WHAT NEXT?

-By JACK PHILLIPS

Secretary, Vancouver Civic Employees Union, Outside Workers

Now that Bill 43 is law, the conflict between labor and capital will sharpen. Sooner
or later, this undemocratic law will be challenged, on the picket line or through political
action, or through a combination of both methods. Sooner or later, this oe law will become

null and void.

When the Bill was first in-
troduced, CCF opposition
leader Robert Strachan ex-
pressed amazement: “I believe
it must have been drafted by
a well-meaning amateur.” To
the contrary, it was drafted
by professionals who -are op-
posed to everything the labor
movement stands for.

When it was announced that
the executive of the B.C.
Federation of Labour had
called a delegate meeting
open to all of its affiliates,
a surge of hope passed
through the ranks of labor.
There was considerable feel-
ing for the sending of a mass
delegation to Victoria, to be
supported by a protest work
stoppage. According to secre-
tary Pat O’Neal, the 200 dele-
gates were informed that 24
telegrams callng for strike
action had been received from
affiliates.

Such protest action, com-
bined with a spirited opposi-
tion from the CCF members
in Victoria, inside and outside
the -house, could have “com-
pelled the government to
back down. Instead, there was

a proposal to assess B.C. Fed-

eration members for the pur-
pose of carrying on an educa-
tional campaign. Another deci
sion sent a small delezation
to Victoria, which the gov-
ernment treated contemptu-
eusly,

A few days later, ‘a paid
advertisment by the B.C. Fed_
eration advised the trade un-
ions of B.C. as follows: “All
trade union members are
warned to refrain from acts
which can be described as un-
lawful under Bill 43 .. . Bill
43 confirms the position of
the B.C. Federation of Labour
to the effect that just labour
laws can be obtained only
through a political party that
is prepared to serve the in-
terests of all the people of
British Columbia.” 3

This means, in effect, that
nothing can be done about
bad labour legislation until
the election of a CCF govern-
ment. Frankly, we believe it
is superficial to insist that the
only cure for bad legislation
today is to elect a good CCF
government tomorrow. Where
is the guarante2 that the
CCF, after, 25 years in the
opposition, will form the next

Will never he the same’
(BC employees stress

, MONTREAL—“Now that we know what it is like to be
on strike and victimized, we understand the industrial worker.”
In these words a CBC employee in Montreal summed up the

lessons of their strike.

Aries Jean-Paul Fugere,
secretary. of -the - Producers’
Association and one of the
most sensitive creative tal-
sents in .Canadian television,
said he was no longer “the
same Jean-Paul Fugere that
I was on December 29 when
the strike began.”

“We have lived an experi-
ence that the men working
on the inside, even if they
were sympathetic to us, have
« not lived.

“Our great preoccupation

now should be to see that we
do not lose the friendship we
have made during the strike.”

The -intelléctual workers
had come through a baptism
of fire. They had seen how
the.state and its police is used
against working ‘people. In
learning that lesson they had
had the help of industrial
workers, who had marcfied on
the picket line with them and
who long since learned from
bitter experience the need to
stand up to the cops.

provincial government? -

A united protest movement,
with the full support of the
CCF, both in the house and
in the trade unions, would
have been a political mobili-
sation of the. highest order.
It would have speeded up the

process of building a broad .

political alternative in B.C.,
along the lines of the Winni-
peg, Canadian Labour Cong-
ress resolution of 1958.

When workers participate
in such movements, political
understanding and _ political
direction become the property
of thousands, in place of hun-
dreds. But the opportunity
was missed, and now we are
saddled with Bill 43, until it
is set aside by the action of
the people.

The. Socred government
was forced to recognize the
just demands of the Registered’
Nurses and was badly shaken
by the stirring, protest strike
of the Government Employ-
ees. If the leadership of the
B.C. Federation had launched
a powerful protest movement
on Bill 43 to conincide with
these struggles, the effect on
the labour movement would
have been electrifying. Such
a protest would most likely
have forced the withdrawal
of Bill 43. —

Now, two considerations are
paramount.

Firstly, all unions in the
province must rally to the
support of any union finding
itself in difficulty as-a result
of Bill 43.

Secondly, the new interest
in political action generated
by the recent experience must
be used to sharpen and heat
up the,debate over the form

that the new political alterna-

tive, as envisaged in Winni-
peg, will take place in British
Columbia. :

Such a debate, open to
every. viewpoint in the labour
movement, and with no pun-
ches pulled, is the best guar-
antee of electing a provincial
government friendly to or-
ganized labor.

Winnipeg city coun
asks atomic test ba

WINNIPEG—With only one dissenting vote, the
peg city council in a momentous meeting on March 9 ast
a resolution calling on the Diefenbaker government to

‘ a4 unequivocal and firm stand” in the United Nations for
banning of all further atomic test explosions. The res
was presented to council by Alderman Jacob Penner

In a masterly presentation
of arguments supporting his
resolution, Ald. Penner point-
ed out that while the Geneva
conference of the big powers
was deadlocked in disagree-
ment, atomic test explosions
were continuing to poison
the atmosphere.

Three University of Mani-
toba professors had found that
strontium-90 in milk had in-
creased four fold during the
last year and had decided to

' discontinue giving milk to

their children.

Minnesota scientists had
warned the public that dead-
ly strontium-90 was increasing

rapidly in the wheat grown

in their state.

The UN had the power to
make the nations concerned
stop these tests if there was
a firm will to do so, Ald.
Penner told the council. Its
charter gave the Assembly
power to apply sanctions, he
said, and such drastic mea-
sures should be applied if no
agreement could be reached
at the Geneva conference.

Spokesmen for two com-
munity organizations appear-
ed before council in support
of the resolution: Mike Mok-
ry, who spoke on behalf of
the Association of . United
Ukrainian Canadians, and Don

Women in black mourn
for children ‘yet unborn

REGINA—‘This government is completely symp
with all efforts made on behalf of peace,”
Sturdy, assistant to the premier and minister withou
folio in the Saskatchewan government. He was replyir
brief presented to the legislature by the Saskatchewal

Council on March 13.

“I. agree with you com-
pletely that in the event of
war, civilization will be des-
troyed,’ the minister went on
to say. “It is‘sheer insanity to
think in terms of anything
else than peace,”

Premier Tommy Douglas
admitted that his government
had not taken any steps to
determine the effect of stron-

tium-90 fallout in the pro-

vince.

He was replying to a ques-
tion raised by K. McCutcheon,
of Regina, who had previously
referred to the steps taken by
the U.S. government in that
respect. He pointed out that
the magazine Consumer Re-
port had devoted eight pages
to a summary ‘of the findings
of U.S. scientists who had

March 27, 1959 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAG

ALD. JACOB PEND

Curry, who spoke for |
Socialist Youth League 7

Several other organi
sent written protests
the continuation of ato®
bomb tests, all of which ¥
read to council. These
from the Winnipeg chapte
the Canadian Congress
Women, the United
Peoples. Order and the Wi
peg Peace Council.

A strong, well attended
lery helped to get the ov
whelming support hee: C0
cil “Memapersy Seb:

said Hon. J

discovered an alarn
crease in the level of
tium-90, especially in Ne
Dakota and other — north
states. Ag

A highlight of the
mission was the appea
the delegation of 14 wo
dressed in black and ear
slogans “such as ‘
Causes Cancer” and “4
oshimas for Saskatchey

Explaining the meaning
the silent demonstratio a ;
Julia Berezowski *of —
said: “We are mo h
mourning for children yet
born who will carry the!
rible scars of radioacti eo
out, for children who Hi
born with one leg or with
arm or with defective | bral