Page 6-2" Saturday, March 17, 1945 Disruption In Union Is Being Curbed Campaign of disruption in the Boilermakers’ Union, which reached its high point recently with a shrewdly planned maneuver Of sowing suspicion of financial affairs accompanied by resignation of five executive members, is being firmly dealt with by the union, John Nuttall, acting president, told P.A. this week. Ilection to fill the five posi- tions, including the presidency, will be held by secret ballot in the union's hall on Monday, March 19. 7 Meanwhile an audit by the firm of Foster, Barrett Leonard is now proceeding to clear up the éon- Siderable confusion which has been spread through the yards by the disruptive campaign. This audit was decided upon by the Boilermakers’ executive, in con- sultation with the executive of the Shipyard General Workers’ Federation (to which the Boiler- makers is affiliated), to settle the matter although complete eontidence was reaffirmed in the regular audit of the Pacific Coast Labor Bureau. This audit will take some time as it is a complete audit of 1944 financial affairs, which was done by the PCLB on a quarterly basis. Investigation of several mem- bers, who are charged with con- duct unbecoming a member as a result of various incidents, in- eluding disruption of a special imeeting called to consider the re- cent resignations, is also in the hands of the union’s press and in- vestigating committee. Nuttall stressed that every ef- fort was being made to overcome these blows to the union’s sta- bility and position and he point- ed out that the progress of the union has naturally suffered. “Tmportant agreements are pend- ing.” he said. “Certifications and ether union business of an im- portant character are on hand; and it seems more than coincid- ence that this cliniax was reach- ed at a time when the B. GC. Fed- eration of MLabor’s legislative lobby was meeting in Victoria to press labor’s demands.” The simultaneous stepping up of the Kuzych campaign is also being handled by a trial, which is proceeding. Kuzych was un- successful in securing an injunc- tion to stop the trial, when it was held that under the Wartime La- bor Code the union had the right to conduct its own affairs with- out outside interference. RESIGNATIONS Nuttall briefly told P:A. the story of the unsuccessful effort te destroy the union. The resig- nations of President C. A. Hen- cerson and the others took place at a general meeting at which a number of minor proposals were made regarding the financial re- port. These proposals arose out of a meeting of trustees with the executive committee at which the financial report was gone over and the proposals agreed on-by all present, including Henderson and the others. This report was delivered to the general “meeting by senior trustee Alistair Macleod and was adopted. While still on his feet the trustee proceeded to give what he termed a “minority re- port,” much to the surprise of the rest of the trustees and the executive committee. This report wWas-nothing less than an attack onthe: whole question of finan- ees, methods of keeping records and so forth. g BELIVER ULTIMATUM MacLeod’s surprise attack was supported by Hienderson, who de- fect that unless the membership was prepared to accept this minor- ity report he would resign forth- with. The motion (regarding MacLeod’s report) was put to the meeting and voted down. Hen- derson thereupon wrote out his resignation and was followed in turn by the four other executive members. This brought on an investiga- tion by the SGWFE executive. The latter called a special meeting and invited the Boilermakers’ executive, including the resign- ing members, to attend. The five “oppositionists” ‘did not accept this invitation. At this meeting a complete in- vestigation was conducted and a special shorthand report of every word said was taken down. All tke evidence pertaining to the PCLB audit was heard. This meeting found that the latter audit was completely satisfac- tory. SPECIAL MEETINGS Special general meetings of the membership were then called for the morning and evening of the following Monday. The trans- cribed report of the proceedings: at the SGWE executive special meeting was read verbatim to the Monday morning meeting. As a result the motion to accept the resignations was adopted with the significant change in word- At the evening meeting, the handful of Henderson supporters made it impossible to conduct an orderly meeting. They set up a continuous howl, with their usual tactics of points of order, privi- lege or information—anything to prevent the evidence being heard —and disrupted the meeting so that no report or discussion could be held. Resulting from this obvious fear of having the evidence heard by the majority of the workers and the preventing of the evi- dence being heard, by this time confusion in the yards had reach- ed alarming proportions and the hew audit was undertaken. FIRM HANDLING “With the clearing up of the confusion and misrepresenta- tion,” Nuttall concluded, “and with firm handling of the ele- ments who have attempted to use this for purposes which are di-_ rectly opposed and. harmful to the interests of the membership, it will be possible to undo the dam- age which has been done and move forward to the necessary trade union work for which our union was founded. The Boiler- makers has come too far for any clique of disrupters to succeed now in destroying it.” livered arn ultimatum to the ef-| While Red Armysmen storm Stargard and Naugard, outposts of Stettin, in the north. these men fight a street battle in a Silesian city where the Germans lost 4,000 men. Philip Assist Framing Of Constitution LONDON—The draft constitution of the future world labor organization, on whit work was started in London and continued in Paris, will probably be completed in Was! ; ington at the April meeting of a special administrative sub-committee of the World Tra Union Conference, enabling CIO Pres. Philip Murray to attend. ae Substantial progress on the constitution was made at Paris Guring the 3-day session of the sub-committee, which included CIO Delegate Sidney Hillman, British Delegate Walter Citrine, French Delegate Louis Saillant, Soviet. Delegate Vassily Kuznet- soy and See. Walter Schevenels of the International Federation of Trade Unions. Adjournment of the subcom- mittee to Washington means that Murray, who was unable to attend the conference itself, will be able to help put the fin- ishing touches on the document. The proposed constitution ‘will then be submitted for study and comment to all the labor organ- izations which attended the con- ference plus a few others, pre- paratory to final ratification at the second World Trade Union Conference in Paris next Sep- tember. Until the April meeting in Washington there will be no de- Valley Club Holds Social Rallying to the national call of the Aid to Russia Fund, mem- bers of The Victory Club, spon- sored a whist and dance held in the Websters Corners Finnish hall last Saturday evening. Twelve tables of progressive whist were in play. The winners were Mrs. Tuokko, Mrs. A. Hill- and, Mrs. E. Clint, J. Oja, and W. Kanta. The Victory Club is a busy band of women: of Finnish and Ukrainian origin who have con- tributed consistently to The Red Cross and The Aid to Russia Fund. Though clothing is not at the present time, being sent te Russia they are still busy making and remaking over, knit- ting and fitting for the time not far distant when clothing con- tributions to Aid to Russia will be resumed. These industrious women realize our responsibility to our Allies. - finite answer to the basic ques- tion of whether the proposed world federation will be a new organization or merely an ex- pansion of the IFTU. While it seems more likely that an en- tirely new organization will be set up, it is possible that some formula may be worked out whereby the I1FTU would some- how retain its identity in name if not in fact for a while at least. A post may also be found for Schevenevs in the new organiz- ation, though nothing compar- akle to his powerful position in the [FTU. | , Indicative of the big parti | pation of British union repr Sentatives in the coming § Francisco conference of {: United Nations, Federated Pre is able to report that a party : four British union. leaders w be leaving for the U.S. short from Transport , House, hea quarters of the British Trad Union Congress. ~ 7 The four are Citrine, Sec. EB by Edwards ofthe Mineworke Federation, Ernest Bell, Grtrini nephew and head of the BIUt. international department, a Herbert Travey, BIUG public | WEA Issues Call For Provincial Convention Call to the first annual B.C. provincial conference of f | Workers’ Educational Association has been issued by Clati- | Donald, WEA regional director. The conference will be he in Vancouver on Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31, the Normal School. Among prominent guests to address the sessions will be Dr. R. H. Gundlach, professor of psychology at the University of Washington, who was instructor at the California Labor School in San Francisco. Dr. Gundlach has been active in the State of Washington WHA. : Other speakers include Hon. H. G. T. Perry, B.C. minister of education; Drummond Wren, WEA national secretary; and Dr. Norman Mackenzie, president of the University of British Colum- bia: Deliberations at the confer- ence will be conducted through two commissions dealing with problems of organization and of education. The commission on organiza- tion will deal_ with ways and means of strengthening the WEA setup and,making it func- tion more effectively for its aim of providing education for trade union members. Questions of a labor college, general policy, ac- tivities, finance and organiz *j tional structure are among 7? subjects for discussion. Education will be discusse under the headings of: Class lea ership, teaching methods, faci” ties, prospectus and literatu Each of these topies is slated f° extensive treatment in prepar tion for a marked increase WHIA activity. Admission of accredited del | gates to the conference is limit to members of bona fide tral | union bearing credentials fro an officer of their organizatic Fee for the conference is $1. per delegate which includes 4_ mission to the WHA annual dam which will be held on Saturdt evening, March 31, at 641 Gra ville Street. Glaude Donald reports th hotel accommodations will be a ranged for out of town del gates, providing request is ft ceived by the WHA office, 10! Holden Building, not later thi March 24. : :