Q ai Be aN ne é
hd gl eatS\GIINIENa

Gout, Nad Goa Gomme Husuni

Published Weekly at 650 Howe Street
By The TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY
Telephones: Editorial, MA. 5857; Business, MA. 5288

Tom McEwen
Ivan Birchard

Printed by Union Printers at 650 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Authorized as second-class mail by the post-office department, Ottawa

United action is labor's need

HE man in the street is becoming more and more clear

as to the pattern of the onslaught big business has
launched against his living standards and security.

British Columbia’s powerful trade union movement is
the main protection against this onslaught. The ‘captains
of industry’ seek to cripple that movement. They count
heavily on Bill 39, the arch-reactionary anti-labor code
passed at the last legislative Session, to enable them to
achieve that objective.

The lumber industry has rolled up record profits dur-
ing the past year. Yet, basking in the presumed security
of Bill 39, a small handful of lumber barons has rejected
the just demands of the thousands upon thousands of log-
gers and mill workers who, at daily risk of life and limb,
Produce this wealth—demands for a decent living wage,
shorter hours and social security. Hand in hand with the
arrogant rejection of the IWA demands go insulting pro-
posals for incorporation of the union. Implicit in the oper-
ators’ position is the ultimatum of invoking Bill 39 if their
terms are not met.

eee oe i
Oc ce

The Saskatchewan scene |

ce B y N E LS ON CLA R K E

The woodworkers’ union is a powerful force. Attempts
to strangle its negotiating power with Bill 39 foreshadow
the lot of every union which sets out to win decent wages
and working conditions. prin-

can prevent the
life.

able service to the labor

Yet, if big business imagines that it has found the
answer to its ‘problem’ of unionism, it is mistaken. Nothing
people from fighting for the necessities of
Bill 39, an attempt to thwart that fight, must go. The
‘bosses’ code’ must be replaced by a genuine labor code.
* kk

BVIOUSLY the Anscomb-Hart . government, hich
defied the entire labor movement and broke its own

O

election pledges when it enacted the bill, will not repeal its

own legislation.

must go.

The statement issued by the Labor-Progressive Party,
through its provincial leader, Nigel Morgan, does a valu-
movement in pointing out clearly
the road to this objective. United labor political action is
the key to creating an alternative to the Anscomb-Hart
Coalition. .

United labor political action is no longer a matter for
general discussion and resolutions. It is a matter for
action, It is the lifeline to survival for the labor movement.

Because of the varying political beliefs of its members,
the labor movement cannot be united on the basis of being
hitched holus-bolus to the program and candidates of this
or that political party. It can only be united on the basis
of its own independent action in its own interests, Any
partisan considerations that hampered such a perspective
would objectively serve the interests of big business. That
is why the offer of the LPP. to support labor or people’s
candidates is to be welcomed. _

The forces exist to sweep away the government and
its bill. United labor political action by the trade union
movement itself—backed by and in alliance with all pro-
gressive forces—is the answer to the ‘bosses’ code’.

Trade with the Soviet Union

If Bill 39 is to.go, the present government

—REGINA.
ITH Canada’s first
CCF government pos-
sibly facing a test at the
polls in less than a year, the
question in everyone’s mind
in Saskatchewan is: “Are
the old line parties going to be
able to achieve an effective
gang-up against the CCF and
replace the present government
with a Liberal-Conservative co-
alition modelled. after British
Columbia and Manitoba?”

There are already plenty of
signs of a coming together of
the two old parties in. this
province.

In Saskatoon, despite opposi-
tion from certain Young Liberal
elements, the Liberals have
agreed to put forward only one
candidate in the double-member
city riding, thus clearing the
way for one Tory running mate.
~ Im Regina, it is the Progres-
sive .Conservative Association

which has taken the lead by

announcing that only one Tory
candidate would be nominated in
the capital city, which is also a
double-member seat, 4

Such saw-offs are relatively
easy to bring about in the two-
member ridings of Regina, Sask-
atoon and Moose Jaw. The
problem for the Liberals and
Tories arises in all the’ other
seats which are single-member
constituencies. Here one party

has to back out of the picture to.

clear the way for the other.

