a! B.C.

LUMBER

Warning |

‘TRADE unionists would be wise to note that,

since the recent CPR strike, the employers’
propagandists have been working overtime to sell
the public on the desirability of compulsory arbi-
tration.

Fora number of reasons these energetic anti-
union agents have made some headway. The strike
was in effect before the trade union movement
had been made aware of the issues. For a period,
CPR press statements “blacked out” the Brother-
hood's, and public irritation with the striking fire-
men was whipped up artificially. This provided a
ready-made opportunity to promote legislation

* outlawing all strike action. :

It is also noteworthy that much of this propa-
ganda has been “beamed” to reach only those who,
while unaware of the facts, are likely to accept a
plausibly-stated theory. Most of the “end all
strikes” talk is carried on where trade unionists
are least likely to hear it. For instance, speeches
in the House of Commons favoring compulsory
arbitration have been “played down” in news
reports.

One fact must be made clear to every worker,
concerned with his right to better wages and con-
ditions. Compulsory arbitration is proposed for
the sole reason that he may be deprived of the
right to strike. Employers intend, if possible, to
deprive him of this right that they may, without
regard to any injustice, deprive him of any bar-
gaining power in support of his demands.

The existing collective bargaining procedures
have, as might be expected, exasperated impatient
trade unionists. Nevertheless, in the use of these
procedures, the trade unions have been working
toward conditions most likely to enable them to
meet the employers on a footing of equality. For
the same reasons, employers would wreck the
process.

The employers own the tools of production and
thereby exercise the economic power, to determine
whether workers have access to these tools or
starve. To match the employer’s bargaining power
in this regard, the organized workers must, col-
lectively, retain the right to sell, or withhold, as
they may choose, their labor power.

Suppose the organized workers are stripped of
the right to withhold their labor under unjust
conditions. They would be completely at the mercy
of unscrupulous employers.

It is not difficult to visualize what would
occur at the bargaining table, if the unions had to
attend “cap in hand”, with no weapon in reserve
such as held by the. employers. ‘The employers
could blithely say “No” to every single demand,
however reasonable, and thumb their noses at the
unions, without fear of facing a day of reckoning.

-If the employers had established a reputation
for benevolence toward their employees, it might
be argued that the unions should place their trust
in millionaires. The stark fact is that the men
who are interested in accumulating millions, are
the least interested in serving the welfare of
human beings. ’

Grossly misleading information has been
placed in circulation regarding the efficacy of
compulsory arbitration in other countries in re-
ducing the number of strikes. Wherever it has
been tried, strikes have increased in proportion
beyond the number of those which have occurred
in Canada under the present methods of concilia-
“tion.

The logic behind compulsory arbitration is the
logic of men who would make Canadian workers
accept employment under employer-dictated con-
ditions at the point of the bayonet. This type of
compulsion is the opposite of the freedom for
which Canadian workers have fought and died in
the name of democracy and for which men are to-
day dying in the Soviet-dominated police states.

Let no worker forget that the right to strike
is the right to work or not work, as his conscience
or need may dictate, This is a right of his citizen-
ship in a society of free men.

STATEMENT
CONFIRMED

In confirmation of the
statement made by District
President Morris, that prop-
aganda for compulsory arbi-
tration was “beamed” from
employer - inspired sources,
reports have been received by
this publication that the
farmers and women’s organ-
izations were especially sel-
ected.

No traces of this propa-
ganda appeared in publica-
tions customarily read by
trade unionists.

In some instances, consid-
eration of the case for com-
pulsory arbitration was bol-
stered by “mock” surveys,
intended to convince the Fed-
eral Government that a wide-
spread public demand exists
for its enactment.

Oldsters
Out-Do
Juniors

OTTAWA (CPA) — Older
workers lose less time through
absenteeism than younger ones,
according to a recent Health
League of Canada study.

Workers under 20 years of age
account for the highest percent-
age of days lost; and the per-
centage gets lower as.the age in-
creases, with those over 50 hav-
ing the best record of all.

Illness Major Cause

The study also indicated that
a small number ‘of workers—les$
than 15%—are usually respons-
ible for most absences, personal
or family illness being the major
cause.

The latest issue of the Labor
Gazette notes that men over 40
years of age were given prefer-
ence in an agreement reached
recently between the United
Plant Guard Workers and a De-
troit industrial police firm. The
agreement requires that not less
than 60 percent of all new em-
ployees be at least 40 years old.

“Before I got married I had
six theories about bringing up
children. Now I have six children
and no theories.” :

His monthly income runs into
four figures—his wife and three
daughters.

operating in Canada.

A resultant rise of about one
cent per gallon in the price paid
by the Canadian motorist for
gasoline has also been predicted.

Canadian Price

The Canadian price rise fol-
lows recent increases by Ameri-
can oil companies of up to 25
cents a barrel, which are said to
result from the greater Euro-
pean demand brought about by
the closure of the Suez Canal.

A short time before the oil
company announcements, Trade
Minister Howe had stated in Par-
liament that the Suez situation
would have no effect on Canadian
oil prices. He noted that North
American oil prices were fixed in
the United States.

Suez Situation

Mr. Howe was, of course, re-
ferring to the fact that Canada
does not depend upon the Middle-
East oil to fill her needs, It ap-
pears, however, that he was over-
optimistic in his statement that
the Suez situation would not in-
fluence Canadian prices.

The United Kingdom and the
other countries of Western Eur-
ope, which depend almost en-
tirely on oil shipped via the Suez
Canal, have been forced to turn
to the United States as an alter
native source of supply.

GAS PRICES
DUE TO RISE

By DON TAYLOR

Expected increases in the price of crude oil ranging up
to 18 cents per barrel have been announced by the Ameri-
can-controlled Imperial Oil Company, largest oil company

Oil Price

The oil price rise in the U.S.
makes it apparent that the large _
American oil companies are go-
ing to cash in on this situation.
Their Canadian subsidiaries
tend to follow suit on the rather
flimsy pretext that investors will
ignore Canadian oil developments
if the expected return is not as
high as in the U.S.

Tllogical as it seems, the Ca~
nadian motorist is going to suffer
from a situation which doesn’t
affect him at all.

New Zealand

Insurance Expands

WELLINGTON, N.Z.
The New. Zealand govern-
ment deals in fire insurance
and profits from it to the
tune of $5,600,000 a year.
The state started competing
with private companies 45
years ago, beginning with

four branches and a staff of
16. Now, it has 21 branches
and a staff of 600, adminis-
tering 555,000 separate poli-

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