Wt lde blo LUG LLL LULL UM ULIMIT CL Ut TDL | VLDL LUTEAL

Tripartism shot down at
innipeg labor school

WINNIPEG — A record 540 area trade unionists, plus more
than 30 instructors from across Canada participated in a two-day
labor council-sponsored, annual weekend school, March 19-20 at
the University of Winnipeg.

Described as the largest of its kind in Canada, the school has
developed into an invaluable gathering of rank and file trade
unionists from all affiliated locals and every type of workplace in
the city.

Opened with a plenary session, and broken into 20 different
courses, the school dealt with almost every conceivable subject
of concern to today’s trade unionists. Every aspect of collective
bargaining and dealing with workplace environment was
covered.

As well, key problems of the labor movement were dealt with
in such courses as labor eSnomics, the media, civic politics,
strategy of union busters and rights of the unemployed.

All courses featured intensive study, debate and invaluable
exchange of ideas and experiences and reflected a very strong
sentiment of militancy on the part of Winnipeg organized labor.

The weekend did start on a sour note with the keynote address
by Dr. David Lawless of the University of Manitoba. Under the
topic of ‘‘Labor in the Year 2000 and Beyond’’, Dr. Lawless
focussed his attention on a call for developing Quality of Worklife
programs and tripartism — policies which have been soundly
rejected by Winnipeg workers and Canadian labor. :

While he received polite applause, there were widespread
expressions of dissatisfaction with his remarks, and questions as
to why he was invited in the first place, a matter which will likely
come up at the next meeting of the Winnipeg Labor Council.

Particularly notable was the course on the rights of the unem-
ployed, reflecting a growing concern by Winnipeg labor on this
crisis situation. While a large part of this course was taken up with
a reiteration and defence of federal government policies on
unemployment insurance and job creation by spokespersons of
the Department of Manpower and Immigration, their assertions
were sharply attacked by participants. Strong sentiments were

expressed for the need to organize the unemployed and to fight
for jobs and better unemployment insurance programs.

By PAUL PUGH

THUNDER BAY — Some 150
people attended a public meeting,
March 18, to hear postal union
leader and Canadian Labor Con-
gress Vice-president Jean-Claude
Parrot and Bishop John O’Meara
of Thunder Bay speak about the
“the economic crisis and its

- Victims’’.

The meeting, held at the Lake-
head Labor Centre, was co-

‘sponsored by the Thunder Bay

Unemployed Workers Associa-
tion and the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers (CUPW) —
Thunder Bay, in order to call
attention to the need for workers,
employed and unemployed, to

unite in the face of corporate-

government attacks on the work-
ing people.

Jorma Halonen, president of
Local 607 Laborers International
Union, chaired the meeting and
set the tone in his introductory
remarks by pointing to his own
union with 700 of its 1,000 mem-
bers throughout Northwestern
Ontario presently out of work.

Bishop O’Meara, a member of
the Canadian Catholic Bishops’
social affairs commission, which
recently issued the report,
“Ethical Reflections on the Eco-
nomic Crisis’’ explained the
Bishops’ position calling for na-
tional dialogue in reviewing
Canada’s socio-economic system
including the need to put the
needs of the poor ahead of the
wants of the rich.

He pointed to the need for
grass-roots organization of the
unemployed, farmers and work-

Parrot urges united fightback.

ers which could form the basis of
a social movement which could
bring about needed changes in the
economic system and its values.
He emphasized the need for unity
of unemployed and erployed
in order to secure economic re-
covery as well as social change.

CUPW leader, Jean-Claude
Parrot called attention to the de-
liberate policy aspect to the eco-
nomic crisis as unemployment
and insecurity weakens workers’
confidence and ability to resist
corporate demands for wage
concessions, lowered health and
safety standards and, on a
broader scale corporate efforts to
impose political-economic prog-
rams designed to slice away at the
working people’s standard of liv-
ing and welfare.

_The strategy of unemployment
and recession, combined with
calls for lower wages similar to

those of Japan, Singapore and
on, is designed to pit wo
against worker here in Cana
and internationally.

The CUPW president >
workers and their organizaul
must unite in a country-We
fightback campaign with ull!
taking the lead in providing
ization and assistance tO
unemployed and unorganizee

During the question and ans’
period following the spe
remarks, great interest was ¥
-cated in all aspects of the ©
including the increasing tend¢
to militarism and war and
need to organize a popular
sponse in the interests of
workers. :

A numberof applications
membership in the Thunder
Unemployed workers’ ass?
tion were turned in after the M
ing adjourned. ‘

MY FRIEND !S PAYING.

