Minster and Bert Adair, Electrical . Trades Union. i Support for eggs asked by farm union | EDMONTON A ; At its recent board meeting, the Farmers’ Union of Alberta decid- ed to ask for “immediate action by the federal government to ap- ply the Prices Support Act to hogs, eggs and any other agricultural commodities at or near the 1949 contract level.” It further said that any changes in these levels should bear a sim- ilar relationship to the cost of production, .*" *' Further recommendations of the FUA board were that pro- ducers organize a large scale producer -. controlled marketing board -system, and called for the exploration of agricultural mar- kets by. barter agreements or by any other basis. The board supported protests of other organizations against the curtailed passenger service by the CNR. The board’s opinion was that the coal shortage does not appear as sufficient excuse for curtail- ment. of rail: service to many rural “areas. ; This charge has been denied by CNR officials who also declare as untrue the board’s additional state- ment that “there is a two-year supply of railway-grade coal in Edmonton at the present time.” The FUA board, in a statement on long-range policies, said that the federal government is a con- tracting party to the international wheat agreement and as such it is essential that the government con- |; trol the marketing of ail wheat. The board therefore recommends that the wheat board continue as vincial government for education, |, and for provision that natural gas shall not be exported from the province until it is certain that all the needs of the people of Alberta have been fully met. ae ie WHO'S WHO IN ZOO Monkeys get homes = Ss “You just don't look right to me.” will they vote NPA? By BERT WE:YTE in Calgary than here,” said the Number One Monkey at Stan- ley Park zoo. “As long as I get my three squares a day I’m not kicking. “Sure, our. living quarters are “We humans~ have a similar society to prevent cruelty - to ways aping us, I must say. Hear you've got swing clubs, too, though how you. do it with- out tails ‘is beyond me. “Back to this housing situ- ation, though, I’m told families are being broken up over it, a | unions fF been challenged by the provincial courts, are singled out by Alf Dew of the Labor-Progressive party, in legislature. Dewhurst states that the future of the trade union movement in this province will be profoundly affected by its success in having the ICA Act amended to maintain these principles: 1—The right of*a union: and its. membership to determine who shall join and remain a mem- ber. 2—The right of a worker to join the union of his choice, and, where jurisdiction is disputed, for the unions and their mem- bers involved to determine the dispute. lows: “The interests of the people of B.C. and the welfare of this pro- vince demand that action be taken at once to amend the ICA Act to halt the now unfolding conspiracy of anti-union employers to break up the trade union movement. A pattern is being set whereby through court actions, intimidating union officers, bankrupting union treasuries and preventing the free functioning of a trade union em- ployers in devious ways are tying up the trade unions.” cently presented to Labor Minis- ter John Cates by district and local ofticers of the International Union of: Mine, Mill and Smelter Work- ers, This union is to be commen- ded for the forthright manner in which it has laid bare the conspi- racy on the part of anti-union em- Text of Dewhurst’s statement fol- | LPP fights for ights in ICA amendments Two trade union principles, both of which in recent months have Labor Relations Board and the hurst, provincial trade union director a statement issued this week urging amendment of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act by the the act guarantees every individual the right to membership by law. If that interpretation is allowed to stand it means that no union will have the power to determine who can join or continue mem- bership. The courts, and through the courts the employers, will have seized that right. No union, or for that matter any: other or- ganization, can afford to stand for such an outrageous state of affairs. ; The same applies to the question of jurisdiction. The principle of joining a union of one’s own choice is the very essence of free trade unionism. This inalienable right has been won through many Dit- ter struggles. But during the past year we have had two outstanding cases where the Labor Relations Board has taken upon itself the power of determining this all-im- portant. question. Where two or more unions claim jurisdiction over certain workers or industries this dispute must re- main the property of the unions and the workers involved. State intervention to determine what union a worker must join cannot be tolerated by the trade union movement. To do so means the end of free trade unionism and a passing over to outright state con- TrOlC the sole marketing agency for ey sick and tired a being | animals,” I ventured. ieee Wane age araMmeL all Gein ieee onic cegieame ae vance Seabee atked for in ! ie “roponars je eects “you: Have,” ghe” said’ the whole-heartedly agree with this |covered in the legislative demands = 3 : ai nkey. “Yo re al- i i > re- . ini creased financial aid from the pro- know if I'd be happier living monkey ou humans are a statement.contained in a letter re- | placed before Labor Minister Cates by the International Union of Mine Mill and Smelter Workers. This employee shall have the right of membership in any trade union of his own choice, and maintain his membership, if accepted, in good standing and have the right to par- ticipate in the activities of said ; lousy. But what about the vet- il j = ie id AN eats REE ea ea ae ployers to use their interpretation | union, providing he abides by the ; \ Compared to the treatment Re ae r of the ICA Act, the Labor Rela-j constitution and bylaws of that or- e ec A bate ce ianded bythe wane at cause there aren’t eagugh tions Board, and the courts to de-/ ganization.” ity hall 10nk © sitti ROUSE TO cpeen Prenat ieee termine who can belong to a union, | This proposed amendment is ay city , We monks are sitting |the matter, no building mater- DERE ey new officers Vancouver Labor Council (CCL) |. held annual elections of officers this week, and returned Pen Baskin, United Steelworkers, as president. He defeated William Stewart, Ma- rine