‘Most French Canadians belie

they've been

HERE ARE, in Quebec, a
variety of cpinions and
groups seeking to express

the reaction of the French Cana-
dian. Each’ of these groups con-
siders the problem in its own
way and from a different point
of view. There is, however, un-
animity on certain points.

For instance, all French Cana-
dians are humiliated by the
general attitude of English
Canadians toward them, an atti-
tude which they often consider
as arrogance, ignorance and, to
say the least, incapacity to un-
derstand the true dimensions of
“le fait francais.”

They are tired of being dis-
criminated against in big busi-
ness, where they are obliged to
be twice as competent in order
to be as successful as their
English counterpart. They are
tired of the incompetence myth.
They have enough of the one-
sided “bonnentente’”’.

Now five million French
Canadians have their own insti-
tutions and they aim to live and
grow by these institutions. The
time for speeches is over...

Personally, I am against se-
paratism, but if there comes a
day when I can be convinced
that there is no other way to
have a: bilingual Canada, where
French culture can express it-
self, then I shall be obliged to
become an independentist, and I
feel that many are those who
reason the same way.

On the
labor front

HE . Toronto

Strike, the first over

automation in Canada,
merits careful study by the
entire trade union movement
for any useful lessons which
may help it deal more effec-
tively with the problems of
automation and technological
change.

printers’

Learning from each other
while helping each other is
not only a matter of plain
common sense, it is equally
a matter of survival.

One obvious lesson from
the printers’ strike so far is
that no single union can ef-
fectively cope with the prob-
lem without the full backing
of all unions. In this particu-
lar case, craft divisions were
allowed to dominate the situ-
ation instead of being subor-
dinated to what is primary—
an effective united front
against the united front of
employers. In other plants
atid industries such divisions
may not exist but the point
is still valid even where
there is only one union in
an industry:

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

As I said before, the actual
leaders of the independentist
movement are mostly intellec-
tuals who have not yet had re-
sponsibilities in social, economic
and political fields.

But let the leaders of a tradi-
tional political party, like the
Liberal Party or Union Natio-
nale, stand for separatism and
I am convinced that a great
majority of our people will fol-
low them.

If you ignore the separatist
movement and its action to the
extent of not undertaking the
changes that are necessary, you
are making a serious mistake.
You should realize that there
exists in Quebec a strong sense
of dissatisfaction shared by a
large segment of the population
which is a serious threat for the
future of Canada, unless some-
thing is immediately done about
it.

There are those who advoc-
ate a complete rewriting of our
Constitution and who wish to
do away with the British North
America Act. Others would be
satisfied with amendments.

I am not a specialist on these
questions, but I know there are
three kinds of constitution: the
ideal one, the legal one and the
real constitution which lives in
the heart and mind of the peo-
ple. In the last resort, the last
one seems to me the most im-
portant... ‘

Our federal system has never

more than patie!

Published here are excerpts from an ad-
dress by Abbe Gerard Dion of Laval Univer-
sity. The Tribune has stressed that Canada
needs a new confederal pact to replace the
BNA Act and to recognize French Canada's
right to national self-determination. It does
not agree with the emphasis Abbe Dion
places on the importance of the Royal Com- |
mission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism.

The speech is of interest, however, be-
cause it stiiows how deeply the struggle for
national equality has penetrated French-
Canadian society and because it is a warn-
ing to the rest of Canada to recognize the
urgency of the question.

RR OT PETS RPI SIRE

been so seriously threatened as
it is now. On the other hand, I
sincerely believe we have never
had a better opportunity to
settle our difficulties since on
both sides we are now willing
to lay our cards on the table
and to abandon the false secur-
ity of “bonnententisme”,

For the first time in the life

of our nation the federal gov-
ernment is abandoning its Rip
van Winkle attitude and seems
ready to face realities.

The Royal Commission on
Bilingualism and Biculturalism
is a step in the right direc-
tion . . . But let us not forget
very little will be accomplished

if the population of this coun-
try is not ready to give these
recommendations its full sup-
port. :

I am neither an alarmist nor
a dream peddler. My greatest
hope for the future of our
country is to see our English-
Canadian friends realize in
time the seriousness of the situ-
ation.