The most dangerous opponent facing workers
everywhere in the world is the trans- (or multi-) na-
tional corporation.

In 1964 the 35 largest transnationals hired 6.2 mil-
lion workers and netted $5.2-thousand-million. By
1975 the same corporations accounted for 7.13 million
workers and posted a net profit of $22.2-thousand-mil-
lion. The workforce increased by 18% while ‘profits

William Stewart

Labor in action

International unity our common cause

would include:

capital

lower interest rates

e curbing of monopoly price fixing

governments to carry through such demands. They

e state control over the transhationals
e democratic control over the import and export at

e measures to curb and overcome inflation, and |

against another; to

between workers

the communities.

countries unite, or
tighter.

shot up by 327% for the same period. _

From the standpoint of the capitalist class the
transnational corporation represents the most
consistent form of progress. It engenders moving over
from a national to an international division of labor. It
enables the capitalist to play off one body of workers
against another; to counterpose cheap wage labor in
backward countries to more highly-priced labor in
more advanced countries; to play off one nation state

take advantage of the ebbs and

flows of the capital market to weaken competition and
strengthen monopoly positions.

From the position of workers it is the most repul-
sive form of capitalism. It is the most extreme form of
parasitism, overripe with decay, pregnant with social
change. It confronts working people and society with.
unemployment, social stagnation, acute competition

at home and abroad, steady

weakening of national sovereignty.
It generates speed-up in the factories, pollution in

“Workers Unite”

Transnational corporations are the main pro-
ponents of the arms build-up, regarding it first and
foremost as a major source of profits, but also as a
form of protection for its control which is more and
more seen as an enemy to all mankind.

The great slogan put forward by Marx and Engels in
the Communist Manifesto was never more pertinent
— Workers of all countries unite — you have nothing
to lose but your chains, you have a world to win!
Today one could add to that by saying: Workers of all

your chains will bind you ever

International co-operation and unity of workers, in
struggle against the transnational corporations has
become a bread and butter issue for the trade unions
and the working class.

The connection between the struggle of workers
today to protect their wages and working conditions,
trade union rights, etc., not only shifts to the political
sphere but also comes together with the protection of

the national rights of all Canadians and with the strug-

gles of working people of other countries facing the
same foe.

In the face of these new problems and new tasks the
workers are faced with the necessity of formulating
new programs which accompany their immediate
strike actions and economic demands. These de-
mands must include: © :

e guarantee of employment

e battle against closure of enterprises

e nationalization of transnationals

International Solidarity Key

In these struggles the key to success will be the
extent to which workers are able to develop their
international solidarity. In these struggles they are
confronted not only with the divisive actions of the
transnationals, but in the case of Canada and the
United States in particular, the intransigence of the
leadership of the unions, and union centrals, against
world trade union co-operation, splitting off the Inter-
national Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICF-

- TU) from the World Federation of Trade Unions. It
remains for the workers themselves to change this
harmful and erroneous policy.

Direct actions of the workers must be accompanied
by demands on the state for action, and for election of

- porations to the needs and interests of national states, —

The United Nations has adopted the concept of @ |
New World Economic Order (NWEO), which would |
counterpose itself to the growing control by the trans: |
nationals. It is now developing a code for the NWEO. |
Such a new order must be developed which envisages |
the shift of world development away from control by 5
world imperialism and in the direction of a more —
democratic order, moving in fact toward socialism.

Capitalism’s Grave Diggers a

This corresponds with the proposals of the |
Communist Party of Canada for an anti-monopoly |
coalition and an anti-monopoly government in our |
own country which would lead Canada out of the
present crisis. Z

When, therefore, one speaks about independent —
working-class political action, one is speaking about |
bringing together the immediate struggles of workers _
to protect-and extend their incomes, working condi- |
tions, social conditions and security, with unity of |
workers:around the world in the same common causé;
actions which lead in the direction of a new worl
economic order and subject transnational col-

democrats, and working people.
Indeed the prophetic words of the founders of
Marxism-Leninism are demonstrating their legiti-
macy before the working people of the world. This at? |
time when the opponents of Marxism are speaking —
about a crisis of Marxism, or a crisis of Leninism.
Crisis indeed, but a crisis of the world capitalist
system and its thought. Working people, and democ- ~
rats the world over will find themselves more and 4
more acting in the spirit‘of the great Communist Man- —
ifesto as the grave diggers of the system of capitalism. —

)

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 1, 1983—Page 6