Righ By CYRIL PRINCE WINDSOR |} : In the booming twenties and busted thirties, Fordism, a most -jnhuman method of cracking down on the workers through speedup. wholesale firings and threats of firings, held sway in the auto industry. The only leg- itimate invention of the “great Yankee auto inventor’ Henry Ford, it was cleaned out of Can- adian plants, in the main, when the workers organized about ten years ago. But not entirely so, as there were always some ele- ments of it around.. Now it is being revived by Rhys Sale, presi- dent of U.S.-controlled Ford of Canada. In the last few weeks it has become clear to many Ford workers in Windsor that “Sale- ism” is Fordism adapted to this period when the union has a contract with the company— with-a thing or two added. Sale paved the way for his present frontal attack on the union—Local 200 of the United Auto Workers of America—by a series of public addresses about a year ago in which he demanda- ed full-scale “freedom vs. com- munism” war upon the peoples |. of Asia and Europe — and the liberties and living standards of Canadians. Sale is being aided today by the appeasement policy. of the top UAW leadership. Bup just as the British people learned that } appeasement did not stop Hitler from dropping ‘bombs on London, so the Canadian UAW leadership is learning that appeasement of Saleism is not deterring Sale from his plans to smash the un- ion. Whether they are conscious or not that they are clearing the way for Sale to fulfil his assign- ment of spearheading: industry’s all-out campaign against organ- ized labor, it is something they will have to account for. .The militancy shown by the Ford workers so many times re- cently will not ‘be easily squash- ed by Saleism or appeasement. That it has been temporarily checked is true, but the hard eco- nomic facts at the root of the present situation point .to the quick revival of the rank-and-file militancy among the Ford work- ers. Those economic facts are that the products of the auto industry are not in demand. The latest figures show that from Octover. 1950 to October 1951, the sale of vehicles de- creased 87 percent and the sale of the main product, passenger cars, decreased in the same per- iod by 48 percent. Therein lies the motive for Sale’s bludgeon attack upon the union, the top leadership’s ap- peasement and the militancy of the rank-and-file. COLE and ZLOTNIK SERVICE livdrants Consultants 501 Dominion Bldg. (opp. Victory Square) Phone PA. 9374 | communistic This was ee scene as more than 10. 000 A hors walked out of the huge Windsor Ford plant on Deka 3 to protest the Poe ee Te ee eT ‘ -wing leaders pave way — i Ford drive against auto union dismissal of 26 workers by Ford President Rhys Sale in an attempt ‘0 smash the United Auto Workers. curt Montreal judge apes thought control in U.S. By FRANK ARNOLD MONTREAL “Legal or illegal, those questions have been asked in United States courts and I am going to ask them here.” With these startling words, Recorder Pascal Lachapelle, pre- siding over a Canadian court in the case of a French-Canadian house- wife, informed Mrs. Danielle Dionne that she would have to reveal her political beliefs and affiliations be- fore the charge against her of “dis- turbing the peace” could be judged. The trial arose out of a Buy No Meat strike organized by the Con- gress of Canadian Women. On No- vember 8 a delegation of 50 house- wives visited Montreal City, Hall to request permission to display placards advertising the meat boy- cott. City authorities, instead of meeting the deputation, hastily summoned police who roughed up the women, arresting Mrs. Dionne. After Mrs. Rose Petch, secretary of the Congress of Canadian Women’s Montreal chapter, had’tes- _| tified that the only disturbance was that created by police, Recorder Lachapelle launched into his series of questions about the accused’s political beliefs. “Have you ever believed in any Communist ideas or have you ever belonged to any Communist or- organizations?” he asked. Mrs. Dionne asked him to define what he meant by “Communist ideas.” His definition, she said, might differ considerably from hers. After an exchange, the crown at- torney asked the direct question: “Do you belong to the Labor-Pro- gressive party?” Mrs. Dionne asked whether Can- adian citizens were now being de- prived of the right of secrecy of the ballot in elections. She was. told that refusal to answer the question would be entered in the record. Defense counsel Bernard Mergler objected strenuously to the entire line of questioning, pointing out that. the questions were illegal. It was at this point that Recorder Lachapelle said he would note the objection, but “legal or illegal, that question has been asked in United States courts’ and I am going to ask them here.” Mrs. Dionne said she was a member of the Labor-Progressive party, but not an officer. Judgment