One thing is sure: The status
quo is no longer possible and
there are many who feel that
this might well be our “last
chance”. I don’t quite agree
with that kind of language and
T am ready to explore all ave-
nues that may lead to a fair and

just solution.

Rightly or Wil
French Canadians ott
they have been ™
tient and there ae
have already lost ‘i
majority of our Pe
in expectancy, —
long?

I sincerely hopé :
Canadians will a.
stand that status 7
paratism, and a:
matism will help
the seriousness Be:
and find appropriaté=

Otherwise, then
ready at hand whic"
would be against ivi
ests of everyone
country. The ee
Canadians becon
there is no poss.
velop ourselves et,
cording to a
Canadian unity,
ready badly shaker
federation will Oe
the growing conv!

Help us to pr
are wrong. That
courage you to 4
ously the work °
Commission 0n © "4
Biculturalism and |
fully with this imP

Do you want ©. im
vive, ta remain dist?
United States, ani
unity within the ©).
two great cultures it
is yours. What shal”

1}

Automation and

strikes

Another lesson, which is
also fairly obvious, is the
need for unions to devise ef-
fective measures to assist
each other when a union is
compelled to go on strike.
One way of doing that is by
pressing for clauses in con-
tracts which would enable
workers to respect the picket
line. This at the same time
could be one way of getting
at or nullifying the injunc-
tion. The importance of this
cannot be underestimated, as
many long-drawn-out or bro-
ken strikes prove: ;

Xe * x

A further conclusion being

' drawn in some quarters is

that the strike weapon is be-
coming ineffective in face of
automation. To buttress this
view, attention is being
drawn to the printers’ strike
which was unable either to
slow down or stop produc-
tion. This, however, is a spe-
cial situation arising from
craft divisions in the indus-
try and the inability of the
un’ons to coordinate their ef-

forts in a way which could
protect the interests of the
workers. :

To draw the conclusion
that strikes may become in-
effective in combatting the
negative effects of automa-
tion is not only hasty but
also wrong. :

It assumes too easily and
too quickly that the workers
and the trade union move-
ment have no bargaining po-
sition and are powerless to
cope with the problem of
automation. If one were to
accept the viewpoint that
strikes are becoming ineffec-
tive, and if alongside this no
alternative program is pre-
sented for which the work-
ers and the trade union move-
ment could fight, all we have
left is the hope that the em-
ployers, out of the goodness
of their hearts, will see that
the workers get justice.

* * *

In reality, however, the
problem as it presents itself
today is not whether. strike

action under certain condi-
tions may or may not be ef-
fective, but what kind of
program the trade union
movement should advance to
‘meet the threat of automa-
tion, and how to fight for
such a program,

Trade unions by and large
still tend to shy away from
what is rather decisive in this
situation: the regulation and
control of automation. Ob-
viously this cannot be won
through econo mic action
alone, that is, through col-
lective bargaining with one
employer alone. It requires
united action by the entire
trade union movement direct-
ed at the government, with
the demand all-embracing leg-
islation be implemented
which would be mandatory
on all employers and could
give some measure of protec-
tion to the workers.

* * *

Such legislation should in-
clude the necessity for prior
consultation with unions be-
fore the introduction of auto-
mated machinery.

introduction ® f
that the worké
by automation

and remain on 8
rolls without !
ings; that the #
ductivity aris! 2
automated proe
flected in incre4
reduced hours a
out Joss of tak&

What is inv)
the extension of *
the trade unions fl
them a say int
worker-manage™

in the plants.
* x

The workers h
experience to kf al
- out the most &
gle neither the ©
the government
such a program if
economic actio® ~
indispensable.

Strike actiot
becoming ineffé i
fact continue ~¢
effective weap?
ers in striving,
advance their int é
automated ag@ h
it is merged wit
of legislative a?
tion by the trade
ment.

E
September 18, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUS"

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