This year will see a big section of the organized labor movement in negotiations in- volving almost every industry in the country and most unions. iy The condi- tions -in: which they take place offer oppor- tunities for Fi considerable new gains by the work- ing class. More than that, they make such gains necessary if living standards are to be maintained and im- proved upon. Profits have reached new highs based on increased pro- duction and productivity. Prices have risen also and will likely continue to do so. In fact the Ontario govern- ment’s intention to increase the sales tax, to raise taxes of gasoline and liquor, in- creased federal taxes, pro- bable increases in other pro- vinces, add up to cuts in take home pay for the majority of the working class. These factors, together with a more favorable climate in which negotiations are likely to take place, should result in new targets being set by the trade union movement with respect to wages, fringe bene- fits, hours, overtime, job se- curity and work standards. * * + The fight for objectives such sas these, also suggests the % need for strengthening solid- si arity and unity all down the ‘line because while more favorable opportunities exist, it is too much to expect that new gains will be achieved without struggle. A case in point is the work- S ers in St. John, New Bruns- wick who are engaged in a * long and bitter struggle with *; Irving Refining Ltd., a strike which started Sept. 16, 1963 and is still continuing. These workers, backed by the organized labor movement in New Brunswick, are deter- mined to win through on the issue of industry wage rates. Irving Refining Ltd., part of the Irving Empire which vir- tually controls New Bruns- wick, is equally determined to maintain New Brunswick as a low wage and high profit niseiiges SR eo SRS Nae RR @ CHINAWARE @ LINENS SSS NSS Labor Front By WILLIAM KASHTAN LOOKING FOR UNUSUAL BUYS AT POPULAR PRICES? We have an interesting choice of goods from the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, China and Poland TEA AND CONFECTIONERY FROM U.S.S.R. @ EMBROIDERED GOODS @ SOVIET WRIST WATCHES @ CERAMIC FIGURINES area. In pursuit of this aim it is determined to smash the union if it can. It is to the credit of the New Brunswick labor move- ment that in the interests of solidarity the executive coun- cil of the St. John Labor Council adopted a resolution calling for a general strike. This is something new in the recent history of the trade union movement and indicates the rising militancy permeat- ing growing sections of the working class. The general strike did not take place apparently due to the intervention of the Cana- dian Labor Congress which, through President Claude Jo- doin, declared that a general strike is ‘‘not the sort of thing we believe should be nec- essary.’’ * * * This statement can be taken in three deifferent ways. One could argue from what Jo- doin said, that a general strike should not be necessary if anti- labor employers stopped trying to smash _ unions. Or, one could argue that Jodoin is opposed in principle to the general strike as a weapon of the working class where the need arises for such action, or, that he is opposed to a general strike in St. John. Be this as it may, the fact is that it is for the St. John labor movement to decide whether a general strike is what is required at this stage to. compel the Irving empire to sit down and negotiate. Workers generally do not play with strikes and they certainly don’t play around with a general strike which is a high form of solidarity and a high form of working- class struggle. The fact that it was advanced by the organized labor move- ment in St. John emphasizes that, while the Winnipeg general strike was the first such strike in Canadian labor history, it will certainly not be the last. In any case the threat of general strike has had atleast one positive aspect. It has compelled the CLC to come out in support of a strike which the entire organized labor movement must help win. @ GLASSWARE @ TEXULES We specialize in arranging tourist visits to the Soviet Union ‘2643 East Hastings Street a Open 9-5:30 Daily UKRAINSKA KNYHA Telephone ALpine 3-8642 Vancouver 6, B.C. Closed Wednesday Public hearings on civic gov- ernment were urged on Van- couver City Council in a brief presented by the city Commun- ist Party this week. _ The brief asked the council to establish a ‘Committee re- presentative of labor, business, industry and ratepayers andin- struct it to conduct public hear- ings into civic government and - report its conclusions back to this council.”’ : Highlighting the proposals was a plan for a system of eight wards in Vancouver (see map alongside) with 16 aldermen and a Board of Control of four mem- bers to be elected at large. William Stewart, Vancouver CP city secretary who presen- ted the brief, ticked off Mayor Rathie and Alderman Broome for trying to dismiss the broad public demand for municipal reform. Rathie had said in council last week that those pressing for municipal reforms were a few defeated candidates, edi- torial writers and individuals who represented nobody. Broome had suggested that all those who don’t take the trouble to vote can ‘‘Go to Hell’ as far as he is concerned, according to press reports. * * * Stewart asked the council to lift itself above such partisan muckraking and recognize that council is duty bound to open up the matter of civic govern- ment and civic democracy to _wide public discussion and then act on the views of the people. Following are some of the major arguments presented by the brief: * (On the frequency of elec- tions) ‘‘In our opinion it is the people of Vancouver who must ultimately govern this city. This they do through elected representatives. The more fre- quent these elections, the more involved are the maximum num- ber of electors; the more sub- ject to public scrutiny are the policies of the official body, the more likely are these poli- cies