%

as wr

oF a

ALUTORY lessons are in evid-
ence almost daily on _ the
subject of trade union autonomy,
the right of Canadian unions to
run their own affairs, free from
the interference of international

union burocrats resident in the
U.S.A.

Two of these lessons have sharp-
ly spotlighted the issue in recent

weeks.

Vancouver Converters Local 433
of the International Pulp and Sul-
phite Union recently received a
letter from its international ex-
ecutive with instructions that it
must conform to a U.S. law of
1959, known as the Landrum-
Griffin Bill. ;

This law requires that all locals
must be “bonded” under a blanket
arrangement, provisions for which
have been inserted in the Inter-
national’s constitution by the
grand lodge executive without so
much as a by-your-leave of the
Canadian membership.

‘Since U.S. imperialism has all

~ but taken over the domestic and

foreign affairs of this country,
aided and abetted by successive
Liberal, Tory and Socred govern-
ments, it is not surprising to find
U.S.-resident international union
burocrats regarding Canadian
unions in the same light, and seek-
ing to foist upon them the pro-
visions of labor-management laws
of a foreign state, a made-in-the-
U.S. Bill 43.

The 1959 strike of the B.C.
Ironworkers Local for increased
wages and improved safety con-
ditions, according to the U.S. ex-
ecutive, was “illegal.” This despite
the fact that this strike had the
unanimous support of the entire
B.C. Federation of Labor; and de-
Spite vicious injunctions and court
intimidation of members, with
fines totalling $19,000 against
union leaders and membership
(later reversed by an appeal court
decision).

Now the “international” buro-
crats say the strike was “iTegal’
and send in one of their U.S. hat-
chet “organizers” to do a job;

Pacific Tribune

Editor —. TOM McEWEN
Associate Edhtor — MAURICE RUSH
Business Mgr. — OXANA BIGELOW

Published weekly at
Room & — 426 Main Street
Vancouver 4, B.C.
Printed in a Union Shop
Subscription Rates:
One Year: $4.00
-Six Months: $2.25
Canadian and Commonwealth
countries (except Australia): $4.00
one year. Australia, United States and
all other countries: $5.00 one year.
Phone MUtual 5-5288

expel elected union leaders from
their local because they fought a
good fight.

More of the same could be added
to these two most recent cases of
flagrant interference by U.S.
union officials in the internal af-
fairs of Canadian unions. Unions
like the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers and others
are still under a U.S.-dictated
“trusteeship,” a condition in which
duly elected local union leaders are
arbitrarily removed from their
positions, and pliable stooges of
the International executives and
the bosses, operating from the
U.S. appointed as “trustees,” with
all the elementary rules of trade
union democracy in Canadian
unions arrogantly trampled under-
foot.

Trade union unity behind the
Ironworkers and Converters locals
in this struggle to resist U.S. “in-
ternational” dictatorship, can
strike a powerful blow for a-long-
overdue need; Canadian trade
union autonomy — the right of
the unions in this country to run
their own affairs without U.S.
burocratic interference.

When these union wreckers
come to Canada they should re-

ceive scant courtesy — and a hur-
ried exit.

x EDITORIAL PAGE

ONDAY this week at the his-
toric special session of the
U.N. Security Council, Soviet For-
eign Minister Andrei Gromyko
presented a detailed account of
aggressive U.S. incursions against
the Soviet Union, with emphasis
upon the most recent U.S. U-2
espionage plane provocation.

The Soviet foreign minister also
presented a resolution to the
Security Council, calling upon that
body to assume its collective re-
sponsibility in putting an end to
these aggressive actions by U.S.
imperialism.

Gromyko described the U-2 es-
pionage incursion as “not acci-
dental” as the U.S. had first insist-
ed, but a deliberate aggressive and
provocative act, aimed at wrecking
the Summit. The Soviet minister
also emphasized that subsequent
U.S. government evasions and ex-
planations of the. incident, to-
gether with statements made by
Eisenhower in Paris, makes clear
that such espionage and _provoca-
tions are now declared to be an
“integral part of U.S. foreign pol-
icy” in its relations with other
states.

U.S. representative on the U.N.,
Henry Cabot Lodge charged a
“misapprehension” on the part of

the Soviet Union as to the purpose
of U.S. espionage flights, while
adding that’ such flights “would
not be resumed.”