It is an open secret that the

Saskatchewan Tories are active-

ly promoting these develop-

ments, seeing in them the only

' nominated

‘

hope of once again electing
representatives to the legislature

something which they have

been unable to do under their
own steam since the infamous
appeal to religious prejudice
which won them the election of
1929, ;

The Liberals appear a little
chary of the coalition idea—but
it is apparent that their new
leader, Walter Tucker, does not
iock and bolt the door to coali-

tion. He expresses the pious hope

that there will be a Liberal
in every seat —and
then side-steps the whole bus-
iness by saying that it is up to
€ach constituency association to
decide, \ ae

In practice this could well
prove to be the green light for
coalition candidates in the ma-
jority of Saskatchewan ridings.

eo

ake spokesmen for the anti-
__ Sovernment forces — notably

the Sifton newspapers in Regina ©

and Saskatoon—are highly dubi-
ous about the results to be
achieved by such developments,

Influenced possibly by the ee

periences of the ‘Independents’
of Alberta, they fear that such
a joining of forces will be looked
upon by the electorate as a

f
complete abandonment 0. m
ciple, and as a purely nee
attack upon the present ad
istration,

be
Undoubtedly, the CCF enc
gists are banking heavily
just such a reaction.

Nevertheless, a study of the
results of the 1944 election COP”
stituency by constituency TeV 4
that had the total Liberal 2%
Tory vote been combined eee
the CCF at that time, it 0
likely that at least 12 prese??
CCF members would never have
taken their seats.

In other words, even in ae
the CCF would have just scrapet —
through to victory by a narrow
margin instead of piling uP ®
landslide,

Few would seriously contend ;
that the CCF has pale
strength in Saskatchewan in ae a
three years in ogice, suite ee
most impartial observers ie
also prepared to agree that. a
has lost relatively little groun®

This observer’s opinion, tots
what it is worth, is that ie
government would be making ee
serious blunder if it treated ee ‘
Liberal-Tory gang-up with co
placency. ;

It should seek to counter a
threat thus posed by very ee
tive action to step up the #8: ‘*)
against the big monopolies, 2?
to set on foot a well-planned oes :
hold’y executed program of ¥
construction in the province.

an

A Rate and good relations with the Soviet Union for eee, Ae aie
the good of Canada was the keynote of the recent [° is highly significant that the
conference of the Council of Canadian-Soviet Friendship reactionaries are succeeding in
last weekend. Several CCF MPs, Elmore Philpott, Vihl- solving this problem in at least
jalmur Stefansson, the famous Arctic explorer, Senator some of the single-member seats.
Bouchard of Quebec and many others did a public service In Prince Albert 200 persons
in drawing to public attention the harmful results of the active in Liberal and Conserva-
orgy of anti-Soviet propaganda which brought relations to tive political circles gathered to-
a low level a year ago. , : gether a month ago Mga ee Sasi
: : a ‘United Front Citizens’ Com-
mittee’ to prepare for a nomin-
ating convention to choose a
candidate who would be accept-
able to both groupings,

Is your name on the voters’ list?| —

John Stanton, chairman of the Civic Reform Com
mittee, in a special appeal this week urged all Vancouver
homeowners and tenants to notify him immediately *
they have not been canvassed in recent weeks by enum
erators compiling civic election lists, 3

Stanton will make representations to the City Cee
to have all those not canvassed placed on the list. Al
though the enumeration is scheduled to end soon, it ;
understood that large sections of the city, mainly heat ie
in which workers reside, have not yet been canvassed PY |
the seven enumerators appointed to cover the entire cHY: |

Stanton may be called at MArine 5746.

Canada’s developing ‘trade crisis, as discussed in the
House of Commons in the past few days, points up the fact
that it is in the national interest to trade with the USSR

_ and to maintain friendly diplomatic relations. Britain is

: A similar open meeting is to
finding that out in the new trade talks now proceeding.

be held shortly at Limerick to
choose one opposition candidate

The people of Canada were not stampeded by the Gou- fo soptone’ Nils Bucwancn “ins

zenko affair. There are hopeful signs that public pressure forward-locking CCF MLA for
_ will compel the government to change its attitude. Notakeu-Willowbunch,

FRIDAY, MAY 23,1970 wees i oh oh MOE Senin Baek oe

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE