“Ist Issue, December

From Page 3

yk of your labor aldermen,

Simple Methods: Big Job

You have a big job ahead of
you, but I believe that you are
big enough to make a success of
it. There’s an old saying that
“the best results in every field |
of human endeavor are usually |
attained by simple methods and
the exercise of ordinary quali
ties.” ao

Right here, I want to say
that the history of trade unions
shows that they have less cause
to back down from wx big job
than any other organization in
the land.

Our trade unions have made
reat strides against what ap-
peared to be insurmountable
difficulties, and rock-like oppo-
sition. The simple methods and
ordinary qualities have won the
day. The ordinary manly quali-
ties of the workers when
brought into play under the
simple rules of democracy «in
their organization, are steadily
winning the day for a cause

ing and working conditions
for our people.

* I would like you to Inow that
your future suecess is made more
certain, because you have acted
to take your place in the great
labor unity movement that has
Swept across Canada and the
United States. Yowre. in step
with the times. You have behind
you, an organized power such as
we have never known in the his-
tory of Canadian labor. We know
why this is so, when we remind
ourselves how it came about,

Obsolete Divisions

The astonishing speed with
whieh unity has been accom-

5.

“CHARTER”

that is undeniably just—decent |

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

| plished is explained when we cust |
jour minds back to « few of the |
momentous events of the past
few ye

The issue of craft unionism
versus industrial unionism div-
| ided the labor force on this con-
| tinent by reason of disputes that
eame to a head in a famo
peal in Ath
From 1936 onw
bod

| bor bused its activities mainly on
leraft unionism. The CIO, pro-
Leceded to organize mass produc-
‘tion industries on the techniques
| of industrial unionism,
| Be use ~of our international
| afil ‘tions, the situation which
| soon developed in Canada_para-
Helled that which existed in the
| United States, CIO unions in Ca-
{nada could no longer form part
of the Trades and Lihour Con-
For a while, we attempted
set up an all-Canadian Con-
of Labour to remain aloof
> United

the unions in that
decided in 1940 to form
the nycleus of the Canadian Con-
gress of Labour, the counterpart
ii country of the CIO. I’m
not going to reopen old sores,
and I’m not going to say that it
brought disaster to the labor
movement. The fact is that both
bodies grew and prospered. This
happened because they both had
special funetions to. perform,
and they performed them well.

Rank and File Insisted
However, never at any time
was the situation an entirely
happy one, nor were any of. us
happy with it. The attitude of
rank and file members of the
unions made it apparent that they
would not tolerate union-created
rriers to economic and social
s, and they spoke very
about the absurdity of
tuations,

absurd that we should |
conflict when jurisdie- |
| tional ines crossed in our organ-
izational efforts. It was absurd
that we should allow negotiations
|for better wages and working
conditions to he endangered be-
cause of unjustifiable rivalries,
We came to see that after all was
said and done, industrial unions
d craft unions could manage to
live side by side and supplement
| each others work.

Folly Or Wisdom

There dawned in the consci-
ousness of trade unionists
| everywhere, the realization
| that through organic unity we

could forge a weapon of vastly |
superior strength to win im- |
proved standards and benefits |

|
an:
|

for the workers. I am bound to
say that this was not altogether
an idealistic concept. For the
most part, it was hard-headed
practical rézsoning. It was
plain for all to see that we
were playing into the hands of
unfriendly employers and their
political agents. We said to
ourselves, “what could he more
stupid, when we have the same
purposes, and every reason for
complete working co-operation
through one central authority.”
It was sheer folly to deprive
ourselves of the necessary
strength to overcome obstacles
in the way toward the achieve-
ment of our objectives.

We may be thankful that the
leaders of the trade union move-
ment on this North American
continent had vision and grasped
the possibilities of unity in our
day. The New York Convention
which last year merged the AFL
and the GIO was remarkable for
its spirit of mutual goodwill and
harmony.

The Canadian, trade union
movement ripe for a similar
merger. The that

unity held the answer to a great
need, and the spirit engendered
by high hopes of labor’s future,
brought 1,600 delegates together
in Toronto last April in an in-
spiring convention. Out of this
was born the Canadian Labour
Congress, We are re-united in
one household, with one another,
as we might say, to care for us,
and keep us in order.