to reflect the views and wishes of the electorate..... *‘We are in complete support of annual civic elections and un- alterably opposed to any sug- gestion that they be held every two years,’’ : * * * * (On democratic represen- tation) ‘‘The number of voters represented by each member of the Vancouver city council is more than double the average of other major Canadian cities, ‘We favor the ward system of representation for Vancou- vero: ‘Our proposal is for two al- dermen to be elected from each ward. We prefer that they both be elected each year, but as an alternative proposal they could be elected for two terms, with one being elected each year, ‘‘A Board of Control consist- ing of four members, each elec- ted at large for two years, with two up for election each year, and a mayor to be elected for a two year term, would make up’ a council of 21 members and would bring our representation up to the national average.’’ * * * * (On Election Campaigns) ‘*We propose that this city coun- cil should take personal res- ponsibility for developing in- terest in civic elections....°’ The brief then outlined pro- posals for a central mammoth election rally, ample TV time ' meetings, City CP urges ward system, extension of civic democrac NOTE VCIRELED FICURES ARE WARD NOS. VBRACKETED PIQURE “ger ISTHE NuMBER QF vOTERS< CITY BOUNDAR: enclist UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT LAnos:- (28,956) 33 B2 Age BURRARO INLET GEORSIA Pictured above is the proposed ward setup of the Vancouver Commun Party. The plan calls for the city to be split up into eight wards, with e' ward representing approximately an equal number of voters. for all civic candidates and as-: sistance to ratepayers groups in advertising all - candidate City council should finance and organize such elec- tion undertakings. In addition, it suggested giv- ing ‘‘careful condideration’’ to limiting amounts spent by can- didates in getting elected, * * * In demanding the setting up of. a committee to investigate all aspects of Vancouver’ civic election setup, the submission concluded: **In submitting these propos als we are mindful that ther are a wide range of opinions in our city, pertinent to civic elec toral reform and civic demo cracy. The burden of our case is to add strength to the deman for a full inquiry into the mat- ter. : ‘‘Any attempt to resolve suc? a matter by a simple major!) vote in this council at this tim would be in contempt of thi people of this city.’’ [_ —. —= -—_ mf F= Reports on Cuba trip The visitor to Cuba is im- pressed from the moment he sets foot on Cuban soil by the amount of new, attractive hous- ing springing up everywhere; and by the huge industrial plants being built from Pinar del Rio province in the West to Oriente in the East, The land is throbbing with new -expansion in every phase of llfe. The streets and shops are crowded with people, happy and gay, with new purchasing power Since everyone is now working, Sucn was the opinion of Myr- tle Bergren one of the Canadian delegates who returned last Friday after a month’s tour in Cuba in commemoration of the fifth national celebrations of the Cuban revolution, when she spoke at a meeting in Vancouver last Sunday. The meeting was organized by the Canada-Cuba. Friendship Committee. Young Cuban men and women in militia uniform are seen everywhere on guard, she said, The U.S. warship ‘‘Oxford’’ can be seen off the horizon against : the sky, three miles out of Havana barbor, watching the coast of Cuba, The Cuba people are answer- ing provocations such as these by expansion of education, ag- riculture, industrialization and FPG AAP Olt a ph OL ry culture. Most people of all ages are attending schools. School cities are filled with activity and in all the farms and factories visited by the delega- tion, adult workers were taking classes, continuing with the The Cuban government is giv- ing the most financial aid to agriculture since it forms the basis of the nation’s economy: It was pointed out that with sugar Cuba can make enough credits in other countries to buy the industrial equipment and raw materials for the great in- dustrial complex her people are building. Right now there is a labor shortage and thousands of work- ers and army personnel are volunteering in the campaign to cut the sugar harvest, the‘‘Za- fra’’ for 1964. Current pro- duction is four million tons a year and the plan is toincreasé it to 10 million by 1970, ‘‘With the determination of the Cuban people and the soli- darity of the socialist states,” Mrs, Bergren said, “‘It is plain to see they will by that time have made strides in all fields that defy imagination; educa- tionally, industrially, in agri- culture and culture - but most of all, in human dignity and happiness.”’ campaigns. ‘M-S aT M-Squad’ grows 4 In response to our appeal in the January 24 edition to build “Maintenance Squad” to keep the PT rolling, (financially that is), we have now a doughty squad of seven regular monthly donators. These are J. A., North Vancouver, $3.00; D. A., North Vancou- ver, $5.00; Rita and John Tanche, White Rock, $2.00; Joe lvens, — Okanagan Mission, $2.00; Max Honey, Salmon Arm, $3.00; E. Smith, Vancouver, $1.00 and Eck Morrison, Parksville, $3.00. To top that off total donations, not yet on the monthly ‘“Main- tenance Squad” totalled $118.50. All this not only blows the “‘Mos- cow Gold myth sky-high, but greatly helps us keep in the good graces of the printer—an important item in the publishing business! Meantime during the next couple of weeks we would like the Maintenance Squad come up to “company” strength. Then we can think in terms of a “battalion” . . . and perhaps celebrate Confeder- ation with an assured income, not dependent upon annual financial Name your own monthly donation, large or small, which as- sures your membership in the “MS”... and the steady publication | and improvement of YOUR PAPER. 4 February 7, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page