FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1958

Where did Knowles
get authority?

By WILLIAM KASHTAN
A. €LC-CCF
statement signed
Knowles and issued last week
declared that the LPP and some
unions in B.C. would not be ad-

mitted to conferences on politi-

joint policy

by Stanley

eal action currently being held
by the CCF and B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor because their par-
ticipation would be contrary to
both CLC and CCF policy.
This brings to the forefront
the actual text the CLC
political action resolution
adopted earlier this year.

of

The resolution placed before
the labor movement the task of
bringing united
parliamentary action “an effec-
tive alternative political force

together in

based. on the needs of.workers,
farmers and similar groups...
interested in basic social reform
and reconstruction through our
parliamentary system of gov-
ernments” which should pro-
vide “for the broadest possible
participation of all individuals
and groups.”

This is clear enough. Nothing
was in the resolution
which would limit participation
or exclude individuals ‘or
groups who support the aims of
the resolution from becoming
part of this broad new political
movement.

saia

But this
terpretation given the resolu-
tion by the CCE
leadership. They see it not as
a means of building
broad people’s movement. but
rather as a cover under which
the trade union movement can
be tied to the political apron
strings of the CCF.

is obviously the in-
right-wing
right-wing

such a

In this way they are continu-

ing the same discredited and
unsuccessful policy they pur-
sued in the old Canadian Con-
gress of Labor — the aim of
making the CCF the “political
arm of labor.”

Past performance however,
should make it clear that the
trade union movement and
its million and a quarter
membership will not be able
to effectively unite its ranks
to ewin elections, either pro-
vincially or federally, if it is
based on a demand to vote
only for candidates selected
by the CCF. The majority of
workers who are not now
voting CCF are not likely to
be dragooned into voting CCF
by some double talk or slick

manoeuvring.

Thus by acting the way
it does, the right-wing CCF

is obstructing creation of an
alternative to the old-line
based on an alterna-
tive _ program which _ repre-
sents the desires and needs
of the overwhelming majority
of- reform-minded Canadians.

parties

The essence of that resolu-
tion is the call for united po-
litical action of trade unions,
farm organizations, coopera-
tives, and democratic parties
and individuals who support
the program of the movement
and desire to join forces to
give it effect.

All _ politically conscious
trade unionists- concerned with
the problem ought to address
themselves to the CLC nation-
al. office and ‘ask where
Knowles received his author-
ity to pursue such a policy of
exclusion contrary: to. the
stated aims of the CLC resolu-
tion.

mv tl

NARROW STAND

CCF distorts

labor unity

By HAL GRIFFIN

If the
ment is

trade union move-
to enter provincial
politics in the broad united
way which alone can fulfil
both the letter and spirit of
the Canadian Labor Congress’
guiding resolution on_politi-
cal action, it will have to bat-
tle the dominant right-
wing leadership of the CCF
itself and supporters of this
leadership in top union posts.
This was made clear by the
conference, the first. of a
series, held jointly by the
B.C. Federation of Labor and
the CCF at Abbotsford last
Sunday.
From .the outset the pro-
ceedings were dominated by
Harold Winch, Mrs. Grace
MacInnis, Grant MacNeil, all
members of the CCF leader-
ship in the thirties whose
right-wing anti-unity policies
wracked the party with ex-
pulsions of left-wingers and
prevented formation of the
united people’s movement
which could have given this
province its' first popular gov-
ernment.
They
such relative

were supported by
newcaqmers to
CCF leadership as Robert
Strachan, CCF provincial
leader, Harold Thayer and,
somewhat surprisingly, ~Er-
hart Regier, who owes his po-
sition as MP for Burnaby-
Coquitlam to the support
given him by the LPP in the
past two federal elections.

From the trade union side,
represented by 27 delegates as
compared to 73 from the CCF,
George Home, BCFL secre-
tary, and Bert Gargrave of
the Steel. Workers, a former
CCF provincial secretary, re-
inforced the official CCF stand.

