4 ; B.C. LUMBER

Double-Cross

PREMIER Johnson, siating Government policy in the

Legislature, February 21, announced a choice which has
proved most unpalatable to the trade union movement of
the province.

He chose to shelve trade union legislation urgently re-
quired to implement the recommendations before the
Legislature from three Enquiry Boards on Workmen’s
Compensation, the ICA Act, and the B. C. Hospital Insur-
ance Act until after a general election.

In making this choice, he sided with the employing
interests and rejected the pressing demands of labor.
Whether his desire first to secure ample campaign fund
contributions influenced his decision is now a matter of
speculation.

Certainly, he missed the opportunity to demonstrate
that his government sincerely desires to fulfill promises
made to labor, and to place such considerations above his
political fortunes and those of his followers.

It is difficult to accept his reasoning as consistent. He
has informed ‘the public that “only matters necessary for
the maintenance of the public service” will be presented
to the Legislature.

Evidently, matters such as Hospital Insurance, Work-
men’s Compensation and a labor code, are not regarded as
essential for the maintenance of the public service.

Highway and public building projects are classified as
of vastly greater importance, At election time, these have
a pay-off that cannot be derived from the direct promotion
of ependards of human welfare.

e is of the opinion that the present situation should.
be clarified. The issues in which Labor has such great
interest have been clarified so clearly by succeeding
enquiries, that they are now neatly side-stepped.

: If this Government is without a mandate, why does it
now proceed to bind the province for another five years
on a tax agreement with the Federal Government?

If the Government has a mandate to ratify the tax-
rental agreement, it cannot pretend to be without a man-
date on the issues affecting labor.

The position taken by the Premier is so completely
illogical that it cannot be explained except by the extra-
ordinary activity of the employers’ lobby.

Under the circumstances, it would be reasonable to
assume that the Premier doesn’t like what he has read in
the three reports. The easiest way out of his quandary,

‘therefore, is to fight an election on vague promises, and
make capital out of the reports.

The organized workers rightly fear that a Government
that will postpone action on their needs until after an
election, will just as readily defer any action until after
another four years, and the eve of the next election.

The question which organized labor is asking the
Premier is, “Does he intend to keep his promise to orga-
nized labor? If so, why not now, instead of later?”

- As matters stand, by his choice, the Premier has left
himself completely vulnerable to the accusation that he
‘has handed organized labor a flagrant “political double-

Task Force

E major task which now confronts the IWA at the
present time is the final preparation of the master con-
tract demands and formulation of the strategy for nego-
tiations. Delegates from the Local Unions will meet in
Vancouver, March 22-23, to translate the Union’s will into
concrete proposals.

The District Convention delegates laid the basis for
these demands in general outline. They assured themselves
that everything -that should be considered, will be con-
sidered. Much of the accumulated evidence behind their
demands was made available. They set the stage for the
showdown performance. ,

In the intervening period, the members of the Union
have an important responsibility. All phases of the pro-
posed demands should be discussed on the job and in the
Local Union, that the wishes of the membership may be
clearly expressed. e. “i

If priorities must be determined, those priorities should
be so stated that first things are placed first with regard

to the most urgent needs. oe
No Union ever made a more conscientious effort to

secure a democratic expression of the will of the member-
ship on the “bread and butter” issues of wages and work-
ing conditions. it Rie ie
. Unless a member accepts responsibility for participa-
tion in the making of Union policy now, he is left little
ground for criticism when instructions shaped by a ma-
jority decisions are later carried out. .

Tf the utmost effort is made now to awaken interest
among all the workers on.the job in the making of policy,
the same interest will be evident when the fight is on with

the employers.

Widespread discussion of the contract terms forms the .

most effective basis for an all-out effort to win the desired
terms later. ;

LABOR GOV'T “ESSENTIAL”

The Editor:

Some months ago Roy Moore
from New Westminster wrote to
the B.C, Lumber Worker telling
the IWA to put the backbone of
an elephant in Political Action
and not the backbone of a jelly-
fish.

