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‘Disarmament or death—
Lumber Worker editorial

“The challenge facing the world today is — disarmament or death,” says a leading |.
editorial in the February issue of the B.C. Lumber Worker, official organ of the B.C.
district, International Woodworkers of America.

The text of thé ‘editorial
reads:

United Nations experts pre-
dict that unless a start on dis-
armament is effected immedi-
ately, the possibility of an
atomic war is a mathematical
certainty. ‘

This grave pronouncement is
the opinion of. men who are
devoting their lives to a cause
they consider almost hopeless,
because of public apathy. They
have seen over the last ten
years, as observers at the vari-
ous disarmament conferences,
politicians gamble the fate of
mankind rather. than allow a

_-counter-part to win a point.

It is foolish and criminal to
claim that one side in such an
argument is consistently righi
and the other consistently
wrong|We know from our own
experiences around the bar-
gaining: table that it needs
more than an interchange of
ideas and opinions to effect a
harmonious settlement.

But certainly, with the fate
of the world hanging in the
balance, a show of humility
on both sides could not be con-
sidered a degrading trait. In
fact humility has gained for
man far more than brash
braggadocio. The state of
world politics today is the ob-
vious result of empty-headed
bragging, foolish threats, and

unreasonable stubborness.
Exponents of disarmament
state that the world is prone
today, to see either Russia or
the United States as being the

only possibilities in starting a|

major war. Unfortunately, they
point out, this is an illusion
that must be quickly shattered
if mankind is. to.survive.

These experts claim that be-
sides the United States, Russia
and Britain who already pos-
sess the bomb, there are two
new countries France and Red
China who will soon have it;
and seven or eight other. coun-
tries capable of manufacturing
it. As more and more coun-
tries gain access to the bomb,
the danger of war increases,
This danger lies not so much
in a war being started deliber-
ately, but in some accident
triggering a conflict. ~~

We in the trade union move-
ment have a tremendous stake
in both the present and the
future. It is not sufficient, in
today’s world, to merely allow
our interests to stop at our jobs
or our homes. As free Cana-
dians we have the right to ex-
press our opinions and ideas;
but this right also carries with
it the duty to see that “we
don't miss the forest for the
trees.”

As trade unionists we have

2

FIRST

win an ‘award.

Room 6, 426, Main St.

PT Writing Contest
"WHAT DISARMAMENT WOULD
“MEAN WHERE I LIVE’

_ RULES ;

@ Eniries should be not eae than 100 words and not more
than 500, Write, about. the changes that disarmament could
bring. to your locality—what public projects could be
undertaken if money now spent on the arms race was
devoted to people's needs. There is no. eniry fee, and
any number of entries may he ‘submitted.

®@ Coniest closes May 15, 1960. All entries will be judged
by. the. ‘editorial board of. the Pacific, Tribune, whose de.
cision will be final, and must be submitted with the. under-
standing. that they may be published, whether or. not they

Address all entries to
Pacific Tribune Writing Contest

a

Vancouver 4, B.C.

fought and still fight to raise
the workers standard of liv-
ing, We pride ourselves on our
hard-won gains achieved over
the past half century. We pride
ourselves too, that any chal-
lenge to take away these rights
has been met and soundly de-
feated.

An even greater challenge
faces us now — the preserva-
tion of the world! We must
understand. irrevocably that ail
material gains, past or present,
will be utterly useless to us in
the event of an atomic holo-
caust. We cannot ignore this
fact!

The only possible avenue of
escape from this grim prospect
is disarmament. Make the
leaders of our country, and
other countries, realize that a
stop must be made now to this
deadly farce. Instead of power
politics, they must institute
some real humanitarian think-
ing before the terrible fury of
the atomic ‘“‘Pandora’s Box” is
released upon us.

There is no other alternative.
The challenge facing the world
today is — DISARMAMENT
OR DEATH.

inion unity
The World Federation of
Trade Unions, over the signa-
ture of its general secretary,
Louis Saillant, has addressed
an open letter to all unions in
all lands, appealing for in-

creased action to make lobor’ $s
view felt at the UN disarma-

ment conference May 15, and

the. forthcoming summit meet-
ing opening in Paris May 16.

Noting that the ICETU. had |
not replied to the WFTU ap-
peal for joint action, the open.

| letter appeals. to, trade unions,

in all countries to, press. for a

| meeting. of the WETU and. the |

ICETU. It also. urges unions
to, improve and expand trade,

union, relations and to, take |

action for peace and disarma-
mei t.

of all unions adopted. ‘by its
executive committee. in. Dec-
ember, 1959, the. WETU open.
letter calls for action to reduce
military expenditure, cut taxes
and lower living costs. It also

advocates greater. action for
}| higher wages, old age pensions,

family allowances,
aid to unemployed.

jobs and

oe the plan for unity, |

LABOR

into the Congress.”

