LABOR SCENE Canadian railway

BY BRUCE MAGNUSON

Canadian railway negotiations
presently going on. As usual
hey are conducted behind the
ks of the over one hundred
sand railway workers in-
olved. What the railways want
return for the granting of con-
sions demanded by railway
inions on wage increases, job
curity, better pensions, sick
vacation improvements
nd a 32-hour 4-day workweek,
counter-demands which
nion negotiators’ cannot meet
hort of abject surrender to the
}ailroad companies. -
\ The railways want, among
iether things: exemption from
he technological change clause
| the Canada Labor Act which
‘Ss scheduled to come into effect
han March 1, 1973; changes in
lat\work rules and increased pro-
(ductivity. All this would open
hwne way for large scale ration-
uljtlization and layoffs.
i Section 149 (2) of the new
'ederal labor code provides for
‘\xemption of agreements from
ng‘echnological change sections,
ef they contain provisions “that
re intended to assist employees
cted by technological change
"0 adjust to the effects of the
Mhange, and specify that sec-
ons 150, 152 and 153 do not
ly ...” Such provisions in
urrent union contracts with the
Jailways are useless and do not
yen measure up to standard
alled for in the new labor code.
_4&ny surrender on the part of
M\a@ilway union negotiators on
Nit\his point would be a gross be-
its\rayal of the interests of their
mbership. Presently there is
even meaningful consulta-
on, let alone meaningful nego-
ations, which are what is re-
red to cushion any impact of
hnological and other changes
cting employees’ jobs and
WOnditions, including organiza-
juonal and operational changes.

U.S. Precedent

« With respect to changes in
yvork rules, Canadian railway
rkers may learn a stiff lesson
om the experiences of 28,000
ductors and brakemen who
ent on strike against the Penn
entral Railway in the United
tates precisely over the issue

' new work rules involving a

of 5,700 jobs.

After a 24-hour strike the
mn Railway workers were
rced back to work by emer-
cy congressional resolution
ed by President Nixon. The
solution halted the strike on
bruary 9, for at least 90 days.
us the emergency decree re-
jcinded the proposed new work
jules, at least for the time
eing.
A previous strike deadline of
uary 12 was postponed for

“0 days at the request of the
.S. Labor Department. The
Wtrike was precipitated by the
sailroad trustees’ unilateral an-
Jouncement that 5,700 would
se their jobs. Already jobs on
Penn Central have dropped
m over 100,000 down to
‘ound 80,000 since railway
ergers were carried through a
Ort time ago. The Penn Cen-.
is the biggest carrier in the
serving the northeastern

es and their links to Canada.

m eo

ere in Canada pensions are
negotiation item for the first
ne since contributory pen-
ns were instituted on the rail-
iys in the 1930's. Railway
: ; rs)
fase f-.%

workers — BEWARE!

workers have organized a Can-
adian Railway Employees’ Pen-
sion Association with branches
across the country. This rank
and file movement is now re-
ported to have over 40,000 mem-
bers and is headed up by Jack
Pickett»of Edmonton as the na-
tional president of the associa-
tion.

The Association is demanding
pensions equal to 2% of salary
for each year of service for re-
tiring railwaymen, that is up to
a maximum of 70% of gross
earnings after 35 years of ser-

.vice. The movement has gained

great momentum and is backed
solidly by the membership to

the point where it has forced~

the 53-member General Chair-
men’s Association, the top lead-
ers among the 17 unions repre-
senting Canadian railway work-
ers, to sit up and take notice.
It is this movement which has
forced this issue onto the nego-
tiating table.

Membership’s Business

CNR and CPR employees
presently get 114% pension.
Having been forced to place
this issue on the table for nego-
tiation, along with other union
demands, the’ General Chair-
men’s Association are now try-
ing to put a damper upon the
rank and file movement by say-
ing that they sympathize with
the aims of “Mr. Pickett’s
groups” but that unity of the
membership is now the para-
mount virtue with negotiations
in progress, as if to suggest that
the membership shouldn’t voice
its demands too loudly for fear
that it would harm negotiations.
But the negotiations are the
memberships’ business and only
an aroused membership pre-
pared to back up its demands
by any action required, includ-
ing strike action, is what is
needed to come out of these ne-
gotiations with appreciable gains
for the members.

The facts are that the top

union leaders are up to their.

usual tricks in order to avoid
any conflict with the companies
that may bring about a strike
situation. From their point of
view a determined and informed
membership is a detriment to
any effort they may have to
make to try and sell a cheap set-

tlement. If worse comes to
worse, they can always depend
on the government or parlia-
ment to come to their rescue in
the final analysis by dictatorial
back-to-work decrees. It has
been done several times. Robert
Bourassa in Quebec is already
trying to pave the way for such
an eventuality, even though
railways come under federal
jurisdiction.
Must Decide Policy

Nor is it an accident that at-
tacks are being made on Mr.
Pickett who leads the rank and
file pension movement, such as
attempts to lay charges of in-
competence and misconduct
against him in his own union.
Or the effort by R. E. Morgan
of Vancouver, an old Trotsky-
ite, calling for Pickett to resign
as national president of the pen-
sion association for saying he
would be prepared to lead a na-
tional tie-up of the railways if
the 2% pension demand is not
granted.

Mr. Morgan says the quarrel
is not with the companies but
with the union leaders. But the
quarrel is with the companies.
And ‘the union members’ job is
to make the union leaders stand
up to the companies or to dis-
miss them and eiect union lead-
ers who will.

The union membership must

decide union policy, in the final.

analysis, together with leaders
who are prepared to speak and
fight on their behalf. And union
leaders must be called upon to
keep the membership’ informed
of progress made, or otherwise,
from day to day in the negotia-
tions.

