One of labor's mos? skillful leaders

James J. Matles dies at 66

NEW YORK — On Sept. 15 in
Santa Barbara California the
labor movement in North Amer-
ica was deprived of one of its
~best fighters and most skillful
leaders.

James J. Matles general sec-
retary-treasurer of the United
Electrical Radio and Machine
Workers of America (UE) and
one of the union’s pioneer build-

ers during the 1930s suffered a“

fatal heart seizure.

He had been working that day
from 6 o’clock in the morning
to 9 at night passing out leaf-
lets and speaking at plant gate
meetings helping UE organizers
at an unorganized Santa Barbara
plant and collapsed later that
night in his hotel room.

Last year, he had announced
that he would not be seeking
re-election to office at this year’s
convention and announced his
plans to continue working for
the union by helping to train
young staff members and local
officers in the principles of rank
and file unionism.

For this work Matles proposed
that he would not receive a sal-
ary from the union but would
live on his pension and social
security for his living expenses.

Director of Organization

Jim Matles began a long and
proud association with the or-
ganized labor movement as a
member and later Grand Lodge
representative of the Interna-
tional Association of Machinists.

During the wave of mass in-

The problems in the Canadian
post office did not commence
yesterday. The attitude which

the federal government has
shown’ towards its employees
over a period of years can be
characterized as highly irrespon-
sible, bureaucratic and provoca-
tive. :
A costly modernization pro-
gram is being put into effect
with reckless abandon as to its
consequences for the human fac-
tor involved. To date no serious
answer has been given by the
government to union demands
for changes in the Public Service

Staff Relations Act to allow.

negotiations on the matter of
technological changes of serious
concerns to some 22,000 mail
sorters and other inside post of-
fice employees.

The present Postmaster-Gene-
ral Bryce Mackasey has not con-
tributed anything toward a so-
lution of the problems involved.
In fact he has abandoned any
and all attempts to negotiate
with the elected leaders of the
union involved. Instead he has
proceeded to chastise and pro-
voke the union leaders in public
speeches, repeatedly reported by
the mass media. This apparently
calculated attempt at going over
the heads of the officers of the
Canadian Union of Postal Work-
ers to try and ridicule their posi-
tion in public, would appear to
be an attempt to sow division in
the ranks of the union.

‘Good Long Strike’.

Following a luncheon address
to the Empire Club of Canada on

BY BRUCE MAGNUSON

dustrial organization, Matles
joined the UE and became the
union’s first director of organi-
zation. He held this post until
the death of Julius Emspak in
1962 when he succeeded Emspak
as general secretary-treasurer.

Matles was a devoted and en-
ergetic fighter for his class. A
militant fighter for labor unity,
fundamental social and political
change, he made an impact on
the labor movement that was in-
estimable by showing how to
build a union controlled by the
workers which continues to be
a militant fighting instrument to
protect their interests against
the greed of the bosses.

Last year much of the story
of the building of this model of
a rank and file union was told
in Matles’s co-authored book

|

JAMES J. MATLES

“Them and Us” in which not
only the rich story of class
struggle of the UE was told but
also that of the 40-year-fight-
back of the organized section
of the working class.

He was recognized as an able
negotiator and headed all of
UE’s negotiations with the Gen-
eral Electric Co. including those
of the 102-day strike in 1969-70.

Loss to Canadians

UE Canadian President C. S.
Jackson expressed “shock” and
“sadness” at the news of his
passing and termed the late
unionist’s death “a great loss to
UE and the whole labor move-
ment which will be felt for a
very long time.”

He was cut down at the age
of 66, and leaves behind a daugh-
ter and two grandchildren.

Doctors want
35% pay boost

The Ontario Medical Associa-
tion, with 15,000 member physi-
cians and surgeons, has asked
Queen’s Park to approve a one-
year 35% increase in fees that
would be covered by provincial
medicare.

The OMA joins a sister organ-
ization in Alberta and groups of
doctors throughout Quebec in de-
manding higher pay. Ontario and
Alberta doctors threaten to opt
out of the medicare scheme if
their requests are not met.

LABOR SCENE Lana Trudeau government
provoking a postal strike?

Oct. 3, Mr. Mackasey is reported
to have told press representa-
tives the following:

“Knowing the issues and our
position on them, it would be
ridiculous to have a strike... .
But if we are going to have a
strike for frivolous reasons, we
might as well have a good long
one and clear up relations be-
tween management and labor in
the Post Office.” (emphasis
added) .

Most interesting commentary,
coming from a Minister of the
Crown. As to the first point, we
must remember these comments
were made and reported prior to
a report by Judge Jean Moisan
of the Quebec Superior Court,
dealing with issues involved and
recommended terms of contract
settlement.

As for the government’s posi-
tion on the issues, it has nevér
committed itself to do anything
on the matter of negotiating
over technological changes as
they would affect future jobs
and security of workers involv-
ed. On the issue of wages, the
government’s only offer of $1.15-
an-hour increase over 32 months
on a basic rate of $4.52 present-
ly paid could hardly qualify as a
final and non-negotiable position.

Duty and Religious Conscience

After telling the respectable
gentlemen of industry and busi-
ness, who belong to the Empire
Club of Canada about the “lux-
ury and leisure” provided by the
“free enterprise” system, Mr.

Mackasey went. on to intimate

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 10, 1975—Page 8

‘in the importance of

that the “average man” was los-
ing respect for it, did not want
to work hard enough for it, and
did not produce enough in any
area. “Productivity is. falling in
every area but crime,” Mr. Mac-
kasey is reported as saying.