That was two years. ago.
What have the executive offi-
cers done to implement that |
resolution? Is “greater unity”
being achieved? Let the facts
speak:

1. Suspensions, expulsions
and threats of additional sus-
pensions of unions from Con-
gress continue to plague the
trade union movement.

2. Jurisdictional disputes and
raiding of one union by an-
other have become more acute.

3. The conflict between some
of the industrial and craft un-
ions has sharpened.

4. Discussions between the
Catholic Syndicates and the
officers of the CLC have come
to a dead stop. Instead of ap-
proaching the question of the
inclusion of the Syndicates on
the basis originally agreed
upon — affiliation as a unit—
the officers of Congress now
insist that each union within
the Syndicates make a separ-
ate application for affiliation.
And to top it all, some of the
international unions are raid-
ing the Syndicates. Is it any
wonder then that negotiations
have reached a dead end?

5. “Negotiations” with some

wise come to.a dead stop. The
officers of Congress have had
applications for affiliation be-
fore it from two unions, the
Fishermen’s Union and Mine-
Mill. The application from the
Fishermen is still gathering
dust somewhere, while the
Mine-Mill application was. re-
jected.

These are the “achieve-
ments” of the executive coun-
cil on labor unity to date.

Instead of preserving, and
‘Strengthening the unity of the
ade union movement as one

the most precious achieve-
‘ments of the working class, the
| Congress officers have: shown
themselves either unable, un-
‘Willing er openly opposed to
genuine labor unity. They are
showing, themselves to be not
f puilders of unity but its disrup-

ters. As such they have become
@ positive menace to the best
‘interests of the working class.

‘The attitude of the executive
council towards Mine-Mill’s ap-
plication illustrated this. Here
/was. an opportunity for Con-
gress to bring into its ranks an
important section of the Can-
adian working class — the
metal miners and mill ‘men.
Who can deny that their in-
clusion, like the inclusion of

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

at the last convention of the Canadian Labor Con-
gress a resofution was adopted by the delegates calling
for “a renewed effort for greater unity in the Canadian
labor movement” and instructing the executive council to
“make every reasonable effort, within the limits of the
constitution, to bring all unions now Bees the Congress, oe

independent unions have like-|.

/ employer
‘they do exactly the

{the fishermen, the electrical

FRONT|

workers and others, would ‘not
only strengthen the workers
concerned but the: Congress as
well, giving it additional auth~
ority and prestige and enabk
ing it to play an even more

effective role on the economic, —

legislative and political field?

The executive council spoke
of the lack of ‘“‘good faith” om
the part of Mine-Mill. But it is
the executive officers who ‘are
guilty of lack of “good faith.” —
It is they, not Mine-Mill, wh?
have torn to shreds the res0*—
lution of the last CLC conveB-
tion calling for ‘a renewed
effort for greater unity in the
Canadian labor movement.”

Why don’t they state she
real reason why Mine - Mill's
application was rejected? WhY

don’t they state that the deal

of the old CLC which sold
Mine-Mill’s jurisdiction to the’
Steelworkers union for $50,000
still applies?

Is there any difference be

tween the Congress” officers -

and Newfoundland’s Premier
Smallwood? The CLC officers
say “Mine-Mill» cannot exist:
Smallwood says the IWA cane”
not exist.

It's a dangerous and short:
sighted game they are playing
If they can do that to one un-

ion, they can just as easily gO
over the heads of any other —

union and try to dismember it-

More than that. They are d0-

ing exactly what. reactionary
employers do daily: interfer-
ing in the internal affairs of
the unions. How can they fight
interference when

thing?

It is time to put an end to
these disruptive and divisive

policies. Unity is too import-_ =
ant to allow any. one man or.

group. of men to stand in its

‘way. And those who persist.

will find that at the working —
class will, before too long, push
them aside.

The CLC executive has not

spoken the last word on labor
‘unity. It will come up again

and again, and it will be
achieved.

It should come up at the
April convention in Montreal.

The officers of the Congress

were given a mandate by. the -
last convention. Why have they

failed so miserably? Why are
they unable to put an end io
raiding? What are they doing

\

same

to preserve the unity of the

Congress and extend it?
It is time to speak up.

February 26, 1960—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2

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