6

King Lauds Work
Of Quebee Unions

MONTREAL.—At a conference attended by government
officials, local plant managements amd workers from more than
30 war plants organized by the AFL in the Montreal area, the
Quebec War Organization-Production Committee announced
that in its current drive for “100 percent organization for 100

percent production” between

50,000 and 60,000 new union

members have been organized, doubling the total of union

workers in the province.

Prime Minister Mackenzie King
sent the conference a message ex-
pressing his “pleasure in learn-
ing of the marked success” of the
unions’ work, “especially the fact
that the number of war work-
ers organized in Quebec is now
over the 100,000 mark. Workers as
well as fighters are serving the
cause of freedom.”

Resolutions adopted by the con-
ference urged the abolition of re-
gional war labor boards, which
were denounced as “storage plants”
where legitimate requests of work-
ers, even when supported by man-
agement, are sidetracked and bur-
ied. An AFI..delgation will place
before the federal government at
Ottawa and the provincial govern-
ment at Quebec a demand for a
Canadian version of the U.S. Wag-
ner Act.

The main report to the confer-
ence was delivered jointly by Presi-
dent Fournier of Montreal Trades
and Labor Council, and Robert Had-
dow, grand lodge representative of

&

the International Association of
| Machinists. Their report pointed to
the need for Quebec wages to be
lSeouEHe up to Ontario levels.

It charged some companies with
|trying to foist company unions on
workers in war industries; criti-
ecized the statement of Munitions
land Supply Minister Howe that “so
|far as production is concerned Can-
ada has practically reached an all-
out effort;'’’ paid tribute to com-
panies which had shown a desire
_to work with the trade union move-
ment in the interests of the war,
and warned that military develop-
ments made necessary greater joint
efforts of labor, management and
government,

“In these next months,’ it said,
“our country and her allies in the
west will undoubtedly go over to
the offensive. The great victories
in the western desert have thrilled
us all; they will inevitably lead to
the opening of the second front
on the soil of Europe upon which
depends the final destruction of
Hitlerism.”

Continued from Page One

Committees

Guarantee

Consistent Production

strong shop stewards’ movements
they have led in adoption of inter-

department competitions and shock
brigades. According to a recent re-
port, the royal ordnance factories
now employ 300,000 workers, 60 per-
cent of them women. Labor produc-
tivity in the royal ordnance factor-
jes has increased 40 percent this
year.)

The close connection of industrial
production with political and mili-
tary events has been apparent since
the “Tanks for Russia” week after
the visit of the Soviet trade union
delegation to England last winter.

Early morning bulletins on the
Dieppe raid caused workers in
many places to put in a full day’s
work believing that the second
fronts had been opened, as a re-
sult of which output in one
South Wales coal pit rose from
80 tons to 168 tons. The spectacu-
lar production increases in the
weeks after Dunkirk were ac-
complished chiefly by back-break-
ing work, with many workers
staying on the job as long as four
days and nights without sleep.

Last week's production increases,
on the other hand, were the re-
sult of new production ideas and in-
dustrial practices, and the joint pro-
duction committees guarantee that
these productive achievements will
not be followed by the same col-
lege which followed Dunkirk.

The idea of shock brigades, in
which young workers organized in
groups identified by such names as
‘Dunkirk Avengers,’ “Paddy Finu-
cane Troop,” “Roosevelt Leaguers,”
“Timoshenko Squadron,” and “Wis-
enhower Crusaders,” increase pro-
duction by teamwork and intensive
eompetitive effort, has taken firm
hold in British factories.

Other production ideas introduced

which are posted daily in all de-
partments of several Scottish fac-

tories; shop meetings, at which lag-
ging workers are criticized by their
union members (as a result of these
meetings production in one depart-
ment of a bomber factory has more
than doubled); training depart-
ments for new workers; mobile
counters which are wheeled through
factories so women workers can
do their shopping at work (the
tank plant introducing this device
increased its output by 150 percent;
corps of men who go round coal
towns in the mornings to wake up
workers who might otherwise over-
sleep after a hard day’s work.

The London Times editorially
commented last week: “The record
production last week is a practical
form of commemoration which will
appeal strongly to our allies, for
increased production here means
more weapons for the fighting men
of all the United Wations. It has
long been customary in the Soviet
Union for workers to mark an an-
niversary with special production
drives, factory competing against
factory. Other Soviet production
ideas can well be borrowed here.”

The spirit of competition has
spread to London housewives.
Two hundred housewives’ teams
are entered in a contest run by
the London Women’s Parliament
for fuel economy, salvage collec-
tion and recruiting of women for
industry and the Services.

100% Union House PAc. 0634)

Meet Me at

KING’S CAFE

for a Square Meal!
THE BEST OF FOOD
Your Host .. GEORGE DRICOS
212 Carrall Street

last week include: wall newspapers,

be

>

|

as

PRIME MINISTER KING

tion of Workers (CGT), it can

CIO Protests A\rrest |
/\rgentine Unionist!

-BUENOS AIRES.—Arrest of fourteen prominent Arg
labor leaders last week “on suspicion of fomenting a gene”
strike” in support of striking Buenos Aires transport work
is part of an effort by supporters of the pro-Axis Castillo g |
ernment to gain complete control of the General Confede’

be reliably stated.