Rush to speak

Maurice Rush, LPP city
secretary, who visited the
USSR, German Democratic Re-
public, Czechoslovakia ~-and

France this summer, will give
his impressions at a public
meeting to be held this com-
ing Sunday, September 21,
8 p.m. in Clinton Hall, 2605
East Pender Street here.

The political action resolu-
tion adopted by the Canadian
Labor Congress at its Winni-
peg convention last April
states boldly:

“The time has come for a
fundamental realignment of
political forces in Canada.
There is a need for a broadly
based people’s political move-
ment, farm organizations, pro-
fessional people and _ other
liberally-minded persons in-
terested in basic social reform
and reconstruction through
our parliamentary system of
government.

But, in the-view of the CCF
leadership, as expressed from
both sides of the Abbotsford
conference, it is merely time
to make. another attempt to
mobilize the trade unions be-
hind the CCF, regardless of
the failure of this approach in
the past.

The pattern of the confer-

ence was established by
Home, who maintained that
it had been called to dis-

cuss the resolution passed by
the B.C. Federation of Labor
at its Vancouver convention
in October 1957, not the CLC
political action resolution nor
the CCF national convention
resolution. In this he was sec-
onded by Harold Winch; MP,
former CCF provincial leader.

Even the BCFL resolution
however, was considered in
its narrowest light. Most. CCF

speakers made much of the
fact that delegates to the
BCFL convention voted, over
considerable. opposition, to

support the CCF “as the best
means of presently obtaining
their legislative aims.” -

But they chose to ignore the
fact that the same convention
rejected a resolution calling on
the CLC “to adopt a nation-
al policy declaring its support
for the CCF” and passed a
substitute motion instructing
the BCFL. political education
committee “to continue to
make every effort to bring
together representatives of the
interested groups pledged to
support the program of the
BCFL.”

Since then the CLC has pro-
jected its broad concept of

° , :
to~Victoria

labor-farmer political action
embracing “like-minded in@?”
viduals and groups.” At Ab
botsford this ¢éoncept W
ruled out until such time
the CLC reports to the 196
convention and the CCF itself
was offered as the substitu
When delegates raised th
question of participation ,
farmers, it »was argued that
most farm organizations ba
red political ‘affiliation
therefore greater eff? ee
should be made to _ recruit
farmers into the CCF. .
Similarly, unionists wens
urged to join the CCF e
when delegates asked abey ‘
the position of indepen Se

unions, they were told that e
such unions could participate
through individual member
joining the CCF, prov} &
were

they could prove they
not already members © a
political party. Exception -
this stand was taken by t
ric Cox, MLA, who felt a
independent unions shou
participate.

To get around the
fact that only 23 of 151 lochs 4
affiliated to Vancouver Lah
Council have political acti
committees and that a
union constitutions bar poll
cal action, it was propor. q
that delegates urge we ey
unions to turn over th F
membership lists to the
for canvassing.

Not labor as the mob

: 3 i
force in broad united pole
a

reported g

jjizin’

action, nor even labor tid iN
equal partner in such 8° 5 @
but labor as the means

ent i
electing a CCF governm i

this was

=3 >
theme and purpose of the 4 a.
botsford conference. De A
c i,

Need similar conferet f
yet to be held be so bay fi ly
political vision, so dest as tt

of their own ends? The -

wer lies with the mem all q R
both of CLC unions :
other affected organiz”
in how vigorously they ~~
for the pe united conce?
projected by the CLC i: a hy
tion the concept a py Me
popular movement rallied

: nce
labor can sweep this provera.

at the next election.
el

HEAR

TIM BUCK

‘Hands Off China’
EXHIBITION GARDENS
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26-8 p.m.

BANQUET

EAGLES’ HALL
NANAIMO
SEPT. 27 - 8 p.m.

PUBLIC MEETING | |

FLKS’ HALL
CLOVERDALE |
SEPT. 28 - 8p.)

. ps +) 8
September 19, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAG