up its
constitution. —

The Red Bogey’s used, because
it divides the workers, and slows
down getting results on working

_conditions and pay. The boss is

the enemy of the worker, not
the Communists.

Jim Bridgewood is a worker
who speaks straight from the
shoulder on all these questions.
He ended our interview with
these words: ‘“‘The decision of
the Public Review Board has
shown that the union is capable
of solving the problem. It vindi-
cates my confidence in the UAW
to give leadership to the whole
labor movement.”

YCL school

There were 42 young people
in attendance at the YCL week-
end school on Sept. 6 and 7 in
Toronto, They came from Mont-
real, Kitchener, Oshawa, Bur-
lington and Hamilton as well as
from Toronto.

On Saturday. afternoon, Wil-
liam Kashtan, General Secré-
tary of the Communist Party of
Canada, opened up a discussion
outlining the history of the YCL
during the ’30s, in the period up
to and including the Second
World War, and in the period of
the Cold War.

Sam Hammond, a_ leading
trade unionist from Hamilton
spoke on his experiences in the
shop, the mood of rebellion
among young workers, the de-
humanizing working conditions
and the role of the YCL must
play in advancing the struggle
of the. workers.

That evening everyone enjoy-
ed a wiener roast on Centre
Island.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 19, 1969—PAGE 7

On Sunday morning, Claude
Demers, President of the Ligue
des Jeunesses Communistes du
Quebec, opened up a discussion
of the right of the people of
Quebec to national self determi-
nation. ;

Bert Kenney then spoke on
Marxism: A World Viewpoint.

Before concluding the partici-
pants decided unanimously to
send a telegram to the people
of the Democratic Republic of
Vietnam expressing sympathy
over the loss of their revolu- —
ticnary leader, Ho Chi Minh, and
expressing solidarity with the
Vietnamese in their victorious
struggle against U.S. imperial-
ism.

The school was an important
first step in developing an edu-
cational program and in bring-
ing greater numbers of young
people into active participation
in the YCL.