Thy | OE TD (mY DR YOY OFC a nw OC Denes Prey TP? o fl Pott dil owns {LABOR FRONT | By -WILLIAM KASHTAN Parliament is now debating legislation requiring all inter- national unions operating in Canada to dislose”their financial position and dues income, who their officers are, their nation- ality, their salaries, how they are elected, as well as the number of locals under trusteeship and the reasons for it. This is tied in with legislation requiring all foreign-con- trolled corporations to report their financial position. On the surface it seems an innocent and useful:piece of legislation. As it will be applied to the unions concerned, how- ever, it can become extremely dangerous. What is being played down is the proposal to consider unions as legal entities and thus open to be sued. The first -6tep in that direction was taken by the B.C. Social Credit gov- ernment. Minister of Justice Fulton now proposes to make it “mational in scope. It should be clear that once unions are made -suable, Big Business will have a field day tying unions up :im court cases and generaliy working to bankrupt them. Thus, what looks like an innocent piece of legislation actually masks an iron fist—directed against the trade union “movement. % % * The proposed legislation as it affects the trade union move- “ment is wrong in principle. It is a further step in the direction -of strengthening governmeni control over the trade union smmovement and direct interference in their internal affairs. As it is the trade union movement is already hamstrung by «all kinds of so-called “labor” legislation, all of which operate ain favor of monopoly and against the interests of the workers. “The right to organize is being hampered, the right to strike Ss being limited, injunctions are freely being used to break strikes. Now this piece of legislation is being added to the long list, this time to limit the rights of the trade unions as woluntary organizations of the working class through which to «defend their vital economic interests. * # * Ostensibly the legislation is aimed at getting information en US. control of the Canadian economy. But if the Diefen- faker government is really concerned. in this matter why has it remained silent on how U.S. laws are being imposed on the Canadian trade union movement? Why is there not a word éaid about how the Taft-Hartley law has been imposed on ‘unions in Canada? Why the silence about the Landrum-Griffin “Bill, another U.S. law, which is also being enforced on many _ “woions in this country? Silence on thi$ open affront to Canadian sovereignty exposes “the pretence that the proposed legislation is directed at weaken- _ ame U.S. domination over the economic and political life of our “country and makes it appear that what the government may “wweally be out for is a weakening of an important section of ‘the trade union movement as effective defenders of the econ- “@mic interests of the workers. The proposed legislation therefore. needs not only the @losest scrutiny by the trade union movement; it should be ectively opposed in those sections that are directed at the @nions. The Canadian Labor Congress has already indicated: its epposition to this piece of legislation but whether it will de- welop an active fight against it remains to be seen. On the other jiand some union leaders tend to minimize the dangers.inherent an the proposed legislation and consider it possible to live with #. Such an attitude, if it were widespread; would take the -gsteam out of any effective struggle. i * * % More than struggle against this piece of legislation is re- @uired, however. What is particularly needed is to eliminate he basis for such legislation by further advancing the fight or complete trade union autonomy and full respect for the @emocratic rights of the membership. Those right-wing trade “-gnion leaders who stand in the way of such long overdue wmeasures are to a great extent responsible for the type. of Jegislation the government is now advancing. Perhaps the Jegislation will act as a spur on them. But whether it does ox' “grot, one thing is clear: all those who understand the need for & completely autonomous trade union movenient with the 4@emocratic rights of the membership fully respected, will “eedouble their efforts in the’ struggle to achieve it. The proposed government legisiation is a warning that this @truggle must not and cannot be delayed. Ban nuclear arms urged on MLA’s by peace lobby VICTORIA, B.C.—British Columbia MLA’s were ul Wednesday to take a stand against nuclear weapons Canada and for disarmament by an 80- member Pe WOODWORKERS Cont’d from pg. 1° present $192 base rate. Presi-|:» dent Joe Morris reported ail major companies have report- ed increased profits in the past year; that more lumber was produced the first 11 months of last year than in any of the previous five years; and that shipments to the United Kiingdom have been higher than for years. in Demand for the 7-hour day —urged in resolutions adopted by Locals 1-85, 1-217, 1-363 and 171 earlier — were shelved by the Conference on opposition led by delegates Fieber, Hawe and Morris. Fringe benefits demanded include industry-wide health and welfare coverage (on which 95% of the union mem- bership are already covered by separate plans); industry- wide pension plan; contract and sub-contract coverage; $2.50 per hour rate plus 50c per square for all over 20 squares for shingle weavers; $2.25 per hour plus 39c per square over 20 square for packers; “portal to portal’ travel time for loggers; an up- ward revision for engineers and firemen; an _ additional paid statutory holiday for Easter Monday or Good Fri- day; review of wage rates for changing job classifications; strengthening of seniority pro- visions, and double time for all overtime. Strong opposition is expect- ed from the lumber operators in spite of determination ex- pressed by the union repre- sentatives. Public Meeting HEAR LESLIE MORRIS speak on : ‘CUBA and the AMERICAS’ Pender Auditorium 339 West Pender St. Friday, March 3 8:00 p.m. Everyone Welcome Lobby. : “Organized by the B.C. Peace Council and headed by chair- man L. Gardner, the delegates marched through the corridors of the parliament buildings with placards urging disarmia- ment and peace. : The delegation met with’ Liberal caucus and - also cussed’ their brief with ¥ leader Robert Strachan, ~ Many MLA’s were intervié ed by the delegates and ult) to support a resolution ag# nuclear weapons. — Tension Mounts In Rhodesi together with the and the Portuguese territd if “white civilization” was be preserved in Africa. Meanwhile, Eng., the Movement for Col ial Freedom called on the ish govt. to remove Wele ‘before there was ‘an explosi THE LUMUMBA UNIVERSITY. Moscow’s versity is to be renamed Patrice Lumumba Friel University ‘at the request, 3 many Soviet and foreigt zens,” an official Soviet # Tension mounted in Rhod- esia this week following can- cellation of all police’ leave in Southern Rhodesia _ this week by racist Premier Roy Welensky_ of the Central Af- rican Federation. This latest move followed on the call-up = of territorial troops in-Southern and North- érn. Rhodesia. ~Last week the Welensky government .tabled a motion in. the white-dominated parlia- ment. to ‘resist by every means at its disposal any changes in the Northern Rhod- esia constitution... ” The South African _ parlia- ment was told by Foreign Min- ister Eric Louw last week that South Africa would stand Rhodes! in Lond ernment week. Friendship + eet statement said —— Union executive board. UFAWU calls for | action on Bill 42 A eall for labor to mount an around-the-clock pickt on the parliament buildings in: Victoria was made t week by the United Fishermen and Allied Work They also urged a massive labor iiibe to victor) to compel the Bennett government to drop anti-la™ Bill 42 soon to come before the House. el Photo shows African guests at a recent rally in re China to protest murder of Congo Premier Lumumba. They are shouting “Colonialists, get out Congo! Get out of Africa!” March 3, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pa™ of!