B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“Stronger—More United”

“So Much Good For
| - So Many People’

November 16, 1950 Page Five

REPORT ON THE
CIO CONVENTION

Constructive outlook and decisions of the 12th Constitutional Con-
vention of the Congress of Industrial Organizations held in Chicago,
November 20-24, were praised by Financial Secretary Lawrence Vandale,
Local 1-357, in his preliminary report on the IWA Green Gold radio

9

program, November 30. The impressions given by the IWA delegate
from British Columbia were in part as follows:

When the recent CIO ‘Conven-
tion in Chicago closed on Friday,
Fovember 24, I had gained a new |
sight into the importance of
e trade union movement on
this continent. Those of us who
are occupied in the affairs of our
Local Unions sometimes find it|
difficult to appreciate the scope |
of responsibilities assumed by |
organized labor at the national
and international levels, For me,
the convention was a great ex-
perience.

It was inspiring to realize that
through our efforts in thousands
of local unions we have built a
great Congress capable of exer-
cising a vital influence on the
conduct of affairs in Canada and
the United States ‘with import-
ant results on the international
field. The proceedings of the con-
vention revealed in many import:
ant ways how the trade union

ovement is raising and protect-

iz the living standards and li-

rties of hundreds of thousands
of workers on both sides of the
International boundary.

I hope to have the opportunity
of reporting at greater length
on the convention decisions to
TWA members in British Colum-
bia. At this time, I must confine
myself to the highlights of the
convention of direct interest to
Canadian workers.

Murray Re-elected

A high point in enthusiasm
during the proceedings was
reached when the re-election of
Philip Murray as President was
announced.

The prolonged demonstration
which followed was a more bois-
terous scene than usually seen in
Canadian conventions, but it was
a genuine tribute to the decade
of service given by President
Murray to the workers’ cause,

It was stated, and properly so,
that his efforts have helped to
bring billions of dollars of addi-
tional wages to the families of
working men and women. His
successful pioneering in the com-
plex fields of welfare and secur-
ity have helped to banish fear
and distress for. millions of fa-
milies once haunted by the fear
of distress and want in periods
‘of illness and old age. He was
hailed as a great fighter for de-
moeracy,

\
“Stronger—More United”

The slogan of the convention
was: “We are stronger, more
united, and more dedicated than
ever to the ideals of democracy”.
In almost every part of the world
the CIO is an organization that
has won respect. It has literally
ve-shaped the thinking and the
economic and political life of the
people of the United States.

Through the CIO, millions of
workers have obtained a better
way of life for themselves and
their families. Economic gains
represented in the increased
wages wrested from powerful
corporations totals scores of bli-
lions of dollars, It was claimed
that never has a single organiza-
tion brought so much good to so
many people, and this claim was
borne out by the factual record
of achievement presented to the
convention.

Alex B. Macdonald

Barrister & Solicitor ~
Notary Public

751 Granville Street
VANCOUVER, B.C.

Telephone TAtlow 5128

Foreign Policy

The convention gave evidence
of a deep concern over the inter-
national crisis and its effects on
the lives of workers in the west-
ern democracies. The Foreign
Policy Declaration adopted gave
forthright support to the United
Nations in its resistance to Com-
munist aggression.

It welcomed the process by
which an international organiza-
tion can and must acquire the
powers to enact, and enforce
world law and maintain peace. in
the world. At the same time the
convention made clear that free-
dom and peace cannot be made
secure in the world by guns
alone.

The people of the democracies
were called upon to mobilize all
human and material resources,
not only to stop Communist ag-
gression on the military front,
but to forge the tools of peace
to fight poverty, hunger and in-
justice on the economic and social
fronts,

The foreign policy of the CIO
is mainly a positive and aggres-
sive total war against poverty
and social injustice’ the world
over. It was stated that the’only
effective answer to the threat of
Communism is the proof that in
a democratic society men can
have both bread and freedom.

Jt was interesting to note the
extent to which representatives
of the CIO are being called upon
to serve on various national ad-
visory committees ~dealing with
economic and military mobiliza-
tion for security purposes. This
is recognition of the tremendous
influence of the CIO, and is at
the same time labor's opportunity
to protect the interests of the
workers in the mobilization pro-

gram.
Profits Scored

The CIO condemned profiteer-
ing on defense preparations as
well as the generally excessive
corporation profits shown in the
first six months of 1950. Corpor-
ate profits in the United States
soared from $13.9 billion in 1946
to an estimated $40.4 billion in
1950.

This profit-making has been
experienced in Canada on a some-
what smaller scale, but with the
same damaging results to the
economy, The general trend in
both countries was revealed in a
statement showing that profits in
the first half of 1950 rose by
439%, productivity about 11% and
wages only 5.8%.

The CIO presented a plan, de-
signed to protect the well-being
of the people, and at the same
time strengthen the national -se-
curity. The CIO has opposed
wage control, mainly on the
ground that excessive profits and
the potential productive capacity
of the country, make a wage
freeze unnecessary.

PAC Plans

Because of the: results of the
elections in the United States
this month, the convention gave
extended consideration to the
CIO political action program.
Despite the set-backs in some
States, it was resolved to orga-
nize PAC still more vigorously.

The deciSions given by the elec-
tors on November 7th, were not
regarded as a repudiation of the
‘Fair Deal” program supported
by the CIO.

President Murray described
the campaign, as setting a new
low in American politics, He said
that last November 7th the peo-
ple were misled through lies,

of the real issues, and that the
needs of the people were lost
sight of in a diabolical appeal to
prejudice. In this campaign even
‘the CIO was smeared as being
under Communist influence.

The CIO resolved to continue
the fight for the adoption by

Congress of a genuine social

Ee.

security program, and the repeal
of the Taft-Hartley Act. The
work of CIO-PAC for the com-
ing year will be expanded, and
political education will be one of
the main features of the CIO
program.

Farm Program

The convention challenged the
statement that the blame for
high prices can be charged
against the wages paid the indus-
trial workers and the prices paid
to the farmers. This was des-
cribed asa campaign of false-
hood to set the worker against
farmer.

The principle of government
support for farm. prices was en-
dorsed in order to protect farm-
ers against the hazards of mar-
ket prices,

It was insisted that plans were
possible by which consumers
would secure ample food supplies
at reasonable prices, while at the
same time the farmers would
{find security of income without
destroying food. All-out support
was tendered the farmers’ pro-
gram for more efficient produc-
tion and greater human security
on the land.

“Look to the Future”

I can do not better than con-
clude with the words of the
President as he said that the
CIO looks to the future. “Our
democratic society has an oppor-

tunity greater than at any time
in imankind’s long history to
abolish poverty, disease, insecur-
ity, and armed conflict. We are
developing a technology that can
truly free all humanity, and lift
our standards of living to levels

the CIO gives confidence that
our unions will rise to the obli-
gations which the second half of
the twentieth century is certain
to place upon them. Great as the
accomplishments of the CIO have
been, the victories of the future
can be of unlimited scope and ii

far above what were once our| portance to us and to every citi-
loftiest goals . .

. The history of

zen of the world.”

' By
LAWRENCE VANDALE
B.C. District Delegate

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