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LABOR SETS GOAL

00 NAMES

By JACK PHILLIPS

The mass lobby of the British Columbia Federation of Labor in Victoria Monday this
week was highlighted by the decision to launch a petition campaign for 100,000 signatures.
These signatures are to be presented to the legislature before it prorogues, by another
delegation of union members. The petition will ask endorsation of the Federation pro-

posals to combat unemployment and a moratorium to protect the homes and household”

effects of unemployed workers.

This decision will go for-
ward as a recommendation to
the Executive Council of the
Federation. The proposal was
made from the floor by Wil-
liam Stewart of Electrical
Workers, Local 213, after the
team captains had reported on
interviews with members of

Vol. 18, No. 6

Prone MUtual 5-5288

Authorised as second class mail by
the Post Office Department, Ottawa

10c

VANCOUVER, B.C.

' FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1959

:
Boost jobless henefits

fishermen urge gov't

VICTORIA, B.C. — A boost in jobless benefits, provi?

sion of emergency payments to workers without sufficient
stamps, coupled with a large-scale public works program, a
hike in B.C. minimum wage levels and a shorter work week
are among the demands raised in a brief presented to the gov-
ernment by the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union

this week.

The brief which outlined
union policy on trade, power,
compensation, labor laws and
unemployment, had this to
say about the current jobless
crisis:

“Rising unemployment fig-
gures prove the complete lack
of adequate planning and lack
of action by the government.

“Onemployed workers are
suffering privation and degra-
dation in the midst of plenty.

'\ We therefore urge immediate

action along the lines previ-
ously suggested by our union,
by the B.C. Federation of La
bor and other groupings.”

UFAWU proposals on un-
employment include:

@ Emergency action to
‘modify qualifying conditions
so that workers not presently
eligible because of insuffici-
ent stamps will receive ‘bene-
fits until work is provided.

® Imediate announcement
of large scale public works.

@® A complete reversal of

the tight money policy which
provides exorbitant interest
rates for a minority’s profit
and places a greater burden
on the little man.

© Immediate and drastic re-
duction in the defense budget.

® A complete revision of
taxes to ease those in low im-
come groups.

® Improved minimum wage
legislation.

@® A shorter work week.

@ Enactment of special
legislation to protect homes
and property of the unem-
ployed against seizure during
pericds of unemployment.

About 50 UFAWU. members
were on the delegation, in-
cluding several from women’s
auxiliaries of the union. Al-
though no meeting was held
with the cabinet, the dele-
gates managed to see a ma-
jority of MLAs, in their party
officers ‘or by buttonholing
them in the corridors.

the legislative assembly. The
strong current of dissatisfac-
tion over the replies given by
Socred ministers and _ back-
benchers ensured unanimous
approval of Stewart’s motion.

After a briefing by Federa-
tion executives in the Crystal
Gardens, the 400 trade union-
ists from the mainland and
Vancouver Island were divid-
ed: into teams of seven and
each team was assigned to in-
terview one member of the
house. A mimeographed ques-
tion and answer form was dis-
tributed, It had five questions
and the delegates were in-
structed to get a yes or no ans-
wer. on each one.

The five questions were:

@® Will you support in the,
legislature the recommenda-
tions of the Federation on un-
employment made to the cabi.
net on January 5, 1959?

® Will you support in the
legislature the amendments to
the Workmen’s Compensation
Act requested by the Federa-
tion?

® Are you opposed to fur- es
ther restrictive labor legisla- (lea ~y
tion? ©

@ Are you opposed to the
use of the Civil Defense Act in
a labor dispute?

@ Will you support a mora-
torium on debts to prevent
foreclosure on homes’ and
household effects of the unem-
ployed? ;

After the briefing, the dele-
gates formed up on the road
outside the hall before parad-
ing to the parliament build-
ings, with their bright colored
banners and placards held
high. Among the slogans car-
ried were the fcllowing:

“Do not refer to committee!
Tackle unemployment now!”

“Action! Not words!”

A small section of the more than 400-strong labor lobby
to Victoria is shown in these photographs. The workers
marched from Crystal Gardens to the legislative build-
ings, where they buttonholed MLAs and presented their
demands.

KHRUSHCHEV'S

SPEECH TO THE 21st

CPSU CONGRESS
See page 3

Continued on back page
See 100,000 NAMES