B.C. LUMBER WORKER “SUPPORT TRADE UNIONS IN CARIBBEAN” By C.-H. MILLARD (The Canadian Director of the United Steelworkers of America has just returned from a three-week trip to Jamaica, Trinidad and British Guiana. C, H. Millard has long been interested in the welfare of workers in poorer countries. He was among the first in Canada to sponsor effective action through “the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. He is a member of the Regional Activities Committee of the ICFTU, and got his union to support an organizer, Ken Sterling, in Jamaica. Among the conclusions from his latest trip is the urgency of sup- porting democratic trade union action in the Caribbean countries. The British are stil] on the wrong track, he says. Gunboats and Argyle Highlanders are not the answer in British Guiana.) My mission to Jamaica, Trini- dad and British Guiana was to! act as a good-will ambassador to the working people of those countries and to survey the situa- tion on behalf of my own union, the Canadian Congress of Labor and the ICFTU. Jamaica First I stopped off in Jamaica first. I was there before and this time. was impressed by union develop- ments among the bauxite work- ers. They have, since my last visit, established a steward struc- ture and are doing a first-rate job in processing grievances and seeing that the ternfS of their agreement are carried out, Ken Sterling is responsible for this progress. Sterling is em- ployed by our union to organize for the national Workers Union. I happened to be in Jamaica on May 24th which is their Labor Day. It was not just a trade union parade. .It was also a po- litical parade as there was no distinction made between the NWU and the People’s National Cc. H. MILLARD ever, it will only be successful if based on strong, united economic organization, British Guiana I have skimmed over the situa- Party (PNP) which is the social democratic party on the island. Alean Union NWU now represents the bauxite workers in both Alumi- num-Jamaica (Alean) and Kaiser Bauxite. The U.S, Reynolds Me- tals also has a plant there. When their contract is up, it is very likely that those workers will swing over to NWU also. Then all Jamaican bauxite workers will be in one union. The solidarity among Jamai- can workers may be very import- ant when the next election is called, That may be before the end of this year unless Premier Bustamente circumvents the con- stitution and postpones it. After the election NWU is hoping that Norman Manley, Q.C., leader of PNP, will form the next govern- ment, Trinidad Stop I took Ken Sterling south with me and our first stop was Trini- dad. Here, we found, the ground- work for a sound trade union movement has yet to be laid. There is fairly strong organiza- tion among the oil workers and the port workers but the unions that exist are divided into sev- eral rival groups. As for the sugar and other agricultural workers—they are almost virgin soil for unionization, Sterling and I did what we could, in the short time we had, to bring together the bona fide unions. We are going to keep in touch with them and to try and get them the help they need. Efforts are being made to build an independent labor party in Trinidad. In my opinion, how- “OLD DOC” Dr. R. Llewellyn Douglas has moved his Dental Office from 9 East Hastings St. to 712 ‘Robson St., Vancouver, B.C, NEW ADDRESS tions in Jamaica and Trinidad to say more about British Guiana. Conditions in this troubled coun- try are still most complex, but I came away with very definite opinions. It happened that Sterling and I arrived in BG. just a few days after an unknown demonstrator had blown the top off a statue of Queen Victoria which stands in front of the Law Courts in Georgetown. This incident gave rise to increased police and mili- tary precautions—of which there was almost too much already. Jagan Elements I talked to a number of people about the action taken by the authorities in suspending the con- stitution, tightening up the regu- lations to restrict the Jagan ele- ments, appointing an emergency government and taking certain economic steps including a sub- stantial loan. The consensus was that if another election were held tomorrow, the People’s Progres- sive Party would win by a bigger majority than last time. This is not because any great number of people have faith or confidence in Jagan; he is gen- erally considered irresponsible. It would be a protest against the present government’s failure to take any effective steps to deal SAN FRANCISCO — TAILORS — LOAN MONEY ON Suits, Overcoats, etc. Loggers’ Boots, Sleeping Bags, Suitcases, Radios, Watches and Rings Expert Watch Repairing . UNREDEEMED - Suits and Caulk Boots For ‘Sale MAIL ORDER 52 West Hastings Street VANCOUVER, B.C. . MILLARD with the colony’s pressing econ- omic and social problems. Workers Undermined had to reach is that Labor in British Guiana today presents no effective alternative to the Jagan forces. Who is responsible for this situation? I found that in the important sugar industry and to some extent in the baux- ite industry