8

Reid Robinson Visits TUMMSW Loeals

Victory Is Labor's First Job
Says Metal Miners’ Leader

American and Canadian labor’s “No. 1 job” is the winning
of the war against. fascism, and every move that organized
labor makes during this critical period should be dovetailed

to suit the requirements of

the struggle for victory, Reid

Robinson, president of the International Union of Mine, Mill

and Smelter Workers, declared
during a brief visit to Vancouver
on Wednesday.

The big, quiet-spealking leader of
organized metal workers in United
States and Canada, who is also
vice-president of the CIO, was in
the city for a few hours in connec-
tion with union affairs before be-
ginning a tour of IUMMSW locals
throughout the-interior of the prov-
ince. He left Wednesday night for
a meeting at Copper Mountain on
Thursday, and will address succes-
sive meetings at Trail on Friday
and Kimberley on Saturday before
returning to Denver.

“Labor men have voluntarily
given up the right to strike,
with the exception of such peo-
ple as John L. Lewis,” Robinson
said. “We have done this be
cause this is a people’s war, be-
cause the first job of the workers
is the destruction of fascism,
and because to halt production
at this time is to delay victory.”

Labor's most potent weapon, the
strike, was mot surrendered be-
cause of a greater affection on the
_part of the union men for the em-
ployers, but because the critical
demands of victory over Hitler's
Germany require full and sincere
loyalty to the cause of producing
an ever greater stream of weapons

and supplies for the fighting
fronts.
“Some employers are of course

taking advantage of this fact,” he
pointed out, “but we believe that
by pushing the organization of the
unorganized, by bringing hundreds
of thausands of new members into
unions and thereby increasing the
political power of organized labor,
we will be able to work Gut sati—
factory solutions to our problems
and thereby provide our govern-
ments with a maximum production
effort.”

The union leader commented
favorably on B.C.’s Industrial Con-
Ciliation Act as having a direct
bearing on increased production
for victory.

“In my opinion your ICA Act
is a very progressive one, by far
the best legislation of its kind
in Canada, and since it helps re-
move the obstacles to organizing
the workers will have a big
bearing on your province's con-
tribution to victory.”

Turning to his own particular
field of work among hardrock
miners and smelter workers, Rob-
inson stated that his union was
one of the very first to present a
Plan for boosting production of
base metals through MLabor-Man-
agement Production Committees to
Pr-sident Roosevelt.

“The day after Pearl Harbor, on
December 8, 1941, we placed our

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in an interview with The People
suggestions before the President.
Since then we have established
hundreds of such committees
throughout the industry, many of
which have won the warm ap-
proval of management, and we
have had direct commendation on
our efforts from President Roose-
velt and other high state officials.

“I notice that similar steps have
been taken in Canada, but it is my
opinion that much more could be
done along that line in this coun-
try.”

Speaking as one of the CIO vice-
presidents, Robinson declared that
he supported the demands of or-
ganized coal miners in the United
States for wage adjustments that
would bring their conditions into
line with rising prices.

“But we in the CIO have noth-
ing but the strongest condemna-
tion for UMWA president John L.
Lewis. Lewis is only digging a

grave for organized labor by
his use of the strike weapon.
The passage of the Connelly

anti-strike bill, which JIabor is
now urging the President to
veto, is the direct result of
Lewis’ anti-war actions. It is
quite apparent that this man has
found a coalition with some of
the most reactionary and pro-
fascist groups within the Repub-
lican Party in preparation for
the 1944 presidential election, at
which time Lewis and his friends
hope to defeat the Roosevelt
pro-war policies and bring about

a negotiated peace.”

Robinson, whose mother was
born in Canada and whose father
at one time homesteaded in
Northern Alberta, said he had no
trouble this time in crossing the
border into Canada. Several years
ago he was prevented from enter-
ing by Canadian immigration offi-
cials. He declared his pleasure at
being able to visit B.C., whose labor
movement was one of the most
virile in Canada, and expressed the
hope that people generally would
approve the current organizing
drive of the IUMMSW in B.C. as
of benefit to the province.

“Qur union has much to offer to
the citizens of this province through
its efforts at promoting better
labor-management relations and
increased production for war,” he
concluded.

McEwen Broadcast For June 24
To Salute Our Soviet Ally

*“When this generation is long dead, and our children’s
children are reading the story of Soviet Russia’s contri-
1 bution to the saving of mankind from the black slavery
of fascism, the name of Stalingrad will stand out as the
great monument of all time; a monument to the sublime
courage of men and women who fought and died—and
won, for an ideal—the simple sublime ideal of freedom.
“There is no land beyond the Volga, was the watchword
of the heroic Stalingrad defenders .
Stalingrad they must either find victory or death. ... For
us in far away Canada it was an assurance of final victory
. . . for Hitler the assurance of certain defeat.”—Excerpt
from the Communist-Labor Total War Committee’s feat-
ure broadcast for next Thursday, June 24, at 7:15 p.m.
over Station CK WX, a weekly feature.

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Continued

Canada and June 22

States. Democracy would have been beaten to

What saved the world then was the Red Army. Ii ¢ }
crack within a few weeks as the “experts” so confid
predicted. Instead it fought the Hitlerite hordes stubhx ;
slowed the vaunted blitzkrieg, then brought it to a hal |
finally turned it into retreat before Moscow. Destroyed |
the boasted myth of Nazi invincibility. Great Britain an j;
US were given the necessary breathing spell to get thei |
machines in readiness. The basis was laid for the —
Allied successes in North Africa and the opening of th
vasion of Hitler’s Europe. 5

Out of all this came another significant development
beginnings of real cooperation between the capitalist an }
cialist worlds, the only real basis for successful prosec |
of the war by the United Nations, as well as the buildi
a successful peace. ‘1

The Soviet people’s struggle against Hitler's al.
murderers, and their deeds of heroism during that str
has completely won the hearts of Canadians. Only aj —
isolated circles of reactionaries do we hear anything but yp |
for the Soviet Union. This was clearly indicated by th
sponse to the Aid to Russia fund, oversubscribed by 300 |
cent. And when we commemorate June 22 this year |
will also mark the renunciation of our country’s former p
of hostility toward the Soviets and its substitution by ap
of friendship that corresponds to the real feelings of all .

The achievements of the Soviet people and ther |
Red Army before Moscow and before Stalingrad have t
Allied defeat into the conditions for victory over Hiil
Germany in 1943. Their strugggle has become one of &
tion for the peoples of the other Allied nations.

And when we meet on Sunday to pay tribute to
great nation of fighters, we will also take the occasic
rededicate ourselves to a greater war effort, to furthe
creasing the flow of supplies to the Allied armies ay
backing the coming offensive that will bring defeat for
cism this year and lay the basis for future peace and fr
ship with Soviet Russia and all nations of the earth.

rt

*

a]

DR. W. J. CURRY

DENTIST

207 West Hastings Street Tel. PAc. 1

Commemoration Rally

‘in tribute to

Soviet Russia’s Two Years of
Heroie Defense of Freedom

SUNDAY, JUNE 20th

7:00 P.M.

ATHLETIC PARK |

MUSIC BY KITSILANO BOYS’ BAND
Russian, Croatian, Ukrainian Soloists

@ SPEAKERS —
NIGEL MORGAN

FWA International Board Member.

J. PODLAGAEFF

Russian-Canadian Federation.

GRANT McNEIL

CCF Member of the Legislature.

TOM McEWEN

Communist-Labor Total War Committee.
@ CHAIRMAN —
ALFRED C. CAMPBELL

Take all cars to South End of Granville Street Br