By C. A. Saunders

HE resolution adopted at the
CCL convention in Mont-
real recommending trade union
locals to affiliate to the CCE
seems to have presented the CCF
provincial executive here with a
problem. The CCF's attitude, as
expressed in the statements is-
sued by Frank Mackenzie, its
provincial secretary, appears to
be one of inviting the iocals to
help build and man the pros-
pective CCF ship of state only if
they will promise not to attempt
to steer it.

Where this attitude is likely to
lead the CCF is already indi-
cated by the speeches made by
Grant McNeil, MLA. and the
statements released to the press
by Frank Mackenzie.

McNeil seems to have aligned
himself with those who find the
policies they seek to defend so
otherwise indefensible that they
must use the old hoary canards
and appeal to ignorance and pre-

judice rather than reason. He
cannot therefore, be altogether
surprised to find his rem arks

coinciding with the editorial com-
ments of the Vancouver Sun in
its recent attack on the Labor-
Progressive Party.

cS

ackenzie, unable to advance

any coherent reason for the
CCF’s refusal to cooperate with
the Trade Union Representation
Committee in the forthcoming
civic elections,- indulges in at-
jacks on the committee.

The CCF, he says, will not
“oblige the Communists by sup-
porting the Trade Union Repre-
sentation Committee.” Neither
apparently, will the CCF “oblige”
the working people of Vancou-
ver, including the thousands of
trade unionists represented
through the 30 trade unions on
the committee, by cooperating
with organized labor to elect a
progressive civic administration.

e

Ppae apprehensions of the dele-

gates who opposed the form
of the CCL resolution on the
ground that it should : contain
provisions ensuring affiliation to
the CCF on a democratic basis,
removing the present restrictions
and giving organized labor voice
and vote in determining policy,
were well founded. Surely the
CCF does not imagine that organ-
ized labor will Jend unqualified
support fo a party which, repre-
senting itself as the “political arm
of labor,” denies the trade unions
a voice commensurate with their
<irength in determining CCF pol-
jey and permits its spokesmen to
attack the trade unions for dar-
ing to take political action them-
selves.

This policy can only promote
and spread confusion, dividing
the labor movement when its
upity was never more essential.

4
$2.15 per Gallon

{PAIN Kalso, 4 Ibs. 25c
Mills’

156 West Cordova St.

Buy now while buying is good! |
& =

i ]
Johm Stantom
Barrister, Solicitor, Notary

503 Holden Bldg.
16 E. Hastings St. MAr. 5746
: 4)

Coniinued

_ Miners

@ Condemning the policy of
delay and hostility to labor on
the part of the King government

@ Demanding that on any
commision appointed by the gov-
ernment to determine issues in
the dispute labor representation
should be included.

George Taylor, UMWA repre-
sentative from Cumberland, re-
viewed the development of the
situation for delegates. The min-
ers’ wages had been cut time and
again, he said, until the union
felt that strong action was neces-
sary. At a meeting of District
18. UMWA, at Calgary in August
it was decided to ask for a flat
increase of $2 a day. The op-
erators asked for time to con-
sider the demands and a dead-
line was set at October 15,

“The miners,” declared Taylor,
“do nat want to strike. But they
are ready for whatever may hap-
pen, and today things are hang-
ing fire. They are determined
that conditions they have fought
for for years must not be lost
and unless the government and
the operators take prompt action
ihe miners will come out and
mines all over the West will
close down.”

Charles Saunders, Dock and
Shipyard Workers Union, pointed
out that the miners’ cause could
not be separated from the gen-
eral labor situation.

“The whole attitude of the gov-
ernment is provocative,” he said.
‘There is no attempt to solve
problems before crisis arise.”

“This is a problem for every
working class family,” said Steel-
workers’ delegate Corey Camp-
bell “We must bring home to
the government that {Jabor is
united in its demand to get a
fair deal.”

se © se

This week Labor Minister
Humphrey Mitchell announced
the setting up of a commission
tc look into the dispute. Chair-
nian will be Justice B. G. O'Con-
nor. The other tyo members are
yet to be announced.

“This is what we wanted,”
Percy Lawson, UMWA secretary
at Nanaimo, declared. “The
miners on the Island will await
the decision of the commission.”

At the same time it was an-
nounced that coal production in
the West has slumped to the
point where the tuel shortage
has grown increasingly serious

In order to keep the public
fully informed of labor’s case in
disputes such as the miners, the
Queen Charlotte Isiand loggers
and the Civic Employees — the
conference pladged full support
to all thre—a resolution was pass-
ed recommending that the con-
ference consider establishment of
a Labor Publicity Committee
whose duty it would be to main-
tain a campaign of public educa-
tion on current labor issues by
means of press releases, radio
broadcasts, leaflets and public
mass meetings.

Machinists Set Up
District Council

International Association of Ma-
chinists has established a district
council with jurisdiction over the
lower mainland, it was announced
this week by James McMillan,
grand lodge representative.

The council was formed at a
meeting held in Aeronautical
Lodge 756 offices here. Lodges
included in the council are: Van-
couver Lodge 692, with members
in shipyards and contract shops
jin Greater Vancouver; Aeronauti-
cal Lodge 756, at Boeings; Air-
craft Lodge 1749, at Canadian Pa-
eifie Airlines in New Westmins-
ter: New Westminster Lodge 131,

serving contract shops in that
area.