Without membership partici-
pation, and a public relations
job which places the unions’
case before the public so as to
enlist the widest possible pub-
lic support for the union’s cause,
it is not possible to come out
of negotiations with the kind of
settlement that the workers
can accept and be prepared to
live with. Nor is it possible to
win a strike, if such should be-
come. necessary as a last resort,
without a well informed and
solidly united membership back-
ed by public opinion across the
country from one end of Can-
ada to the other.

No strikebreakers here,
warns Hamilton labor

By JIM BRIDGEWOOD

HAMILTON — Big business
and management in Hamilton
were warned by the Hamilton
and District Labor Council last
week that if they even consider-
ed bringing strikebreakers into
Hamilton there would be an all-
out war declared.

“We should denounce and an-
swer all statements or speeches
made by big business when they
call for ‘outside assistance or
strikebreakers’ as was the case
recently in Brantford,” deleg-
ates said.

Harold Clawson, a vice presi-
dent of the Steel Company of
Canada, recently spoke to the
Brantford Chamber of Commerce
and said that strike-bound firms
should be allowed to use strike-
breakers.

Wally Turk, vice-president of

the International Harvester local
USWA, moved that the Labor
Council send letters to the Ham-
ilton Chamber of Commerce
stating the council’s militant
position against the use of
strikebreakers in Hamilton.

With many unions going into
negotiations this year, Mr. Turk,
and many other delegates said
they would not tolerate a situa-
tion such as the Brantford Tex-
pack strike where violence
erupted over the use of scabs.

The executive tried to persu-
ade Mr. Turk to withdraw his
motion and indicated it has been
working since last October to
win City Council support in
anti - strikebreaking legislation.
The delegates felt, in fact, the
motion would enhance the slow-
moving project of the executive;
the delegates overwhelmingly
voted for the motion.

CLC asks Trudeau to

oppose French tests

The Canadian Labor Congress
has called on Prime Minister
Trudeau to make direct repre-
sentations to the French govern-
ment to halt its proposed nuc-
lear tests in the South Pacific,
calling such tests an “obvious
danger to world peace as well
as a serious pollution danger,”
and suggesting that governments
which continue to conduct such
tests despite world opposition
should be “ostracized by the
civilized nations of the world.”

In a telegram to Mr. Trudeau,
CLC President Donald Mac-
Donald noted “‘with satisfaction”
that Canada had voted in favor
of two resolutions at the United
Nations condemning the con-
tinued testing of nuclear weap-
ons and suggested that the sci-
entific advantages of nuclear
energy be used in the war
against poverty, disease and
hunger rather than the extermi-
nation of mankind.

“We note however,” he said,
“that the French government
is preparing to carry out further
tests of even more powerful

nuclear weaepons in the South
Pacific, despite the overwhelm-
ing vote at the United Nations
and despite the vigorous protests
of governments and trade unions
of the Pacific area and other
parts of the world.

“We believe that this situa-
tion requires direct representa-
tion to the French government
to halt these and all future nuc-
lear tests and strongly urge you
to do so.”

CORRECTION

In our Feb. 7 issue a para-
graph of type was inadvertently
transferred from the report of
Alexander Denisovich on Han-
oi’s first peaceful New Year, to
a report of Andrew Brewin’s
visit to Hanoi with an interna-
tional delegation. Our apologies
for the confusion created. The
paragraph read:

“The Soviet Union supplied
us with a remarkable weapon,”
Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Nahn
told me. “Our victories are also
the victories of our friends from
the socialist countries.”

Vietnam victory Is a
triumph of socialism

Pointing out some lessons of
Vietnam’s struggle, APN corres-
pondent Vladimir Katin refer-
red to the victory of the Viet-
namese people in the war
against U.S. aggression as “a
triumph of the viable socialist
system.”

“The historic significance of
this victory lies in the fact that
it has demonstrated to mankind
the advantages of the socialist
system and has strengthened
the positions of socialism in
southeast Asia. Having mobil-
ized all the material and spirit-
ual forces of the people and re-
lying on extensive help by the
forces of socialism, the Viet-
namese Working People’s Party
could, within the shortest time
possible, convert the country
into an impregnable fortress
which the aggressor proved un-
able to take.

“Vietnam proved that one
cannot overwhelm a people that
is fighting for freedom and in-
dependence, and is relying on

the mighty support of its class’

brothers and all the revolution-
ary and progressive forces of
our planet. Such a people is in-
vincible.

“Moribund imperialism has
neither resources nor strength
to turn the clock of history

back,” wrote Katin. “The fact.
that after many years of savage
aggression the U.S. has been
compelled to sign the Agree-
ment on Ending the War and
Restoring Peace in Vietnam, is
proof that in our epoch none of
the international issues can be
solved from positions of brute
force.

“This conclusion will be of
very great importance for the
subsequent development of man-
kind. For many years the Viet-
nam war has been used by the
forces of aggression and reac-
tion to exacerbate international
tension and step up the arms
race. It was creating serious
obstacles to the organization of
peaceful’ international coopera-
tion.”

Speaking at a Kremlin dinner —
in honor of the Vietnamese lead-
ers, CPSU general secretary
Leonid Brezhnev referred to the
political settlement in Vietnam:
“|, This example shows that.
it is possible to find a peaceful
and just solution also to other
conflict situations and to get the
still surviving seats of ‘war
danger eliminated, especially in
the Middle East, because the
situation in the area is fraught ©
with great menace for the cause
of peace.”

Trade is brisk at one of Hanoi’s many flower shops as the people
celebrate their spring holiday, Tet, the New Year's Day of the Moon
calander, in peace for the first time in many years. Goods are selling
at below cost during the holiday and a year of plenty is forecast. é

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1973—PAGE 9

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