10

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“OUR PROBLEMS —
DEMAND UNITY”

With a compliment to the

IWA for the progress made

in B. C., President A. R. Mosher of the Canadian Congress
of Labor, in a keynote address before the annual IWA

District Convention, sounded

a clear call for “cool heads

and stout hearts” to carry out the principles and policies
of the trade union movement in face of the increasing
hazards of world conditions. He said in part:

“The overall policy of the Con-
gress should, so far as it is hu-
manly possible, meet the views
and considered opinions of its
membership. There are, how-
ever, occasions when divergent
views are held by units of the
Congress, and, in such circum-
stances, that view which com-
mands the support of the major-
ity must, under our democratic
system, become ‘the decision of
the Congress.

There have been times, how-
ever, when the minority in such
situations have not recognized
this, and by their actions have
harmed rather than helped the
Congress.

Agreement Important

To get the best from a volun-
tary association such as we have
in the Congress, we must con-
centrate upon those matters, on
which we are in complete agree-
ment, and confine our differences
to those forums within the move-
ment which can maintain or alter
them as may be seen fit.

In other matters, there is so
much we have in common that we
can well afford to press forward
on these and give less attention
to those matters on which we
hold differences of opinion.

These are, indeed, challenging
times, which demand of each one
of us individually and collectively
the utmost in vigilance, wisdom
and courage. A single false step
might be irretrievable, and conse-
quently disastrous,

I do not suggest, however, that
we should become so over-cau-
tious as to be inert. Inactivity
can be as hazardous as over-
zealousness,

Seek Common Ground

We must go onward in the dis-
charge of our duties and respon-
sibilities, minimizing our differ-
ences, and vigorously pressing
forward in all matters ~ where
common ground is reached. That,
it seems to me, is a sensible ap-
proach to our collective activities.

What is the outlook for orga-
nized labor in the year ahead?

’ The Prospects

None of us can see too far into
the future, but we can all see the
shape of things to come to some
extent, if we give proper con-
sideration to past and present
experience. Of course, we all
recognize the .fact that wars,
rumors of war, and preparations
for war, whether of an offensive
or defensive character, have a
terrific impact upon our economic
and social structure.

What will happen, therefore, if
this situation should change, and
our attention could be devoted to

_ the pursuit of peace, is another
question. As it stands at the
moment, it seems reasonable to

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assume that there will continue
to be a fairly high level of em-
ployment, with the usual pockets
or areas of unemployed persons,

There is a great need for unity
of purpose and procedure; unity
within our unions and between
unions in the Congress. There
should not be too much difficulty
in developing that degree of unity
which will enable us to go for-
ward as a body in the attainment
of a common goal.

The Union First

Perhaps in all of us there is,
to a greater or lesser degree, a
tendency to .put personal con-
siderations ahead of the welfare
of the union and its membership.
There are those who seem to
think that workers are made’ for
the union, instead of the union
for the workers. We should never
forget that the union is a means
toward an end, and that end is
the advancement of the welfare
of the workers. What is best for
them should be the chief concern
of those who are privileged to
speak in their behalf.

In addition to increased resist-
ance from employers, I am of the
opinion that the government of
the day will provide no more re-
lief and perhaps less than in the
past to protect the workers’ pay-
envelope from exorbitant prices
for the things required to main-
tain a standard of living.

Shall we continue to send rep-
resentatives of the employers to
Parliament to make laws that
affect us adversely in collective
bargaining, and who fail to
grapple with those important
problems I have mentioned —
housing, health and welfare, and
similar matters—or shall we un-
dertake to act in political matters
as we do on the picket line?

As you know, the Canadian
Congress of Labor has sought at
all times to make it clear to the
workers that they not only have
a responsibility in the conduct of
their own local, national and in-
ternation affairs in their orga-
nized labor movement, but they
do have a responsibility to the
nation as a whole. They have a
responsibility as citizens of the
world.”

16th Annual B.C. District
attention to the responsibiliti:
portance of meeting those

In a vigorous plea for trade,

success in the achievement of
trade union objectives above suc-
cess in debate, he said in part:

“There is nothing wrong with
a good healthy debate, if it is a
debate that is for the purpose of
trying to iron out your problems.
I am sure that that is what you
are here for. But before I pro-
ceed with all of the problems
that confront our organization,
I would like to say a few words
to you in regards what I think
is the responsibility of people
who represent the workers on the
job.