Lodge gave a long detailed list
of alleged “Soviet spies” caught in
the U.S., but omitted to give par-
ticulars, as he did on the alleged
recent “incident” of a Soviet ship
“interfering with the U.S. navy
off Long Island.”

While it. is well known that no
Soviet forces were in Korea, that
did not deter the U.S. spokesman
from repeating the charge of So-
viet “aggression” in Korea, with a
similar charge in relation to the
U‘S.-inspired Hungarian counter-

_ revolution of 1956. ess

The ensuing U.N. debate on the

Soviet resolution for an end to ~

espionage flights over the terri-
tory of neighboring states by U.S.
imperialism promises to be inter-
esting. Member states, faced with
the imperative duty of standing
up “to be counted” on the side of
peace, will find evasion of this
sacred duty to their people, mani-

festly difficult. They will have to —

decide that such acts of aggres-
sion, carried on by the U.S. under
the pretext of “defending the free
world,” are highly dangerous to

the cause of peace.

Tom
McEwen

= Sees

FEW days after the Canadian

Labor Congress (CLC) con-
Montreal, where,
union expulsions from the CLC
was expertly blended, numerous
trade union locals across the coun-
try received a circular letter from
their national executives.

This circular billets doux draws
attention to the formation of a
body known as the Religion-Labor
Council of Canada. At its’ Toronto
founding convention held recently,
some 136 delegates from various
trade unions and church bodies are
said to have attended. A five-point
“program” designed to steer Labor

righteousness and brotherly love
Was adopted.

In essence, this “program” em-
-phasizes the need of “religious
faith” in our “economic and indus-
trial life” at home and in world
affairs.

Among the “directors” elected to
office in this pocket edition of

_ cluded its convention sessions in

among other
things, Solidarity For Ever and

- (and the boss) onto the path of.

“Moral Re-Armament” (MRA) are
such stalwarts as Claude Jodoin
and Stanley Knowles, president
and vice-president of the CLC;
Bill Mahoney, Canadian Director,
United Steelworkers, D. N. Secord,
secretary of the Canadian Brother-
hood of Railway and Transport
Workers, and numerous’ other
trade union top brass from the
swivel chairs of CLC affiliates.

Viewing the lot from where we
sit, we can say with the ancient
scribe who acidly commented on
some of the “religious” bigwigs of
his day; “Verily, they toil not,
neither do they spin, yet Soloman
in all his glory was not arrayed
as one of these.”

Now, despite ignorant argument
to the contrary, this writer has
no quarrel with the religious be-
liefs of his fellowman.

Our quarrel begins when re-
ligion per se is used by labor
fakers or others as a ‘“‘pious’’ cloak
to cover up. un-pious deviltry,
whether it be selling out workers
at the bargaining table, “dedicat-
ing” weapons of mass murder, pro-
moting union cannibalism (better
known as raiding), or lying like
Ananias in order to bar or expel
unions from the House of Labor.

Such fakers, garbed in the cloth
of “Holy Willies” are doubly
dangerous, since they can sell out
or betray their trust as union lead-
ers, then dodge the consequences
by donning the un-touchableness-. of -

unctious piety.

‘The late and unlamented Tory
“Tron Heel” Bennett was a devout
“Oxford Brotherhood-MRA”  de-
votee, but that didnt deter him
from trying to “solve” unemploy-

ment with police clubs, tear gas; — -

jails, ‘slave camps, and barking -
guns. After all, whether it» be a
Hitler or a labor charlatan, * the

“Gott mit uns’ halo is always a

handy prop to keep the “hewers._of

wood and drawers of water ‘‘in

their ‘appointed’ ” place.

Clearly ‘a little of this» special
brand of ‘religion’ larded into the
labor fakers daily. routine, makes
such a “labourer” really look as
though he is “worthy of his hire,”
and in present day. figures that
isn’t peanuts.

May we repeat, we have no
quarrel with the religious beliefs
or devotions of working men and
women. That is a matter which
concerns them alone. What we are
concerned with at this precise
period of labor history is not that
a whole new crop of social-demo-
cratic. and reformist trade union *

. leaders stand in need of “religion.”

What they need most, (and much
of the evasion of burning issues at
the recent CLC convention con-
firms that need), is intestinal forti-
tude, class consciousness and vision
to lead, rather than. a- hallelujah, ©
toga to cover their naked mis- -
leadership. os
Hallelujah! -

May 27, 1960—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 4

eckers at work ‘Free world’ case weak