Labor demands special legislative
session to deal with strike issues

Full support. for the B.C. Federation of Labor's (CCL) demand for
special session of the legislature to deal with the strike situation was urged th
week by the Labor-Progressive party in a statement from Maurice Rush,
labor secretary. Rush exressed thé opinion that the federation’s proposal wou
be welcomed by all public-spirited citizens and would meet with the endorsatie

_of the entire trade union movement.

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FRIDAY, JULY 25, 1952-

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Editorial

Truman apes Malan

T= China Daily News, leading independent Chinese-language
daily newspaper on this continent, which has been published
in New York since 1940, is in danger of being suppressed.

Daily News on trumped up violations of Trading With

The Enemy Act.

Behind this attempt to suppress a progressive newspaper
stand the sinister forces of the Kuomintang in North America,
‘whose own press has lost no opportunity ‘to slander ithe China

Daily News.

When the Peron regime suppressed the influential Buenos

Aires daily, La Prensa, every Canadian daily carried editorials

denouncing ‘the Arg

entine dictator’s attack on the freedom of

the press. But where are these same bold champions of a
free press now \that a progressive newspaper is threatened and
by the US. administration? Their’ silence is the measure of

their hypocrisy.

The suppression of any progressive paper anywhere is
the suppression of the liberties of ‘the people to voice their
opposition to venal and antidemocratic governmental policies.

that all

China Daily
‘the

“

rights and privileges be restored to the
Forward your protest and fimancial aid
News, 105 Mott Street, New York 13,

Union disrup

SMA

In his statement Rush charg-
ed B.C, politicians with hiding
behind the confusion caused by
the recent !provincial elections
to evade responsibility in the
present strike situation. Regard-
lesy of what party might form a
government, he said, the newly-
elected legislature had the re-
sponsibility of coming to grips
with this situation as quickly as
possible in the people’s interests.
Further delay in getting action
by the legislature could only aid
the employers, who wanted the
strikes drawn out in the hope
that this: would weaken and dis-
rupt the unions and force them
to retreat without any wage
gains. :

The LPP labor secretary urg-
ed that ho time be lost by the
trade unions and other interest;
ed organizations and citizens in
giving full support to the B.C,
Federation of Labor’s demand
for a special session of the leg-
islature.

In, addition to voicing support
for the BCFL proposals for a
special session, delegates to
Greater Vancouver Labor Coun-

cil (CCL) voted $50 to the [WA -

strike and appealed to all af-
filiate members to pledge $1
per week per member to the
IWA strike fund. It also called
for a special emergency meeting
of the CCL national executive

tion by packers

forced union to call off strike;
Indian fishermen intimidated

The strike of 6000 B.C. fisher-
men and shore workers, sched-
uled to go into effect on Monday
this week was called off follow-
ing extended executive sessions
of the United Fishermen and Al-
lied Workers Union. (UFAWU)

Reasons for calling off the
strike are given in a press re-
lease issued by the UFAWU.

“A recommendation that a
strike of salmon net fishermen
at this time be not proceeded
with is being forwarded to all
points along the Coast following
two-day meeting of the general
executive board of the UFAWU
with delegates in attendance
‘from locals in Vancouver, the
raser River and up-coast points
aincluding Rivers and Smith’s In-
‘let and Prince Rupert.  Presi-
ent William Scow and Business
Agent Ed: Nahaney of the Na-
tive Brotherhood also “attended
the sessions. |

“The recommendation follow-—
-ed a review at the meeting of

‘the strike ballot taken at the
-end of last week. The combin-
-ed vote of UFAWU and Native

i, Brotherhood fishermen showed

tions in the strike vote of fisher-

men in different organizations,

. areas, and to some extent types

of gear, led the committee to
the reluctant conclusion that it
would be- unwise to take any

other course of action.”’ bs

Faced with the salmon can-
ning operators’ demands for a
drastic cut in fish prices, leav-
ing only sockeye sities at 1951
levels, UFAWU members had
voted rejection of these price
cuts and prepared for strike ac-
tion. Meantime the organized
packers, utilizing the plea of un-
certain market conditions and
the existence of a 623,000-case
earryover from the 1951 pack,
launched an extensive campaign
of disruption in certain sections
of the union in an effort to
head off the strike and create

dissension in the union ranks. —

_ Union spokesmen charge that
packers resorted to every form
of intimidation against the Na-
tive Indian fishermen in efforts
to split off this decisive section
of the fishermen in the struggle
to win better prices. Indian
Agents were called in to help
the packers break the unity of

the fishermen, by threatening

the Indian fishermen and shore-
workers with curtailment of
credits and relief,

How successful the organized
packers have been in this dis-
ruptive move can be seen in the

Vancouver Sun of July 23, where
it quotes President Scow of the
Native Brotherhood as saying:

“Billy Scow, president of the
Native Brotherhood of B.C., said
even if UFAWU fishermen reject
the back-to-work proposal, In-.
dians would sign a _ separate
agreement accepting canners’
fish price ,cuts.

