MERRY CHRISTMAS To All Our Comrades and Friends Peace and Progress for all in the New Year COQUITLAM CLUB CPC . SEASON’S GREETINGS To All Our Friends and Comrades FOR PEACE IN 1975 SOUTH VAN CLUB GREETINGS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS - CAMPBELL RIVER CLUB poo Season from (GLOBAL IMPORTS) 2677 E. Hastings Vancouver, B.C. 253-8642 Newly arrived from USSR: Records © Gift Items Toys Samovars Guitars PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1974—Page 16 rT nth SOK OE NSA RR OEE NOE, UKRAINSKA KNYHA Balalaikas {yy | ’s Greetings | i By JACK PHILLIPS civil liberties, cannot be measured in the abstract. For example, the political climate must be taken into consideration. In 1974, the B.C. Federation of Labor in convention adopted an international affairs statement which included the following: “The NATO alliance was based on the theory of cold war and on the concept of a divided world. Neither premise is acceptable. The United States and its foreign policy con- tinue to dominate the alliance, thus making a mockery of Canada’s supposedly independent voice in world affairs. For all those reasons - your committee once again calls upon the Canadian government to withdraw from NATO. The NORAD agreement is another outdated and unnecessary military commitment for Canada. Just-as NATO deprives Canada of a truly independent foreign policy so does NORAD.” ; In 1950, I was one of those for- cibly barred from entering the convention of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada in Montreal, even though I had been elected by my union and was in possession of valid credentials. The witch hunt was on and I was one of the hunted. When I appeared before the executive of the Congress, the question was put to me: ‘‘Why do you support the petition to ban the bomb? Are you working for Soviet Russia?” In 1950, as distinct from today, the U.S. enjoyed a monopoly in nuclear weapons. The two major labor congresses in Canada had hitched their star to the foreign policy of the Canadian government which in turn was tied to the economic and foreign policies of the American govern- ment. Through the instrumentality of the Liberal Party, and with the support of the other parties in parliament, our economy was tied to that of American imperialism. We were to be the suppliers of raw materials, fuel and energy and to share in the spoils of a world dominated by American im- perialism. Communism was to be rolled back in Europe and Asia and capitalism was to reign supreme. The dominant leaders of the American trade union movement had already launched a witch hunt in their country and were working hand in glove with the U.S. state department to split the trade union movements in Italy, France, Latin America and a number of other areas of the world. In this setting, individuals and entire trade unions were suspended and expelled. Union raiding became respectable in certain quarters on the basis of an alleged need ‘‘to liberate workers from Communist domination.” Once the top leadership of the -Canadian trade union movement SEASON'S GREETINGS New Year’s Greetings to all our friends and Tribune readers for a good and happy New Year. May it bring peace to a troubled world. Broadway Club CPC RAPA NANARA MG | for stronger movement _ adopted this disruptive-course, it Trade union democracy, like could excuse almost any action. Welcoming Hal Banks of the Seafarers International Union into Canada to smash the Canadian Seamen’s Union by outright gangsterism was only one such action. All this does not mean that the Canadian trade union movement has now been transformed and has rid itself of past policies. Neither does it mean that there is no room for improvement in structure and democratic procedures. But, we have come a long way since 1950 and generally in a left-of-centre direction. In relation to where the AFL-CIO now stands in the U.S.A. and in world affairs, the CLC is a much more positive influence. Still, the fact that the majority of Canadian workers are unorganized and that we have yet to achieve a sovereign, independent and united trade union movement cannot be ignored. Neither can we overlook the constraining influence of pure trade unionism (to the exclusion of political action) and right wing social democracy. The dominant outlook in the Canadian trade union movement is reformist, one that responds mainly to the effects of capitalism and seeks solutions without a socialist perspective. But having said this, we must add that with the consolidation of state monopoly capital, more and more trade union demands are political demands and that unions are in- creasingly involved in politics. Changed world relationships have compelled the _ labor movement to move leftward, as demonstrated at the beginning of this article. Left-wingers and militants who fail to see this change, and who donot see some of the basic differences between the Canadian and American trade union movements (such as_ the existence of the NDP enjoying substantial support from workers who have broken away from capitalist political parties) must inevitably draw the wrong con- clusions. In some cases, this can lead to left sectarian mistakes, like syndicalism or a brand of rank- and-filism which does not dif- ferentiate between progressive and reactionary leaders, thus ruling out many possibilities for alliances around progressive policies. In the new situation, communist trade union members seek no special rights or privileges. They oppose all undemocratic, machine control, no matter who exercises ‘their fellow workers for positive such control. The fact that anti- communist clauses in trade union constitutions are being deleted oF falling into disuse opens up new possibilities for unity between communists and other left and progressive forces. There is still some prejudice against communists in trade unions, reflecting the anti- communist propaganda of the capitalist class, the news media and other carriers of capitalist ideology. Bureaucrats, right-wing reactionaries and some social democrats will utilize -this prejudice to deprive communists of the opportunity of winning leadership positions. But it 1 becoming increasingly difficult for such narrow, divisive policies t0 succeed. The Communist Party has a long and honorable record in the trade union movement. No true record 0 the movement could be written without acknowledging this fact. The crisis affecting the capitalist world will cause larger numbers of Canadian workers to question the very existence of the capitalist system. There will be increasing demands to nationalize industry. The ideas of socialism will inevitably gain broad support among working people. The people will sooner or later opt for socialism. In this process, the workers will build a_ strong Communist Party. The special contribution the Communist Party offers is 4 scientifically grounded worl outlook, the outlook of socialis™. Without this outlook being a& cepted by the working class on the basis of their own experience all understanding, there can be 2° advance to socialism only partial reforms. While communists will fight shoulder to shoulder with reforms, they will never cease advocate socialism as the ultimate solution to the problems of workiné people. The socialist trend in the labol — movement goes back to the very beginning of trade unionism. Thos¢ who seek to deny or suppress the legitimacy of that trend do @ disservice to working people. In this day and age, the communists are the most advanced expressio? of that current. Trade unio? democracy, in the full sense of the term, means acceptance of right of communists to hold the views they do and to advance thew in the give and take of debate an° — discussion. , Starting a New Year—. the 40th for the PT With this issue the Pacific Tribune concludes 39 years of publication of the Communist press in B.C. starting with the B.C. Workers News in 1935. With our next edition, appearing on January 3, we will begin the 40th year of publication — 4 record of which we have every reason to be proud. : Extensive preparations are now underway to mark this event in a big way and to make the 40th birthday of our — paper an historic year of advance for the working class press in B.C. These plans will unfold early in the new year: The PT staff, therefore, has special feelings when We extend best wishes to all our readers and supporters for 1975: Join with us in celebrating the birthday of our papet by making 1975 a year of major advance for the Pacific Tribune. Launch the New Year right by getting a neW reader for the Pacific Tribune.