Ber || an mele ei) oo

ANTI RAND DEMONSTRATION

ew struggles for labor's rights

bros massive united labor action that
ists f,, Cctween 12-15,000 trade union-
‘ M industrial centres of Ontario
€en’s Park on May 3lst, last,
move to be the turning point in
tight trent battle to extend labor’s
: in Canada.
ig the {omonstration proved that this
Hs, nd of action workers want and
the oni Pport. Moreover, it is clearly
the p.» Kind of action that will defeat
injunctirs recommendations and court
Strike cus, Used to defeat workers on
Strugele uch mass action, coupled with
latures Within parliament and legis-
Rights 2" Win a Workers’’ Bill of
ay @ Canada.
ae a 31st, 1969, was another step in
Ing Saas process by which the work-
front a S accumulates strength to con-
. = Challenge the subversion of
pital. ¢ to the interest of monopoly
the can he integration of the state in
ing pest economy, as an economic
the goin? and the subordination of
tio oe and technological revolu-
insteaq Swell private monopoly profits,
Commons benefiting labor and the
Unity at large.

le)
mE LESSONS TO BE DRAWN
in », “MPortant lesson that stands out

Tole th nt and, indeed, indispensable
Strupole” Communists can play in the
Sive “fo to unite the left and progres-
Movement > within the trade union

Tn their’

Unit
Of Sd

ir attempts to defeat unity and
both e action, the opportunists
the Right and the Left variety

Vid ah ir attention on efforts to di-
Mora 4. Weaken the genuine left forces.
directa" than not, such efforts are
they <2 Communists. By red-baiting
Ten = to frighten vacillating ele-
isoner the centre and make them the
This h S of their mistaken policies.
With _¢S the effect of isolating the left,

Sts, Particular attention on Commun-
Diong .e are the most consistent cham-
5 Workers’ unity in action.

Sow ,%Swer to all these attempts to
aims ISunity is to advance realistic
Sug = Nd to rally the workers around
in the falizable objectives, as was done
eae of the Rand protest march.
of Ingly isolated battles are part

Strength-gathering process. If

A

concrete and practical aims are advanc-
ed in the developing struggle, the iso-
lated battles become part of a larger
movement, stimulating ever wider unity

in action. As the struggle gathers mo- :

mentum, new and hitherto passive ele-
ments are drawn into participation. The
key to such unity in action is careful
assessment of conditions and possibili-
ties, the promotion of correct policies,
and advancement of a realistic program
around which everyone can gather and
fight.

For the last four or five years the
struggle has developed around techno-
logical developments and its effect on
labor; the Freedman Report; the strug-
gle against anti-labor injunctions; the
Rand recommendations; and, finally
the proposal for a Labor Bill of Rights.

During this period the concept of
labor political action has undergone
change and development. The mere
adoption of resolutions while waiting
for parliamentary elections, has proved
itself to be inadequate and ineffective.
Limiting action to voting at election
time can only lead to cynicism and
frustration in between. Lack of mass
activity and mass participation in poli-
tical activity means leaving workers
to become individual victims of em-
ployer exploitation and propaganda.

Particularly the working youth need
the experience that only participation
in every form of struggle will bring.
Today’s youth feel the need for action
more than. ever before. This positive
and constructive urge for mass parti-
cipation must be given full scope for
self-expression.

The anti-Rand demonstration provid-
ed a means towards this end.

Increased exploitation sharpens the
class confrontation. Management’s ex-
clusive rights to do as it pleases is
being challenged in a new way by
militant young workers. Now is the
time to put the collaborators on the
defensive, by moving into the offensive
all along the line in the battle for la-
bor’s rights.

Management’s efforts to subvert the
unity of organized labor and to recruit
collaborators in the ranks of union
leadership, is currently given great
emphasis. At a recent industrial rela-
tions conference sponsored by the

Canadian Manufacturers’ Association,
R. P. Riggin, vice-president of corporate
relations, Noranda Mines Ltd., called
for “responsible” unionism and efforts
to change workers’ “attitudes” to one
of cooperation with the bosses. Here
is what he was reported to have said:
««_.. Responsible labor leaders do
exist, but they are having a rough
time and they evoke managementis
sympathy and support. But if man-
agement would openly commend
them for their responsibility their
effectiveness would be in jeopardy
and they would become suspect in
the-eyes of many other union officers
and Officials. It will be highly unfor-
tunate .. . if their example fails to
become the accepted norm for union
leadership.”
Toronto Globe and Mail, June 3, 1969

THE ROAD AHEAD

One of the conclusions from experi-.

ences gained in the battle against the
Rand concept, is that unions, such as
the Teamsters, the U.E., and others,
have an immensely important role to
play in the developing fight for labor’s
rights. These organizations must be
allowed to make that contribution as
members, officially, of the House of

Labor. Their continued exclusion from
membership in the Canadian Labor
Congress and other central labor bodies
can no longer be tolerated.

The continued discrimination against
Communists must be fought: and ex-
posed, as in the Bridgewood case. The
right of union members to equal status
and to. run for office regardless of poli-
tical views, and the members’ right to
elect whom they wish, must not be
denied in a democratic society.

Labor Day, 1969 must be made the
occasion for further detailed explana-
tions and projections of some concrete
aspects of a Labor Bill of Rights. In
fact, the central theme for meetings
and demonstrations this Labor Day
should be labor unity to force govern-
ment action to raise living standards
and to abolish poverty.

Conventions of provincial federations
in such highly industrialized provinces
as Quebec, Ontario and B.C., will take
place this fall. The Canadian Labor
Congress meets in Convention next
May in Edmonton.

At all these gatherings, opportunities
will be present for a further spelling
out of the economic and political de-
mands of labor, with particular empha-
sis on the struggle to advance the
rights of the trade union movement.

Undoubtedly, highly sophisticated ef-
forts will be made to sell the philosophy
of various studies in this field, includ-
ing the Woods Task Force Report. The
idea seems to be to entice workers to
abandon the class struggle of their own
free will and accept the concept of
class collaboration, as if class struggle
were their own invention.

Today Australia’s system of labor
courts and compulsory arbitration is
being challenged. The 65-year-old sys-
tem is the subject of a ‘campaign of
“rolling strikes”, and the jailing of the
Communist leader of the Tramways
Union, Clarence O’Shea, set off the lat-
est strike wave. Some 100,000 workers
struck for 24 hours in New South
Wales. ;

This has shattered the arguments of
British supporters of the Wilson Gov-
ernment’s plan for similar coercive
measures to “reduce industrial conflict.”
The reality of the class struggle has
come to the fore and unity in action
has forced the Wilson Government to
withdraw its anti-labor bill which if
enacted could have set the trade unions
back over 100 years. :

This, plus the Queen’s Park demon- .
stration has proved that the forces of

unity are today stronger than the ele-

ments of division. Truly this is a time .

for labor to advance to victory every-
where.

— Statement of the Ontario Executive,
Communist Party of Canada

2251

RKERS OF AMERICA

"SAULT STE. MARIE ONTARIO

EJECTS THE RAND REPORT

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 29, 1969 — PAGE 5