Glimpses of Cuba Revolution Gave People of Cuba Life With a Pur pose TS ‘glimpses” are of ; oes iduals, all-of them colorful but sometimes un- noticed, each of them a story or book in himself. Havana is full of history, drama and contrast, a unique setting for artistic portrayal. So for that matter is any city but here there is a difference. A great revolution has chang-} ed a people’s way of life, their pre-cenceived concepts, their sense of values, and given a purpose to their. existence. A revolution is above all a Supreme catalyst. It purges and cleanses and nothing is quite like it was before. Meet, therefore, some of the unsung; some are not good but others are superb. e Theodore is a taxi driver. He is against the government. Why? Because they national- ized his fleet of cabs, leaving him with but one to drive. In his opinion he is a victim of an historically dirty trick. “fT am a Jamaican by birth. As an orphan, I had it -hard. I came to this country and quickly the Americans made life.more comfortable. Pretty soon I had more than one taxi and then I said to myself: I just can’t get old and_ not feave all this to someone. So I got married and then they came — one, two, three and four children. . Wonderful, I thought. Life is good. If only there were more wealthy Amerieans. And then it hap- pened, the revelution and Fidel Castro. That man! All| my cabs gone except one. Just think of it—four children.” “But Theodore,” we said, “You seem to be doing all right with one taxi.” ‘self. To emphasize the signifi- but—but, that man!’ “Very well,’ we interjected, “put if you are not for the revolution, what do you think is the answer for the ills of the world?” “Birth control,” he snapped. “Birth control.” e Take the hairdresser. He cuts, and he cuts and he clips, but he has a problem. “What is it?? we queried. “TY have two books, two won- derful books. One is the Bible and the other is called ‘His- torical Materialism’ by Carlos Marx.” . “But what is the problem?” we asked. “First,” he said, ‘“I-read one and it is beautiful, very, very beautiful. Then I - “YTead the other and it is also very, very beautiful. The problem is, which is right? I just can’t make up my mind.” We left him perplexed and reflective.. He poses the in: tellectual dilemma of the 20th century. Which is right? He is net alone. e He was an elderly, but lean bronzed campesino. He climb- ed aboard our chartered bus and immediately began dis- tributing a one-page. leaflet. It was a poem, written by him- cance of this .creation, our author drew from its scabbard a most murderous looking ma- chete and then, pointing it dramatically at his captive au- dience, began to read his poem, What was it all about? Great praise for the revolution, par- ticularly for the great agrarian reform. Special Jaudation for Fidel. It seems that Fidel went “Oh, yes, I make a living,’ has a problem. He clips and he}. By Lionel Edwards { Speech, ip all the world about Cuba and then what do you think those lousy Yankee gringos did? They took away his airplane. But Fidel had a friend, Nikita, Nikita like a good campanero, gave Fidel an airplane and thus he was able to come home again. Viva La Revolution; Viva Russia! The former poet sheathed his machete, saluted everyone, and then informed the bus driver that he could now pro- ceed. e Ovid looks after the monu- mental cemetery in Havana, For 15 years he has tended the graves of the former corrupt- ed wealthy. Over the years he has found the job to be de- pressing. “Look at them,’ he said, pointing to the elegantly sculp- tured memorials. “So much for the dead. Nothing for the living.” now?” we asked. “I. .am studying law and I have managed to learn three languages. The revolution~ has given me qa new outlook. At last Ihave a chance,” = : last I have a chance’. is symbolism in..these words. Let’ the spenthouse, ty- ecoons. of Wall Street reflect on their message. If they: have not gotten the -word, -then someone else has. Across the pampas of the Argentine, high in the tin mines of Boliva-and in the roofless huts of the Ven- ezuelan -oil .workers, the mes- Sage has been -received. ‘What does it portend? Already there is a straightening of backs, a new look and a new hope. The gathering of the Gods cannot ‘ “At There to New York and made a great much longer be delayed. From The Civic Wo rker’s Newsbulletin By JACK PHILLIPS When the provincial Socred government revoked the