By MEL DOIG
f OTTAWA

aa profoundly deepened the crisis of confedera-
legates alike considered this crisis the main problem
mg the country.

di e Liberal Convention as a whole and all the
meectes had a basic common approach: Canada
itists of two linguistic groups, two founding com-
ities, two cultural communities, two founding
ales, they put it every imaginable way except that
‘ada consists of two nations.

_ And the positions of all. except two of the candi-

~ Were essentially the same:
€ must be given a status
eo Pe somehow from that of
tat €r provinces in a confe-
nt “1 based on a_ strong
. Zed government.
. Of the candidates dis-
; 28 with this position was
‘teen who flatly stated he

Rail machinists

that each craft individually sign
the Master Agreement and to
seek separate certification for
District 2 if this proves unobtain-

Sixty-five delegates represent-
pe 000 rail machinists and
tine gathered at Winnipeg
, dic the last week of March
et os primarily a new col-
hiniee agreement for rail ma-
Sts and an effective District
Icy in the face of the ex-
adamant stand. of both

Mme ets and the federal gov-
lim tt towards a just settle-

Eman,

‘4 non-op employees wage.
S.

“was against any 1dea or special
status for any province French
or English.” This former flyer
spun out of control at this point
with appeals to the flag and
something about how British
Columbia had given Canada
Nancy Greene while Quebec had
returned the gift with Jean

able.

It was felt that if separate cer-
tification for the rail machinist

was not understood by the sep-

arate crafts, it would create a
multitude of jurisdictional dis-

putes which could result in
many years of court litigation.

The delegates adopted resolu-

ihe delegates were confront-
the giant task of first

lluating and then adopting or

ti

te by the 30 International

ry ation of Machinists lodges
€ district.

n Was evident from the begin-
an Of the convention that
e Of the machinists’ prob-
: Stem from the old and un-
it ble structure of both Dis-
hts and Division 4 (Trail-
ie ) which holds the collec-
ogo eement for all tradesmen
ng on Canadian railroads.

» |S Was the main reason for
 Onvention deciding to ask

t dewhurst

4 'S almost 20 years since a
‘ Ention of the old Canadian
fees’ of Labor expelled the
tche Electrical, Radio and

Ine Workers from its
‘Ss. The vote of expulsion was

€d with the majority of

)
legates refusing to vote. Out
5 delegates present only
te pod. Of this, number: 75
Wh against.
Mot the Canadian Labor
wereSs came into being it in-
yn this unnecessary expul-
ise And, despite demands
atig at every subsequent con-
i nN by many union locals
e end, the CLC maintains
Be Xpulsion to this very day.
me WSe of the long period of
e oenich has elapsed since
d CCL carried through its
,Pular expulsions it would
e, tthwhile to briefly review
a : Uses. For, only in this way
, JUdgment be made whether
fferences -which remain
Continuing the punitive

Ng over 270 resolutions.

tions which made it quite clear
to the district leadership that
they are not prepared to accept
marathon negotiations and con-
.Ciliation which in the end lead
imposed

only to government
strike breaking legislation (Bill

280) . Indeed the delegates insist-
ed on having the right to strike

and have demanded that the

chief negotiator of Division 4
publicly denounce any govern-
ment back-to-work legislation in
the event of a rail strike in the

future.

On the bread and butter issues
the convention opted for a short-

er work week with a substantial

Belliveau and the Allouettes
(this last not for publication in

Quebec) . ie
But there was another candid-

ate who rejected both the con-
cept of two nations and the pro-
.posal of special status for Que-
bec. Pierre Elliot_Trudeau’s phi-

See also
page 8
for more
on Liberal
convention

losophy of the individual in ~
society, his relationship to the
state safeguarded in a bill of
rights is to be the solution to
Canada’s future. The next prime
minister wants a strong federal
government plus good provincial

governments, ten of them. Lin-
‘guistic rights in our pluralistic
society are to be protected by
the present constitution “which
can be improved.”
To those who consider tha
French Canadians and English-
speaking Canadians constitute
two nations in Canada, Trudeau
replies — not so, it will be
enough that all provinces can
fee] equal with the federal gov-
ernment by changes in represen-
tation in the Senate and the
Supreme Court. “The choice be-
fore Canada,” he said, “is not
one between national unity and
economic development. We need
both and only a strong federal-
ism can give us them.” ;
That strong federalism is to
perpetuate the concept of one.
Canada and ten provinces. And
that’s why the establishment of

Ottawa sponsored and elected

Trudeau. The separatists of

rudeau no answer for Canada

Quebec are encouraged by his

election because he embodies all

the most reactionary concepts
about the relationship between
Canada and Quebec. Trudeau re-
presents the domination by the
larger English Canadian nation

-of the minority French Canadian
nation in a federal relationship.

that does not recognize the
right to self determination of
each of them. Confederation
therefore remains for French
Canadian nationalists something
imposed by a conqueror, by a

_ Majority upon a minority.

And when Trudeau goes on to
speak of Canada’s five main eco-
nomic zones with Ontario and
Quebec one of them, when he
favors Canada joining the U.S.A.
Organization of American
States, and praises “the great
American society” it appears
that Trudeau is supported not
only by Canada’s establishment.

meet

increase in both wages and
fringe benefits, no contracting
out of work and the implementa-
tion of the Freedman report in
order to protect jobs. ‘

In regard to the ratification of
the contract, the convention
wanted full ratification by the
membership for acceptance or
rejection, plus the ratification of
specific agreements which are
designed to cover specific situa-
tions, i.e. the four-day closedown
of the three CPR shops.

