N THREE DAYS ‘of hard-work-

' ing, hard-fighting sessions in

border ‘city’s Audi-

torium. 900 delegates ‘to this

Ontario Federation of Labor con-

vention hammered out a strong-
er stand on many issues.

_ The convention opened on the

heels of the defeat of the arro-
gant Liberal bid for a majority
government and was greatly
heartened by the stronger show-
ing of the New Democratic
Party. Delegates resoundingly
re-endorsed the NDP; But they
avoided the double pitfall of
either “let’s leave all legislative
action to the NDP”, or “only an
NDP government will improve
anything.”

‘The firs? business to hit the
floor, the resolution on Ontario’s
minimum wage law, demonstra-
ted the temper of the gathering.
The resolutions committee re-
commended repeating the pre-
vious stand for a $1.50 legal min-

minimum but was obliged to up.

it to $1.75 in the face of stron
objections from delegates, begin-
ning with that of Toronto Iron-
workers delegate Jack White.

A cry which began here be-
came almost the theme of the
convention: “No more cap-in-
hand!” Begun by Murray Tate
of the Toronto Newspaper Guild,
it was shouted out time and
again by delegates. It signified
a demand for mass action to
back up labor’s'requests for vital
improvements in legislation from
the Conservative government of
Ontario.

Similarly, the convention
strengthened the committee’s
substitute resolution on strike-
breaking injunctions, which was
essentially against only ex parte
injunctions. The OFL is now
committed to fight for the elimi-
nation of any court injunctions
in labor disputes.

The OFL is also committed to
a stronger attack against the
bastion of the “residual rights
of management” and for a strug-
gle to strengthen labor’s right
to maintain the strike weapon.

OFL president Dave Archer,
re-elected by acclamation, pin-
pointed the special importance
of the managément’s rights
issue.

.The convention passed good
resolutions on pensions, medi-
care, the war on poverty, the
legal 40-hour work week (with
overtime work voluntary),
amendments to the Labor Rela-
tions Act on collective bargain-
ing rights for municipal employ-
ees, better conciliation services
and certification procedures.

‘It devoted more time than in
past cenventions to problems
such as the need to get contract
clauses permitting workers to
honor picketlines.

Aside from this resolution the
strike issue and the fraternal

«STEP DOWN, TREMBLY WE ARE”
GROUNDING ~You!”

Report from Windsor

Ontario
Federation
of Labor
convention:
progress
to the echo
of rising
militancy
By CHARLES WEIR

honoring of picketlines of other

unions took the limelight a-

dozen times in discussion.

For example, President Archer
accepted the appeal of Gordie
Lambert, spokesman for the
autoworkers of St. Catharines,
to lead a mass demonstration of
the delegates to a strike of gas
workers in Windsor whose
picketing has been hamstrung by
a court injunction. :

What was potentially a far
more divisive resolution on
picketlines was kept off the con-
vention floor. Submitted by the
Oil, Chemical and Atomic Work-

ers union, the resolution label--

led four Building Trades unions.
who were crossing their picket-
line at the Clarkson B-A refinery
as strikebreakers. ;

The Oilworkers withdrew their
resolution in return for a pro-
mise of a maximum effort to
solve the problem through inter-
union negotiation plus a maxi-
mum drive by all unions to back
the “Boycott B-A Oil” campaign.

The friction between the Oil-
workers and Building Trades
workers stems from the deter-
mination of the former to elimi-
nate company “contracting out”
practices. The Building Trades
workers, who benefit from out-
contracting, are opposed to this
change, even though many
would not resort to crossing the
picketlines to win their point.

Building Trades workers in
British Columbia are apparently
united in at least their refusal
to cross the picketlines. But in
Ontario the split is deeper.

Gerry Gallagher, Toronto La-
borers Local 183, reported that

his local had not only honored -

Oilworkers’ picketlines, but held
work stoppages elsewhere to
pressure contractors into dis-

continuing purchases of B-A-

products.

Toronto Laborers Local 506,
on the other hand, had insisted
that its men cross the Oilworker
picketlines.

At the OFL convention the
caucus of the Building Trades

‘unions removed Laborers Local

506 president Scotty Linnes from
the OFL Council as a conse-
quence of his local’s stand.

The OFL leadership elections

brought some surprises. Spokes-
men for more militant policies
rolled up a surprisingly high
vote.

Running against incumbent

OFL secretary-treasurer D. Ham-

ilton, Jack White polled 322
votes (to. Hamilton’s 429).

Stymied by the CLC rule that
a ballot is valid only if it is
marked for the full number to
be elected to the council (in this
case 12), plus the fact that they
were disorganized as compared
to the fully-organized adminis-
tration slate, a half a dozen in-
dependents still made a strong
showing. Gordie Lambert rolled
up 351 votes, compared to 548
for the last of the administra-
tion slate.

After a spirited debate on its.

proposal to replace annual con-
ventions with biennial conven-
tions, the administration suffered

—

ee 7.
"WELL, THAT WRAPS UP THIS
PEACE:

another defeat this year.

