By: WILLIAM KASHTAN

Se ctly I have had progres-
: fl Minded trade unionists
alse the following questions
With me:: “Wouldn’t it be a
£00d thing for unions outside
ie Canadian Labor Congress
ee lish a -trade- union
te of their own’’?

oa in favor they say
a what the last CLC Con-
— did or failed to do. It
in, rejected the inclusion of
Con QS presently outside the
Stress. In fact, it did more
ae that. It took action to
Pel the Teamsters Union.
. Seems to be no prospect
= united trade union move-
i In the foreseeable future
Fh ee cirstances wouldn’t it
< be ter to leave well enough
Z e stop pressing for the in-
gress N of all unions into Con-
and build a new centre?”

et know how wide-
existe this feeling is. That it
hess peere and there, there
raen Oubt. And it arises as a
Win on to disasterous right
ih § Dolicies. But this seem-
Sy attractive solution to a
Mplex and difficult problem

O@sn? 4 .
, Sn’t necessarily, make it
Orrect,

‘

0

he pela veniure to say that
ang oP leadership of the CLC
; Se oe .of its affiliates would
& evthing better. Now they
fi n the defensive, -irying to
ae Sorts of reasons to
Bigs divisions in the trade
Union Movement. A. new irade
into oe would play right
Wealke fir hands. It would
Withic the pressure of those
Reed + all unions who see the
= °r a united trade union
sae And not least, it
emplo be used by anti-labor
Wor Pee wvhe constantly
Workers, lvisions amongst the
rap ct a policy would serve
Wo a purpose for the
ng class. The Communist
| toy Y since its inception has
Cente for one trade union
the 2 for the autonomy of
Witeg E union movement, for
tit abor councils in each
Sanaqe town throughout
they.» for democracy within
fp 246 union movement and
defo, q tnt policies aimed to
“omic and advance the eco-
Terese SOcial and political in-
“of the working class.
Police. Continues to remain.our
ig nf which Communists need
Vigo, 8S for with ever greater
, *nd determination.
havin Can understand that,
tay & Suffered rebuffs, mili-
Uhidne progressive trade
“he SS Would sometimes feel

ALG
Othe Red off? and look for

_ ads and policies,

is)
Whigy Ver: a road or policy
tron, [88ds militants away

leaves © mass of workers and
hem at the mercy of

of road which leads anywhere.

term policy, changing its form |
from time to time to meet the |
changing circumstances; but

its substance remains constant.

|

We fight for unity and for
ja united trade union move- |
|men¥ because this is the best |
and least painful way in which |
|the workers can defend them. |
selves against the attacks AH
monopoly.

The right wing, also want
“unity’—unity by absorption
or raiding—unity based on po-
licies of class collaboration.
That kind of unity benefits no
one except monopoly and
needs to be fought against in
the most vigorous fashion. That
of course is not the kind of
unity the working class needs.

A united trade union move-
ment, to have value to the
working class, must be based
foursquare on a recognition of
the: class struggle. In such a
concept there can be no room
for anti-communism, for divi-
sions, for so-called struggle ‘on
two fronts, against monopoly
and against communism, which
as experience shows has al-
ways ended up in support of
monopoly.

We fight for a united trade
union movement based on the
class struggle. Admittedly it
won’t be achieved overnight.
Nor will it come on a platter.
It has to be fought for day in
and day’ out. In short it is a
struggle for effective working
class policies as against the
class collaboration policies of
the right wing.

Those who look for short
cuts in this long term struggle
for a united union movement
won't live to see it. There are
no short cuts. There is how-
ever patient, systematic work
to win the -workers for such
policies and this will pay off,
if one can use this term.

The fact that the top CLC
officers were forced to man-
ouvre as they did at the CLC
Convention only mirrors their
growing difficulties not their
strengths.

Events make clear with
every passing day that a united
trade union movement is more
essential than ever. Mutual as-
sistance amongst unions in
each industry, cooperation of
unions for common aims based
on their membership needs,
united action in -defense of
trade union rights, the struggle
|for reduced hours of work, for
jobs and improved unemploy-
ment insurance, for a policy of
disarmament and Canadian
neutrality and united labor-
farmer political action — all
these are the various streams

Unity for us is not a tactic |
or a manouvre. It is a long| ~

base say

Want to:sell you
on bomb shelters

He huffed and he puffed and
he blew, but nothing happened
so the Hon. Wesley Black has

hired a ‘public relations man’ ;

to sell the people of B.C. on
building bomb-shelters.

As the daily papers swing
into action to sell the latest
made-in-U.S.A. cold war gim-

Black, Bennett and Alsbury
are quick to take their cue.
Not so quick however are the
people, who up to the time of
writing have made NO applica-
tions to build ANY bomb-shel-
ters ANYWHERE in the Van-
couver area.

