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More opposition to autonom

TORONTO — _ International
building trades unions are con-
tinuing their opposition to the
autonomy resolutions passed at
the last Canadian Labor Con-

gress convention held in May

of this year. The first negative
response came from the Plumb-
ers International Union (see CLC
autonomy challenged, Tribune,
June 12, 1974). The Carpenters’
International Union then follow-
ed suit with its own reaction-
ary backsli ding (see Labor
Briefs, this issue’. And now the
International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers is getting
into the act.

Some IBEW locals have sub-
mitted resolutions, in accord
with the decisions made at the
CLC convention, calling for more
Canadian autonomy. Delegates
from Local 105 IBEW in Hamil-
ton passed a resolution calling
for a special Canadian conven-
tion to draft an exclusively Can-
adian constitution.

But resolutions for Canadian
autonomy submitted by local
unions may never reach the floor
of the International convention
because a report for discussion
on Canadian autonomy has al-
ready been drafted by the sub-
committee of the International
Executive Council. The report by
the sub-committee would limit
the discussion simply to changes
in the nomenclature of the con-
Stitution and not deal with the
Substantive issues that are call-

According to press reports the
Canadian Labor Congress plans
a conference this fall to assess
labor’s role in politics and in the
financing of the. New Democra-
tic Party. This is all very well. It
needs: considerable discussion,
particularly as to what labor did
in the recent elections and what
happened to the NDP.

However, what happened on
July 8 last, is not only the busi-
ness of the NDP and the labor
leaders who support that party.
The election results were a dis-
aster for labor and strengthened
the hand of the big corporations
and their influence in Parliament.

- The reason why this happened

is well worth discussing from
the viewpoint of drawing some
conclusions as to what has to be
done’ now, and not only at the
next Federal election, by voting
for the NDP.

The big oil monopolies and
mining corporations are already
taking advantage of the situa-
tion to lobby the new majority
Liberal government for tax con-
cessions in the forthcoming fe-
deral budget. Everybody must
have seen the full-page adver-
tisements aimed to misinform
the public about the true situa-
tion and paving the way for Mr.
Turner to do the job for them.
Plenty of time is to be allowed
from September 26, when Par-
liament convenes, to possibly
November before a budget is
brought in so that the poison
propaganda will have time to do
its damage to the public. mind.

The question arising from this
is obvious., What is the trade
union movement as a whole. go-

_ ing to do about this? Is it going

to sit it out, as indeed it did dur-
ing the election, and leave it all
to the NDP to combat? This time
the NDP in the 30th Parliament
does not wield any great influ-
ence on the Trudeau government
as it did in the last house. That

ed for in the resolution by Local
105. For example, the sub-com-
mittee’s report calls for the re-
placing of “‘first district” in the
constitution with “first district—
Canada” and the term “North
America” will be substituted the
another innovation — “United
States and Canada.”

Aside from the nomenclature
changes the subcommittee has
little to show for its meeting
despite the fact that nine briefs
were submitted to it by Can-
adian locals.

Missing in the subcommittee’s
report is any reference to the
demand made by Local 105 to
the one standard passed at the
CLC that would go a long way
in ensuring self-government
within the Canadian section —
the national policy conference
to establish Canadian policy.

Further evidence of. the
IBEW’s. lackadaisical attitude

towards the wishes of its Can-
adian membership is exemplified
in the subcommittee’s answer to
criticisms of the union’s news-
paper, the IBEW Journal, which
usually ignores the fact that
Canada has different laws, cus-
toms, traditions and that Can-
ada is bilingual. ‘Nothing is per-
fect” was the response and it
suggested that if there was dis-
satisfaction local unions should
publish their own newsletter.

To date, the response of most
of the building trades to the
CLC’s autonomy resolutions has
not been’ encouraging. The
Plumber’s used the. threat of
withdrawal from the CLC and
the Carpenters simply postponed
any decision. The IBEW’s ap-
proach to the problem has been
to institute token chatiges while
still failing to deal with the real
issues involved in the struggle
for Canadan autonomy.

Many delegates at the last
CLC convention in Vancouver
argued that the autonomy reso-
lutions needed “more teeth” and

_this demand was answered with

“the resolution has all the teeth
it needs.” It now remains for the
officers and executive members
of the CLC, many of whom ran
as “reform” candidates, to apply
the pressures needed to bring the
recalcitrant building trades
unions and any others that are
stalling on the question of Can-
adian autonomy, into line and to
use their new-found “teeth.”

=e *

is, unless a huge mass move-
ment of pressure is developed
outside of parliament in the form
of strikes, demonstrations, mass
meetings, petitions, newspaper
ads, radio and television ads,
and so on. In short, what is
needed is another campaign to
win the public mind away from
the big corporate lobby and turn
its eyes on the real problems of

“this country and its people.

The trade union leaders must
learn that ‘spitting against the
wind throws the saliva right
back in one’s face’. That is
exactly what happens to a labor
movement which relegates the
most important tasks to. some-
one else — in this case the NDP
—and merely exhorts people to
vote NDP and all problems will
ipso facto disappear. What utter
nonsense and irresponsibility. It
is precisely this narrow irres-
ponsible approach which back-
fired last July 8th.

