Labor Front There are now rumors afoot, that the Canadian Brotherhood of Transport Workers (CBRT) will be invited to again become part of the non-ops negotiating committee which is presently bargaining with the railway companies. This is all to the good if true because the railway workers can only benefit by a common front based on militant policies. It is well to recall that the reason given for excluding the CBRT from joint negotiations was its insistence that the specific problems of dining, sleeping and parlor car workers be negotiated separately.. This was rejected, based on the fear that aS if agreed to, the door would be opened for other railway unions to likewise insist on negotiating a host of ac- cumulated problems having to do with working conditions. Working conditions have been excluded from joint negotiations with the Joint Negotiating Committee taking the position that it should concentrate only on demands common to-all railway unions. But it is precisely the failure or refusal to deal with working conditions which has built up a negative attitude to joint negotiations and created a feeling that each union ‘‘goit alone’’ rather than acting in unison. It obviously raises the need for a review of the basis of joint negotiations. That basis needs to be broadened so that working conditions can either be included in negotiations, or be dealt with separately by the participating unions once a master agreement is concurred in. This is common practice in many other unions and there is no reason why it should not be pressed upon the railway companies. * * + While negotiations with the companies centre on parity with-dur- able goods and to some extent on welfare benefits, another rather im- portant issue affecting workers generally is being argued over in the Commons Railway Committee. It has to do with an amendment to the Railway Act which would then place responsibility on the companies for workers affected by automation, technological developments and railway abandonments. The railway unions insist and properly so, that railway workers adversely affected be adequately compensated. This is being disputed by the CPR, Its vice-president, Mr. Emerson, who appeared before the Commons Railway Committee stated in this connection that he does not agree that when a railway hires a worker it must guarantee him a job. “This is an erroneous and false assumption,’’ Committee. Mr. Emerson may probably be one of those champions of the **right to work’’—that is — the right of employers to smash a picket line and a strike, but when it comes to the vested right of the worker to his or her job, that’s a horse of a different color. What Mr. Emerson is saying is that management should be given a free hand in pushing automation and technological developments irrespective of its effect on workers or its consequences to the economy. This anti-social attitude cannot be and is not acceptable to the workers and the trade union movement. They must insist on the principle that no job be eliminated unless there is one to replace it with equivalent compensation. Moreover, where workers are compelled to move to a lesser job they should continue to get their former rate of pay, plus travel allowance, pay and lodging expenses while seeking new work, This, more or less is the sense ofthe amendment to the Railway Act which the railway unions are pressing for, supported by the CLC. : * * * he told the In marked distinction to the irresponsible attitude taken by the CPR which, from beginning to end, takes profits as its starting point, the proposed amendment gets at the question of the worker to his job and his right to work. An important principle is involved here which affects not only railway workers but all sections of the working class, Legislation to amend the railway act along the lines advocated by the railway unions would establish a precedent of, benefit to all workers. This is why the entire trade union movementneeds to get behind and press for its implementation. “The Free World” “Our main job in the missile race, men, is to develop press res leases that'll neutralize Russian press releases the minute they are released. ...” : Lichty in the New York Herald Tribune The issue of government trus- teeship over five maritime unions has brought into clear focus ‘‘the importance of estab- lishing once and for all the fact that Canadian trade unions must be free to develop their own policies in the light of condi- tions in their own country.** This point was made in the annual submission by the Can- adian Labor Congress to the fed- eral government last week. The CLC noted, however, that whatever differences may have arisen over the trusteeship issue, **they do not reflect a conflict be- tween national and international trade unionism.’’ The trusteeship, said the CLC, was a measure required by ex- traordinary circumstances but one which should not in any way set a precedent. It reflected a situation which could only be solved by government action. The labor body had arrived at this conclusion only after it had made strenuous efforts to effect a voluntary trusteeship.’ But ‘‘it was impossible to arrive at an agreement over these matters without jeopardizing at the same time our own independence as a Canadian labor movement.’’ The CLC was critical at the lack of any controls imposed on the shipping companies. It said that ‘where there is a corrupt union leader, there will also be found an employer willing to be his accomplice.’’ * * * A major portion of the CLC’s brief was devoted to the econo- mic outlook of the country. It said there had been some im- provement, with particular re- ference to wheat sales, but it foresaw a lowered growth rate in 1964 with unemployment con- tinuing to be a principal prob- lem. It expressed sharp disagree- ment with the government’s budgetary policies, stating this was not the time to try to bal- ance budgets or increase tax re- venues through such devices as the sales tax on building mater- ials and machinery. A program of planned deficit financing to stimulate the econ- omy, increased social security and obtain full employment was proposed by the CLC. There should be substantial expansion of the public sector of the econ- omy, increased social security benefits, reduced taxes on low incomes, and tax measures to help secondary industry. *‘In short,’’ said the CLC, ‘*we favor economic planning,”’ ‘The CLC also called for unem- ployment insurance to be uni- versal in coverage and opposed reduction of the maximum bene- fit period from 51 to 26 weeks, It urged early action onintroduc- tion of pension legislation. * * * On the issue of runaway plants, the CLC urged the government to take a more active role in de- termining the location of indus- try and offer a lead to provincial governments, “The decision to establish plants in a particular community or to transfer a plant from one locality to another should not lie with the corporations alone,’’ the CLC asserted, _ stating that criteria should be established taking into account effects on the communities concerned and the CLC BRIEF OPPOSES A-ARMS — ‘Canadian unions must be free to develop their own policies’ ‘eho “We wondered if you’d like a small glass of something before the wage talks?” question of plant versus labor mobility. ‘On other domestic issues the CLC said Canadian railways should face the consequences of technological changes they intro-— duce, the burden of which is being borne by the workers inthe industry, and the congress re- asserted labor’s right to strike, discussed in connection with the recent longshoremen’s strike in Quebec. oe On foreign affairs, the CLC re- affirmed its opposition to nuclear arms in Canada for Canadian for- ces abroad. It presented a six- point program, including support for every constructive effort to bring about general and complete disarmament under international world situation, comprehensive national plan for versal disarmament be achieved, ECCLES (British Daily Worker! control and the establishment of a non-nuclear club of nations, It further called for a critical — examination of Canada’s commit- — ments to existing regional def- ense alliances, such as NATO, taking into account a changing and urged a the gradual channeling of defense expenditures into constructive peace projects, thereby avoiding economic dislocation should uni- Foreign aid should be increas- ed to a minimum of one percent — of the gross national product, — Said the CLC, This should not — Only involve the export of capital, — but should ecompass trade ar- Yangements, favorable credit — terms and special interest ar- rangements, ; B.C. farmers unite ranks at parley By ERNIE KNOTT VICTORIA, B. C. —The 30th annual convention of the B.C. Federation of Agriculture held here on December 17 and 18, marked a big step forward for the organized farm movement both in terms of strengthened organization and tackling of farm problems. Highlighting the meet was the joining of the B.C. Farmers Union with the Federation and the elec- tion of two of their delegates, both from Peace River, to the “But I've heard that YOU are the cause of high prices!” 2 January 3, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2 Boatd of Directors. This gives the B,C. farm movement a much more unified and powerful voice. The Federation now represents — just about every branch of agri-- culture of importance in B.C, © A spokesman told this reporter that the main problems facing B.C. farmers are ‘‘prices, which are inadequate to the farmer when considered in relation to the sit-_ uation in other sectors of the economy, Some form of subsidy being necessary; orderly mark- eting, under a government boar with farmer representation on i taxes, theneedto movetheburden of school taxation from all farm property except the house andthe land it sits on; financial aid, with longer and better terms granted from the Farm Credit Corporation.”’ : 4 Other important resolutions dealt with at the meet called for a school of horticulture at U.B.C. to train young agronomists; the maintenance and extension of feed © freight rates assistance by the federal government; farm crop insurance, starting in the Peace © River area; and an investiga-— tion into fertilizer and farm ma- | chinery costs.