Ist Issue, June

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Morris Outlines

Political

Aims

Preliminary discussions to implement the terms of the
resolution on political affairs adopted at the Winnipeg con-
vention of the Canadian Labour Congress may soon com-

mence, it was suggested by

Regional Vice-President Joe

Morris when he addressed the CCF convention May 30, and
stated the position taken by Congress in the matter.

He told his audience:

“The CLC Executive Council
has established a nine-man com-
mittee to meet with the CCF and
other interested organizations,

“The CCF National Executive
has appointed a similar commit-
tee, and will recommend au-
thorization of the further steps
indicated by Congress during the
National Convention of the CCF
next mid-summer,

“No structural plan has as yet
been developed. The speaker
pointed out that this must be a
matter of mutual agreement, and
ratification by rank and file
members in each instance.

“Major aim of the Congress,
as with the CCF was the esta-
blishment in Canada of a larger
and stronger working class poli-
tical party, capable of electing
a workers’ government.

“Congress in convention has
«shown warm appreciation of the
magnificient service rendered
the unions by the CCF in the
past 25 years,

“Patience and tolerance in
large measure will be required.
The job cannot be done over-
night. A working class party
financed by the workers will be
free of the monoplistic interests.”

Speaking in his capacity as a
representative of the Congress the
speaker said in part:

“We have not had time since
the Convention to do more than
set up the Special Committee I
have mentioned and pave the way
for discussions. You will, there-
fore, appreciate the fact, that in my
capacity as a representative of
Congress I may not therefore pro-
pose any definite course of action.
Our intentions have been declared
in general terms only.

“The building of any new or
enlarged organizational structure
must be a matter of agreement
among the participating parties,
following the discussions which
will soon be scheduled.

“Take Realistic Approach”

“We must first devise a realistic
approach to the problem. If we
are to have in Canada, a larger and
a stronger working class political
party, we must all exercise patience
and a good deal of tolerance. Its

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a big job. It will not be done over-
night.
“You must take into considera-
tion all that has gone into the
twenty-five year struggle of the
CCF.

“Congress must seek endors

tion of any decision from its mil-
lion and a quarter members across
the Dominion.
_ “If we can achieve our goal, and
eventually elect governments free
to serve the interests of all our
people, our present labours will be
richly rewarded.

“We are gratified that your na-
tional leaders expressed approval
of the Congress decision.

“We hope that every CCF mem-
ber will realize that our Conven-
tion delegates meant what they
said when they paid tribute to the
magnificent service rendered the
Trade Unions by the CCF in the
past twenty-five years.

“In this Province, our indebt-
edness to the CCF was acknow-
ledged at last October's Conven-
tion of the B.C. Federation of
Labour when we stated that the
CCF fully warrants the support of
the workers in this Province. In
the last Federal election, many of
our affiliated Unions made their
best contribution toward the sup-
port of CCF candidates, encour-
aged by the declarations of Con-
gree and, in this Province, by the
Federation.

Enlarging Original Purpose

and 1933 the CCF set out to do
exactly that which we are now
proposing. The Co-operative Com-
monwealth Federation brought
into one political party the social-
ist, the farmer, and the labour
groups.

“We must also realize that as
we contemplate the plan for our
future political direction we must
draw on the experiences of the
past and the pioneers who first
charted the political movement of
the Canadian working class. In the
past the main body of labour has
remained aloof from direct politi-
cal action.

“Actually the Congress_resolu-
tion proposes that we project the
discussions of 1932 and 1933 into
1958 and 1959, and develop political
action on the larger scale of opera-
tions now required, and envisaged
at that time.

“State Principles”

“You will note that the resolu-
tion speaks of a basic philosophy
and action. We, all of us, know
that a working class political party
must be built around a definite set
of principles. We cannot success-
fully promote organization merely
for the sake of having an organiza-
tional structure.

the economic principles and aims
laid down by Congress at the time

“We are well aware that in 1932 |}

“T hope that you will examine |

‘Alex McEwan, 2nd Vice-president; John Colwell, Ist Vice-president; President Hartung; George Smythe,
Local President; Ed. Linder, Financial Secretary; Robert Bouchard, Recording Secretary.

of the merger, and note the re-
markable similarity with those
maintained by the CCF.

“We have not overlooked the
fact, that the CCF was the only
national political party which
pledged full support for labour’s
legislative proposals. One of our
first considerations in the pending
discussions must be the determina-
tion of those fundamental prin-
ciples upon which we may find
agreement. Given such an agree-
ment, the creation of a suitable
political instrument to translate

those principles into effective poli-
tical action will bring lasting bene-
fits to the Canadian people.

force which is entirely indepen-
dent of privileged monopolistic
interests. It admits that political
parties financed by our employ-
ers have not served the welfare
of labour.

“We both agree that we need
and intend to have a working class
political party capable of mobiliz~
ing the workers and farmers to
elect governments that will legis-
late the greatest good for the
greatest number.

“Another important result may
be expected from the discussions
between labour and the CCF. More
CCF members should gain a bet-
ter understanding of the problems

pict.

PETER REBEYKA, Financial Secretary of Local 1-357, I|WA, New West-
minster, at work in his office in the new ultra modern building recently

constructed by the Local Union.

Independence Required

“The Congress resolution
points to matters upon which we
already agree. It states the neces-
sity of an effective alternative
Political force based on the
economic interests of the work-
ers, the farmers, and similar
groups financed by the people
and their organizations. This
admits the need of a political

New Westminster

CREDIT UNION DIRECTORY

IWA Credit Unions and other Credit Unions
supported by IWA Local Unions in B.C.

Alberni District Credit Union, 209 Argyle Street, Port Alberni
IWA 1-217 Savings, Broadway & Quebec Streets, Vancouver 10
IWA (N.W.) Credit Union, Room 21, 774 Columbia Street,

Local 1-118, IWA (Victoria), 904 Gordon Street, Victoria
Chemainus & District Credit Union, Box 299, Chemainus
Lake Cowichan and District Credit Union, Lake Cowichan, B.C,
Courtenay Credit Union, Box 952 Courtenay

Duncan & District Credit Union, Box 1717, Duncan

Prince George & District, 1046-4th Avenue, Prince George
Nanaimo & District Credit Union, 499 Wallace St., Nanaimo

SSS

———————

Pa A ae ae

of the Trade Unions. More Trade
Union members should be enlight-
ened as to the problems of making
a successful appeal to the. electors
in a given constituency.

“Perhaps we will all come to the
realization that the labour move-
ment of Canada must have its
political expression as complemen-
tary to its economic purposes. All
of us may profit by a study of
the structure of the British La-
bour Party, where affiliated Trade
Unions provide the bulk of the
membership and the party’s fin-
ances. Side by side with the Brit-
ish Labour Party, the Trades
Union Congress co-ordinates the
economic interests of the Trade
Unions’ independently. T may say
that the type of political organiza-
tion developed in Great Britain
has an appeal for many of our
Trade Union members, who re-
member, of course, that in Can-
ada a working class political party
must include the workers on the
land.

Employers’ Campaign
“We ask you to understand our

ion movement as we find it in
Canada today is the product of
more than one hundred years of
struggle, against ~ profit-hungry
employers, At the present time
it is the target of an intensive
campaign on the part of the or-
ganized employe: to restrict
Trade Union activities and halt
any advance in the living stand-
ards of our members. I am not
attempting to idealize our organ-
ization. It is madé up of human
beings, who have all the faults of
human beings. It is not above
criticism, even as the CCF is
not above criticism,

“Despite all this criticism,
most of which originates with
those who oppose the CCF as
they do the Trade Unions, the
Trade Union movement has
been “carrying the ball” for the
workers. It has performed the
function of setting a standard
of living for all our people be-
low which no person or family
is expected to fall. There is not
a person in the community
whether a member of a Trade
Union or not who has not bene-
fited by this struggle!

“Almost inch by inch, in this
daily conflict with employing in-
terests, the community standard of
living has been raised, by the con-
stant pressure of the Trade Un-
ions to secure for their members
a better distribution of the
wealth produced.

Employers Use Politics
“The increasing intensity of the

economic struggle has awakened
Trade Union members to the
necessity for direct politi
Gains made at the bargaii
can be quickly minimized by acts
of employer-dominated govern-
ments.

“The same governments are
equally ready to enact legislation
intended to restrict the collective
bargaining rights of the Trade
Unions. Experience in dealing
with governments which are sub-
servient to the owners of indus-
try has been mainly responsible
for Trade Union moves toward
independent political action,

Indispensable Functions
“It is important to recognize

that the Trade Unions must con-
tinue to perform the functions of
safeguarding the wages and work-
ing conditions of the workers.
This function is indispensable in
present-day industry. We are or-
ganized to deal with conditions on
the job. We seldom think in terms
of the constituency, which is the
fighting front for a political or-
ganization.”

“As a matter of fact, it is un-
wise to imagine that a Trade
Union as constituted can combine
in its present organization both
economic and political functions.

“This has made it necessary to
think in terms of a parallel struc-
ture, through which Trade Union
members may find political ex-
pression. It follows that in such

present problems. The Trade Un- See “POLITICAL” Page 10 7
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