He also told us to forget politi-
cal parties and back the man. His
first remark was good but not his
second,

What is the task of PAC?
Surely it’s to elect a government
which will govern in the interests
of Labor. The fact that indivi-
duals are nominated and run for
election in each constituency is
secondary to electing a clear ma-
jority of Parilament. A majority
composed of men and women
pledged to put unto the statute
books the required legislation.

Labor in Canada cannot hope
even in the forseeable future, to
elect a majority of trade. union-
ists to Ottawa or Victoria. So we
must broaden the base of our ap-
peal to all working people in the
community, farmers, teachers,
housewives and office workers as
well as industrial workers.

Next we need a Political ma-
chine which will function as ef-
fectively as the ones already in
the field representing groups ba-
sically antagonistic to Labor.

That political machine is, of
course, a political party, though
labor’s party and will have higher
objectives, we hope, than merely
winning elections, though win
them we must.

In recent decades no individual
member of parliament has suc-
cessfully introduced an even re-
motely important piece of legis-
lation in Parliament and no in-
dividual member of parliament

has consistently voted against the
interests of his party.

Labor’s task is clear to elect
through a party a government
that can and will govern in the

interests of Labor. There is no
alternative policy,

TONY GARGRAVE,
Local 1-217, IWA,

Labor Protests
Race Hate

NIAGARA FALLS, (CPA) —
Reports that employment has
been denied members of a local
Negro family brought sympa-
thetie action from the Township
Council in Stamford, just outside
Niagara Falls, Ont. The family—
a mother, three daughters (all of
them high school graduates) and
two sons still enrolled in the lo-
cal collegiate—said they had been
refused jobs for which they were
qualified in district shops and
factories because of their race.

The Township Council prom-
ised to send letters to local em-
ployers and Unemployment In-
surance Commission officers urg-
ing them to reconsider their re-
fusal to hire members of the only
Negro family in the border muni-
cipality, It is not known whether
they will invoke Ontario’s new
Fair Employment Practices Act
which set up conciliation proce-
dures designed to eliminate dis-
crimination in employment.

Long Pull

In Toronto, Ontario, a woman
called a service operator of the
telephone company and said in a
perfectly serious tone:

‘ily telephone cord is to long,
Miss. Would you please pull it
back at your end?”

Continued from previous column
The members are conscious of the greatly enhanced

strength of the IWA. They realize that the opportunity
must be grasped to write a contract with substantial
gains. They*must,. therefore, realize that the bigger the
gains sought, the more determined will be the opposition,

The Union’s decks must be cleared for action without
delay, that the stipulated contract terms may be presented
with force behind them. There is no room for indifference’
or apathy, if a Victory is desired.

The sum of the Union’s success will be the sum of the
interest and activity now invested by each IWA member
in the Union’s preparations.

~ “TOP-DOG”
ON THE COAST

Top Dog Says:

“My how those kiddies love
UNCLE AL! And he loves
them too—which makes his,
show so good. He’s on every
day at 5:45.”

© G’on your dial

°
CKN W—1320

LOGGERS
ATTENTION!

Ask for Speed-Sow at Your
Commissary

MENDS SOX, JEANS,
BONE DRYS in 30 SECONDS

Giant Size Tube Monds at Least
50 Pairs of Socks

75¢ Plus Tax

Universal Enterprises
Head Office: 228 Rogers Bldg.

Vancouver, B.C.

SUPPORT OUR
ADVERTISERS

On DIAMONDS, JEWELRY,

Immediate Cash?

ANS

SILVERWARE, FURS AND
ALL VALUABLES

No Red Tape?
Unredeemed Diamonds for Sale

B. C. COLLATERAL LOAN BROKERS LT

771 EAST HASTINGS, Cor. COLUMBIA

PAcific 3557-&