Perhaps this is why the min-
ister spoke about a “good long
strike’ ostensibly to teach the
postal workers not to be so
“damned selfish” and to restore
to them the Victorian ‘‘sense of
duty that flowered in the reli-
gious conscience” and which he
said had been replaced with a
credo of self-interest and belief
material
progress. ‘

Is it possible that the postal
workers (those working inside
the post office) have been select-
ed as the battering-ram to break
down the wall of workers’ re-
sistance against being made to
pay for inflation and unemploy-
ment? Could it be that they have
been selected as the scapegoat
to further confuse the issue of
government conivance with big
business profiteering at the ex-
pense of labor?

Whatever the case may be, if
there is a postal strike, the
blame must be placed squarely
where it belongs, namely on
government and big business..

To that end it is important
that everything be done by or-
ganized labor to explain issues
involved to the people,’ and to
win public support for the strug-
gle of the postal workers until
victory is won’ for economic and
social justice on their behalf.

POSTAL CONCILIATION
REPORT POSTPONED
TO OCT. 7

OTTAWA — A conciliation
board dealing with the contract
dispute between the Canadian
Union of Postal Workers"and the
Post Office has been given until
midnight Oct..7 to submit its
report.

Under collective bargaining
laws that apply to federal public.
service, the 22,000 inside postal
workers, including mail sorters
and postal clerks, may legally
strike seven days after the con-
ciliation report is delivered.

The earliest possible date for
a postal strike has been set back
to Oct. 15.

The postal workers, who now
earn about $4 an hour, have de-
manded a 71% increase and a

30-hour work week in a one-year

contract.

STRIKERS CHARGED

LONDON, Ont. — Six federal
employees at the London Airport
were charged Oct. 2 with parti-
cipating illegally in a strike by
Public Service Alliance of Can-
ada workers at the airport last
March 14. A Nov. 6 trial date
has been set.

The workers are charged un-
der the Public Service Staff Re-
lations Act which designates
them as essential employees pro-
hibited from striking.

MID-NOVEMBER
NEGOTIATIONS
DEADLINE SET BY CUPE

TORONTO — Union officials
say 1,000 Toronto maintenance
workers want a wage increase of
50% and improved fringe bene-

fits in a one-year contract with

the Ontario Housing Corp.
Officials of Local 767, Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees,
have notified the corporation
that the union will break off ne-
gotiations unless an agreement
is concluded by mid-November.

WORKERS TURN OFF
BREWERY TAPS
HALIFAX — Striking em-

‘ployees of the Nova Scotia

Liquor Commission have set up
picket lines at Olands Breweries
Ltd. of Halifax and Moosehead
Breweries Ltd. of Dartmouth in
a move to bring more pressure
on the commission, which is
balking at their contract de-
mands.

The 600 striking employees of
the liquor commission are repre-

Will continue to support
Spanish labor says CLC

, OTTAWA — Joe Morris, pre-

- sident of the Canadian Labor

Congress, expressed the hope
that the Canadian government
will treat the Franco regime of
Spain as an
leper.”

“The Canadian Labor Con-
gress welcomes our govern-
ment’s decision to keep George
Blouin, Ambassador to Spain, in
Ottawa for instructions. We
hope that those instructions are
that the Spanish regime must be
treated as the international leper
it insists on being. :

“As victims came to ‘trial’,

NEEDED SAYS ILO

billion jobs over the next

_ ment and give work to newcom

“international

sented by three separate locals)
of the Canadian Labor Congress
A spokesman for the strikers
said the locals plan to stop the
flow of liquor in the province. |

PAPERWORKERS' STRIKE |
GROWS IN ONTARIO —

ESPANOLA, Ont.—About 700
members of the Canadian Pape
workers’ Union went on stri
Oct. 3, against Eddy Forest Pro
ducts Ltd. ;

The union says the compat
has stated that it does not want
to set a precedent by settliné
ahead of other companies whicl
are on strike across the provinc®

The union is asking for a
an-hour pay increase in a on
year agreement, a dental pl
and improved vacation schedu
as well as improvements in exist
ing fringe benefits, The previous
contract expired April 30.

ONE BILLION JOBS

GENEVA — Developing cout
tries have to create more thal?

years to overcome unempl

ers swelling the labor force, th
head of the International Lab0
Organization said Oct. 4. :

In an article published by *
ILO, the organization’s Fret
director-general Francis
chard said about 300 mill
people in developing countri
were today either unemployed
inadequately employed. :

“Between now and the end of ‘
the century almost 800 millio® |
men and women will be add é |
to the labor force in the develop’ :
ing countries. The categoric® |
imperative for the devel 3
nations is to create over 1.1 pil
lion jobs.”

CP WORKERS ‘PAWNS’
CHARGES

LABOR COUNCIL ;
WINNIPEG — The Winnipeé
Labor Council says CP Rail
using shop employees as “P® ‘
tical pawns” to get financi@

_ concessions from the fede

government. of

In a letter to the president 4
CP Rail, the council condemné,
the railway for its lay-offs”
employees because of an econ? |
mic slowdown. 4

this month. :

Negotiations for a new nati?
nal contract for the shop cra
began Oct. 1.

:
ES

confused by torture and Py
vented from calling witness¢

‘their defence, we urged Frat

to abandon his policy of cou®
terror. All to no avail. of
seems to be as firmly in the 8
of barbarism cloaked in dublt,
legality as it was by the SP?
of 1939. :
“The Canadian. Labor
gress will continue to supPP
the Spanish trade unionists
the UGT: (La Union General
Trabajadores de Espana) in ©
struggle for freedom and ,
continue to condemn all asP®
of the vicious regime which
sists in denying this freedom

2