EDITORIAL. The Real Cause ABOUR Minister Peterson has joined with the spokes- men of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in claiming that all the labour unrest in British Columbia is merely a political plot on the part of the New Demo- cratic Party. In the Vancouver-Point Grey by-election campaign he spoke of the “unholy wedlock” between the trade union movement and the New Democratic Party, com- pletely disregarding all the facts about trade union participation in the formation of that Party. The actual “unholy wedlock” is that of Social Credit and big busi- ness. Formerly he informed the public that the Party was run by the trade unions. Now he has introduced a new twist in his attack on labour by saying that the New Democratic Party is running the trade union movement. His inconsistent attitude requires that we put him straight on some facts. He cannot forever defend his position that the organized employers may take un- restrained political action in their interests but that organized workers may not do so with impunity. The Minister of Labour was conspicuous by his ab- sence when the labour scene erupted into serious clashes between the trade unions and strikebreaking employers. If he had performed his duty as Labour Minister and personally investigated the root causes of these clashes to promote industrial peace, he would have found the following conditions. Organized labour had been left no alternative but to protest publicly by mass demonstrations the perversion of law enforcement by anti-labour employers. These employers had taken full advantage of laws purposely sponsored by the Minister to cripple legitimate trade union activities. No action was taken by the Social Credit government to bring labour and management together to achieve agreement on issues which had precipitated conflict. The only action was name-calling by the Premier and the Attorney-General. The employers had taken provocative strikebreaking action in legal strikes. They were afforded full protec- tion under the law, while protesting unionists were penalized. The employment of striking employees was termin- ated contrary to the provisions of the Labour Relations Act. Ex parte injunctions were issued on flimsy evidence supplied by employers to ban all picketing in legal strikes. Employers refused to obey official orders to reinstate employees dismissed for trade union activity. Organized labour can document a long list of intoi- erable conditions which the employers sought to irnpose. In addition, organized labour was made aware that the organized employers, prompted. by the U.S. National Manufacturers’ Association, are engaged in a campaign to curb trade union activity and arouse public antagon- ism against unions to the point of demanding still sterner anti-union legislation. The attack on the trade unions was an attack on the bread and butter interests of industrial workers in the province. Its.sole aim was to depress wages and work- ing conditions. Labour's primary reason for public protest is eco- nomic. Labour is demanding freedom for collective bargain- ing in order to protect the living standards of the workers. The trade unions perform the function of guarding working and living conditions independently of any political party. By no stretch of the imagination could it be said truthfully that any political party had any part in pro- moting labour unrest. The injustice of labour laws plus the attack on union rights by employers were the sole causes. It is only because of the control of other political parties by the employing interests that labour has sought independent political action through the New Democratic Party. While governments are controlled by the organized employers who furnish the campaign funds of the parties in power, labour has no cther means of gaining justice except through its own form of political action to change the laws. Mr. Peterson conveniently neglected to admit that he has “loaded the dice against labour.” __ trial unrest is evidenced by the Sure, HE'S TOUGH AND THE REFS ON HIS SIDE BUT TRY FIGHTING WITH ONE RAND TIED BEHIND YOUR BACK. HR . Nova Scotia Plans Better Relations While labour-management relations in British Coumbia steadily worsen, due to the combined anti-labour campaign of a Social Credit Government and the organized employers, Nova Scotia has taken a step in the opposite direction. At a recent conference in Halifax, representatives of the N.S. Federation of Labour and the United Mine Workers met with representatives of ten key companies to develop a new framework for labour-management relations. * The, program considered looks to the Scandinavian labour- management relations system for its inspiration. It was stated that the initiative for the establishment of better relations now rested with management. Sau Trade Unions Win Public Support thank one of the latest of these contributors, Mr. Merron Woy- witka, co-owner of the Kings- way Motor Hotel, for his dona- tion of $70.00. The Defence Fund was set up by the Fed- eration to provide legal aid for union members arrested on the picket lines during the crisis. PTCA WTOC TSG Proof that the general public has not been taken in by the Government’s distortion of the facts about the present indus- large number of. donations made to the B.C. Federation of Labour’s Defence Fund. — The Federation wishes to Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANA- DIAN LUMBER WORKER is December 20. Deadine for ad copy is December 6, and for news copy December 7. a ACMA TS iP i i u NG 0 Published Twice Monthly on the First and Third Thursdays by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No. 1 Editor . . . Grant MacNeil REGIONAL OFFICERS: President... ee se Jack Moore 1st Vice-President __. Jack MacKenzie 2nd Vice-President _.. Jack Holst 3rd Vice-President .... é Secretary-Treasurer _ International Board Members Address all communications to: FRED FIEBER, Secretary-Treasurer 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. TR. 4-5261 - 2 Subscription Rates $2.00 per annum Advertising Representative - G. A. Spencer Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash. 27,500 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE Congress and the B.C, Federa-— tion of Labour will be held in the Island Hall Hotel, Parks- ville, Vancouver Island, January 28 to February 3, 1963. ; The Seminar on “Economic and Social Implication of Automation and Technological Change,” spon- sored by the CLC and the B.C. Federation in cooperation with the UBC which was originally set for last October, will be conduct- ed during the Conference. Other subjects to be discussed are Or- ganization of the White Collar Workers and Labour's Citizenship Month. Immediately following the Staff Conference a one-week Winter School will be held in the same location for officers of Local Unions affiliated to the CLC. Following are the names of the Instructors, Speakers and Panel Members expected to attend the Conference and Winter School: Joe Morris, CLC Executive Vice- President; Max Swerdlow, CLC Education Director; George Home, CLC Political Education Direc- tor; Russ Bell CLC Research De- partment; Pat O’Neal, B.C. Fed- eration of Labour Secretary; Dr. J. T. Montague, UBC Director, Institute of Industrial Relations; M. Meissner, UBC Dept. of An- thropology and Sociology; Prof. A. D. Scott, UBC Acting Head of Economics and Political Science Dept.; Prof. Milton Moore, UBC Economics and Political Science Dept.; Prof. S. M. Jamieson, Eco- nomics and Political Science Dept. Varied Views A MAN WHO GOES INTO DEBT is performing a service to the American economy, which would be hard put to it to exist without installment credit. — A banker in Daytona Beach. STARTING NEAR THE TOP in business is healthier than ris- ing through the ranks. — The A.M.A. Journal, dd ; ofp ROWERS WINES gweyourmual FAR MORE appeal. This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of Bris Columbia SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX This way you know where your important papers are. Why not call in and arrange for one . . . now! at CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE MORE THAN 1260 BRANCHES TO SERVE YOU