LABOR’S VOICE FOR VICTORY 7 VOL. L. No. 12 VANCOUVER, B.C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1942 5 Cents iNew Officers New officers of the Boilermakers Union, ousted as a re- sult of CCL President A. R. Mosher’s action in appointing an administrator, are considering making application for a court injunction to resfrain CCL Vice-President A. A. Mc- Auslane and an appoimted administrative board from taking control] of the union’s affairs. This was reported at a packed meeting of Boilermakers | Union members at Fishermen’s Hall Wednesday night which unanimously declared support of officers elected by xefer- 4 endum ballot m mid-December. The report was made after Matt Mills, who failed to win re-election as president, re- fused to take the chair on the ground that the meetings was unconstitutional, and, with other members of the old execu- tive, left the hall. Called to discuss proposals for operation of the seven-day #°ontinuous production plan in the shipyards, the meeting de- members on the issue and then was officially adjourned. # Those attending the meeting, however, did not leave the iall but proceeded to discuss CCL President A. R. Mosher’s iciion in ousting their newly-elecied officials and replacing ‘hem with an administrative board appointed by Vice-President A. A. McAuslane. When Matt Mills refused to take the chair and left the hall, Jack Lucas, newly-reelected president of the Soilermakers local in the West Coast shipyards, was elected to 4 he chair. (Continued on Page 7) Will Make Probe IOF Selective Service f Following charges made at last week’s meeting of Vancouver Gabor Council that selective service was mishandling many sases in Vancouver shipyards and particularly in the West Coast shipyard, a delegation from the council, meeting this week with (National Selective Service Representative Henley was assured §that the charges would be fully probed. | After hearing the yarious com- plaints against handling of selective laints raised, Henley suggested|service here, said that- the West elective service generally and ask-| asked to submit its case to the goy- ed that a full statement on West! ernment. Beast shipyard conditions be sub- Delegates to Vancouver Labor mitted by the Boilermakers’ local) Council, instructing Secretary Har- t old Pritchett to arrange an inter- Members of the delegation were|yiew for the delegation, charged Malcolm MeIeod, newly-elected) that there had been more hold-ups secretary of the Boilermakers’ Un-|and wildcat strikes in that yard sided to hold a second referendum among Boilermakers Union| fon, Charles Saunders, president of the Dock and Shipyard Workers’ Onion, and Art Staub, business agent, Boilermakers’ local in the West Coast. : | Henley, who has been_appointed oy the National Selective Service pead McNamara to investigate com- than in any other, with the conse- quence that production was lagging. They felt that a complete investiga- tion should be made of selective service in the province to probe the many complaints continually being received in the council against handling of various cases. BOILERMAKERS’ MEET BACKS OUSTED SLATE Union Democracy Hlouted ES trade union movement in Canada and in this province in particular has been dealt a blow, not by anti-labor interests, but by its own elected national leaders. The action of President A. R. Mosher of the Ca- nadian Congress of Labor in effect unseating the new officers of the Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders Union, Local 1, Vancou- ver, elected by referendum vote of the mem- bership earlier this month, and empowering Vice-President A. A. McAuslane of Van: couver to appoint a board to administer the union’s affairs, can be considered only in this light. It is an action that will be deplored by all trade unionists, regardless of affiliation, be- cause it denies the principles of trade union democracy, weakens trade union unity and, in its ultimate effect, will not strengthen the fight for increased war production. Injected into a troubled and difficult situation, Presi- dent Mosher’s action cannot be considered as advancing the struggle for trade union unity, but rather as laying the trade union movement open to greater division and dis- unity, of which certain anti-labor elements will not hesitate to take advantage. President Mosher has implied that the membersifip of the Boilermakers Union is not competent to select its own ofticers. Ina a : statement issued to the press, he describes his action as being “not only in the interests of the union and the Congress but of the war effort.” The facts, however, do not bear this Statement out. The new administrative board of twenty members as announced in a special issue of the Congress News, official CCL organ, con- tains the names of many candidates for union office who were rejected by the member- ship in the recent referendum vote, includ- ing the name of one charged with having fascist sympathies. The first act of the new board was to declare all union offices vacant, and among the new business agents appoint- ed to replace the business agents elected by the locals is an executive officer of the union ‘rejected by the membership who will now continue.in office by virtue of Congress au- thority overriding the democratically ex- pressed wishes of the membership. Similarly, the union secretary, decisively defeated in the constitutional union election by a two- to-one vote, will remain in office. How can this be construed as being in the interests of the union or of the Canadian Congress of Labor? President Mosher’s claim that this action was necessitated by the interests of the war (Continued on Page 4)