Severinsky expulsion overturned

Anti-Communist clauses invalid

The United Steelworkers of
America overruled a decision by
Port Colborne Local 6200 expel-
ling John Severinsky from the
tnion for his membership in the
Communist _ j, and has res-
. tered him to full membership in

the Steelworkers union.

Eleven months after the INCO

Local of the Steelworkers ex-
pelled Severinsky from member-
ship by a vote of 31 to 21 of a
total membership of 1,200 the
International Executive Board
voted to accept the recommenda-
tion of its internationz] Commis-
sica set up to hear the evidence
on his appeal against the expul-
sion.
The Commission, made up of
two Canadian members of the
Steelworkers Union made its re-
port cn August 14 in which it
found the expulsion of Severins-
ky “unlawful” and recommended
that the International Executive’
Board restore him to full rights
in his Local.

At the same time, however
the Commission found that Se-
verinsky had. “concealed” his
membership in the Communist
Party from the Local member-
ship and therefore ruled that
the election which had elected
him to the post of recording sec-
retary should be set aside, the
position declared vacant and
a new election held where he
would be eligible to run again
for the position.

In making its ruling that the
expulsion was unlawful the
Commission leaned mainly on a
clause in the union contract
which had been cited in Seve-
rinsky’s appeal stating: “There
shall be no discrimination . . .
against any employee . . . be-
cause of his . . . political affilia-
tion.”

The Commission quotes legal
precedents finding that where

the constitution of a union and
the contract between a local and
its members are in conflict, the
contract would have precedence
over the constitution.

Legal Precedents

The report of the Commission,
however, also quotes two other
legal precedents involving the
broader question of the ‘legality
of anti-communist clauses; the
second precedent being the case
in the Alberta Supreme Court
re Flint Engineering and Con-
struction Ltd., and United Bro-
therhcod of Carpenters and Join-
ers of America, Local 2410,
(1973). ;

“There is no provision in the
constitution excluding such per-
sons (communists) from mem-
bership, and indeed, if this were
So, it could not serve to deprive

“an employee from membership
in the union by reason of s.57(1)
of the Act which provides that
all employees have the right to
be members of a trade union and
participate in its lawful activ-
ities”.

In its final recommendation
the Commission states that
“John Severinsky’s membership
in the Union should be restored.
The collective agreement, the
law and the Constitution itself
requires that.”

Specious Grounds

John Severinsky made the
following appeal to the Interna-
tional Executive Board following
his receipt of the report of the
union Commission.

“. .. 1am pleased to note that
this Commission finds my expul-
sion to be unlawful and recom-
mends my reinstatement in the
Union and my Local 6200.

“IT am disturbed however that
it sees fit to suspend the results
of the election which elected me
as recording secretary on. the
specious ground that I failed. to

scision

inform the membership of my
membership in the Communist
Party of Canada. No one running
for office in Local 6200 has ever
stated whether he is a member
of the Conservative Party, Libe-
ral Party, NDP or Social Credit.
Should they too be disqualified
from holding office? -

This recommendation in my
opinion sets a double standard
for qualifications to run for of-
fice in the union and is in no
Way justified by the constitution
of the USWA.

“If the executive agrees with
the findings of the Commission,
that in law I am entitled to hold
membership and run for office
in the union, it should reject any
recommendation which qualifies
that right, as the Commission
dces when it nullifies my elec-
tion as recording secretary.

“I appeal to the Executive
Board to reject that part of the
report of the Commission which
sets aside. the results of a bona-
fide election, and to instruct the
Lecal Union to abide by the last
union election results.”

\
The Executive’s reply to this
appeal was to inform Severinsky
that they had accepted the re-~
port of the Commission.

The Central Executive of the
Communist Party, which had
fully backed and supported John
Severinsky throughout his ap-
peal, said in a statement upon
hearing the results, that the de-
set aside Severinsky’s
election “sets a double standard
and a precedent which is quité
harmful to democracy and to
the- unity of the labor move-
ment.” :

It is expected that the union
will hold an early election to fill
the post of recording secretary
and Severinsky has indicated he
will contest the election.

CN has ‘whites only’ hiring policy

By W. J. WILSON
HALIFAX — The Department
of Labour tells us on radio and
television — “Hire on the basis
of merit!” It is like the old say-

ail

ing, “don’t do’as I do, do as I ~

say.” If the corporations owned’
by the federal government are

any example of hiring or pro-—

moting according to merit, you
may be sure they are all-white
and all-Christian.

In the past 50 years Canadian
National Railways was good at
hiring Blacks here in the Mari-
times for menial jobs — station
porters, cleaners, etc. Half of
Canada’s Black population live
in Nova Scotia. Lately, however,
CN hires no Blacks at all in the
customer and catering depart-
ment.

S John Clyk, trained and _ effi-
_ Cient in all jobs in sleeping and
_ dining car service, who came
first in his class at the CN-spon-
sored conversational French
course, and with more than 30
years experience, would have
been the only Black on the Prime
Minister’s train that toured the
Maritimes last May — except he

didn’t get the job! Pierre Elliot.

Trudeau’s - train streaked the
whole Maritimes during the re-
cent election campaign and it
was all-white from stem to stern!

