ut i (ype ot y Cs ee Vv al | IN FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1956 « Seen De-certification try to smash Mine-Mill _ Mine-Mill officials here blasted action of Ontario Labor Relations Board in taking away bargaining rights of 33,000 Mine-Mill members in that province on “a sheer technicality” and thus “virtually inviting other unions to come in and raid.” The Ontario board ruled that Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers became “a new union” when it changed its name and became a fully autonomous Can- adian organization. “This situation has never arisen in B.C. because we have Workers at Yale Lead on strike Strike of employees at Yale Lead and Zinc mines here en- tered its second week with the 65 men, members of Local 901, Nelson District Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union, deter- mined to hold out until they win parity wages with . other workers in the mining industry in this district: Strike action was finally re- sorted to by the union after months of fruitless negotiations for a wage increase. Since September 12, 1955, the bargaining committee of the Yale unit of Mine-Mill have pressed for parity wages and conditions. This means a wage hike| of 17 cents an hour, one additional statutory holiday, protective clothing, committee recognition and other points. The company offered a five- cent wage boost and flatly re- rused other demands. A conciliation board met in. Vancouver and handed down an award covering six points ac- ceptable to the union, but re- commending continuation of the 44-hour week and five cents an hour» pay increase. The men refused to accept these hours of work and wages, and a strike vote was held. : Only five of those eligible to vote failed to cast a ballot, and the balance polled a smashing 94 percent in favor of striking to secure their demands. The strike began Wednesday last week and is holding firm. Mine» manager P. E. Olson visited Vancouver this week: to confer with company officials. SD SPOOR ONY a new regulation which provides for a union changing its name,” said union secretary Les Walk- er. Labor Minister Lyle Wicks said that because of the new regulation, there would be no question of Mine-Mill losing its certification in B.C. Reaction of Sudbury miners and smeltermen to the Ontario Labor Board decision to open up Mine-Mill contracts to raid- ing was one of almost unani- mous condemnation of the board as a tool of International Nickel. They saw the move as a logi- cal follow-up to the anti-union campaign launched by Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the Sudbury Star against the Cana- dian convention of the union in Sudbury a few weeks ago. Also active in the reactionary drive is a group of immigrant Ukrain- ians, former members of Hitler’s SS_ troops. The alliance got under way following a visit by Ron Gos- tick, would-be Canadian fascist leader and anti-Semite, who spoke in Sudbury last month. There is little doubt that INCO has launched the drive to try ‘and restore prewar conditions of terror and open shop that made Sudbury one of the hell- holes of the continent. One of the aims is to open the way for the firing of hundreds of older workers as part of a drive to increase speedup. A Most disgraceful part of this conspiracy is that the right- wing CCF representative on the Ontario Labor Board and the AFL representative in Canada joined hands with the company to try and help INCO do a job ‘on its workers. Already the Steelworkers and ‘their agents are ‘getting ready to raid Mine-Mill. But it is certain they will face a solidar- ity and militancy stronger than _ever before. Recently General Motors found to its cost that it was im- possible to beat its workers on the picket line, so now the ball is being passed to the splitters in the ‘trade union movement to do the job the companies can- not do on their own. The plan will come a cropper in Sudbury. _ VISIT MAPLE BAY INN ee _ (Open Year Round) Banquets & Conventions, Dancing, etc., Our Specialty. Rooms & Cabins - Dancing Room - Licensed Premises Excellent Food MAPLE BAY > “Mr. J. E. Barany DUNCAN IN ALBERNI VALLEY ‘Indians livin on $9 a mont So h’ | PORT ALBERNI, B.C. On the face of the cliff where it rises perpendicularly from the waters of Sproat Lake, a few miles west of Alberni, there are ancient carvings in the rock. The carvings depict the legend that is now retold by the modern Native Indian opera, Tzinquaw —how, in a time of famine, the Indians followed a whale far out to sea where it was killed by a great bird and how, in the terrible storm that followed, the hunters were saved by a sea serpent whose wake they followed safely to shore. For the Native Indians of the Alberni Valley, of Seshalt re- serve near Alberni and Polly’s Point reserve near Port Alberni, this is again a time of privation and want. But there is no legendary Thunderbird to come to their rescue, only the force of public opinion to change the miserable conditions in which some of them live. = It required an open letter from the .Labor - Progressive party to Premier W. A. C. Ben- nett, copies of