tion:

has recently been fully
Nations and referred to
committee; and

details of an acceptable

that we ask the Canadian

‘Act for total disarmament’
union meet urges Ottawa

The following resolution was passed without op-
position bythe Ontario. Federation of. Labor conven-

WHEREAS the question of world disarmament
“discussed by the United
the special disarmament

~ WHEREAS involved in this question is the need.
for adequate inspection methods ‘in order that  all-
nations can feel free to progressively disarm; and
z WHEREAS the special 10-nation committee of
»the U.N. will be meeting early next year to work on
plan;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this con-
vention record its desire for total disarmament; and

to the federal government the need for speedy action
te arrive at a workable method of international in-
sspection in order that the real barrier to world dis-
armament may be removed and the wishes of all the
working - people for a permanent peace be realized.

Labor Congress to convey

ON THE LABOR FRONT

A tale of

two cities

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

TORONTO—I have before me two press items. One is
a Globe and Mail story of the Ontario Federation of Labor
convention at Niagara Falls, reporting the debate on a
resolution calling for an exchange of trade union delegates
between the Soviet Union and Canada. The other comes
-frem British Columbia and likewise reports a debate in
the B.C. Federation of Labor convention in Vancouver on
a somewhat similar resolution.

According to the Globe and
Mail, the OFL convention over
whelmingiy rejected the reso-
lution proposed by Local 200,
United Auto Workers, which
called for such exchanges.

- On the other hand the BCFL

convention unanimously adopt-
ed the resolution proposed by
the International Longshore-
men’s and Warehousemen’s
Union after amending it to
read: ‘

“Whereas the need _is appar-

ent for closer relationships
- with the labor movement and
labor problems in. other coun-
tries, and

Whereas it is our opinion
- that benefits could be derived
by the Canadian trade union
movement if we had a -better
understanding and knowledge
of the problems and working
conditions of the workers in
foreign countries.

Therefore be it resolved that
in line with Congress policy

this convention go on record

in favor of, and take the neces-
sary steps to promote periodi-
al tours of other countries in
conjunction with the affiliated

locals. x
ee i

Isn’t it rather strange? Two.

different cities — two differ-
ent results.

What is the reason for this?
It can’t very well be explain-
ed away by climate or by geo-

graphy. Only one explanation

- remains.
One must assume that the
_BCFL convention started- from

the sound and sensible premise
that in an era of peaceful. co-
existence, the Canadian trade
union movement must play its
role in strengthening relations
with the trade union move-
ment of all countries. and
thereby strengthen peace it-
self. -

This was obviously not the
thinking of the right wing at
the OFL convention. They
started on the premise that
irrespective of peaceful coex-
istence, the cold war must be
continued in the labor move-

‘ment in Canada and interna-

tionally.
‘® * *

Fortunately for the world,

-peaceful coexistence does not
depend on Lynn Williams. and|

the right wing.

Fortunately too, notwith-
standing all the stale and ster-
ile arguments of the cold war-
riors in the labor movement,

the issue of trade union ex-

changes between the Canadian
and Soviet trade union move-
ment will not be long delayed.
It is not accidental therefore
that the international conven-
tions of the Auto Workers and
of the Woodworkers called for

: exchanges of delegations and
>| that other unions,

notwith-
standing President George
Meany of the AFL-CIO, are do-
ing likewise.

» No, the cold warriors er

not have their way too. long in}:

the trade union movement.

ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOR

OFL parley.

conclude that the historic turn-
ing point we are now passing
through escaped the conven-
tion entirely and failed to find
a reflection in some way in its
proceedings.."To do so would
be to judge it.one-sidedly. -
On the No. 1: problem of
peace or. war, the convention
unanimously endorsed a, resol-
ution which put the federation
on record in’ favor of world
disarmament. To this. extent
it correctly mirrored the pop-
ular world-wide demand for
peaceful co-existence of the
two world systems — capitalist
and. socialist desire for an end

‘to wars as an instrument of in-

ternational policy.

vention reaffirmed its support
for the Canadian Labor- Con-
gress policy resolution adopt-
ed in Winnipeg in 1958.

The OFL resolution calls for
an active campaign to get all
its affiliated’ local unions
committed to support of this
policy and in return offered
them guaranteed participation
in any founding convention,
which will be called to estab-
lish a new political — party,
most likely sometime during
1961.

On current economic and do-
mestic issues, the OFL conven-
tion took a firm position in fa-
vor of a shorter work-week;
higher _ wages; better health
services; improved educational
opportunities for working-class
youth; more jobs; more and
cheaper housing. facilities for
people of low
comes; portable industrial pen-

and .SO.om. - --"-+»

particularly in real . estate,
making. for exhorbitant hous-
ing costs and ever-rising rents

and taxes. It condemned: pri-
agencies,

vate employment
who ‘profiteer at,the expense of
unemployed workers, as rack-
ets that. should be. done aNAY
with. ;

The strongest, ferme were | us-
ed to condemn the smear cam-

ized workers by. big corporate
interests.

es now. taking. place in the

|upon Canada and the entirely

Z

Yet it would “be wrong to |.

On political action the con- I

and fixed in-
sions; increased - pensions; a-
better deal for white ..collar.
workers and civic servants},

The convention seaeinncd
speculation and. profiteering,

policy
‘within the labor movement

4 concurrence with

paign conducted ‘against organ-.

Considering the rapid chang-

world, their inevitable effect

fails to measure

By BRUCE MAGNUSON

to hig a tag in the world today

TORONTO—The third annual convention of the Ontario Federation of Lake hi
come and gone. Nothing spectacular happened at the Niagara Falls parley to chall en
the Big Business-inspired policy of red-baiting which through the postwar years Serv
to divide and weaken the trade union movement, playing into the hands of its ene 1:
The. official labor movement in Ontario is still a captive of the cold war.

BRUCE MAGNUSON

new and unprecedented role
which. labor is called upon to
play if new and urgently need-
ed changes in our national pol-
icies are to be won, this 1959
convention of the OFL fell far
short of its responsibilities.
In view of this fact, and the
urgent need to re-examine
policy questions more actively
and as often as possible, one of
the most important decisions
made by the delegates was the
overwhelming rejection of the

‘administration’s proposals to

do away with annual conven-
tion and to convene only every
two years. ;

This decision clearly ex-
pressed a growing gulf be-
tween the rank and file of the
trade union movement, who
are more inclined to follow
the realities of life and the
leadership which defies the
reality and seeks thereby to
retain the status quo in the
face of rapid social changes.
--On questions which were
not as clearly associated (in
the delegates’, minds. at least)

with daily .bread and butter

issues, the right-wing champ-
ions of big business and its
of  anti-Communism

had things. pretty much Rhein
own way. ~

The convention voted non-
‘some fine
resolutions calling for inter-
national “exchanges between
the trade. unions in capitalist

and socialist countries. In the

debate on this issue left-wing
delegates — the few who
spoke up — carried on the de-
bates with honor. But because

the great majority of delegat-

es did not understand the di
ferent role and’ functions
trade unions in socialist

try — where the workin
holds _political power, wl
the means of production ar
public property, and where
ploitation of man -by man_
criminal offense —‘s
phrases as “police state”, anc
“captive” versus “‘free”
unions served to confuse
issue. .

In face of the growing!
sire for world peace; d
ameni and a higher stand

of living, the failure to see i
clearly the need for a radical
change in the policies of
trade uniOn movement co:
tuted the most glaring weak
ness of this year’s OFL
vention.

The speech made ty
CLC national secretary-trea
urer, Donald McDonald, on 5
second day of the convention, —

was a most pathetic expression — a

of capitulation under pressure
and of outright bankruptcy in
the thinking of the leadership.

The resolution in favor of —
world disarmament would
have been much improved by
a clear-cut statement in favor
of peaceful co-existence and.
by a decision to enter into acy
tive international exchanges —
of trade union delegates. _

Likewise the political action
resolution failed to call for all-
inclusive unity in action and —
for an active and open debate —
on matters of policy amor bs
all those forces who stand
opposition to war and shame-
ful exploitation by the capit
ist monopolies.

Instead of this, the seal

|tion restricts independent la-

bor political action cam)
ing to affiliated unions
commits the OFL, in advance,
to policy and program decided
on by the nebulous “Natio:
New Party Committee.”

“This “committee” is given
a blank cheque on all matters ~
of substance mentioned in the
resolution. Thus, in the final
analysis the resolution, wl :
purports to re-affirm the broad
concepts of the Winnipeg € :
resolution, ends up by its are
pudiation in the form of a nar- —
row partisan approach which ©
in essence means a continua-—
tion of the “political arm of la- —
bor“ concept, which in turn
means complete’ and sectat an
domination by the CCF. —

Nea 20, 1959—PACIFIC TRIBUN E—Page 2