10 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

2nd Issue
February, 1964

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“Union Political Action Vital To Protect Workers’ Rights”

that grievously handicaps collective bargaining and strike activity.
Court injunctions may be freely used to shackle union activity. Every
strike situation opens the way to expensive litigation. A strict pro-
hibition is placed upon the use of union dues for political purposes not-
withstanding membership approval. Employer-inspired measures are
contrived to circumvent trade union efforts to raise wage standards.

A deadly blow against the IWA was delivered by the Provincial
Government of Newfoundland after the IWA succeeded in organizing
the loggers of that island. Premier “Joey” Smallwood placed every
conceivable legal obstacle in the way of the Union’s organizational
campaign and its recognition under the laws of the province. A strike
occured in 1959, when the employers refused the award of a Concilia-
tion Board which recommended the reduction of a 60-hour week to
54 hours and a five-cent an hour wage increase for 12,000 workers.

Court injunctions, endorsed by provincial and federal police,
formed part of a deliberate campaign of intimidation. The Premier
publicly demanded that the IWA be driven out of the province as
“foreign gangsters.” Although 98 per cent of the loggers supported
the strike, the Premier used all the power of his government to break
it, and form a government-sponsored company union. The IWA was
finally de-certified by an extraordinary Act of the Legislature. Legis-
lation enacted in Newfoundland now makes trade union organization
and action extremely difficult and even perilous.

The Canadian parliamentary system provides the opportunity
for the election of representatives from a working-class political party.
Formed in 1933, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)
accepted labor's legislative aims in its program and was known as the
political arm of labor.

Members elected on this party’s platform became the official op-
position in British Columbia and has almost continuously included in-
fluential IWA members. IWA members also sit in the Canadian House
of Commons. IWA legislative demands developed in cooperation with
the Canadian Labor Congress were thus voiced on the floor of the
legislative bodies every session with important results.

Later, the Canadian Labor Congress entered into an agreement
with the CCF to form a new party, the New Democratic Party, on a
broad national basis to express the needs of the workers, farmers and
progressive-minded people. This party which includes a large section
of organized labor, and presents many trade union candidates at every
election, has compelled greater public attention to labor's needs.
IWA membership support of this party is on a voluntary basis, but

electoral results in areas with a high concentration of woodworkers
indicate a growing support from among IWA members. Trade union
delegates at conventions of this political party have always succeeded
in the incorporation of trade union aims in the party’s platform. The
other political parties in Canada have been dominated by the em-
ploying interests who provide the bulk of their campaign funds.

Both the American and the Canadian experience makes it clear
that trade union political action is still in its infancy. Every worker
should vote according to his convictions and no attempt has ever been
made by the IWA fo deliver a block of votes fo any political party.
No attempt has been made by the IWA to join in the organization of
a political party formed exclusively of industrial workers. The Union
has patiently promoted a program of political enlightment in the hope
that workers would use their ballots to sustain their economic needs.
Political action is now a bread and butter “must” for the workers.

Pending elections in both the United States and Canada will bring
vital decisions of consequence to woodworkers, it is pointed out by
the IWA. In recent years steps have been taken by the Union to ac-
celerate political action as a necessary supplement to its highly de-
veloped economic activities. The declared. legislative intentions of
the NAM, with its 22,000 member firms, have given cause for alarm
in IWA ranks. Trade union basic rights are at stake.

Unless these rights are preserved under the law of the land,
wages will be depressed and unemployment will mount still further,
the Union feels. As the workers form the bulk of the population, it is
their wage-spending that keeps the cash registers ringing. The Union
has consistently advocated more vigorous government leadership in
a national campaign for full employment. This demand must be ex-

pressed at the polls, says the IWA.

The immediate consequences of rapid technological change, caus-
ing an accelerated rate of displacement of workers, demands labor-
management-government action. Automation will prove a curse and
not a blessing unless public action requires that the workers gain a
legitimate share of the increased volume of goods and services as well

as greater leisure time.
For these and many other reasons the IWA is asking every union
member to demand favorable consideration of labor's needs during

political campaigns and action in the legislative bodies of the nations
which will advance the democratic purposes of free trade unionism.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

~

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

"Why Flood My Land?”

INSTRUCTOR AND SPEAKERS at the recent Canadian
Labour Congress Labour Education Conference held in Parks-
ville February 17-20. Group left, Harry Jacks, Director of
Education, Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Transport &
General Workers Union; Bill Gauld, CLC Representative; Dan
Radford, CLC Director of Education for B.C.; Joe Morris,
CLC Executive Vice-President; Allen Schroeder, Director
of Education, United Auto Workers; Max Swerdlow, CLC
Director of Education.

Canard Slurs iMorabers

—Moore

At a io conference, following the recent IWA
Wages and Contract Conference, reports from the dailies,
TV and radio stations heard Regional President Jack
Moore declare that no rift exists in the IWA as the Union

prepares for negotiations.

The IWA President was emphatic in this statement,
and was immediately supported by his fellow-officers
and all Local Union officials.

All agreed that the canard invented by the employers
was an unwarranted slur on the delegates who had ex-
pressed membership opinion regarding this year’s de-

The following letter reprint-
ed from the Nelson Daily News
was written by Abel E. Guen-
ard, a member of Local 1-405,
IWA, whose home along with
hundreds of others will be
flooded out when the High
Arrow dam is built.

Sir — After reading the
editorial of Jan. 23rd which
stated that Mr. Herridge is
against Columbia develop-
ment. For your information,
neither Mr. Herridge nor the
NDP party are against Co-
lumbia development but are
opposed to the present treaty
which includes the High Ar-

row dam.

Mr. Herridge has always
been in favor of the Mc-
Naughton plan which is def-
initely the best plan for Can-
ada. There is not much sense
in flooding the valuable land
along the Arrow Lakes to
give the USA flood control
and irrigation water when

the McNaughton plan would
give us on the Arrow Lakes

flood control as well as water
for our Canadian prairies
when needed. Surely our
country is as important as
California.

I agree with Mr. L. W.
Chatham of Nelson on the

waste of our natural re-
sources.

This present treaty re-
minds me of a cow with its
head in Canada and its udder
end in the US with the Ca-
nadian feeding it and the
American getting the milk
from the udder end.

In closing I would like to

point out that the. people on =~

the Arrow Lakes haven’t
given in and accepted this
atrocious treaty as some
Socred spokesmen are
spreading around.

It seems like (Social
Credit keeps one uninform-
ed) doesn’t it?

SS icn nS
a

“A
. Pe,
» Ages, .
. Far
ae S Be

a)
NA

Conference held in Parksville February 17-21. Approximatel =

bers attended the week-long session in the Island Hall Hotel, Parkeville” git fie rie
included Labour Laws and The Work Force and its Problems. These two courses sr
to full time Business Agents and Representatives. Stewards and delegates were phe ae

vanced courses on Collective Bargaining, Shop Steward Duties and Union A

dministration.

i

the Canadian Labour Congress Education iE