t LABOR Suspension of Trades spurs Twelve building trades unions with headquarters in the U.S. were suspended last week from the Ca- nadian Labor Congress for non- payment of their monthly per capita tax since April, 1980. In my article last week I dealt with the three issues in dispute: rep- resentation at CLC conventions; work jurisdiction; and the action of the Quebec Federation of Labor (CLC) in taking into direct affilia- tion a local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers which had seceded from that inter- national. Since I wrote that article, a new and significant development has taken place. The Quebec Federa- tion of Labor won a major victory over the international building trades unions in that province in a vote to elect a provincial bargaining council. Normally such votes are held periodically under Quebec leg- islation. Up to the recent ballot, there were five central organiza- tions entitled to be on the ballot, in- cluding the Quebec Building Trades Council, but not the Que- bec Federation of Labor. This time, there was a special ballot, under the terms of Quebec Bill 109, which gave the construc- tion workers the opportunity of es- tablishing the representativeness of the Quebec Federation of Labor — Construction and the Provincial Building Trades Council. According to the Globe and Mail March 10, the Federation received 49 percent of the vote and the Building Trades only 19 percent. In the previous vote conducted under the Quebec Act governing labor re- lations in the construction industry and respecting the represen- tativeness of central bargaining as- sociations, the Building Trades Council received 68.3 percent of Labor Comment Jack Phillips the total vote. Bill 109 was passed on the request of the Quebec Fed- eration of Labor. An immediate result of that vote will be that the.affiliation money formerly paid to the Building Trades Council will go to the QFL from those locals where a majority of members supported the Federa- tion. The locals pay a cent an hour to the central body for each hour worked. This development in Quebec should be seen in relation to the ac- tion the CLC will take as a follow- up to the suspension of the 12 un- Whatever the outcome of the | CLC-Building Trades issue, the impact will be felt most in rE pegged Re make — a greater proportion of the BC. Federation of Labor af- - filiates than they do in other — : and Terrazzo Finishers which is — provinces "There are #2 biions effected: : ie the CLC decisions: United _ | Brotherhood of Carpenters and |. Joiners; Laborers International Union; _ International | Brotherhood of Electrical — : Workers; United Association of | of the Plumbing Industry; In- - ternational Association of | Bridge, Structural and Or- national Union of ‘Castine + | Engineers; International Brotherhood of | Allied ‘Trades; Sheet Metal — Workers’ ’ asocietiane International the International | Brotherhood of Boilermakers, / Iron Ship Builders, - Blacksmiths, Forgers and — | Building trades key British Columbia where | (the Machinists and Painters and. ee ee e re cre ee There are also other unions in the Building Trades Council which are not affected by the CLC decisions, ‘either because they are not in the CLC (for ex- : ~ample, the Teamsters which is independent in both the U.S. — and Canada or the Tile, Marble _ the AFL-CIO only), or because — _ they were not part of the original boycott of per capita payments Culinary Workers ers). ee The ‘number are” also | somewhat difficult. Although — ‘the 12 unions affected have a’ total membership in British Col- ‘umbia of slightly more than ~ 65,000, some of those are in in- dustrial locals. “ Both the B.C. Federation of. ‘Labor and the B.C. and Yukon. ‘Building Trades Council estimate that there are 45,000 — workers in construction locals in. : province, all of whom are — _ affected by the CLC decisions. . In = eee at 17 | ~ percent ent of the Shon + PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 20, 1981—Page 12 ions. The executive council of the CLC has decided to set up a CLC building trades department, which will then establish building trades councils in every province and in _the Yukon and Northwest Terri- tories. Locals must join by April 30 of this year, or stand suspended. These councils will then be al- lowed to affiliate to provincial and territorial federations of labor and area labor councils, by locals. Apress release from Dennis Mc- — Dermott, president of the Cana- dian Labor Congress dated March 11 outlines the situation as seen by the Congress leadership. McDermott pointed out that re- peated attempts have been made over a lengthy period to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement with the top building trades lead- ers, who he said did not properly consult their rank and file member- ship. He further claimed that the de- mands advanced by the building trades leaders tended to ‘‘seriously undermine the democratic nature of the Canadian trade union move- ment,’ using the following ex- amples: @ Building trades unions were to have the authority to appoint delegates to CLC conventions, thus bypassing the local structure and the right of unions to elect their own delegates and run agi own affairs; @ Resolutions to CLC conven- tions were to be the sole responsi- bility of a union’s national or inter- national headquarters; @ The CLC was to intervene and dismantle the union structure: in Quebec in which the construc- tion workers of that province had voted to participate and which the Quebec government had recogniz- ed Officially by legislation. In reading McDermott’s state- ment, I found the following para- graphs to be the most significant, not only for what they say, but for what they do not say: “Tt should be noted that the jur- isdictional rights, the constitutions - and the autonomy of each building trades unions will be fully respected within this new CLC department. We are not out to attack anyone. . Our sole objective is to permit the building trades in this country to have a full say in the running of their own affairs and those of the Canadian trade union movement. “‘We simply feel that the people who pay their union dues have the right to govern their own destiny. “Tt is indeed unfortunate that the decision to suspend must be taken at such a crucial time in our , history. But the Canadian Labor Congress cannot accept the kind of autocratic trade unionism preach- ed by the international building trades unions in Canada. “The tradition of Canadian la- bor is one of democracy and grass- roots involvement at all levels of the decision-making process. It is a tra- dition we are proud of and a tradi- tion we intend to keep.”’ While it is not spelled out in this press release, it is generally assum- ed that locals of suspended unions will be able to affiliate to the new building trades: department with- out breaking away from their inter- nationals. This, of course, raises a number of interesting questions. For example, the fight within some unions to pay per capita to the CLC and remain within that body will go on, as will the fight for -more autonomy and full conform- ity with the Canadian standards of self-government as adopted by the CLC in convention. Already, there is an indication that two interna- DWAR AREAS a i+) 3 @ tional unions, and possibly a third, may reconsider and pay up their per capita. If they did so, would they be compelled to join the new — "DENNIS McDERMOTT CLC building trades department as_ a condition of membership in the CLC? We might also ask if the creation of a CLC building trades council will create a situation in which there will be two such structures in every province and territory, the tradi- tional council and the CLC coun- cil? If so, will they be in conflict with each:other? For example, here in B.C. there is a central bargaining council un- der the auspices of the provincial building trades council. What will happen to that bargaining council if some locals join the CLC build- ing trades council and others don’t? Or will the CLC building trades council act as an umbrella organization for those wishing to remain in the CLC without restrict- ing them from remaining in the tra- ditional . building trades council alongside of non-CLC affiliates? Further, will those building trades internationals who remain sus- pended because of non-payment of per capital permit individual locals to join the CLC councils or will they impose sanctions against those locals in accordance with their re- spective constitutions? It is possible that some interna- tional unions may brand member- ship in the CLC umbrella organiza- tions as dual unionism and a viola- tion of their respective constitu- tions. That, of course, could bring them into conflict with the mem- bership. It would be one thing if all the locals of a big union in B.C. af- filiated to the CLC department. It would be another thing if there was a serious split with, say, only half the locals affiliating to the new de- partment. Such a situation could lead to many complications and difficulties, particularly if the inter- national office refused to recognize the CLC building trades council as a legitimate organization their Ca- nadian locals should belong to. With all of its unanswered ques- tions and potential problems, the current situation nevertheless re- . flects an acceleration of the move- ment towards more Canadian au- tonomy for Canadian locals of in- ternational unions. It also proves that the goal of a completely inde- pendent trade union movement in Canada is fully realizable and is the inevitable outcome of the continu ous fight for more democracy. _ The Quebec situation points UP the fact that building trades work- ers come under provincial jurisdic: tion and that thé very scope and na ture of collective bargaining makes the provincial building trades councils a key element in deci the future of the building trades ut ions in Canada, at least at this time While there are certain negative - features about the Quebec expel ence — for example, more gover: ment control over the affairs of the building trades unions — we must conclude that objectively the d& velopments in Quebec have serv as a catalyst in the fight for Can@ dian autonomy. The 12.unions suspended are: Carpenters, Laborers, Electri Workers, Plumbers, Ironworkers: Operating Engineers, PaintefS Sheet Metal Workers, Boilermak ers, Bricklayers, Elevator Col” structors and Heat and Frost Insu- lators. Their combined averagé paid-up membership in the CLC was 229,783, out of a total membership of 2,329,000. It should be noted that unions like the Electrical Workers, Opel ating Engineers and Carpentefs also have local unions in manufac: turing and in the public sector. their parent unions remain sus pended, will such locals be able t0 maintain membership in the CLC through the new building trade councils? It is too early to answer all ques tions raised by the new develop- ments. However, while we cannot give the executive council of thé CLC a blank cheque, we should not forget that by presenting im: possible demands and refusing t0 pay per capita for their locals, it the top leaders of the internationals who are responsible for any diffi culties which may ensue. The main objective of progress ive-minded building trades workers in B.C. — we must assume — wil be to chart a course that will mint mize divisions and maximize unity — to the degree that it is possible and consistent with sound tradé union practices and principles. It should never be forgotten that thé main enemies of the trade unio movement are big business and thé governments and institutions that serve them. The fight for Canadian autonomy must be seen in this con- text, that is, how to make the un- ions more effective instruments fot the protection and advancement of the interests of the membership. Every specific situation will havé _ to be weighed up against such con- siderations, with the full under- standing that the right wing in the trade union movement would like nothing better than for progress- ive-minded building trades workers to be isolated from the majority in their unions or from the industry as a whole. 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