A program for B.C. labor

LABOR COMMITTEE,
B.C. Communist Party

Last week the Labor Committee
of the B.C. Communist Party
warned against the growing divi-
sions that have arisen in the
trade union movement, We said
then, and repeat now, that trade
union leaders need to put an
end to this internecine warfare
and get at the big problems fac-
ing the working class.

This will mean the unions tackl-
ing more than just contractual
matters and job conditions, They

must raise their sights to the
foreign and domestic policy prob-
lems the country is facing.

We would divide the issues
that require attention into six
points,

1. CANADA’S FOREIGN
POLICY INJURIOUS TO LABOR:
Canada’s foreign policy needs to
be changed, It is presently a
policy geared to serve U.S. big
business, whose aims are sub-
jugation and exploitation of work-
ing people like ourselves the
world over. Evidence of that
truth can be seen by the U.S.

ee

Aw

Z

” ar
ae ,
—

Apfel

LZ
6a7

LLL LL?
EES,

—The Fisherman

JOBS

Cont'd from pg. 2

“Finally,” says the Brief,
‘*Crows Nest Industries has con-
tracted for the shipment of so
much coal to Japan that the gov-
ernment of B,C, deems it worth
while to build, at government ex-
pense, a new port facility at
Roberts Bank.”

Labor also charges that ap-
proximately 80 percent of. the
steel work for B,C, Hydro proj-
ects has been let to foreign com-
panies, with Japan receiving 59
percent of the total work,

**If the present policy contin-
ues it will not be long before
Canadians truly become cnly
*hewers of wood, and drawers of
water,’” says the Brief. Govern-
ment policy, it adds, ‘‘must as-
sure the Canadian people that
the development of our raw ma-
terials will never be used to ad-
versely affect the employment of
Canadian workers,”

Signed by VLC president E.C.
Sims and secretary C.P, Neale,
the Brief expresses labor’s view
that ‘‘when our governments give
foreign investors the privilege of
investing in the natural resources
of our country, they must require
that these investors accept the
responsibility of using Canadian
workmen and Canadian products,
and that they only be allowed to
use the products of their own
nation for this development if no
firm in Canada can supply the
required material,”

JAILINGS

Cont'd from pg. 1

ed for a stop to persecution of
labor by the government and
courts on behalf of big business.
The leaflet noted that in the last
few years the courts had granted
300 injunctions, 256 against pick-
eting, and more recently senten-
cing of workers to prison for
violations of a court dictum,

“The vicious sentence against
the leadership of the UFAWU and
threat by Mr. Justice Dohm of
longer sentences, illustrates how
big business is using the courts
to serve their own ends,” says
the statement.

The Communist Party charges
that the Bennett government is
responsible for this persecution;
that their economic policies and
encouragement of U.S, control
and alienation of our resources
and their complete lack of con-
cern over the future of workers
displaced by automation, are
policies that are most unpopular,
hence their effort to harass and
weaken the labor movement,

EE
Enjoy Good, Home-Cooked
Meals at

Jennie’s Cafe
335 Main St.

@ Modern equipment

@ Dining room service

June 23, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 12

role in Asia (Vietnam) the Mid-
dle East, (instigator of Israeli
attack on Arab countries) Latin
America, (occupation of the Do-
minican Republic and counter-
revolution in Guatamala), as well
as fomenting division and strife
in a number of African countries.

The old motto of an attack on
one worker is an attack on all
is more applicable today than
ever before, Workers must, in
their unions, discuss the need
for solidarity, for peace as it
relates to human survival, and
the effect of war costs on living
standards,

The U.S, administration said,
“We can afford both ‘guns and
butter’.” U.S, economist Seymour
Melman writing on August 5,
1966 debunked that statement by
saying: “The myth of the United
States as an ‘affluent society’ is
dead, The nation must now face
the stern reality of the economic
problem — making a choice about
what comes first.” There are 30
million Americans living in dire
poverty with an additional number
in substandard conditions.

2, ECONOMIC TRENDS: On
March 18, 1967 the Financial
Post had an editorial titled “Can
Recession be Avoided?” in which
reference is made to various
branches of industries: “Steel
production on.a slow downslide,
Auto plants lay off more men.
Pulp prices turn soft. Textile
mills find inventories too high.
Contracts awarded for non-resi-
dential building down again.”

Although these facts are in-
teresting, especially considering
the source, many workers are
aware and do not need to be
told of the downward trend in the
economy because of their own
experiences. Many _ building
trades, shipyard, and lumber
workers are now without jobs.
There were 41,000 unemployed
at. the end of April in B.C.

The problem of economic de-
cline is accentuated because of
the imbalance in our economy.
U.S. control has converted Can-
ada mainly into an exporter of
raw materials, It is estimated
that over 60 percent of British
Columbia’s resources are either
owned or controlled by U.S. mono-
polies. Time is running out on
the need for planned development,

The giveaway of our water
resources, (Columbia River
treachery) despoliation of pro-
vincial parks by mining interests,
pollution of air and water, and
this monstrous freeway proposal
for Vancouver, represents almost
irreparable damage. These
measures are all predicated on
policies of expediency to further
monopoly profits,

This situation has to be chang-
ed. However this crisis-ridden

-system and its stalwarts, refuse

such changes. The task will have
to be undertaken by working
people to develop Canada ina
planned way to its full potential
as a manufacturing country.