Workers, 58 to 22. Jim Bury was re-elected as sec- retary-treasurer, defeating Charles MeKendrick, Longshoremen, 59 to 21. George Mitchell, IWA, was re- turned as vice-president by accla- { mation. Chairmanship of the legislative || committee went to Dick Henham, }| CBRE, who defeated George Brown of Marine Workers, 55 to 25. Others elected were: } Legislative committee membé€rs: Nat Sadler, B.C. Woodworkers; George Home, B.C. Federation of Labor; Tom MacKenzie, IWA; Con- nie Stewart, Office and Professional Workers, oe Organizational committee: Hugh Allison, chairman, Canadian Bro- therhood of Railway Employees; William Symington, United Pack- inghouse Workers; Dan Radford, Canadian Congress of Labor; Law- rence Vandale, IWA, New West- Grievance Committee: Jack Lu- cas, chairman, Building and Con- pretty. “For a while there was a rumor going the rounds that we were all to be packed off to Calgary and our quarters turn- ed over to the war veterans. Believe me, I felt sorry for those poor boys. The bears’ cages might have been all right for humans, if they threw a tarpaulin over the bars; but this monkey-house is too drafty for any of our hairless relatives to live in, “Now I understand council has decided to spend $50,000 to fix up the joint a bit. Well, that’s all right with me. But I still feel sorry for those poor homeless vets and unemployed. Some of us here are thinking of setting up a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Hu- mans.” : a ials? Shortage of carpenters? No laborers?” “It’s not that,” I said. “There are plenty of unemployed work- ers, and no shortage of mater- ials. It seems t&at the people who have the money to build houses don’t want to do it be- cause they say the people who pay rents can’t afford to pay them enough to make _ the amount of profit they demand. Or something like that.” “TI can’t understand these hu- man-shines,” said the monkey. I didn’t like the tone of the conversation and ‘walked away. Passing the bears’ cage, a young bruin leaning against the bar hiccuped twice and said: “Come here, bud. I want to talk to you—you just don’t look right to me!” But I had had enough. I fled. and what union a worker must join, : These two questions must be the central demands the trade union movement makes upon the legis- lature at the coming session. While other \demands for legislation ad- vanced by the trade unions are important and warrant the support of all progressives they can only be considered as secondary in re- lation to these two principle ques- tions. The right of determining who can join and remain a member of a union must never be allowed | to pass out of the hands of the | unions and their memberships. This is the very essence of free- dom and pertains to all free voluntary : organizations. All organizations set certain standards of membership and es- tablish rules governing that mem- Canadian Slav Congress will be held in Toronto in May — TORONTO bership. For an outside power to have the authority to set aside those standards and rules is tantamount to control of the organization pas- sing out of the hands of the mem- bership and into the hands of the outside power. : This is the issue at stake in the Kuzych case. Kuzych is an anti- union element who has appeared against the-union as an employer clear and concise. It expresses in simple language that which every henest trade unionist wants, name- ly the right to determine union membership and the right of join- ing the union of his preference. These are cardinal] demands and warrant the support of al] trade unionists. The issues involved are of a life and death character for the trade union movement. The Labor-Progressive party pledges its unqualified support to the winning of this amendment to honest and sincere people to give full movement in this important fight for trade union rights and demo- eracy. our supporters, trade unionists; CCF’ers and progressives to send or participate their local MLA,. before February 13, demanding that he support and vote for this amendment to the ICA Act. - IN MEMORIAM William Bennett SEA and SHORE Section 3 (1) and calls upon all ~ support to the trade union. We urge all our members;. in delegations to — vas The Canadian Slav Committee has issued an official call to all Slavic Canadians to support and elect delegates to the First Canadian Slav Congress, which is to be held in Toronto, May 19, 20 and 21. Under the slogan “For Brotherhood, Unity, Peace!” the call outlines : the aims of the congress and calls on “all Slavic organizations and yf : ; groups which support these aims to send delegates to this Congress.” 3 ) ‘ :; ‘Now that the call is out, preparations for the Congress will go Oy Reaches India safely ahead with full tempo,” declared John Boyd, executive secretary of the M Jp committee. “Within the next two weeks all Slav organizations and all Sin ee Vancouver friends of Sew@| Slay committees will receive the call together with a circular letter, &h, who left Canada some! outlining what they must do to help guarantee a successful congress.” Months ago to return to India, will be glad to hear he arrived home Hundreds of delegates and guests, from all parts of Canada, are witness. And Mr. Justice Whitta- ker, in finding that Kuzych had been illegally expelled from ‘the Boilermakers Union, based his find- ings on the interpretation he placed upon Section 3 (1) of the ICA Act, which reads: “Every employee shall have the right to be a member of a trade union or employees’ orga- nization in which he is eligible for membership and to participate in the lawful activities thereof.” struction Workers; Stewart Mac- Kenzie, Longshoremen; Ewart Orr, Steelworkers; Stewart Alsbury, IWA; George Gieger, Steelworkers. CLUB, LPP TRAIL-ROSSLAND | CLUB, LPP “Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts.’ | | safely on December 15. “My best | expected to attend this historic gathering. While the majority of the} Mr, Justice Whittaker interprets —Shakespeare regards to the numerous friends| delegates will be from organizations and groups, many prominent Slavic|this section of the act to mean - I made while living in British Co-| Canadians, of various beliefs and convictions and from all walks of life, | that no union can deny union mem- lumbia,” writes Sewa. are also being invited. bership to any individual because | \aaaIaaaaEEEIEEEesE, ; ‘ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 27, 1950—PAGE 7%