ih aa aint li dal

—_______
7 aaa

This charge’was made this week by

UFAWU seeks barter |

to save fish market

“Our federal government’ is ‘pursuing”’/a “trade andforeign policy that is made in Washington.”
officers of the: United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union in their

report to the annual convention of the union in Vancouver.

The report, presented by president George Miller,
Alex Gordon, ‘was adopted by the 100 convention delegates in the name of fishermen. from Ladner: to
“We are increasifig Our armament expenditures and losmg our export markets for

Prince Rupert.
food,”’ it said.

“Our government sent planes
and arms to China. If we had
Sent salt herring and salt chums
Canada would have had more
friends and brighter prospects

“The government is spending
about half a million dollars a
day in war preparations. ... Yet

Ocean ships
scuttled, too

Canada’s support of the Marshall
Plan is costing her not only mar-
kets but also her merchant fleet,
Canadian Seamen’s Union vice-
president James Thompson told this
week’s UFAWU convention.

He said governments of sterling
countries got Marshall Plan aid
in the form of Canadian goods; but
saved dollars by using their own
ships. ;

Taxpayers had paid $1,750,000
each for 44 ships that the goy-
ernment sold for $400,000, ships
that were now being resold. by.
operators at $675,000 without one
new keel being aid. :

Outlining the role of Frank Hall
in setting up a dual union against
striking. Great Lakes seamen,
Thompson went on to say that: AFL
heads seek to disfranchise AFL
members by having Internationals
appoint one man to speak for the
whole union.

secretary Homer Stevensand business agent

’

there is no market to absorb this
year’s salmon pack of less than 2
million cases. * |

“Organized labor can be de-
cisive in compelling abandonment
of policies that threaten us with
disaster, Our, union can best
serve the needs of our members
by continuing to play an active
part in the forefront of the strug-
gle for progressive policies for
labor and the nation.” Can

Dealing with the major prob-
lem of market prospects and’
. policies the officers warned that,
“Talk of recession is now general
in the food industry. .. . Figures
| of record ‘sales only obscure the

fact that less food is being con-
sumed.” ‘ : i :

The government, they claimed,
had’ pushed fish prices ‘too high
for the average consumer by
abandoning price control, giving
up excess profits taxation, and
failure to cut the producer-con-
sumer price spread. a

“For canned salmon the m
alarming trend is the almost entire
loss of our pre-war export mar-
kets.” :

The report quoted the Depart-
ment of Fisheries market bulletin
as forecasting a 1949 exportable
surplus ranging from 600,000 «to
1,000,000 cases.

“At best,” says the bulletin,
“sterling markets still taking sal-
mon can be expected to take only
about 35,000 to 50,000 cases. Other
markets may take 200,000 to
250,000 cases.” ‘

The officers cited statistics to
show that “our increasing depen-

dence on the U.S. as an export
market constitutes a serious
threat. to the future of our own
industry. ‘

“The foreign and trade policies
of the federal government are all
leading in this direction and‘ our
fishing industry will be among the
first victims unless these policies
are changed. 7 ;

“The west coast salmon industry
must \regain its pre-war British
and Commonwealth markets. to.
have any but, the most gloomy
future. Whether by acceptance of
sterling currency, ‘barter agree-
ments, provision of credits or other
means, this’ is essential.

“Prices to the’consumer must be
reduced to'make increased domes-
tic consumption but the fisherman
must not. be made.the goat for
speculative gambling. before . (his)
Own costs are reduced and (with-
out) assurance that the consumer
will’ receive the benefits.

, Following recommendations
“were adopted:

Joint Union-Native Brother-
hood prices conferencés in April.

“Active campaign for barter with
Britain and changing government
policy on foreign trade.”

“If no export markets provided
and price negotiations break
down, union to demand that the
Fisheries Prices Support Board
underwrite and market the entire
1949 salmon pack. P

Abandonment of all export re-
strictions, on fresh or frozen
chum salmon and late run pinks.

Convention was still in session
at press time. j

Canuck sugar workers

AFL right

Canadian Sugar workers are
taking up the cudgels for the in-
dependence of their unions against
the threat they see in AFL presi-
dent William Green’s dismissal of
the man who organized them:

Philip Cutler, AFL regional di-
rector .for Eastern, Canada; was
fired by Green in February for
voting with the majority and ex-
ecutive of the Trades and Labor
Congress at its Victoria conven-
tion. . :

The sugar locals have’ protested
to Green and forwarded’ a copy
to hundreds of delegates to that
convention with the explanation
that, “You are.one of the ma-
jority of delegates who voted as
Brother Cutler on the Frank’ Hall
‘issue... ... You -will) be concerned
as we are with regards to the
AFL ursurping the authority. to
take reprisals. against. Canadian
delegates voting on Canadian _af-
fairs in a convention taking place
in this country.”

