Se apg gat hh SEN 7

B.C. Federation of Labor president George Johnston speaking to the resolution on labor at the NDP convention
as delegates listen intently.

—Sean Griffin photo

Canada-GDR Association
established in Vancouver

A Canada-GDR association has
been established in Vancouver, it
was announced recently by Ben
Swankey, former chairman of the
Greater Vancouver Committee for
Recognition of the German
Democratic Republic.

“The purpose of the new
association,” said Swankey, “‘is to
provide information to Canadians
about the German Democratic
Republic and to encourage cultural
exchange between our two coun-
tries.”

The founding meeting, held at
the Unitarian Church on Oct. 15,
laid plans to draft a statement of
aims. and objects. The annual
membership fee will be $2.00;
students and senior citizens $1.00;

Pro tem officers appointed at the

meeting were Marty Smith, chair-
man; Ben Swankey, vice chairman
and publicity; and Elsa Dill,
secretary.

Arrangements are being made to
bring in films from the GDR and to
arrange public slide showings by

B.C. delegates to the World Youth |

Festival in Berlin last summer.
“The German Democratic
Republic has now been accepted
into membership in the United
Nations,” said Swankey, ‘“‘and we
hope that it will not be long before
Canada establishes diplomatic
relations with the GDR as has

_ already been done by over 80 coun-

tries.”

The next meeting of the associa-
tion will be at the Unitarian
Church, 49th and Oak, Nov. 28

More than 200 people packed the
Nordic Centre in Burnaby last
Saturday at a banquet marking the
56th anniversary of the Soviet
Revolution.

Speaking to the enthusiastic
gathering, PT editer Maurice Rush
said the 56 years since the first

successful socialist revolution have.

transformed the world. “It was a
turning point in history which
ushered in vast social changes.”

Tracing events since 1917, Rush
pointed to the decline of im-
perialism and the growth of the
socialist and anti-imperialist forces
and said progressive humanity
owed a great debt of gratitude to
the Soviet people for their tremen-
dous contribution to changing the
world.

“The Soviet Union’s struggle for
peaceful coexistence and detente is
now bearing fruit, as is its policy of
giving aid and support to all
peoples fighting for national in-
dependence.”

Rush said the Soviet Union and
the socialist countries have proven
the superiority of the socialist
system over the capitalist system.
“One of the things the Soviet
Union has proven is that it is possi-
ble to run a country without
capitalists — and run it better than
the capitalists can,” he said, poin-
ting to the crisis affecting most
capitalist countries today, in-
cluding Watergate.

Pointing to what socialism would
mean for Canada, Rush said that
260 directors of 8 major Canadian

Soviet anniversary
banquet big success

banks are on the board of directors
of 3,000 Canadian corporations
with assets of $500 billion.

Under capitalism, he said, these
corporations who control Canada
use the material resources of
Canada to bring them bigger
profits; while under socialism the
resources of the country are plann-
ed to satisfy the growing material
needs of the people — ‘‘that is the
essential difference between
capitalism and socialism,” he said.

“Imagine what a difference it
would make for the Canadian peo-
ple if the wealth now controlled by
these 260 men became the property
of the Canadian people and was
used to raise the standards of life
of Canadians? That’s what
socialism would do,” he said.

Rod Doran, master of
ceremonies, introduced guests
from the Soviet Union, which in-
cluded the food industry delegation
visiting B.C. under sponsorship of
the United Fishermen and Allied
Workers Union and the captain and
officers of a visiting Soviet ship.
Greetings were brought by the
Soviet guests who urged continued
friendship between Canada and the
Soviet Union.

An excellent musical program
was provided by a newly-formed
25-member Surrey youth choir,
who brought the audience to their
feet many times with their lively
labor and progressive songs. An
outstanding feature of the celebra-
tion was the large attendance of
young people.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1973—PAGE 12

FEDERATION

Cont'd. from pg. 11
equality. However, the debate

appeared to suffer from a lack of:

clear understanding of the role of
women in a class divided society,
and how the ultimate solution to
this problem is closely connected
with the larger problem of t aking
power from the monopolies and
placing it in the hands of the work-
ing people. But it would be wrong
to say there were no constructive
voices in opposition to the ultra
feminist approach reflected in the
report on women’s rights. That
report accused the trade union
movement of giving lip service to
the cause of removing ‘‘sexual in-
justice.”

No one can deny that the trade
union movement can do more than
it has done to guarantee equal
rights for women. However, an un-
biased observer would have to
agree that no organization has done
as much for working women as the
trade union movement. The
weakness of the labor movement
on this vital question flows from a

lack of understanding of the full

nature of the problem and all of its
complexities, a weakness that is
compounded by the ultra feminist
approach of some women in the
trade union and other democratic
movements.

All in all, this was one of the
most important conventions of the

_ B.C. Federation of Labor. It marks

a new advance and a new basis for
uniting the working class and

democratic people to keep politics
moving left in B.C.

The voice of the left was clear
and loud at this convention. It was
a constructive voice, one that call-
ed for unity on the basis of
forward-looking policies. The fact
that this voice was listened to with
respect augers well for the future.

Arland in hospital

William Arland, a prominent
trade unionist and member of the
Communist Party, is in Royal
Columbian Hospital in New West-
minster. Arland was a leading
member of the Canadian Seamen’s
Union and played a prominent role
among coal miners in Alberta. He
was also an active member of the
automotive workers union in B.C.
Ill health forced him to curtail his
activities in recent years.

The PT extends its warmest

greetings to Bill, who was always a:

strong supporter of the working
class press. We would like him and
his wife Jo, to know that our
thoughts are with them during his
present illness.

Bill 11 amendments

Cont'd. from pg. 1
would permit collective bargaining
for all @mployees including
agricultural, professional and
domestic workers

e that an NDP government
would make the Labor Relations
Board a full-time body consisting
of people recommended by labor
and management

Delegates thronged the floor to.
press for the adoption of the
resolution, among them prominent
trade unionists and leaders of the
B.C. Federation of Labor. Len
Guy, new secretary of the Federa-
tion told delegates of the ‘dismay
and disillusionment” that had
greeted the government's failure
last year to repeal Socred anti-
labor legislation and called for im-
plementation of the NDP labor
policies.

Other delegates said that “the
government should listen to the
pressure group of the NDP
membership instead of big
business groups.”

In opposing the motion — and
echoed by Dennis Cocke and Dav€
Stupich — labor minister King told

_trade union delegates that they

were ‘misinterpreting’ the
provisions of Bill 11 and added that
they should think about legislatiné
labor peace instead of usin’
economic muscle. :

He told the unsympatheti¢
meeting that there would
“complete bloody chaos” if the
right to unfettered picketing were
granted and, in replying to those
who called for legislation to be
enacted on behalf of working pe®
ple, stated that the government
was “not going to replace one set
of economic preference fOr
another.”

Despite the fact that only cabinet
ministers voiced their opposition t0
the resolution, the vote was clos
in secret balloting with 322 in favOT
and 290 opposed.

Barrett gave no indication that
the cabinet intended to abide by
the convention decision when he
said after the vote that “we intend
to go through with the bill.” He
shrugged off the vote stating that
‘there have always been
differences of opinion !"
democratic organizations.”

Another vote taken later in the
convention aimed at asserting the
primacy of the party in gover?
ment action was considerably mOFe °
decisive. With only a handful OP-
posed, delegates voted to instruct
MLAs to “commit themselves to

_ auditorium, Tuesday, Nov. 2

_ of his visit.

_ Having addressed publi€ Meetings in Vancoy “ss
~ Pieiffer is well known for is interesting lecturgs. Sa .
_ Strumental in foreing the U.5- f0 Stop the use of deadiy herbicides

in Indochina and has visited bmi intent

credited war correspondent sraw-Hill, and :

American easeietioe for the Advancement of Seas afl e
His rally in Vancouve® iS Sponsored by g
Women, Peace Act;
al Affairs Commi

_ Nations Association, Voice of
of U.B.C. and Internation

oh Ee ae
“pen ey pros nt te Unc gee
tana and well-known coe. ates

Dr. Pfeiffer has just returmed from an extendeg
_ Vietnam and parts of South Vietnam and will show ¢

party policies and priorities as
adopted by convention.”

A similar action, made in the
form of a constitutional agree-

ment, making it Obligatory for the
reiterated the objectives that the

provincial council for clarification

on all questions not s
outlined in party policy,
ed with a large majority

pecifically
also pass-

On a number of questions in-

volving differences between the

program of the party as outlined in
convention and the actual enact-
ment of legislation, cabinet
ministers were able to obtain some
support with their approach of
“legislating justice and equity for
all,” but time and again delegates
reiterated the objectives thast the
party should have: to enact legisla-
tion on behalf of those w
elected the party, particularly
working people. :

In the debate severa} resolutions
calling for the removal Of the
school tax from producing farm
land, for the Phasing out of natural
gas exports and a host of other
issues, speakers emphasized the
need, not only for passage of the
resolutions but also for swift action
by the governme
decisions out.

Hundreds of Tesolutions were

contained i ’ i
i nta n delegates’ convention

kits which were fj
panels and then
convention
Some of th
were:

rst discussed in

i composite form.
€ Notable resolutions

¢ commitment

b .
the policy of n y the NDP to

ationalization of

¢ support fo

aisopted by the aie Position

( ~ -3.C. Federati
Labor in the fight to win autoncell
for Canadian gcais of inter-
National unions.

e adoption in

Policy of tak
dustry with

principle of the
€0ver of the forest in-

a Magssij fi
paign to be cond Ssive public cam-

u ‘
port of the B cted with the sup-

Labor to win wor
: hg peo
Policy of public ow ab to the
* a call to the ‘ae
ment to remove provincia] govern-

tuguese col

rsity of M

at Vancouvers Planetariy

trip to North
ilms and slides

Y as a fully ac-

ence.

ho had

nt to carry the

Presented to the

‘C. Federation of |

NDP parley demands |

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