vol- untary dues checkoff of the B.C. Government Employees Association, their excuse was that the Association belonged to the B.C. Federation of La- bor which had endorsed~the C.C.F. But when the Associa- tion withdrew from the Fed- eration, the cabinet refused | to restere the checkoff. Recently, big business lob- bies called on the government to outlaw the checkoff ef un- ion dues. Obviously, the goy- ernment had set the stage for this demand. | that union. Where a trade. un- ‘job stewards (or delegates) it How important is the checkoff? The voluntary checkoff un- der the Labor Relations Act and the compulsory checkoff under union agreements must be seen as rights won by labor. On the other hand, there must be no moaning that if the checkoff is taken away from us it will finish our union. Ifa trade union cannot sur- vive without the —checkoff, there is something wrong with ion is democratically run and builds up an active greup of can preserve and strengthen itself, checkoff or no checkoff. A’ trade union, should ~be seen as a voluntary workers’ organization. where members are. educated to understand, what they belong to and why they belong. All decisions should be demoeratically. ar- rived at. No religious, racial or political barriers.should be permitted and no worker should be excluded -on.- pRY of these grounds. Stewards should be given every encouragement to func- tion on the job as the dlive- wires of the Union. - With sueh..an: approach; we will survive all attacks by. the enemies of labor and come “What do you intend to do ; i “We, i destroy — atomic Workers at La Colona cigar plant in Havana machines. Al King, district secretary treasurer, presented the offic- ers report to the convention setting. the tone for ‘the pro- ceedings. Highlights of the officers | report were: . © UNEMPLOYMENT: Sing. ling this out as the key issue the ,report said that a 50% decrease .in- defense spending ($870 million) could result in halving adians; raise old. age pensions by 30%. and up family allow- ances by 50.%. This. would re- sult in.a $200 gain for a typi- cal Canadian family. The report set forth this to. combat ‘unemployment: (1) Fight against employers false anti -..labor» propaganda blaming workers wages for unemployment. (2) Demand an impartial investigation in- to necessary income to main- and decency. (3) Fully endorse a..Workers’ Bill of Rights adopted by the National Mine ‘Mill Convention.(4) Insist. that national resources be used for the benefit of the people. (5) Demand a Royal Commission to fully investigate and report \-on-all aspects of. metal mining industry: (6) Oppose any “hold the line” policy on wages, (7) Criticize the wasting of bil- lions of dollars for armaments to the detriment of the living standards of the ‘people. ® PEACE AND TRADE: from this convention, urge upon our. fellow trade- unionists and all the people of Canada, a united stand that will compel our government to join with all those of the United Nations who want an end ‘to the armament race, devices and weapons, and establish condi- tions whereby the fear of war out stronger than-ever. will be removed from the world,” said the report. Mine-Mill asks ac on jobs, peace, tri The Western District convention of the Intel Union of Mine Mill and Smelter Workers gatheré Fishermen’s Hall in Vancouver this week to th the policies which will guide its activities for 1968 income tax on the “| first $5,000 income of all Can- jand the B.C. Fedé -|-Dulles, seven-point plan for the union | tain. average family. in health’! The report also the immediate — | People’s China, a armaments race and sation of nuclear an stock-piling of nucleate drogen bombs. The report calls fori A of friendship and # Cuba (see story OMgy page). @® UNITY: The 1% out against those e G the Canadian Labor’ Labor who “have be ing the policies of JOM fi who have # up the fight against and armaments. Thé} ones who want to 5% tied to U.S. control fi democracy in the t movement. 2 “Is trade-unions are on V3 sive in Canada?” If We be unity “we must ¢@hi lead our own _ tra tonomy. these top vants. of trade i towards eleMfas. rowing down the in ® te Winnipeg. resolutio? for formation of a New % report makes it and women - in- a have the confidence # out the program. of * was: projected -at Wi unite the working pen In the farmers and all-@ have common. in s January 20, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUN 43S.”