Following the lead given by
the -Civic workers, powerful
unions are taking up the cam-
paign against the bomb shelter
hoax.. The Western Pulp and
Paper Worker reprinted the
full text of the’ statement of
Governor Robert B. Meyner
and recommends the conclu-
sions to its readers.

The Commentator, organ of

'the big Trail Local 480 of the

Mine, Mill and Smelter Work-
ers, in a front page editorial,
says “The public’s refusal to
act must mean that they recog-
nize the pamphlet for what it
is—an attempt to fan the cold
war in order to cover up the
problems of high prices, high
taxes and mass unemployment,
CAUSED BY THE’ VERY
SAME POLICY.”

of division and bring about
unity in their ranks.

The militants, the left wing
and progressives need to be in
the forefront of this process
holding high the banner of a
truly united trade union move-
ment.

PACIFIC FILM SOCIETY
presents

Two Excellent Modern German
Films

ES ae FELIX

from the novel by Thomas Mann
Sunday, August 21st

and

‘CAPTAIN FROM KOEPENICK’
based on the famous
anti-Prussian satire

Sunday, August 28th

Both shows will be shown at the
Hollywood Theater, 3123 West
Broadway at 7 and 9 p.m.

Tickets must be purchased in
advance from People’s’ Co-op
Bookstore, 307 W. Pender St. or

through which the workers
will defeat right wing policies

H. K. Books Robson near Hornby

NOTES

COMMUNIST PARTY
FARM PLATFORM

Communist Party candidates

on the key issues facing B.C.
farmers. These include guaran-

ioe farm prices, a stop to the

es into B.C., curbing the prof-
iteering in food by the chain
stores, packers, wholesalers
and processors who rob both
the farmer and the consumer,
and cutting costs of farm pro-
duction by curbing the fixing
and profiteering by the big
monopolies that control the
price of farm machinery, feed,
seed, fertilizer, etc.

In addition to the above,
Communist. candidates are also
campaigning for the following:

@ Long term low interest
loans to assist the smaller
farmers (the so-called “uneco-
nomic” farmers) to modernize
their farms and make them
more efficient.

® A crop insurance scheme
sponsored by the provincial
government to protect the far-
| mer against the hazards of
| nature( frost; drought, disease;
| ete.)

® Increased grants and
spending by the B.C. Depart-
ment of Agriculture to ensure
more attention and aid to ag-
ricultural problems, and more
government assistance in’ pro-
viding irrigation, dyking and
drainage.

® More assistance to rural
areas for education (especially
secondary), vocation and tech-
nical schools), sports and“ cul-
tural facilities; reduction in
farm taxes.

-
The CCF platform includes

!some points which are similar

|; planes.

in the current provincial elec- |
tion are campaigning strongly |

3 ‘ Fe : in Boas lus- |
mick, obedient politicians like eu pie ees

stop U.S. use of Comox

s CP. candidate

COURTENAY — The Court-
|; enay area has become a sub-<
' ject for attack and devastation
| because the Comox air base is
| being -used by U.S. military
This was the charge
|made by Comox Communist
| candidate Jack Higgin, speak-
ing at the all-Island picnic at
Parksville last Saturday.

Higgin urged that the airport
be used instead “fas a port of
entry bringing the large ex-
panding commerce of the
Orient to the new front door
of Canada.”

Pointing to the large in-
crease in unemployment in the
Comox constituency, Higgin hit
the Canadian Colleries for
their action in laying off
miners. He demanded that the
coal rights now held by the
company be cancelled since
they defaulted on their license.

Higgin urged that Island na-
tural resources be processed’ in
the province instead. of being
exported. He called for the re
opening of all forest licenses.

|\to that of the Communist
|Party farm platform. But what
distinguishes the. Communist
Party platform and approach
to farm question from that of
[the CCF is that the Communist
|Party does not softpedal issues
to try to please all classes and
; groups Communist candidates
clearly state that the cause of
the farm crisis today is U.S.
dumping and the  cost-price
squeeze to which farmers are
subjected. They ~ fearlessly
fight to curb profiteering.
They demand action to end
U.S. dumping and. take a-clear
stand for Canadian independ-
ence from U.S. domination.
Communist candidates explain
that it will require a _— great
deal of militant struggle, out-
side the legislature as well as
in it, to win these demands
that labor-farmer unity is es-
sential to victory. What’s more,
Communists help to organize
and lead these struggles.

Ase

Photo shows university students before the cenotaph in
Montreal’s Dominion Square on Hiroshima Day, August
6, after placing’a wreath which- was: part: of-day long acs
tivities sponsored by five organizations:

August 19, 1960—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 7

eae