which were sent to both Alberni and Port Alber-. ni city councils, to expose con- ditions on these reserves and arouse public opinion to de- mand governmental action. “We wish to bring to your attention the fact that prevail- ing circumstances are subjecting “some of our Native Canadians to an existence so shameful it» questions our claim to be a nation of civilized people,” stated the letter, signed by Frank Bottner for the Port Alberni LPP club. “The utter destitu- tion of some of our Natives is intolerable and in our opinion needs to be rectified immediately by government action. “Some of our citizens, due to circumstances beyond their con- trol are dependent upon econo- mic assistance for livelihood, “Those of our Indian popula- tion who find themselves in this category must beg for help _through the Indian agency and the amounts they receive are in many cases insufficient to pro- vide adequate sustenance, and - a dragged out form of starvation is resulting.” Continued : YUKON ing in supplies to the DEW line. The entire project is now un- der full U.S. civilian and mili- tary command... The Federal Electric Company has _ been named by Washington to take charge for the next three years. In the House of Commons last week, Defense Production Min- ister C. D. Howe admitted that Canadian bids had been turned down. He said these bids were “out of line.” He also said that 80 percent of the work force under the U.S. command would be. Canadians, including Eski- mos and Indians resident in the area. In reply to questions, Prime Minister St. Laurent said he would make inquiries as_ to whether formal complaints had been made to the government that Canadian sovereignty was ’ being disregarded. The letter detailed the indiv- idual cases of want that Bottner and other LPP members had found on a visit to the Seshalt and Polly’s Point reserves: At Seshalt, one old man, bed- ridden with arthritis, receiving $14 a month relief, with his wife receiving a similar amount — a total. of $28 a month for a couple, both of whom are denied old age pensions on technicali- ties. At Polly’s Point an elderly woman living on $9 a month, denied more on the ground she does not live with her husband and forced to re-apply each month for even the $9 she does receive. There ‘were other cases, all similar in the denial of ade- quate assistance, all mdticu- lously detailed in the letter. The letter asked Premier Ben- nett to: @ “Provide social assistance for Natives from the same sources, through the same . departments, and in equal. amounts and consideration Edward Ochab (above) '- has been named to succeed Boleslaw Bierut as secretary of the Polish Workers party. Beirut, who had been successively presi- ' dent and premier of Poland, died March 12 in Moscow where he Had been attending the 20th congress of the Soviet Com- munist party as a fraternal ~ delegate. Hours: Daily , 9-5 339 W. PENDER ST. BEAUTIFUL PEKING ALL WOOL RUGS _. JUST ARRIVED FROM CHINA Assorted Colors, Ratterns, and Sizes 2x3 to 9x12 * Also Lovely Linens, Hand Embroidered _ Large Assortment Guaranteed Finest Quality & Lowest Prices * WE INVITE YOU .TO CALL AT East-West Export Import Co. Ltd. as is provided for all other citizens. . _ “Request the federal gov- ernment to provide a more practicable and com- siderate system of grant- ing pensions to Natives.” When the letter came before Alberni City’ Council aldermen filed the letter as read with the argument that the question was out of their jurisdiction. Port Alberni City Council, ‘@ -however, struck off a commit- tee to investigate the charges, ordering that the letter be re-- ferred to T. S. Barnett, CCF MP for Comox-Alberni, if‘ the charges were verified by the Indian agent. Asserting that it was “a purely federal affair,’ Ald. M. Hamil- ton nevertheless declared, “Ot- -tawa hasn’t given the Indian a fair’ deal. It hasn’t sought to uplift him and put him on his own responsibility as a citizen of Canada.” Last week, in an interview with the Nanaimo Free Press; N. W. Garrard, Indian agent at Port Alberni, cautiously con- ceded that there might be some foundation to the LPP charges- It might be true “in some cases,” he admitted, that Indians ~ were denied old age pensions. “Our records go back to 1914 when an Indian agent, a con- stable and an interpreter went around all the reservations to compile records of ages,” he said. “At that time the depart~ ment was compelled to accept _the ages given. “There have been cases where — our records show a woman t0 — be 65 — five years off pension _age. She decides to get married and knocks 10 years off her ageé- “This means that when pen-- sion time comes around she’s 10 years younger on her mar- riage certificate than she is 0D our books — and the govern- ment will accept the officia document first.” _.The charge that some Indians were compelled to live on $9 4 month was, Gafrard said, “trae to a degree.” But he maintained that this amount, given out iv supplies and not in cash, wa> sufficient to provide, by “con- servative estimates,” 160@ calor- ies a day. = Sheesh eet ‘ slyelle Saturday, 9-12 ’ PHONE: MA 6615