Rail pensions came in for a
great deal of discussion. The
convention would like to have
all railroad pension plans writ-
ten into the terms of the agree-
ment, This is in line with the
thinking of many members of
the present negotiating commit-
tee of Division 4.

The question: of raiding was
also discussed at length. Mike
Roggus, Canadain vice-president
of the IAM asked the sentiments
of the delegates, stating that
District 2 condemns raiding un-
der any name and in his opinion
the big job is to organize the

unorganized.
The large question of only
Canadians voting to elect the
Canadian vice-president was rul-
ed undebatable by the chair. The
decision of the chair- was chal-
lenged by a Quebec delegate

from Lodge 118 but his was not
carried mainly-due to the lack of
understanding of western dele-
gates who voted to sustain the

decision of the chair. Lack of

unity was the decisive factor

here.

For their part, the Quebec de-
legation were guilty of causing
an unnecessary division between
east and west and French and
English when they moved to
have the district office moved
from Winnipeg to Montreal. The
final vote showed that only two
French-speaking Lodges in Mon-

treal favored the move.

An increaesd per capita tax to
the district of 32 cents was ap-
the district
leadership left to the last mo-
ment the announcement that
there would be an increase in
the Grand Lodge strike fund of

proved. Craftily,

50 cents per member per month,
which goes. to Washington, D.C.
This makes the total going there
$1.00 per month, per member. It
is doubtful if the convention
would have granted the district
such a liberal increase if it had
had this information earlier.

The convention was mature
and in the ‘main was hard work-
ing. Much of a positive nature
was accomplished. But this is
only part of the battle.

The last and final struggle will -

take place in Montreal in the
first week of May during the
Division 4 convention.

At this convention each craft
will present its contract demands
for discussion to ask for their
inclusion in the final demands
which will be presented to the
carriers on Nov. 1, 1968.

The machinists would be well
advised to join forces with all
progressive elements at the con-
vention and not participate in
the usual behind - the - scenes
wheeling and dealing which gen-
erally pits one craft against an-
other and is only designed to
help the companies.

Time to open a new chapter

Carried through by the -

CCL. Or, whether the gap has
so narrowed, that to continue
the bans makes absolutely no
sense except fo the most bigoted

cold warriors.

These punitive actions, initiat-
ed at the highest levels, originat-

ed in the United States in the
late 1940’s. At that time the top
leadership of the Congress of In-
dustrial

ber of unions in an effort to
crush any expression of opposi-
tion within the trade union move-
ment to the cold war policies of
the U.S. government and its big
business patrons.

The resultant split was pro-
pelled into the Canadian union
movement by pressure of the
leadership of the parent bodies
of U.S.-based unions. The sharp
differences which consequently
developed in the then central
bodies of the Canadian union

movement centered on (1) the |

future of Canada in its relations
with the U.S. (2) the vital need

Organizations carried
through the expulsion of a num-

for world peace and how best to
assure it (3) the need of policies
to. strengthen trade union auto-
nomy, sovereignty and indepen-
dence.

Tragically, the differences were
not resolved through the process
of democratic debate. An at-

“tempt at resolution was made by
expelling the unions refusing to
go along with U.S.-exported cold
war solutions. Debate of the
issues continued of course. But
under different and, for a time,
much more difficult conditions.
The debate has increased in in-
tensity, and in breadth, as dan-
gerous trends in Canada’s econo-
mic, political and social devel-
opment became ever clearer to
perceive. Today, the
sharp differences over union po-
sitions has been narrowed con-
siderably as events and debate
have unfolded.

Verification of this requires

only a comparison of union po-.

sitions in Canada on the war in
Vietnam, the right of all nations

former ~

to self - determination, world
peace, nuclear and general dis-
armament, U.S. penetration of
the Canadian economy, and the

sovereign right of Canadians to
determine their own course free
from outside interference.

A growing similarity of posi-
tions on all the vital issues con-

fronting Canada is the most out-

standing feature of adopted: poli-
cy of most unions including the
Canadian Labor Congress and
the Confederation of National
Trade Unions.
This process of coming togeth-
er of positions within the trade
union movement has served to
enhance the movement towards
unity on the part of significant
segments of the labor move-
ment. Disunity, based on the

period of the late forties and

early fifties, makes little sense
to most unionists now. And, it
makes no sense at all to the

younger trade unionists. who,

were not personally involved.

forge a r siahieai

unionists is the restoration of
unity in the ranks of the CLC
and between the CLC and CNTU.

This healthy drive to unity is
in sharp .conflict with the con-
tinuing hard-nosed positions of
some international union leaders
who have staked-out their own

“jurisdictions” in the Canadian

labor movement. These high
placed officials are still bent on
ruling the Canadian movement
by dictat from their U.S. head-
quarters. Such an attitude is in-
tolerable in this enlightened age
and should be ended.

The delegates to the coming
CLC convention can take a long
step towards this goal: They can
do so by extending a hearty. in-
vitation to the United Electrical,

Radio and Machine Workers to

resume their rightful place in the
ranks of the CLC. Such an ac-
tion by the delegates would
mark the opening of a new chap-

ter in Canadian labor history—.
the forging of néw links“in’ the“
What makes sense today .tq.,..chainssof:labon-unityee/ 2, J\9°2
ey APRIL 13, 1968—
—

|
+ i
5 |
q
oy

i