STRUGGLES AHEAD

“Unity and solidarity is la-
bor’s pressing need, and is
the one sure answer to the
grave problems confronting
B.C. labor,” says a statement
issued this week by Nigel
Morgan, provincial leader of
the Labor-Progressive Party,
on behalf of that party’s pro-
vincial committee. Full text
of the statement reads:

The offensive against the
trade union movement of this
province has reached alarm-
ing proportions today, and
the Labor-Progressive Party
feels compelled to add its
voice to the growing demand
for development of a united
plan of actien to defeat the
employers’ assault. A danger-
ous situation is shaping up!

Unions in four major B.C.
industries are under attack.
Bill 43, expressly designed to
take away from the trade un-
ions their fundamental right
to picket, to boycott unfair
firms, or even issue strike in-
formation, is now being used
to launch civil suit against
labor organizations and their
elected officers.

Injunctionsgare being hand-
ed out right and left to fur-
ther hamstring the trade un-
ions in everything they do to
bargain collectively for the
elimination of grievances and
the betterment of their con-
ditions.

B.C. labor is under <all-out
attack by the employers, who
have developed a master-plan,
making full use of the gov-
ernment, courts and the daily
papers to press their attack,
divide labor’s ranks, and rob
lobor of its rights ang living
standards.

Obviously there is only one

way to meet such an attack.
And, that is through the max-
imum unity of the entire la-

Unity, solidarity
labor's need—LPP

bor movement. It is to court
destruction to continue with-
out a firm agreement as to
how to meet the challenge of
Bill 43 and the anti-labor cru-
sade its passage signalized.

The Labor-Progressive Party
and its members have warn-
ed repeatedly that the fight
would have to be carried
much further if labor was not
to be completely straight-
jacketed by ‘the Socred Bill
43. Today the trade unions
are face to face with one of
the most serious challenges of
their existence. United stra-
tegy and united action are
needed as never before.

If the powerful IWA is to
win the struggle that is
shaping up in B.C.’s No. .1
industry, it will have to exer-
cise its long-recognized right
to picket and appeal to other
unions to respect its picket
lines,_

The use of injunctions — as
they have been increasingly
used in recent weeks to inter-
fere with even legal picketing
in perfectly legal strikes —
will have to be anticipated.

The employers are determ-
ined to destroy labor organi-
zation and drive living and

working standards down in

the process.

But there is no law that can
compel one union man to scab
on another, or take away the
right to continue to recognize
a picket line removed by em-
ployer injunction — provided
the entire labor movement is
united in asserting its funda-
mental rights.

Unity and solidarity is la-
bor’s pressing: need. It is the
one sure answer to the grave
problems confronting os:
labor.

Bakery workers union
obtains pension plan

Bakery Workers Union has
negotiated a new _ pension
scheme covering some 550
city workers, union secretary
Mel Kemmis announced this
week.

Members with 25 years ser-
vice will draw $100 a month
when they reach the age of
65 years. They have the op-
tion of retiring at 55 on a
smaller pension.

The employer pays a prem-
ium of 80 cents a day under
the agreement. Workers may
change jobs and still retain
pension rights.

Twelve “firms are
bargaining unit,

Employees are given credit
for past services when firms
sign a contract with the un-
ion for the first time, said
Kemmis.

in the

SIU moves in on longshoremen,
tries to steal jurisdiction

Seafarers International Union, suspended from the Canadian Labor Congress last
month, is using the current strike of the National Association of Marine Engineers against
Northland Navigation Company as a pretext to try and steal longshoring jurisdiction from

Intetnational Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union. SIU members are loading ship
“incidents” with, the ILWU men, who have been locked out

and trying to provoke
When the National Associa-
tion of Marine Engineers
struck Northland Navigation
the ILWU members respected
the engineers’ picket lines.

An injunction was secured

Farming in Canada is be-
coming big business for Big
Business.