Living Proof Here

Here in this gathering tonight,
we see before us, living proof
that there are no longer any divi-
sions in the ranks of labor. Out
of: this unity we are forging a
vastly more powerful instrument
for the attainment of our own
economic security.

Labor has gained a new
strength to raise the material
s of living and thus pave the

vay for fresh and, as yet unex-

plored, opportunities for the good
life. We will not rest until every
single one of our people has
gained his or her fair share of
life’s joys and happiness.

Employers Astray

At this point, I should deal
with the gloomy warnings,
which have been circulated by
some employer groups. ‘They
have attempted to arouse alarm
because the trade unions have
built for themselves a giant
structure, which they fear may
overturn their own. I can say
that the people of this nation
have a good deal less cause to
fear the power of big labor
than they have to fear the
power of big business.

Can big business say in all
truth that it has wielded its
power with a proper sense of

See “CHARTER” Page 11

HE WEAR IS

Insis

WATSONS
« GLOVES «

Union Made for Union Trade
WATSON’S LEATHER GLOVES

‘THE ONLY LEATHER WORK GLOVES
onty
UNION MADE IN B.C.

oe WATSON LTD.

THERE

co on

FARMER) AND’ WORKER, 1946-1955

AVERAGE REAL INC

OME (1946 dollars)

81,200

{926} ib47iliodel {040} (050,

Tos! 1952 (953) joss’ loss

Source, CLC Labour Research

LAY-OFFS ALARM

Reports from. IWA Local
Unions indicate that lay-offs
in the plywood and mill sec-
tions of the luniber industry
are reaching distressing pro-

esultings from the Suez
“IWA officials are more in-
ined to attribute the shipping
situation as originating with the
effects of a short supply in ¢

eals in Europe. The Suez eri
served to aggravate the already
existing shortage,

Another factor has been the
credit restrictions imposed by the
Federal Reserve Board in the
United States and the Canadian
Department of Finance and the
Bank of Canada. These curbs on
inflation have cut back the num-
ber of housing starts seriously in
both countries. Recent steps
taken by the U.S. Treasury, how
ever, promise a measure of im-
provement in this regard.

portions.

Most serious reduction in em-
ployment has been evident in
Vancouver and Port Alberni. The
fear is expressed that these lay-
offs will increase in severity as
the winter season progresses. The
operators have issued a number
of statements indicating that,
for 2 number of reasons, produc-
tion will soon be further cur-
tailed.

One factor often mentioned is
that ocean freight rates have in-
ereased due to a shortage of bot-

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
BROADENS OUTLOOK

Urgent need for increased tempo in the promotion. of
labor education will be the theme of top-level conferences
on the subject in Canada and the United States during the
current month.

The AFL-CIO conference for the Pacific Coast is sched-
uled to meet in San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel,
Dec. 7-9. The Canadian Labour Congress will join forces
with the Canadian Association for Adult Education, in the
Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Dec. 15-17.

The IWA will play a major
role in both conferences. Both
Director Ed Kenney and Associ-
ate Director Joe Miyazawa of the
IWA Research and Education De-
partment will appear on the pro-
gram in San Francisco. Director
Kenney is booked to participate
on’a panel discussion on the topic,
“What are we doing in Labour
Education on the Pacifie Coast?”

Agenda for the Ottawa confer-
ence includes the name of Asso-

ciate Director Joe Miyazawa asa
co-convener of a group discussion ~
dealing with “Union education
and mass media.” This subject
refers to trade union use of such
media as periodicals, radio, TV,
and direct leaflet distribution.

Keynote speakers appearing on
the Ottawa program are CLC
Executive Vice-President Gordon
Cushing; CLC Secretary-Treas-
urer Donald MacDonald; Hon.
Milton Gregg, Minister of Labor;
and CLC President Claude Jo-
doin, ,

In his comment on arrange-
ments for the two conferences,
Joe Miyazawa stated, “In both
countries, the trade unions are
awake to the emergency which —
exists with respect to education,
It is realized that serious defects
in our educational system are
placing our industrial workers at —
serious disadvantage compared
with those of other countries,

“This situation imposes a seri-
ous handicap on the national
economies of our two countries.

“We believe that adult educa- \
tion, adapted to trade union pur-
poses can do much to ae
handicap. In aiicone Winre ta
on subjects of direct interest
ae eae a

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