3. CHALLENGE OF AUTO-
MATION: Continuing introduction
of automation makes planning
more imperative, Without proper
planning the benefits from tech-
nological advance will not only
go exclusively to the monopoly
owners of industry, but will be-
come a curse to the working
people, Ar illustration of the
above trend is seen in the Cana-
dian Labor Congress estimates
that between 1961 and 1965, cor-
poration profits rose 67 percent,
weekly wages and salaries by only

16 percent, This situation has to
be drastically changed.

We call for democratic control
and economic planning in the
interests of the people. In the
contracts that many unions will
be negotiating inthe coming year,
this demand will.be raised in
one formi’or another, These con-’
tract negotiations will be taking
place in an atmosphere of in-
security because of economic de-
cline and labor displacement by
automation.

The employers, government
conciliators, and right-wing
leaders would like very much
to remove this key question from
the bargaining tables, as was done
by Judge Nathen Nemetz in the
IWA negotiations, because it
challenges the concept of resi-

’ dual management rights,

If the working class is. to
cope with job security it has
to deal with it at both levels,
at the collective bargaining and
parliamentary levels. Otherwise
the problem will remain tucked
away in some august body’s
pigeon-hole,

4, CONTRACT NEGOTIA-
TIONS: In addition to this key
demand, labor needs to maintain
its militancy on other fronts,
There is a campaign on trying
to prove that a cut-back in hours
of work does not provide addi-
tional jobs, and therefore is of
no value. The employers have
always been opposed to shorter
hours becausd
hours because they interfere with
the continuous flow of profits.
They have even killed workers
to prevent such gains, (Haymarket
massacre, 1886), Unions need
to fight for shorter hours of
work, higher wages, and better
working conditions.

These things are the products
of human labor made possible in
greater measure by technological
advances, It is not a question,
as the employers would like us
to think, of meriting concessions
based on their class code, but
the workers as the creators of
the good things enjoying their
fruits,

5. WORKERS IN POSITION OF
LEADERSHIP: More attention
is required to parliamentary work
from the unions, There is a
tendency to leave the matters of
government and rule to the em-
ployers’ representatives.
Workers understand in contrac-
tual relations the need to or-
ganize and fight for conditions,
A similar outlook and planned
approach is required toward par-
liamentary work,

This is true for apeace policy,

_ for control over our economy,
‘ for planned development,for price

control, lower taxes, adequate
social services and a host of
other questions,

PT Centennial
issue next week

Next week the Pacific
Tribune will publish its Can-
ada Day Centennial issue
in color. Its 12 pages will
carry mony features on
Canadian and B.C. history
which our readers will not
want to miss.

Order a special bundle
now for distribution to your
friends and workmates.
Orders should be in no later
than next Wednesday noon.

‘of administration 2”

denied by the provinel

More education 18 reault

5
the unions on these matte?
addition, labor ae
contest in a big way te? aa

cas!
government and other posit! A
control, Labor’s rights: a
al 60" f

W5
ment with its ant a ail
j ions, ©
court injunctions, a a att

vest j

realized without Te
‘employers’ represen gore
the positions of poweF
ment, a
Since 1955, 297 ee ye
were applied for bY ora

and of that number OM)
denied, Do we need ys
dence to illustrate the nt”
of the courts and presen
ment?

sh

6, LABOR unrTysconep
Workers can no more? ai!
above objectives with ‘ert!
house and lack of os ye
the unions, than #f
unorganized.

ey: unity, stent 9
timately an inde
trade union move ts fo"
dispensible ingredle?
gains and advances

The B,C. Federalll ioght
leadership needs t a oot
the labor movemen ob
struggle for the aboy satel i
They should imme i
for the most effective | the if
of all the unions
negotiations.

Pl
acts
Many union on ton a

i

up for re-negotar ” is?
some of the mal? west”
Marine workers | wos
Bridge; United set
American Can) ; pc!
Wiremen 213, 28 at; Oy
Ironworkers, C4% eeretl fi
ters, provincial 48°”
Mill, Cominco way: 0%
rat

Canadian Pulp; of
tract; amalgamate os f
of Telephone W ck pp

unions structul

necessary, InOM og, og
ute
jurisdictional an od WO ae

Inseparably the we
to achieve unity ’~. ine fu
the Federation ie
express theil soli
locals of intern@® "oir ?
their right t0 TY out Ooi
fairs, because wi wil”
control of union® — inde f)
possible to gain © abot C]

Canadian policY ag!
to be effectiv® n “
their organizati® va

ee percent i sty
force is organize. yn0"E
40 percent that ant al
are largely ser ny youn isf
workers where ymen ae.
have found emP™ ice ea
the utmost IMP" ja yf

of working can i
sector y Oye y

the new

labor movements eth ie
things th oY hol! 4
Labor execull {01

peril — bi8 ae
Canadian—©¢ Ws!

lenge of
force capa
organized