Arrest of the union officials, who
have led the opposition to Castillo’s
pro-Axis neutrality, took place af-
ter a rapid sequence of events in-
eluding: 1, Disruption of the CGT
executive .committee, at its first
meeting in two and a half years,
by CGT General Secretary Jose
Domenech, a partisan of Castillo.
2. Arrest of Professor Rodolfo Ghi-
oldi, editor of the pro-democratic
Buenos Aires daily La Hora, and
the suppression of La Hora and
the weekly magazine Orentacion for
commenting critically on Domen-
ech’'s action. 3. The significant de-

cision by the 34th Congress of the
Socialist Party,

Gov't Urged
To Lift Ban

Vancouver

support of a resolution received |
from the National Council of Demo-

and all other anti-fascist organiza-
tions.

Text of the telegram sent to
Prime Minister King read:

“We urge you in the interests of
Canadian democracy, freedom of
conscience and association, to im-
plement without delay the report of
the parliamentary committee to lift
the ban on the Communist Party,
and cther anti-fascist organizations.

“We are convinced that the pres-
ervation of democratic principles
are at stake in this issue. We be-
lieve this course of action impera-
tive for Ganadian unity and the
total war effort of the United Na-
tions.

Organize Workers
At Rivet Plant

Burrard Rivet and Forging Com-
pany, North Vancouver, which man-—
ufacture a large proportion of the
rivets and bolts used in the ship-
building industry here hasbeen or-
ganized 100 per cent and negotia-
tions for a union contract have been

opend.
Werkers have been organized in
Local* 3 of the Metal Workers’

Union, with the intention of affilia-
ting later to United Steclwerses of
America.

New Union Gets
Wage Imerease

VICTORIA, B.C.— Canadian In-
dustries employees at James Island,
newly organized inte the Explosive
Workers’ Union, have been granted
an increase of five cents an hour
by the company, subject to approval
of the National War Labor Board.

Reports that application has been
made for an arbitration board are
discounted by union officials, in
view of the general increase.

John Stanton

Barrister, Solicitor, Notary

503 Holden Bldg.
16 EB. Hastings St. MAr. 5746

and District Labor ,national leadership, headed by Do-
Council, at its last meeting, voted | menech, has consistently refused to

|

Argentine parties and labor groups.

to which many
unionists belong, to organize joint
action against Castillo with other

Argentine labor's forces are diy-
ided among the CGT, with 250,000
members, the Union Sindical, with
32,000, and the Association of Gatho-
lic Workers, with 19,000.

Although individual CGT unions
|have strongly opposed Castillo, the

take a position on national or in-

ternational affairs, expressing sol-*
cratic Rights urging that the ban be idarity with Brazil's declaration of
lifted from the Communist Party |war only after an unprecedented

campaign of pressure organized by
CGT unions.

Executive committee meetings,
which under the CGT constitution
are scheduled for every four
months, have been postponed on
various pretexts, and the General
CGT Congress of July, 1941, was
ealled off at the insistence of Do-
menech.

The belated executive committee
meeting last month was opened
with a sweeping attack by Domen-
ech and others on “communists,”
among whom they included every-—
one favoring the cause of the Unit-
ed Nations. Domenech announced
that the committee would proceed
at once to a discussion of post-war
problems without considering any
issues connected with the. war.

The excuse he found for disrupt-
ing the meeting was comparatively
trivial. He demanded expulsion of a
small left-wing union, the Graphic
Workers’ Union of Buenos Aires,
which was behind in its per capita
payments, and when it was re-
vealed that the majority of the ex-
ecutive committee opposed this ac-
tion, he resigned. This split the
executive committee.

Seriousness of the split can be
shown by the fact that eighteen
committee members, including dele-

Union, left the meeting. TT ie
five remained. Most of the imp § of
ant Argentine unions have since joy :
pressed support for the exec awe
committee majority, including |—

national boards of the Garm |
Workers, the Food Workers, ©
Metal Workers, the Building a
Workers and the State Employ
and local organizations of the}
way Workers.
Most of the arrested men
members of the executive co
tee majojrity, and all are firm
vocates of the United Nation
After strong protests _
Buenos Aires newspapers, lee
Argentine deputies and se

cluding every pro-democratic ] :
of Chile) and the Confederation |
Chilean Workers, Pedro Chiat
was released. The other 13 rem #
in prison.

BOSTON, Mass.—From: the {-
convention, President Philip - Mw
ray has wired Argentine a
dor Felipe Espil in Washingtor
“The executive board of the
has learned with indignation of —
arrest of 14 outstanding Argent

trade union leaders. Their s
crime consists of joining with
majojrity of the people of Argen
in demanding that their cow
take its place with the other
tions of the Americas in the a
fascist struggle. On behalf of ;
5,000,000 workers whom we a |
sent we protest this’ suppressior
the democratic rights of our
ther trade unionists and dem
their immediate release.”

wa

Fascists Fail
To Get Harvest

INSTANBUL, Tunkey_Wiroe!
Italian occupation forces to i
erops in the areas over which

Wugoslay guerrilla forces are fi
ing, in the hope of accomplis!
through starvation what t-
planes and guns have been un
to do, have largely been frusty
by the courage of old men, wo:
and boys.

In the Bosanka Kraina dis)
the crop was saved from fai
into Italian hands when some
thousand girls and young ;
worked as harvest crews, des |
the fact that only a short dist”
away fighting was in progress
tween the guerrillas and Ita
troops and they were consta

gates from the Railway Workers

2.

harassed by plane attacks.

we 3s

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