B.C. LUMBER WORKER

2nd Issue, July

“ICFTU
Better

Builds
World’’

In reporting to Canadian Congress of Labor trade

unions in British Columbia, I

(WA District 2nd Vice-presi-

dent, Stuart M. Hodgson, recently recorded impressions
of the Fourth World Congress of the International Con-
federation of Free Trade Unions which offered glimpses
of a remarkable conclave of trade unionists.

He said in part:

“I had the honor of being se-
leeted by the Canadian Congress
of Labor for a mission to Europe
this year which had two purposes.
I was named as a delegate of the
Congress to attend the Fourth
World Congress of the Interna-
tional Confederation of Free
Trade Unions in Vienna, and on
the recommendation of the Con-
gress I was named by the Cana-
dian Government as an ‘advisor
attached to the Canadian delega-
tion attending the 1955 Confer-
ence of the International Labor
Organization in Geneva.

Needless to say, I found the
experience intensely interesting
and most instructive, I am in-
debted to the Congress for the
opportunity thus accorded me, for
I believe that it will enable me
to serve the Canadian trade
union movement with clearer
vision,

I refer especially to the World
Congress of the ICFTU, for
throughout its busy plenary ses-
sions and endless committee meet-
ings I gained an enlightening in-
sight into the developments of
trade unionism in the four quar-
ters of the globe.. I also gained a
new perspective of the signifi-
cance of trade unionism as a bul-
wark of democracy in world af-
fairs. 1 know that every delegate
attending that Congress was
stirred to a fresh and more fer-
vent loyalty to the principles with.
which the world of free labor
serves the cause of humanity.

The Larger View

Those of us who attended from
Canada were quickly inspired to
Jay aside the issues which so
often completely absorb our at-
tention. In Vienna we were com-
pelled to view the problems of
the workers on an international
seale, and in the light of the
great purposes declared by free
labor. Our everyday duties relat-
ing to problems on the job are
important, but they seem all the
more important if we see their
relation to our world plan of

HUB HUMOR

|

one Pop always }
about him and that blon

building standards of security
and happiness for workers every-
where in the world.

‘Those of us fortunate enough
to attend from countries which
now enjoy a larger measure of
prosperity than devasted or
backward countries, were
brought face to face with the
fact that we are indeed our
‘brother's keeper’.

When I speak in this way, I
am not confining myself to the
high altruism of the Congress.
As our work progressed we re-
alized, as all trade unionists
must, that it is a matter of
stern economic necessity, a
matter of our self-pres-
ervation, that we extend aid to
less fortunate brothers in other
parts of the globe.

Warm Hospitality Found

The two hundred delegates at-
tending the Congress left Vienna
with a feeling of gratitude for
the warm hospitality experienced
at the hands of the Austrian peo-
ple. Quite obviously, they were
in complete sympathy with the
purposes of the Congress. It was
typical of them that they provid-
ed as a stirring musical back-
ground for the opening cere-
monies, Beethoven’s final move-
ment of the Ninth-Symphony, as
yendered by the Vienna Sym-
phony, and the State Opera Com-
pany, We were in Austria dur-
ing a fateful month for the peo-
ple of that country, and we shar-
ed with them their joy at a long-
delayed liberation. A number of
factors made the Congress in Vi-
enna this year the most success-
ful since the inception of the
ICFTU in 1949, We heard re-
ports of the amazing growth of
the Confederation. It now in-
cludes affiliations from 108 orga-
nizations, in 75 countries, with
an aggregate affiliated member-
ship of approximately 64,500,000.
This increased strength of orga-
nization alone is a factor of im-
portance, and is placing the Con-
federation in the front rank of
the world democratic forces.
Another reason for the grow-
ing power of the Confederation
was to be found in the calibre of
the delegates attending the Con-

gress and the statesmanlike atti-

tude taken toward the questions
of the day. Despite the language

the problems before them, the
delegates expressed themselves
on a wide range of problems

ty or sectional considerations.
Differences of opinion were ironed
out in a spirit of tolerance, for
the simple reason that the dele-
gates were focussing their atten-

barrier, and the complexity of

without restraint, and with a
breadth of view that ignored pet-

AT GENEVA

ILO DELEGATES, representing yarious countries are h ere seen as they follow one of the major debates. IWA

advis
participated. -

r, Stuart M. Hodgson is seen at the left of the second from the rear row.

Seventy-eight countries

tion on the predominant aims of
the organization.

Bread, Peace and Freedom

The level of debate was of a
very high order. There was a de-
termination to win bread, peace,
and freedom for the workers in
every corner of the globe. They
spoke with confidence in the
ability of trade unionism to win
a more bountiful standard of liv-
ing and to create bonds of fra-
ternity among all men.