“Arrangements have been
made with Fisheries. Association
of B.C. for a quick signing,
Scow indicated. But Indians
will not go out to the fishing
grounds until the result of the
UFAWU ballot is known.’

This ballot, to accept the re-
‘commendation of the UFAWU
general executive board to call
off the strike, was not fully
tabulated as the Pacific Tribune
went to press. but incomplete re-
sults showed a 60 percent major-
ity to fish. :

‘Although the fishing stoppage

is tentatively in effect until the
ballot returns are in, the New
Westminster UFAWU has auth-
orized one boat to fish in the
Fraser River area in support of
the IW strike,

Workers in the Canadian Can-
ners plants on Lulu Island and
in Vancouver voted 95 to 26
this week to accept a classified
wage increase, ranging from 7

cents to 15 cents per hour, re-

troactive to April 1.

GORDON SLOAN

’

to consider supporting action
for the striking lumberworkers.

~On Thursday this week, Chief
Justice Gordon Sloan, acting as
mediator in the IWA strike, told
the press:

“J have this morning handed
to the operators and the union a
statement of what I believe to
be, under the circumstances, a
fair settlement of the dispute.

“T have requested both sides
to notify me by Monday noon
next of their acceptance or re-
jection thereof.

“Should the union require ad-
ditional time in which to obtain
the views of its membership on .
my suggested settlement, I
would be pleased to agree to ex-
tend the deadline beyond the
time fixed.” ear

‘Together with the Labor-Pro-
gressive party, numerous trade
union spokesmen in both AFL
and CCL have voiced the opinion
that the IWA strike has now
reached a decisive stage, and
that only by the widest support-
ing action along the lines advo-
cated by the B.C. Federation of
Labor, can the deadlock be
broken and the lumberworkers
win their just wage demands.

In an effort to break the dead-
lock in negotiations and end the
long strike tieup in the construc-
tion industry, the provincial La-
bor Relations Board has called
a joint session of carpenters and

building contractors for Thurs-
day this week to ‘“‘explore’’ new

avenues for settlement. |

Union spokesmen were stating
‘that the board’s last proposal
for a 10-cent an hour wage in-
crease, (which contractors
agreed to and then rejected)
would be the main point raised
by them at the talks. | ;

It 1s rumored that plans are
under way by the Building
Trades to send a delegation to
Vancouver City Hall this week,
urging that council take steps to
mediate the dispute.

\

\
,

_ by the Cooperative Commom
_wealth

charge” in connection with ©

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JULY 25, 1952 — PAGE

Continued

CCF

4. That the bombing of the
° Yalu River power stations
by U.S. planes must be condemn
ed. Premier T. C. Douglas pan
address to a banquet sponsor

Youth Movement
(CCYM), warned against “mili:
tary megalomaniacs who miél
plunge the world into global W#
and pointed out the danger °
world war had not been ended
by the dismissal of General Ma‘

Arthur. se
5 That the People’s Republi

* of China should be admitte
to the United Nations. os

G, While re-affirming its faith
.* in the United Nations, the
body must not be allowed t0 ©
dominated by any one nation:
The resolution declared:
aggressiveness. of
elements jin the USA every ©"
increases the danger of bev
thrown into catastrophic wor
war.” 2

7, That expenditures on ard
* aments should be reduc?
in.favor of “useful governm!
services,”’ not only for the Be
nomic assistance of the- people
of other countries, but als” 1
improving the life of the peor
of Canada. The St. Laur®
government was called upo?
institute a national healt
surance scheme, and more
eral aid to education was
cated,

On a number of key provincl#
affairs, there was evidence i
stronger approach by the on
vention than «in past ye"
ow
en

The convention struck di
proposals for a “aeterig

Saskatchewan Hos pitali2
Plan. This would have ™ erin
necessary for everyone on i
the hospital to pay a certain *

of money. The conyventio ‘oe
sisted that the plan should ast
‘tinue to be free to the individt

and supported out of PO
funds, aS.

It was apparent ‘that ff
thinking of CCF people °
development of Saskatcb
natural resources is placing m
emphasis on the need for P
-ownership. The government
urged to undertake itself t?
tribute natural gas withia
katchewan cities;

Further evidence of the aie
ing desire for public owne™
and development of nature) oe
sources was shown in ne oe
lution approved by the Re
CCF organization, which
gested “that the gove
consider participating i?
production of oil from its oro
reserves through the ™
a crown corporation
ultimate objective of prev
exploitation of consum
petroleum products.” _ :
vA :

BY.

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