B.C. LUMBER WORKER

September 7, 1951

The UNION’S BUSINESS

Employers’ Tool

"TRADE unions in British Columbia have reached the stage
where they must now ask whether the Labor Relations Board
is functioning solely in the interests of the employers, or, as an
impartial government agency, .as originally pretended. Recent
decisions of the Board would seem to favor the- first alternative

JOE MORRIS ON CHUB
“Free” Trade Union
With UN For Peace

_ Free trade unions haye actively*mobilized public opinion be-
hind the cause of world peace and collective security, and have
actively cooperated with UN agencies to raise standards of free-
dom and security across the world, said District First Vice-Presi-
dent Joe Morris in a broadcast on Station CHUB, Nanaimo, Sept.

answer,

The IWA, like . o~
other unions, has
had experience
with the peroga-
tives exercised
by the Board in oi
de - certification.
Whenever the “ >
Board even sus- :

ects that any
rwa members
are showing any a
Jack of respect for the authority
of the Board’s regulations, the
Union is punished with merciless
severity. Whatever the extenuat-
ing circumstances, and however

‘at the provocation of the em-

loyer, the Board proceeds to
-certify.
The stupidity of the procedure
is apparent. If the conduct of any
Union members is in question,
the preferable course would be to
settle the matter within the ordi-
nary procedures provided than to
place any group of trade union-
ists in a position where they feel
they must act outside the law.

Employers Escape

The bias of the Board becomes
apparent when we examine their
treatment of employers. The
IWA has had experience with
employers who openly and flag-
rantly defy the law. They inyari-
ably eseape with little more than

_| a mild reproof. Only trade union-

ists are deserving of the punish-

| ment provided in the law, appar-

ently,

Within the last few months the
IWA directed the attention of the
Board to the unfair labor prac-
tices of a firm in the vicinity of
Kamloops, The employer had
posted a signed notice in which
he broke the law on at least three
counts. All that was done, was to
politely inform him of the exist-
ence of the ICA Act. The employ-
er could smash an IWA certifica-
tion for all the Board cared. But
if the Union pulled a work stop-
page to make its point, de-certi-
fication would have followed with
lightning speed.

Blind Justice

Ignorance of the law is no de-
fence. It’s a defence good enough
for some employers in the eyes
of the Board. But there is never
any excuses acceptable for work-
ers in some remote community,
who have had less opportunity
than the employer to know the
law.

The Board is supposed to act
as referee when disputes arise.
They'll have no cause for com-
plaint if the workers pile into the
referee when he gives unfair de-
cisions. :

Te Synbol of Ale That is Best
é CUSTOM TAILORING

aud

EXCLUSIVE
MEN’S WEAR

2, under the auspices of Vancouver Island UN groups.

The speaker took as his theme
the declaration made by the CIO
at the last Annual Convention,
which stated in part:

“The United Nations has
proven worthy of the support
we have' given it since its con-
ception ... The United Nations
is growing into the cohesive
community organization which
the free world requires. We
welcome this process. It is a.
process by which the interna-
tional organization can and
must acquire powers fo enact
and enforce world law and
maintain peace in the world.”

Active Cooperation

Instances of active cooperation
between the International Con-
federation of Free Trade Unions
and UN agencies were cited in
the broadcast, Reference was
made to the participation by the
ICFTU at this year’s session of
the Economic and Social Council
of UN jn Santiago, Chili. On that
occasion trade unions had advo-
cated more sweeping measures to
promote economic development in
under-developed countries. Also,
the better world distribution of
scarce commodities was urged to
ease world tensions.

World-wide Reform

The CIO and the CCL had ac-
tively participated in the work of
ILO, which has sponsored world-
wide reforms of immeasurable
benefit to workers in the 59 coun-
tries associated with the orga-
nization. It was affirmed that
only through UN agencies can
work of this nature be done ef-
fectively on a world-wide scale.

The speaker continued:

“The trade unions have re-
sponded to the appeal of the UN
agencies and have undertaken
their proper share of the pro-
gram of economic and social pro-
gress mapped out by the UN.
‘The trade unions accept this re-
sponsibility because it is believed
that if the UN Charter is to be
a living reality and a force for

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peace in the world affairs, it
must serve the needs and wel-
fare of the common people every-
where in the world.

Keeper of the Peace

“, .. the free trade unions look
to the United Nations as the
keeper of the peace, and also as
an important step forward on
the road to world democracy in
which the international rule of
Jaw will guarantee national free-
doms and the rights of man.

“We also look to the United
Nations to undertake . another
function of even greater import-
ance in the building of peace.
More than half of the world’s
population lives in extreme pov-
erty. So long as there exists
large impoverished populations,
convinced that they can be free
from poverty, so long can these

s Work

millions be swayed by would-be
imperialists.”

“We must prove to the peoples
of the world that in a democratic
society men can have both bread

and freedom, We must answer :

the propaganda of the Commun-;
ists not merely by pious slagans
about democracy’s virtues, but
by a bold program of social and
economic action. =

Plan for Peace

“While building adequate
military strength under the
UN, to restrain aggression, the
free nations of the world must
Jaunch an affirmative, aggres-
sive, and positive program to
win peace—a total war against |
poverty and injustice... . It is
within the power of the nations -
of the world to develop a defi-
nite plan whereby a minimum
standard of food, clothing, shel-
ter, health, and education
would be established every-
where in the foreseeable fu-
ture.”

“This could be our most po-
tent weapon to banish war,
and the fear of war, from our
experience.”

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