I consider it my duty to speak
in this way of the ideals of the
Congress, for these ideals fired
the discussions, and have stirred
the enthusiasm of the workers in
the affiliated organizations. At
the same time, every delegate re-
alized that the victory of ideals
must be organized, and the great-
er part of the time was spent in
working out practical steps to
expand organization,

Representation Amended

The approaching merger be-
tween the CIO and the AFL in
North America was noted by the
Congress, and the constitution
was amended to alter the basis
of representation. This was done
that the American trade unions
might not be penalized by a re-
duction of their representation at
the next Congress. Representa-
tion will now permit one delegate
for a national trade union centre
with a membership up to 100,000.
It is graduated upward until a
membership of 10 million pro-
vides a representation of twenty
delegates.

A most important decision
arose from the determination
of the Congress to strengthen
the world organization and
carry its activities into areas
not yet won for trade union-
ism. It was decided that the
Executive Board be empowered
to levy one (U.S.) cent per
member per annum on all af-
filiated organizations as from
July 1, 1955, and that the in-
come derived from this levy be
applied to the ordinary revenue
of the ICFTU. a

It was understood, of course,
that this levy would be made with
due regard to ability to pay. It
was also understood that this
proposed increase in the revenue
of the ICFTU should be mainly

Alex B. Macdonald

Barrister & Solicitor
Notary Public

751 Granville Street
VANCOUVER, B.C.

Telephone TAtiow 6641

SOLICITOR TO THE 1. W. A.

applied to work in the under-
developed areas. A Director ‘of
Organization will now be ap-
pointed by the Executive Board,
and this official will be charged
with the responsibility of bring-
ing the regional activities into.a
more permanent relation to the
ICFTU headquarters. Hitherto,
regional activities have been fi-
nanced mainly by voluntary con-
tributions, a system which made
the necessary basis of planning
rather uncertain,

This plan is in line with deci-
sions already made by many
IWA Local Unions and I sincere-
ly hope that all trade unions will
accept this small obligation, If all
units enter the plan, the financial
burden spread among all affiliates
will net a substantial sum, with-
out causing any hardship in any
particular section.

Peace Aims

It was impossible for a Con-
gress of this nature to ignore the
mounting world tension, and
which stands in the way of peace-
ful progress toward more secure
economic conditions in all areas,

As everyone must realize the In-
ternational of the world free
trade union movement is firmly
opposed to war and earnestly de-
sires world peace.

The workers affiliated with-the
free trade movement hate all
forms of oppression and are pre-
pared’ to defend freedom to the
end.that it may be made secure
in countries where dictatorship
reigns or where colonialism curbs
self-determination. A great part
of the resolutions of the Congress
dealt with these problems.

‘The Confederation was pledg-
ed to support and participate
in the continued effort of the
democracies in a united and
vigilant collective security. It
was stated that the democracies
should strengthen their capa-
city to deter and prevent ag-
gression and war through ade-
quate defence measures coupled
with the pursuit of progressive
economic, social, and diplomatic
policies which will ensure the
maintenance of world peace

and the advancement of free-
dom and human well-being.

[ Trade Union

Independence |

A resolution called for the de-
fence of trade union unity and
independence. It was pointed out
that in many countries the neces-
sary improvements for the work-
ers’ conditions are prevented by
forms of totalitarianism which
threaten the basic rights of the
individual. It was also. stated
that external interference in
trade union affairs would under-
mine the unity of trade union
movement and destroy its effec-
tiveness. All trade unions were
therefore urged to encourage and
defend with all the means at their
disposal the unity and independ-
ence of the movement.

The Congress reaffirmed its be-
lief in the need for a trade union
movement with full freedom to
take decisions and to carry on
action without regard to religious,
racial, and political differences.
It declared this independence to
be an essential condition for the
development of an effective and
unifying force in the daily strug-
gle for better living and working
conditions, ‘which in turn will
vender human society more
worthy of those ideals of freedom
and justice for which the work-

ers of the free world are daily
making greater and more con-
scious sacrifices.”

I returned to Canada feeling a
great pride in the influence ex-
ercised by the Canadian labor
delegations in Europe this sum-
fmer. The Canadian attitude is
highly respected, and Canadians
were called upon to fill important
posts, and assume responsible
duties. This I believe to be the
result of the international out-
look consistently cultivated by
Canadian trade unions,

I wish my fellow trade union-
ists in British Columbia to know,
that their achievements are
known throughout the world
movement, and that the decisions
made this year in Vienna will
strengthen the struggle in which
they have engaged with such
good will.”

Warden: “Is there anything
you’d like to eat before your ex-
ecution?”

Condemned prisoner: “Mush-
rooms. I’ye always been afraid
to try them.”

s 4 8 .
Sign over the office drinking

fountain: “Old faceful.”