Will send medicines, food

S

The Congress of Canadian Women
is launching a national “Save Lives
in Vietnam” campaign. Purpose of
the drive is to raise funds for medical
and food supplies to aid the Vietna-
mese people who are fighting a war
for survival against United States’
- aggression.

A CCW press release says:

“The people of Vietnam have
bravely withstood the bombings of
their cities, towns and villages. They
have suffered _atrotities, napalm
bombings, devastation and poisoning
of. their rice crops and other food
Supplies, The ‘mothers and children
of Vietnam are victims of this ruth-
less and undeclared war.

_ “We call on all people of good will,
who value their own lives and believe
in peace and the sovereign rights
of all people, to give most generously
to this fund.

“The CCW nationa: executive de-
cided to launch this campaign at the
request of the women of Toronto,
who started the ball rolling.

lives in Vie

Vietnam.

fund.

nam

Federation, it was decided to raise
funds to help the women of war-torn

“One woman. donated. a week’s
salary, many others donated a day’s
wages and still others made substan-
tial pledges.

“We call on all Canawians to follow
this good example and to send their
contributions to the ‘Save Lives in
Vietnam Fund,’ care of The Congress
of Canadian Women, Box 188, Sta-
tion E, Toronto 4, or to give your
donations to members of the CCW
in your locality,

“We call on all organizations to
discuss this question and to join us
by making their contributions to the

“We ask all workers to discuss it
in their shops and factories and to
take-up collections.

“We ask clubs and societies to plan
social functions to help raise funds
for this noble cause.

“Every day that passes, brings

“At a meeting last -Dec 6 held
under the auspices of the Toronto
Chapter of the CCW, together with
Several affiliated organizations, to
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the

omen’s International Democratic

Young women in Vietnam learn medical know how. Canadians
are now raising funds to send medical and food supplies to Vietnam.

greater misery and suffering to the
people of Vietnam. Let us make a
really generous contribution and let
us help immediately. We urge you
to send in your donation ag Swiftly

as possible.”

Antiquated labor laws cannot

prevail in today's society

THe, are valuable leassons
ibe drawn from labor
m is gles of 1965. One of
free oe laws which give a
str © employers while
toler keting labor will not be
ogi es this era of techno-
Ci revolution and rapid so-
economic change.

° 2 :
angations between unions and
frozen ments cannot remain
ments ae working agree-
while = asting several years,
make den overs are allowed to
Operati rastic changes in their
such ns during the life of
tefére nereements, without any
their Ce to the workers and
eons. Inasmuch as chang-
of wae the life and conditions
sulted ers, they must be con-
not ihe all matters, whether or
Within issues involved come
ing the context of a work-
* “8reement,

tight’ the very essence of the
tial m.> Strike takes on a spe-
ing €aning. Collective bargain-
Workin Comes meaningless if
on only agreements are binding
to such One of the two parties
' -- NM agreement. More-

seanresanass iat

LABOR SCENE

by .

BRUCE MAGNUSON

over, the “residual rights” theo-
ry claims rights for. manage-
ment that are not conceded to
workers. Consequently, work-
ers’ demands for the right to
strike during the life of an agree-
ment on issues not covered by
the agreement are fully justified.

This is a matter of concern
not only to workers but to the
community at large. People in
the academic community, such

as Judge Bora Laskin, Hon. J.T. ©

Thorson, Mr. Justice T. C. Nor-
ris, A. W. R. Carrothers of B.C.
University, Professor Harry Ar-
thurs of Toronto’s Osgoode Law

School, and Mr. Justice Samuel
Freedman have come forward
to .criticize the whole mish-
mash of so-called labor laws and
their one-sided interpretation by
the courts in favor of the big
employers. Last fall Prof. Ar-
thurs proposed that a commis-
sion be set up to study our labor
laws and propose changes to
remove ghastly loopholes in
them and suggest improvements.

However, it is the struggles of.

the workers that have brought
about a new awareness of this
problem. The lesson is simple
enough: A small group of indns-

trial and business tycoons can-
not dictate their will to the ma-
jority of working people with-
out inviting massive civil dis-
obedience. The alternative is to
bring about a better balance, to
give the workers more power,
while instituting controls on the
big monopolies and thelr man-
agements.

The Freedman report is now
before Parliament. Its recomen-
dations must find reflection in
legislative amendments to the
Industrial Relations and  Dis-
putes Investigations Act. This
will require a struggle by all
labor. This issue, plus the issue
of collective bargaining and the
right to strike for civil servants,
is among the most important
items of business facing the new
session of Parliament.

At the same time provincial
legislatures are meeting. And it
is a fact that the great bulk of
working people come under
provincial laws and jurisdiction.
Only Saskatchewan has .a de-
cent basic labor law which gives
to all workers, including civil
servants and civic workers, the
full collective bargaining rights

January 28, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 5 ©

including the right to strike.

The Saskatchewan Trade
Union Act has no compulsory
conciliation or arbitration feat-
ures. Quebec has shown some.
inclination to move in the direc-
tion of more democratic prac-
tices. But the long overdue
changes in federal and provin-
cial labor laws in the direction
xf democracy and more unifor-
nity is bound up with the strug-
zle of the French Canadian peo-
dle for equality and for recogni-
ion of Canada’s two-nation
status in a new and democratic
constitution.

Nevertheless, such terrible
laws as Bills 42, 43’ and 123 in

_ British Columbia, and the anti-

labor and compulsory: features
of Ontario’s laws in labor-man-
agement relations must be re-
pealed at once. There is a need
for a massive campaign to bring
about drastic changes. With
sharper struggles on the econo-
mic front, much will depend on
the determination with which
organized labor tackles its job
to ensure that progress will be
made in the legislative field this
year.