too, employers, with government support, have delib- erately undermined every at- tempt by the workers to estab- lish responsible labor organiza- tions, Of course there are other prob- lems too, for example, ill; teracy. Half the population is unable to read or write while about two-, 3| thirds have had no schooling. Development Lack Add to this the lack of serious economic development in the country despite 300 years of Dutch and British rule and you have the background for the tur- moil of the past two years. Al- most a million people are strung along a narrow strip of coast- line, chiefly sown to sugar crops and almost entirely dominated by one or two powerful monopolies. Canadian Help The best place where help could come from would be Can- ada, I am convinced. The Bri- tish can no longer be of much help. The British are handicap- ped by their history of colonial- ism, and even their recent ac- tions appear to be rather stupid. The use of gunboats and High- landers just plays into Jagan’s hands. The kind of thing the Alcan company does in Jamaica won't help, though. The company, for example, bought a million dollar machine from the U.S, and pays a Negro 50 cents an hour to op- erate it. But a bold and imaginative plan of economic development backed by our know-how and our dollars could quickly take the initiative out of Jagan’s hands. I think there are good economic grounds for promoting such development, We are taking sugar and bauxite out of Jamaica and B.G. What are we putting back in? LUMBER WORKER Nh LIMITED PRINTERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS An Employee Owned Co. 944 RICHARDS STREET 7 PAcific 6338-9 ; Gee One regrettable conclusion I, Membership in trade unions increased by. during 1953 i reach a total of 1,267,911 on this year, according to a Labor nt survey. Actual union membership is probably considerably page=? all three major labor congresses claim membership in exeess of — the Labor Department’s figure. ‘The ‘difference is due to methods of tabulation, Breakdown of union membership’ with affiliations is as follows: Membership Jan. 1/54 Jan, 1/53 Trades & Labor Congress of Canada. 596,004 558,722 Canadian Congress of Labor 360,782 352,538, Canadian & Catholic Confederation of Labor American Federation of Labor (not affiliated with the TLC). Congress of Industrial Organizations (not affiliated with the CCL)... Unaffiliated International Riwy. Brotherhoods Other unaffiliated international unions............ Other unaffiliated associations, unions 100,312 104,486 9,748 10,524 2,430 40,922 62,127 61,935 and groups ... . 95,586 86,758 1,267,911 1,219,714 U.A.W. Irks Ford WINDSOR (CPA) — Ford Motor Co. officials held an axe over the heads of the United Auto Workers repre- sentatives when they appeared before a provincial con- ciliation board here. Unless the union agreed to the scrapping of the city-wide seniority system, which had been incorporated in company-union contract since 1942, said company officials, Ford would “be forced to give con- sideration to further de-centralizing its operations.” What this means in plain terms is that unless the UAW would agree to a plant seniority basis, instead of the present seven- plant city-wide basis, Ford would move some of its plants outside Windsor. At present, it must release the most recent employees on the city-wide mas- far" eenforieyy Et oecae agen have the seniority laid down on a plant basis only. if the company ; wishes to lay off some workers, | first refused by Board chairman Mr. Justice Schroeder, but he later said that the union’s argu- ments could be presented at an- other hearing. Mr, Wallace said that if unions insisted in bargaining on a unit- wide seniority basis, instead of in ‘vespect to single plants, it would “cause” inevitably the de- centralization of industry and the isolation of plants.” In the case of Ford operations, he claimed, unit-wide bargaining had cost $423,000 in 1952 and $612,000 in 1958, The saving of $500,000 a year would soon pay for the cost of decentralization of Ford op- erations, he said. Conciliation Board Negotiations on the UAW or- iginal demands for a 30-cent across the board pay boost plus fringe benefits, bogged down and the three-man conciliation board was appointed to settle the dis- pute. Rebuttal Denied The Ford proposal was intro- duced by company industrial re- lations vice-president Wallace Clark and came as a bombshell to UAW Canadian Director Geo. Burt and his assistant Thomas MacLean. The union officials asked to be allowed to enter a written re- buttal to the company case for the scrapping of the city-wide seniority system. This was at A bicycle Built for Two Geet! Our New No. 980 Black Elk Bicycle Pattern Safety Toe Boot is Tops in Safety and Comfort. Laced To Toe Style Makes Easier Fitting On Narrow Or Wide Feet.’ Regocie — Extra Flexible — Light Weight, © WINGUARD STEEL TOES NON-SLIP GRO-CORK SOLES PADDED TONGUES LONG WEARING SUPPORTS THE ANKLE ASK YOUR SAFETY SUPERVISOR FOR THIS SHOE, Also Stocked In Brown Our No. 994 We have everything in safety footwear MacDONALD & Lu LTD.