In the transportation depart-
ment CN has a grand total of
one person of African descent,
and not from the Halifax area
where Blacks predominate. He is
a trainman (brakeman) hidden
away in the freight yards. CN

Discrimination on the railways characterizes CN’
especially in Maritime Provinces,

no Blacks,

has no Black carmen, engine-
men or policemen, but it recent-
ly hired a Black for ticket sales
in Halifax. There is now only a
fraction of Blacks that once were

in the customer and catering ser-

vices, where, in 1964 they out-
numbered the whites. In 1974
whites outnumber Blacks 6 to 1
in this department.

Many employees in the Atlan-
tic Region complain of political

PACIFIC TRIBUNE-FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1974—Page 8

. Nova

ratic forces.

labor movement. ;

ment.

~is held.

whole,

Taken as a whole we regard the decision of the Ste?
workers Union as a victory for democracy and for the leg4
of the Communist Party in the trade union movements
can only help to strengthen the bonds between our | oe
and the Canadian working class which is quite essentia ‘a
democratic advance for labor and the Canadin people 9% 4

A victory for democrat

The decision of the International Executive Board of
United Steel workers of America to restore to John Severif
sky his membership in Local 6200 United Stee!workers °
America is welcomed by the Communist Party, as we &
sure it is by all democratic-minded Canadians. : d 4

In the sharpening battles between monopoly in Cana
and abroad, the working people require maximum unity
protect and extend their vital interests. a

Anti-Communism, witch hunting and red-baiting are ee
tools used by reaction to smash such united action ae
carry through its attack on working people and all dom

It is thus a victory for the entire working class and a ‘
mocratic people that this attempt to split unions on the fa
issue of anti-Communism should be rebuffed at this pe ;

It can’t but help the process of unity in the working ott
already indicated in recent provincial and Canadian Ia :
congresses. This decision, following a similar ruling in ail
case of Jim Bridgewood several years ago, should serve oti
cause to remove from union constitutions such cola 9°
anti-communist clauses that serve only to provide right W! F
elements, or other company inspired forces, a weapon we
which to divide the membership. ee

Communists have not now,~nor have they ever had re
interests that are not in complete harmony with Conan
working people. Therefore to continue any form of diseri
nation against a Canadian because of his membership
the Communist Party can only act to the detriment of

We share John Severinsky’s opinion that the decision &
set aside the results of the election in which he was elec
as secretary of his local and to hold it again, on the gre |
that he had not informed the membership of his Comm
Party membership, is both spurious and illegal. This: in ite
sets a double standard, also a precedent which is ye il
harmful to democracy and ot the unity of the labor mow” |

jze
At the same time the USWA was compelled to recogni
John Severinsky’s right to run for office whenever an elec

- |
lit
It

By JOHN McLENNAN
BRAMPTON The 1,300
workers, members of Local 1285
United Auto Workers, employees
of American Motors hit the
Picketline at midnight on Sept.
16.

The workers have just con-
Cluded a 4-year agreement with
the company, and as a result of
rising prices and inflation run-
ning at 14.5% annually, have
fallen behind their fellow work-

ers in the Big Three in the auto
industry. In 1970 the company
came to the bargaining table
Saying they needed a four-year
agreement ‘because of financial

difficulties, claiming that their

cars’ were not selling. Six
months after the signing of the
1970 agreement, the company
came out with the compacts

. Gremlin and Hornet, which have

S policy of hiring

and _ personal discrimination
which denies them the most ele-
mentary and routine seniority-
based promotions. People. in
Scotia, especially the
thousands 0 Blacks, consider
crown-cwned corporations as
poor examples of the federal
80vernment’s pleas to hire on
the basis of merit. :
Want a job with CN? Be sure
you’re white and then some!

a large portion of the compact
market. Both cars are made in
Brampton. One worker told me
that, “since the so-called oil
Crisis, we have been on ten-
hour shifts every day.”
Workers on _ the picketline
told me that the main issues
are “more money in our pay-
packets, to combat the high cost
of living and inflation.” They
Said they wanted parity with the
Big Three in the industry, plus

‘a dental plan to start now (the

company offer was to start in
Oct. 75): Voluntary overtime
was a prime issue.

The company offer in wages
was 59 cents, which the work-
ers could not accept because 14

V4

cents of this was already
them based on the cost 0
clause. What the cou
offering was 45 cents. e
Bargaining is taking Pla
Milwaukee, and in conve! f
with Floyd Gill, president :
eal 1285 before he left 1°
waukee, he told me they
not settle for the auto P-
without adjustment t0 Can
needs of the workers 10 wa
He also said that ther a
strong feeling of solider if
tween the Canadian wor f
their American brother of
average wage at the m0
4.75 per hour.
; Motate of the workers
line is high, and they 4!
mined to win through t
settlement that will mee
needs.

ITALIAN, CANADIAN,
CP EXCHANGE VIEW

Giuciano Payetta, men
of the Central Comm!
the Italian Communist
Senator Giovannetti a"
vanni Mortot, M.P. ¢@
the Communist Party
ada on Monday, ser
22 bringing greetings ™ qhef
Italian Communist Pars ligt
were received by ret
Kashtan, general ee he
and other members — con
Central Executive of t i nto
adian Party. The dal
tives of the two part! ai
changed: information
ing the current politica adt
tion in their countries a
the problems facing

immigrants in Canada —