The letter to Green quotes him

EAST EN Desc

TAXI

UNION DRIVERS

HA. 0334.
Fully? 0 24-Hour
Insured Service

}|fusing to be intimidated and. co-

to fire organizer

as writing as late as February 3
to Cutler, “You ‘have rendered
great service to the AFL,” and as
stating January 31, “No informa-
tion has reached me that Mr, Cut-
ler is either a Communist or sym-
pathetic to Communism.” :

“Cutler has been on your staff
eight years. ... You now choose
to sacrifice this man because of
pressure from a small group of
men who are fighting the Trades
and Labor Congress of Canada
(and using) the issue of Commun-
ism to hide their true motives of
jockeying for personal positions
to satisfy their egomania. =

“You were disturbed at Frank
Hall’s- not being given a trial.
Frank Hall was given a trial at
the convention where he was per-
mitted to defend himself. Did Cut-
ler get a trial? No- He was not

Eg *
even present when he was found
guilty and dismissed.

“Guilty of what? In our opinion,
Cutler, is guilty. of. keeping. an
open mind on all matters. while
attending a convention and then
voting according to free judgment
and personal convictions, while. re~

erced. '

“Your action has precipitated a
most serious question for our. mem-
bership and’all Canadian members.

“Has ‘a Canadian union mem-
ber the right to attend a conven-
tion in Canada and vote on de-.
cisions affecting Canadian prob-.

613 East Hastings, Vancouver

lems. without fear of reprisal

+

LESSONS FROM YESTERDAY
VANCOUVER YOUTH CONCERT
CLINTON HALL - - 2605 E. PENDER ST.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27 at 8 p.m.-: +]
; (INVITATIONS AT DOOR) é
Under Auspices of the National Fedration of Labor Youtk'

from officers situated in another
country.

“We believe in international
unions on the economic organiza-
tional level. But, as Canadians,
we believe, as do most Americans,
in cooperation and not domination
from a trade union center in one
‘country over members that are
resident in and citizens of an-
other country.

If the AFL is “trying to tear
up the TLC’s position as an auto-
homous body, “you are telling our
members that by continuing mem-
bership in an AFL chartered or
affiliated union they will be giving
up a cherished Canadian heritage
~yRamely, the right" to free expres-
sion and decisions democratically
arrived at by elected delegates in
convention,

The letter urges AFL poligf to!
be defined as “free unionism”, an
wants Cutler re-hired. ‘

It is signed by the presidents of
locals 23235, 24320, 23894, . 24120,
22613, 24002, 23908, and 24204 of
the Sugar Workers’ Union.

Buck leaflet on sale
Packages of Tim Buck’s pumph-

let, “The Suicide Pact,’’ are avail-|
able at 25 for $1.00. :

This was announced by . the
People’s Co-op Bookstore, 337 W.
Pender St., which reports big de-
mand for the timely publication.

Brother's Bakery
Specializing in
Sweet & Sour Rye Breads .

342 E. HASTINGS ST.
PA. 8419

Caught ina Marshall Plan net.

When they head out to sea this ‘spring BIC. fishermen face a
situation where the fish will be in the''sea, people abroad want
the fish to eat, but Wall Street through the Canadian government
tells the fishermen that people. can’t eat their fish unless’ they can |
produce Yankee dollars to pay for them.

53

prepare for May Day, 1949,
“In ‘the forefront’ stands the
threat of a new world war, along
with attacks ‘on the right’ of labor.
“Labor solidarity’ and’ organiza-
tion has been labor’s best! weapon
and is needed now more than ever.
“Let us' make May Day 1949 the
biggest ‘and ‘best: demonstration ‘of
labor qunityehsibeneD story as
Each labor and people's’ organ->
ization in’ the city is invited to
be represented by two delegates
at the conference, which will be
held _ Wednesday, . March 30, 8
P.m.,.at.the Pender Auditorium.

‘

attempts of CCL-CCF right-wing-

observers believe,

The move for disruption originat+

ed, among, the: present officers of

IWA. local 217; Their first: scheme

to. switch participation to.Labor

Day instead of May Day. was re
é

Vancouver’s! May Day celebration:
is not likely _to be diminished by:

ers to hold a split-away May Day;

Labor to march for
peace this’'May Day |

“This year May Day finds labor confronted with urgent and
complex problems,”* James Thompson, ‘chairman’ of * Vancouver's May
Day (1948) Committee, has stated in issuing the conference call to

placed by a: plan to “take: over’
May Day. :

Impossibility of. a. split-off group
being able to. “take over” thous-
ands of workers who traditionally
march through Vancouver and
gather at Brockton Point pre@ludes
success of, this plan.

Splitters were, however, success-
ful in using the CCL. voting ma-
chine at the week’s Vancouver
Labor Council meeting to with-
draw the council as such’ from
the United May Day Conference
and to plan ‘a’ separate meeting
May Day.

Disparaging .remarks were di-
rected at participation of .women,
national cultural organizations and
left-wing political groups,

Likely reaction of biggest. ma-
jority of organizations will be
to answer the splitters with the.
largest May Day for many years
at a time when unity for peace
and labor’s rights is seen’ as a
supreme need.

men... at—

» ind

ey

| 324 W. Hastings St.

4

UNION MEN!

For your own good and welfare, © 0 ¢
support Trade Unionism by demand-
ing the Union Label. in Clothes,
“created by Vancouver Union Crafts-

THE OLD ESTABLISHED
RELIABLE FIRM?

SY Pe

EVERY GARMENT STRICTLY UNION MADE

Vancouver, B.C.

' PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MARCH 25, 1949 — PAGE 6