January 16. was reserved until Labor board's refusal to certify union draws fire of N. S. federation The 10th annual convention of the Nova Scotia Feder strongly protested the provincial labor board’s ruling denying certification to five Maritime Marine Workers Federation on the allegation that J. K. Bell, an officer By A. D. WILLISTON Communist. The federation represents 33,000 workers. Canadian Congress of Labor re gional director Henry Harm de- clared: “It is a crime to allow the labor board to decide what group should be allowed to join an organization for a better living. The decision of the board is detrimental to every union in the province and in Can- ada. This ruling represents a new and dangerous policy.” (The board’s. ruling was based upon" clippings. from ‘the anti-labor Financial Post of September 28, 1946, and October 25, 1947 submit- ted by Fred A. Rhuland, head of the Smith and Rhuland Lunenburg ship- yard. Testimony was also given be- \fore the board sby the RCMP. But on October 10, 1951, Rhu- land had filed a statutory declar- ation with the board which de- clared: “Smith and Rhuland, Ltd., does ‘not desire to contest the ap- plication by Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of Canada, Local No. 18, Lunen- burg, N.S., for the certification as bargaining agent of a unit of its employees.”) : The Federation’s resolution of support to the shipyard workers read, in part: “Whereas this decision of the board permitted by the presently constructed trade union act, if left unchallenged, may result in the interference with the demo- cratic rights of trade unionists to organize into a union of their own choice; therefore be it re- solved: that this convention con- demn those sections of the N.S. Labor Act which permit such de- cisions; be it further resolved: that every possible step be taken to have the act amended so as to make it impossible to permit a manoeuvre of this nature.” Reflecting delegates’ opposition to the board’s ruling, Angus Mac- Donald, United Mine Workers Vic- tory Local president, asked, “Are we going to let this union be decer- tified? By staying on the labor ation of Labor (CCL) which met December 1 TRENTON, N: new local unions o of the feder ation, W e board the labor representatives on the board are helping to keep such legislation on the books.” UMW Phalen Local president H. Johnston declared: “The labor rep- resentative on the board should be big enough to make his stand on this ruling public, or resign.” (The United Mine ‘Workers’ S. Oram, pr esident of the N.S. Federation of Labor, is one of the labor repre- sentatives on the board.) ~ Tom McLachlan, former presi- dént of the federation of labor, and head of biggest UMWA local, de- clared: “Labor cannot be shackled to this decision of the labor board y the which takes away the right sy worker to control his union.” George MacHachern .of the Garage Workers union, said: 7 true that labor board members oe an oath, but the labor member al : takes a union oath. Which 36 — sacred? The board oath, OF uel? oath?” cock The original resolution subi ted by the Marine Workers eae was slightly amended by the Ss vention, so that while packing af the shipyard workers, it pa fire on the Nova Scotia Labor ¢ demanding amendments. DISCREPANCIES CITED Probe vote Forkin asks’ WINNIPEG Ald. M. J. Forkin, at the final meeting of the 1951 Winnipeg City Council, demanded an investigation into the methods of tabulating elec- tion results which, in the opinion of Ward 3 Labor Election Commit- tee, this year deprived the veteran labor alderman of the council seat he has held for many years. A leaflet distributed by the com- mittee reads: “Tt is our contention that Ald. Forkin won the vote but lost the count. Ballots favoring Forkin were rejected by the returning officer, and, in large number by the county court judge. The .intent of the electors /on the ballots in question was unmistakeable. Legal hair-split- ting deprived Forkin and a substan- tial body of Working-class voters in Ward 3 of a seat in the 1952-53 council.” The leaflet pointed out that the PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JANUARY tabulation, — Peg council or ki? city hall tabulation ¢ declared 2 was defeated by four votes: ant weeks later Judge Philip ruled t nie he had lost by 14 votes: mack city hall count of 4, 719 was by by the county court ty BA 4,687. In the original count vote! turning officer rejected rate? for Forkin that the judge ruled as good; in the eourt ahi at the judge ruled out 125 yee at lots that had been rule city hall. eel ane election committee f that this situation warral vestigation by city council. has a public duty to act vestigate these ieaeeaie pear to frustrate the wi os stantial body of voters, di ac to others and prevent any re tate ment a higher appeal,” the st@ declares. GE 4, 1952 — PM Si) 7-19, f the was @ “Tt. 15.