This was clearly indicated
by a story in the Globe and
Mail financial pages in March
of this year which told of

stocks in a large farming
corporation being listed on
‘the stock exchange. It says:
“Something which is believed
to be new under the sun has
been added to Canadian fi-
nancing — the underwriting
of a farm.”

This is no ordinary farm
that’s listed; stocks -worth
$1,400,000 were being offered,
with 6% percent interest on
preferred stock. It is a huge
food corporation. It operates
the largest fresh vegetable pro-
cessing and marketing plant
in Holland Marsh (north of
Toronto), 4,500 acres near Ot-
tawa, 1,700 acres near Mont-
real, 9,000 acres in Florida
and has operations in the Car-
ibbean and other countries.

Last week all papers carried
a story based on this month’s
Bank of Nova Scotia Review,
which dealt with the future
of Canadian farming.-This fu-
ture is not a distant one, it is
to be found in the present.
The truth *behind’ the story,
much as the’ bank officials
try to play down the threat
to both farmers and consum-
ers in the inevitable rise in
prices, can be found in the
stock exchange venture. -

% x %

What should’ be done to —

save the situation? No, tech-
noligical development should
* not’ be curtailed. What it wilt
take is a real struggle on the
part of the farmers and the
consumers together to see that

these technological advances _

can become available to farm-
ers through government sub-
sidies, for joint operations on
a voluntary basis through co-
operatives and through train-
ing of young farmers for the
new processes.

- company. They also were re-

picketing.

The ILWU immediately @
ed Labor Minister Mich
Starr to intervene and uphi
their contract rights. :

B.C. Federation of Labo
held an emergency meeting
this week to discuss the prob
lem created by the Seafarers’
brazen attempt to smash
strike of engineers and gra
jurisdiction from the 10
shoremen.

ordering the engineers to cease
picketing. They complied.
After the withdrawal of the
pickets the ILWU, to fulfill
their contract, was faced with
the necessity to supply men.
But when they did this, they
found SIU members doing
longshore work, protected by
“soon squads” and the ILWU
men faced a lockout by the

strained by an injunction from

Bridge crew ignores
injunction, won't wor

_ Ignoring a second court order to return to work im:
mediately on the south end of the Second Narrows Bridge
members of Local 97 Ironworkers failed to show up Monday,
although they had been informed by their union leadership
of the court ruling.

Union officials take the posi-
tion that the bridge project
may be dangerous in its pres-
ent state (only falsework is
holding up the southern span)
and that each individual work- ,
man has to make up his own
mind about risking his neck.

bridge is left in its presé
condition.”

Local 97 tied up some
millions of projects ac
B.C. when employers den
ed cuts in contract conditi

The union’s relation
with Dominion Bridge is
from a happy one, union ¢
ficials said. The compan
“only just got around” to ]
ing workers for boots —
clothing they lost when
Second Narrows Bridge
lapsed last year, killing
men,

“They kept referring u
the insurance company,”
Tommy McGrath, a unior
ficer. “Under ‘pressure OV
long period of time they
ally coughed up but we
they put on a poor show.”

Dominion Bridge is saic
be planning contempt of «
proceedings against the u
leaders.

The men, apparently, are
of one mind.

“When a collective agree-
ment doesn’t exist, the union
doesn’t have much to do be-
tween the men and the com-
pany,” said union business
agent Norm Eddison . “It’s
pretty well a matter for the
individual employee to decide.
They are just employees until
such time as there is a collec-

tive agreement.”

Consulting engineer Col, Ww.
G. Swan said that “the hazard
which exists is in proportion

to the period of time the

“

George Gee

G & B HEATING LTD.

Gas — Oil — Electric — Plumbing — Sheet Metal.
INSTALLATIONS — SERVICING
No Down Payment — 6% Simple Interest -
4 First Payment October 1, 1959

4415 Hastings Street CY 9-4919 |

July 3, 1959 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGI