LABOR FOCUS

By J. B. SALSBERG

Canadian labor must stand united
| against American splitters

ANADIAN labor has cause to be gravely alarmed.

Big business and its governments have moved into
action their most menacing weapons against organized
labor. They threaten the trade union movement of
North America with the danger of disruption from
within and with the prospect of a violent fratricidal war.

The immediate source of the danger lies in the U.S.
The harmful ingredients are being mixed in the CIO
convention cauldron. The section of Canadian labor
which may be first exposed to this danger are the
afhliates of the CIO and the CCL. Like all’ plagues,
this one cannot be stopped, once it gets under way, at
artificial borders. All sections of the Canadian trade
union movement will be in the danger zone.

That is the warning that comes from the ClO con-
vention at Cleveland. U.S. labor is involved in the
great steel and coal strikes, negotiations in major m-
dustries are deadlocked and U.S. reaction is on the ram-
page against labor and the common people, yet the CIO
chiefs transformed the convention into a hysterical red-

.. baiting spectacle to justify the boss-inspired policy of

raiding, splitting and destroying sister organizations and
the removal of all inner democracy from the CIO.

Only the most energetic and timely preventive actions

can protect Canadian labor from this danger.

of es AP
We must halt the virulent plague of union splitting
at the border! \

It must be kept out of this country!

All Canadian working men and women, regardless
of affiliation or belief, must be alerted and moved into
this defensive struggle.

The Wall Street engineers of the cold war aim—

far and wide.

One of their major aims is the weakening and de-

struction of the labor movement.

Those labor bosses who succurftbed to Wa

cold war policies have already withdrawn from the

World Federation of Trade Union as well as launching —
a disruptive campaign in the ranks of North American

labor. : 4
They led raiding expeditions in the US. and Can-

ada against unions which refused to join the hysteria.
- Union energies and treasuries were diverted from union
tasks to the montrous effort to raid, split and destroy

what other union men had' built.

But the war between labor men was still too limited’

to satisfy the big business crowd. They weren't too
sure yet that they could unload the cost of the coming
crisis onto the backs of the working people. ‘They de-
manded ample proof of devotion to “our way of life.

The urged war against all “reds” and radicals. They
wanted the ousting of entire unions and raiding expedi-

tions to annihilate all who refuse to join the cold war.

Now the right-wing heads of the CIO seem to be
determined to do what the “‘leaders in’ business and man-
agement” have urged. ‘

e ‘

The issue facing Canadian workers is whether this
union-destroying: F
country. The netae majority of organized Can-

adian workers are against it.

Once before Canadian trade unionists were faced
with a union-splitting situation which developed in the
U.S., when AFL bureaucrats expelled the CIO -unions.

At that time Canadian unions refused to follow the split-

-ting policies of the AFL. All honest Canadian union- —
ists—right, left and center—united to protect the autono*

mous rights and unity of the Canadian trade union move-
fen? nde the aondney of the late P. M. Draper,
the vast majority of the Trades and Labor Congress
rejected he eines edicts of William Green. All
CIO union in Canada remained in the TLC almost
three years after they were expelled from the AFL. v

Why can’t the same degree of autonomy and inde-

The House on housing
R. FOURNIER: (Liberal, Maisonneuve-

Rosemont): There are half a dozen ways
of asking the same question which has already re-
ceived a proper answer.

Mr. Fraser (Progressive-Conservative, Peter-
borough West): What is a proper answer?

’ Mr. Fournier: It will be announced in due

course.

Mr. Fraser: That is the kind of answer we
generally get to all our questions.

Mr. Fournier: We cannot
questions.

rely on your

Hansard, Vol. 89, No. 32, October 31, 1949

ll Street’s ;

ague should also be carned into our

pendence be eeercieed by the CCL now? Why can’t
the CCL remain united? There are non-CIO unions,
such as the United Mine Workers, in the CCL now.

There is no valid reason why this should not be
done. ‘To win the battle for higher wages, the 40-hour
week, pensions, higher unemployment insurance, jobs for
all and the enactment of all essential labor and social

islation demands the highest degree of labor unity.

Only big business would benefit from the admission
of the union-splitting epidemic into this country. Workers
and their families would pay «a terrific toll. It must
not be allowed to happen.

Let the voice of all workers be raised against the ~

importing of the ruinous splitting policies from the U.S.

‘Let all trade unionists rally to the defense of the ©

unity of the Canadian trade union movement!

Let our autonomous rights be exercised to retain
a united CCL in this country.

Let us strive to achieve the- closest unity and co-

operation between the CCL, the TLC and the railroad

-brotherhoods for the common good.

Let us be guided by the old motto—United, we

‘stand, divided we fall. .. .

Good for whom? —
66Goop personnel relations between the boss

—— and the worker will drive Communism out
--of labor ranks,”’ a top General Motors Corporation —
executive believes. i

“If people understand a problem, they'll |
clean it up,’ said Harry W. Anderson, 58, vice-
president in charge of personnel, General Motors,
Detroit (who) flew to Vancouver . . . to address

ence of the Pacific Northwest Personnel Manage-
ment Association in Hotel Vancouver.

“He believes it’s up to management to explain
the arguments against Communist, and if good
relations are maintained’ between employer and
employee the movement won't go much farther. .. .

“.. . Employer-employee relations are so
good in GM plants, he said, that the company was
able to reduce the cost-of-living allowance. recently
to where it had been a year ago without a ripple
of unrest among thé workers.” = _ :

a —Vancouver Sun, November’ 5, 1949
_. OSHAWA, November 5—At the General
Motors plant, hub of this city’s economy, 5,200
workers are on strike. The principal issue is in-
creased production, with the union charging that —
the company has introduced speedup methods.
> nlror

It appears that these people understand the
problem all too well, eh, Mr. Anderson?

a Friday luncheon of the eleventh annual confer- |~

WHAT'S BEHIND UE OUSTER?
Union-wrecking
plot exposed —

BB ete Us Pat in this country following the
ousting of the United Electrical Radio and Machine
Workers from the CIO clearly indicates the intention of
a clique in the CIO-CCL leadership to embark on a
reckless policy of union splitting and raiding before the
rank-and-file of the CIO-CCL unions across Canada
awakes to the danger. What is more, there is ample
proof that this conspiracy to split labor’s unity at a time
-when_ unity is essential to the defense of labor’s interests
has been well organized and has the support of employer
interests.

The proof “is in these damning facts:
1, For months before the CIO convention every -

capitalist newspaper on the continent ran inspired
stories from Washington that “the Communists’ were
planning to establish a “third trade union center’’. Every
Communist and progressive trade unionist refuted these
stories as slanderous lies told by reactionary union bosses
who were plotting to raid, expel and destroy the unions
that refused to join the cold war hysteria. The con-

spirators were trying to cover their tracks. Now they
stand damned by their wrecking deeds.

2. A month before the CIO convention, “‘leaders in

business and management’ urged Murray to
“purge the left-wing and radical elements from the CIO.”
These words are from an editorial in the Wage Earner,
organ of the red-baiting clique which dominates the
Association of Catholic Trade Unionists in Detroit. The
source of the conspiracy was clearly shown by that
organ which is Murray’s unfailing supporter. It stemmed
from big business and extended through the ACTU
government, and the inner circle of the CIO officialdom.

8. ClO News was also “warning” for months of
Communist “‘plans’”’ for a new union center. But

the issue which appeared on the eve of the CIO con-

- yentions cheered up the wrecking crews with the follow-

ing message (October 31, 1949): “The Commies and
fellow travellers may be kicked out of the CIO—or they
may walk out—or the convention may pave the way for
their expulsion. Any of these ihree moves would mean
the lefties were through as a force inside the CIO... .”
There you have it in the rough-neck style of the present
editor of CJO News. Pledges must have been made and
no matter what happens at the convention out they go,
not only Communists but all “‘fellow travellers’ and
“radicals” too. ... You could almost hear the CIO
editor shouting assurances to “‘the leaders of business
and management,” and the wrecking crews: “There
will be wrecking all night.” ;

4, On the evening of the day when the UE was

formally ousted the Toronto Globe and Mail,
owned by gold barons, was able to announce that the
right-wing leaders of UE locals in Peterborough and
Guelph, were holding special meetings the following even-
ing to decide to leave the parent body, the UE. Was
the Globe and Mail in on it all the way? The rank-
and-file of the UE knew nothing of it.

5.. Next day “special meetings’” were held in smaller
industrial towns vghere the UE has locals and’
where the right-wing hoped to pull a grab-and-run job.
_The agents of the big conspirators received instructions
long before. Halls were rented before the CIO* con-
vention opened, application blanks (some bearing the
CCL name even though the UE is not expelled from
the CCL) were all ready, the identical resolution was
presented to each meeting and, surprise of surprises, —
Murray Cotteril and other Steel officials were at hand
to help in the busting of unions. But there were no ©
coincidences, there were conspirators, out to wreck unions
that do not agree with Wall Street’s foreign policy.

@, Not only the UE is attacked. The Mine, Mill
; and Smelter Workers’ Union is~still in the CIO.
It has not yet been expelled. The charges, if any, aren’t

. -even known. But the press- reported Charles Millard

as having said at Timmins last weekend that the CIO
is gomg to hand over the historic union of metal miners
to Murray’s Steel union, to Millard in Canada. And
they speak of democracy. 2

“Canadian labor must act quickly and with all its
strength to halt the union wreckers, to keep the raid
out of Canada, to rally behind the unions which are —
attacked, and to demand that the CCL stop lending its
organizers and offices for union bustingi

The Canadian membership of the UE has rebuffed
the conspirators. It is up to every worker and every
union to take a part in the struggle for unity and trade ~
union democracy...

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 11, 1949—PAGE 9