The Responsibility

I think that the rank and file
workers on the job have realized
by this time a great advantage,
betterment of their wages, hours,
and working conditions, because
of the labor movement. I say to
you that you here have a re-
sponsibility by the privilege of
being elected by those people who
are not here, that goes beyond
just the wages, hours and work-
ing conditions and your own per-
sonal problems as labor grows
up.

We have a responsibility to the
other people who are probably
unfortunate at this time in not
having labor unions to represent
them.

As you grow stronger, you
necessarily haye pushed upon
you greater responsibilities.
We have to meet those re-
sponsibilities.

Fears Groundless

A lot of people look on strikes
as something to be afraid of.
Well, I want to say here and
now, some of the most happy
days of my life that I have had—
with less care, when I didn’t have
to slave for the employer—was
when I was packing a picket
banner. I have packed lots of
them. In 1935 I was out~for 22
weeks. In 1936 I stood 12 weeks
on the picket line. In 1937 I
walked them eight weeks, and
you all know each year we made
her a little bit shorter.

In 1937, I guess the employers
figured that the lumber workers
for once were going to hang to-
gether, they couldn’t break the
organization, and they sat down
and bargained collectively, and

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THE

V

“We Won The Strike”

“Healthy debate is a sign of a healthy democracy,”
said International President Al Hartung, addressing the

adherence to sound trade union principles.
union action that would place | they did that until 1952. In 1952

general strike that the IWA has
had since 1937. Yes, we had a

..» HARTUNG

Convention as he directed
ies of the IWA and the im-
responsibilities with united

they elected to give us a struggle.

Strike Won
Last year, 1952, was the first
more or less what you would call

strike in 1950 of Wyerhaueser
Timber Company, some seven or
eight thousand people, and there

Jindividual strikes o!

ups, but last year
frst pears strike that we had
here on the Pacific Coast.

In the United States we had all
of our membership out. We
weren't even settled yet when
British Columbia went out, and
for the first time in the history
of the IWA on the West Coast,
you took on a general strike. I
say, and I agree with some
speakers I heard here yesterday,
that we won that strike.

The Rank and File
It has got to be known to the
.membership on the job the prob-
lems that lie ahead, and what
the working people are facing in
the future. Battles are not going

to be won by one group pulling
one way and one the other. You

don’t win battles that way if you

were periods of time that we had

probably the first general strike,
as I have already pointed out, we
have had, that we all came out

made mistakes, and I say that he
who makes no mistakes does
nothing. It is just as plain as
that. Honest mistakes are made
by people every day.
I think that we have failed to
inject into the membership back
home the proper spirit and the
proper meaning of what union-
ism is.
Getting back to the election of
officers, it is a constitutional re-
quirement. You are going to have
to nominate—you are going to
be given a democratic right to
vote on those officers. And I say
that is democracy in action, and
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A lot of people say that we
should elect the officers of the
International by delegates in
Convention. I don’t agree with
that. Maybe it is a little cum-
bersome to put out a referen-
dum vote. Maybe it costs a
little bit of money. But democ-
racy, if you are going to have
democracy, you can’t have dic-
tatorship at the same time, and
the only way you can expedite
things is to have dictatorship.
So, I would rather take a little
more time and maintain our
democracy.

The Right Course
I am pointing some of these
things out, that I don’t care who

of it in good shape. Certainly we |

are in a war.

DEMOCRATIC COURSE

I think that because 1952 is
| are, You are not going to get

you elect, or who your officers

four people or three people or
‘even two people where their mind
is going to run exactly in the
same direction on each issue.

‘The proper thing to do is to
sit down and work out those
issues. I say to you that when
the majofity makes a decision,
it is the obligation of the
minority to abide by the will
of the majority, and it is the
obligation of the majority to
minority. If you are going to
haye democracy, it can’t be any
other.

The Foundation

_So, I want to say, without tak-
ing too much more of your time,
in conclusion, the officers of this
organization, of your Interna-
tional Union, or of your District
Council, or of your Local Union,
they are just the roof of the
structure, .

The real foundation is th
rank and file. As far as officers
are concerned, they have an obli-
gation when they are elected to
guide and direct, and I want to
say whatever you do, whoever
you elect, don’t carry your fight
to the extent that you are going
to destroy that foundation.

If you ever.carry your fight to
the extent that the rank and file
members are going to lose faith
in this organization, it won't be
long. Nobody will have to worry
about a job.. There just won’t be
any.”

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