Since April, 1973, the Bank
of Canada lending rates have
doubled. But even more signific-
ant is the fact that_this time the
private banks and monopolies
are leading the demand for ris-
ing interest rates and Bank of
Canada simply follows their
command, Almost complete an-
archy has descended upon our
monetary and fiscal policy of
government. But what else can
one expect from a capitalist sys-
tem where complete anarchy
prevails in production, com-
merce and in everything else?
No overall planning is possible
unless the private monopoly em-
pires have their wings clipped.

Certainly this is not going to
be done by the Trudeau Liberals.
But, — and this is something
labor needs to explain — while
the PC’s campaigned openly for
a wage and price freeze contri-
buting to their defeat, there is
absolutely no guarantee that a

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1974—PAGE 4

a ? f
Kar c rere ‘eal! ¢
por s roieé Mus

5, SL ELT WS Ro

Liberal government will forever
abstain‘ from using such a
weapon to clobber labor if the
big business moguls demands it
be done.

To break the political strangle-
hold of the monopolies and cor-
porate giants in Canadian poli-
tics requires combined efforts of
the political left, the labor move-
ment as a whole and all progres-
sive-minded Canadians.

The giant problems now fac-
ing the working class and the
people cannot be solved at the
bargaining table. Labor must
resort to effective political action
to influence and make policy at
the political level of govern-
ment. It must enter into con-
tests for seats in local councils,
provincial: legislatures and the
federal parliament.

' But, above all, it must recog-
nize the character of an unceas-
ing class struggle going on all
the time for popular needs
against those who deny those
needs for selfish profit motives.

Political action, therefore, is
not just casting a vote at elec-
tion time. It is also agitation,
education and mass action out-
side of parliament and legisla-
tures, and in support of policies
advanced in the interest of the
working class and democratic
forces. Working class and demo-
cratic unity is the key to anti-
monopoly struggle, and not sec-
tarian division which weakens
the working people and strength-
en the position ‘of its enemies.

ic RA RAREST GP

It would be good if both the’

trade union and NDP leaders
heeded some of the lessons of
the last election battle and took
some. steps towards a much
broader and more effective plan
for political action on a year
around and everyday basis. Such
political action must be based on
a consistent economic and social
program directed against mono-
poly capital. —

Sak fo) Rs

RAIL NON-OPS ASK
FOR WAGE INCREASE

OTTAWA == The Association
of Non-Operating Railway
Unions has asked Canadian rail-
ways to reopen contracts and
give their 55,000 members in-
terim wage adjustments.

In telegrams to Canadian Na-
tional Railways and CP Rail
union spokesman R. C. Smith
said “the effects of inflation over
the past year have all but wiped
out the wage increases provided
in the settlement by parliamen-
tary action and the arbitration
of Mr. Justice Emmett Hall.”

eas

AIR CANADA PILOTS
ISSUE STRIKE WARNING

OTTAWA — Pilots for Air
Canada issued a strike warning
claiming that contract
have broken down.

A spokesman for the 1,200
pilots said no strike deadline
has been set but the pilots’ as-
sociation has applied. for a $4
million loan from a bank in the
event of a work stoppage.

“Talks have produced very
little so far and we are making
preparations for alternative ac-
tion,” said the spokesman for
the Canadian Airline Pilots As-
sociation.

PSYCHIATRIC NURSES
WIN PAY INCREASES

TORONTO — Ontario’s 1,500
psychiatric nurses have received
pay increases of between 34 and
45% over 15 months. This brings
the starting salary for a nurse
with less than a year’s exper-
ience, to $850 a month from
$700; a nurse with five years ex-
perience will receive $1,020 a
month, up from $787. The new

, contract expires in September,

1975.

WOODWORKERS
APPROVE ONE-YEAR
CONTRACT

VANCOUVER — West Coast
members of the International

talks:

~with Ontario Hydro.

HAMILTON — With the Firestone strike going into its sini
the striking workers have begun to picket the Firestone o}
in Burlington in the hopes of stopping a delivery truck.

men pictured were extremely bitter about the length ome
and are looking forward to a big Labor Day parade to °C —
force to protest against the company.

Woodworkers of America havé
approved a new one-year “
tract with the forest industty:
And directors of 40 southem ”
interior forest companies V0
67% in favor of accepting | j
proposed one-year contract Ve a
more than 8,000 members of if ~
IWA.

—_—_——-

POSTPONEMENT FOR ©
CARPENTERS’ :
AUTONOMY a

CHICAGO — The a fi
Union has postpon
mediate action on a resolution
to provide more autonomy
Canadian members.

The 2,500 delegat
overwhelmingly to send 4 ott
solution to the union’s oreo
tive committee. The seat q
which sparked heated | by
came following a spec! the
Joe Morris, president % — }
Canadian Labor Congress: for

It postponed any action |
this convention on CLC ae oh
mendations that Canadlar ons ei
filiates of international
be given more self-gove

—_—_—

HYDRO WORKERS
PREPARE FOR STRIKE

joo

LONDON, Ont. — A (Miata
spokesman said last weer
about 1,500 electricians tat?
linesmen employed at acto
Hydro’s 93 .work sites ie
the province will go
this week. the
A union spokesman sald el
action is being taken to ation F
delays in contract negO™" — ff

Negotiations for a
tract began in Ann 2 Kes” [ie

Both Hydro an nces |
men say out-of-town alloy Og
for workers, seniority, !* 5
and board and pay for Hee
when travelling to job sispute
the main issues in the ot p

Electricians and lines cut |
ployed at the Hydro ee pout |
rently earn $7.50 to $9 é