J. UW. Irving will be council
president. Other officers are: A.

J. Wybrew, vice-president. J.
Lockwood, secretary-treasurer, W.
G. Baird, conductor.

Continued

Loggers

“Now, 2s far as we are con-
cerned, all such memoranda are
out and if the operators want to
negotiate, they can do so on the
basis of the award of the Harper
Arbitration Board, which was ap-
pointed by the government, and
which clearly stated that the op-
erators should sign an agreement
with the union for one year,’
said Pritchett.

“Nothing short of a union
agreement will satisfy the log-
gers, and this they mean to have
and will haye!”

While IWA locals throughout
ihe province wired support of the
QCI strikers, donated sums to
the strike funds, and pledged
individual members’ donations of
a full day’s pay each, strong sup-
port was also forthcoming from
other trade unions here.

Vaneouver Labor Ccuncil of-
ficially went on record Tuesday
in support of the loggers and
voted $50 to aid the strike-

From Prince Rupert came a
wire from the Allied Trades
Council, representing unions af-
filiated with the AFL and CCL,
Geclaring, “We are in favor of the
stand taken by the IWA in its
negotiations for union recogni-
tion.” The wire pledged “active
support in any action the IWA
may take in this matter.”

An All-Union Conference meet-
ing here Sunday voiced unanim-
ous support of the QCI loggers.

Among local unions, _ Boiler-
makers and Iron Shipbuilders
Union, Local 1, and Dock and
Shipyard Workers Union, Local 2,
have donated to the strike fund
and offered support.

Nigel’ Morgan, IWA interna-
tional board member, rcported
that unrest was growing, and
might spread to Vancouver Isl-
and unless the government acted
quickly to satisfy the loggers’ de-
inands for union agreements.

If a walkout develops on the
Island, 900 to 1000 workers will
be effected. The loggers are de-
termined to stand firm until their
demands are met, said Morgan.
A wire received Tuesday from
Pacific Mills camp, Skidgate In-
let, summed up the general feel-
ing of unionists: “Morale good

. unity good ... no new de-
yelopments.”
s SC e
In the meantime, operators

have tried to confuse the issue
and influence public opinion by
advertisements in the daily press
which contain such contradictory
statements as “we will recognize
the union as bargaining agent,”
and “we refuse to sign with the
IWA because we have no confi-
cence in it.” In a press inter-
view R. V. Stuart, companies rep-
resentative, tried to distort the
facts and portray the dispute as
a fight for wage increases, while
the question of wages has not
entered into the dispute, as union-
ists point out.

In the same statement Stuart
repeated that loggers get larger
meat rations than other citizens.
He failed to mention that the
rations were won by strong pro-
tests on the part of the union
to the government rationing
board, and through no effort of
camp managements.

Despite statements made dur-
ing the long years of arbitration,
to the effect that the actions of
the IWA leadership were detri-
mental to the war effort, Stuart
admitted in the same statement
that “spruce camps have been
well-manned and spruce produc-
tion has been stepped up beyond
expectations.”

IWA executive members state
emphatically that the employers
refusal to sign an agreement
after such action was advised by
a government arbitration board
is a direct violation of labor’s
rights, and “a flagrant violation
of the federal governments labor
policy as enunciated in P.C.
2685.”

DRIVE REPORTS

By Grace Greenwood

RESS deadline

sixth of the quota raised. We hope that the first tho
be the hardest and that contrrbutions will come in much
after this, because results so far are rather disappo

especially in Vancouver.

None of the city branches has reached its first hu
as yet, although Grandview is very near with $98.00
good. South Vancouver is next with $84, and Mount Pp
third with $58. The other city branches are trailing
three—some of them very far behind indeed—but there
branch that has not done something!

this week found the “sustaining

~

OI Bill has made the largest single contribution so far, 1

has turned in $45 in subs and donations, but he says that
a one-man committee this time and we must not expect

acles.
®

=u

committee is considered. Abbotsford has already exceed
its quota, as we reported last week, and now also gone oy

the top by $2.18.

A handsome donation of $100 from the Dock and Shipya

Workers Union, Local 2, was received this week. Thank yc

shipyard workers.

Group To Sponsor
Dancing Classes

In line with the policy of broadening Labor Theater a
a service organization for trade unions and other progress!

groups, a resolution that dancing classes for children of Ve :

couver workers be set up under the Theater’s sponsorship ¥
passed unanimously at a general meeting of the group i

week.

“Classes will begin this Satur-
day at 2 p.m., and will consist of
one and-a-half hours’ instruction
in tap, ballet, interpretive and
acrobatic dancing,” announced
Pat Fearnley, ballet instructor for
the group.

A fee of 15 cents for each pupil
will be asked to cover expenses
each week. There will be no
other charge, and classes will
continue each Saturday through-

out the winter season. Registra-
tion will be held this Saturday
and following Saturdays at two
p.m., at the Labor Youth Feder-

ation Hall, 875 East Hastings.
“We realize that if our orga
ation is to serve its intended 7

pose, we must start at the §

ginning,” stated Judy Power,
presenting the resolution. a
have qualified dancing teack

and we have something to 0.

children whose parents can
afford the usual dollar or
dollars charged by most pre
sional schools.”

A further motion that clas
should be operated at cost, ¥

any surplus to be used to ext

the scope of the experiment”
also passed.

Cc

VOTERS
of VANCOUVER NORTH

JOIN IN NOMINATING
YOUR FEDERAL CANDIDATE :

at the

NOMINATING CONVENTION:

of the

Labor-Progressive —
Party

Wancouver North Constituency

Labor-Progressive Clubroom

" 1320 North Lonsdale

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 8 P.M.

= ™

The response from out-of-town points is still very gor:
better than Vancouver when the difference in the size Git

Fee