‘A sharp battle developed
-around the Vietnam issue. Dele-
gates. could see the United
‘States by glancing out the audi-
torium windows. They could feel
‘that country’s presence inside
the hall also.

Delegates knew of the recent
swing of powerful U.S. unions
away .from peace positions and
toward support of President
Johnson’s escalation of the dirty
war in Vietnam.

. The _ resolutions
brought in a substitute resolu-

‘tion which read:

“Whereas the
has been escalated by all parties
concerned, and whereas this
action represents a threat to the
peace of the world, and whereas
Canada has been able to play
a. role on the Peace Commission:

“Therefore be it resolved that
we urge the Canadian govern-

ment to use its good offices to:

“ask Great Britain and Russia to
reconvene the Geneva Confer-
ence with a view to working out
a political solution to this crisis;

“And be it further resolved
that under no _ circumstances
should our Canadian troops -be
sent to Vietnam.” :

While agreeing with the ‘“Re-
solved”, speaker after speaker
challenged the “whereas” -which
bowed some distance toward
George Meany and his AFL-CIO

executive council. As one dele-
“gate said, it placed the blame

“equally on the aggressor and
the victim.”

Delegates told me later that
for the first time they began to

understand what emerges from '

years of red-baiting and raiding.
They saw this clearly in the
speech of Tony Soden, the new
Steelworkers president at INCO
in Sudbury (where the Labor
Board has ordered a vote. on
Mine Mill’s application for re-
certification).

Soden took the floor to de-
mand all-out support for the
United States. He called for
“bullets for Reds” and outlined
some of his own qualifications
to fire such bullets.

Later another Sudbury Steel-

‘worker delegate added the call

for the U.S. Marines to come in
and “clean the Commies out of
Sudbury.”

The Sudbury Steel union offi-
cers got endorsation in an ad-
ministration resolution. which
appealed (rather hysterically) to
INCO workers to stay in Steel.
But it is doubtful that many of
the OFL delegates found the
Steel union spokesmen from
Sudbury very comfortable bed-
fellows in the House of Labor.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam reso-
lution passed overwhelmingly on
the strength of its constructive

“resolveds.”

This rejection of the pro-war
policy of the USA, and particu-
larly of the AFL-CIO’s commit-
ment to support of that policy,
was the most constructive action
to come out of this convention.

As the largest provincial seg-
ment in the Canadian Labor
Congress and as a body which
traditionally plays an influential
role in shaping CLC policy, the
OFL decision could spell the dif-
ference between CLC leadership
falling in line with the AFL-CIO
behind the Pentagon, or sticking
to the previously-established
Canadian policy of the.CLC for
peaceful solutions to all world
tensions and trouble spots.

committee |

Vietnam war

November 26, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PO®

A resolution which called
elimination of anti-Comm!
clauses in union constitutl
was not brought before the
vention. It would have ?
interesting to see if the OFL®
ministration has come up ¥”
an answer in the two years *
Toronto Steelworkers
Stan Thornley challenged "|
a previous convention. Z

He had urged it to €
how the House of Labor
justify its claim to being
bulwark of democracy” Wi
illegalizes a political party
cepted as legal by Conserv4
Liberal and even Social
governments in Canada.

Little time was devoted 10”)
problems confronting lab0! ©)
the community as a result
automation. The comm
substitute resolution was
It concentrated on_ reétrfal
and immediate demands suc
higher pay and the shorter wT
week.

The first delegates to hit

floor began to dig into the W
implications, such as the ?)
for labor, community and 2)
ernment participation in CO?)
ling automation, even bet '’
nationalization. When the Fi
vious question” was calle®
unheard delegates were !&" |
the mikes. ot

The speech delivered by
Vice-President William
struck a constructive note
generated serious thinkiN® ,|
the need of a major uni0? |
ganizing drive now. FT

Dodge cited figures sh0Wy)
that the turn had been 7
from recent years when ¥
ism had lost ground. He "%)
cooperation between union)
stead of demoralizing cM}
tion for the same units, in 4
bid to organize the unorg@
white-collar and blue-collat

He startled delegates by /
ducing figures to show tha
tario unions should havé r
million members instead of
present 500 or 600 thousa®! oi
his plea for cooperation 4¥
the question of unions
the CLC.

This report of the convet ]
would be incomplete will
recognition of the emerge?”
a powerful, clear-thinking,
ing body of relatively yong
union spokesmen at thé
level. It includes young me?
Jim Bridgewood of the 0
Ford plant and Dave Faité)
Toronto Moulders.

In sum’ total the convey
represented progress f0! if
OFL, more in line with the mf q
militancy displayed by On!
working men and wome?
past year on a hundred P
lines, including picketlit Li
unions denied OFL affiliatl® if
an outdated CLC consti!
and policy. :

Ps ee OLS aug eae VT ie ae ee ae

WELL, | HAVEN'T BEEN PROMOTED (a ’
30 YEARS EITHER:-- BUT 1M of)
WASTING TIME GRIPING ADOT

~~ fm et

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