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Models of buildings to be erected for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow are
shown above. Many new modern facilities will be built by the Soviet
Union to add to the existing ones for the world meeting of athletes.
{ee

By JACK PHILLIPS

In Ontario and Quebec, there are
government enquiries in con-
nection with alleged corruption,
extortion and violence in certain
construction unions. Some
newspaper stories about building
trades officials and stewards in
Quebec being involved in loan
sharking, extortion, beatings and
murder do not make pleasant
reading. Neither can we be happy
about reports of donations to
Liberal and Conservative can-
didates by the Seafarers In-
ternational Union.

What was originally intended
was to discredit all of organized
labor. But what is happening is
throwing the spotlight on some of
the more reactionary right wing
leaders and their political con-
nections.

How much there is to these

Marine union warns forestry
cutbacks threaten shipyards

_ the Marine and Boilermakers
Industrial Union, the long time
Militant union of B.C. shipyard
Workers, has predicted cutbacks in
the industry and high unem-
Dloyment among shipyard workers
Within the next year.
., this prospect was outlined to the
Tribune in an inteview with the
Newly re-elected secretary-
fasurer of the union, Walter
Jacobs,
The Boilermakers went to the
Dolls a week ago Thursday to elect
‘new union leadership, and in the
largest vote in 19 years returned
we progressive slate headed by
‘acobs and union president Jeff
*Owers by a two to one majority.

3

At the present time there is
“irly high employment,” Jacobs
‘aid, “but owing to the state of the
“onomy we anticipate sizeable
“Utbacks in the not too distant
‘Mture.”

Jacobs said that it will take
out one year for the current slow
town in the forest industry to spill
‘er into the shipyards. “‘A great
“al of the work in the yards, the
“onstruction of tugs’ and barges
Specially, is related to the forest
Ndustry. Considering the state of
‘ifairs in that industry there is

“nly one thing that can happen, a°

Present contracts should keep
the shipyards going for a while, but
the pinch will be felt sooner — in
fact, almost immediately, — in the
smaller steel and machine shops
who are geared mainly to the
forest industry and rely heavily on
subcontracting.

Jacobs pressed the point that the
shipyard industry has its future
stability bound up to an over-
whelming degree with the
balanced economic development of
the country as a whole.

Federal government contracting
is already keeping three shipyards
working on icebreakers while
another yard is busily constructing
vessels for the North Sea oil
projects off of Great Britain.
Federal government contracts that
are unrelated to the forest industry
will be a determining factor in the
extent to which unemployment hits
the industry. : :

Not surprisingly the union 1s
concerned with the federal
government’s participation in
exploiting the oil resources of the
Mackenzie Delta. “If a large ex:
ploration program is undertaken,
Jacobs said, “the shipyards will
get work building oil barges and
tugs suited to northern waters.

“But the building of a merchant
marine fleet is the only answer to

| Mailment of building.”

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Leader

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stabilizing the activities of this
port,’’ Jacobs stressed. ‘‘The
foreign owned ships taking cargo
out of B.C. contribute nothing to
employment in our industry. A
government program for a mer-
chant marine -would stimulate
employment for our workers and
for workers in related fields.”

There have been noises from the
federal government about a
merchant marine but so far it has
only been noise. The provincial
government has also committed
itself to getting a merchant marine
program underway, ‘which is
good,’”’ Jacobs. says, ‘‘except for
the fact that nothing has been done
about it. It is basically a federal
government responsibility but
B.C.’s ferry fleet is conclusive
proof that we can build and
maintain a fleet in B.C.

‘“‘At the present time there are
still a ‘large number of foreign
ships carrying -both passengers
and freight in our coastal waters
and up our rivers. These boats are
registered in-other countries and
do not even pay taxes here.”

There are some immediate
measures which would alleviate
some of the problems. One of them
that Jacobs noted was an emend-
ment to the federal shipping act
which would require 50% of all
cargo carried in Canadian waters
to be carried in Canadian made
bottoms. “This is not an unusual
thing,’ Jacobs commented,
pointing out that the law in the
United States.

One of the first steps which must
be taken, and a step which the
union sees as a high priority for
themselves to campaign for, is the
building of a drydock in Vancouver
capable of lifting any size ship.“‘Our
drydocks are obsolete,” Jacobs
said. ‘‘One was built in 1938 and the
other during the war. They can lift
a maximum of only 12 to 13 tons
which is totally inadequate for
today’s needs.” It has reached the
point that ships can not be serviced
in Vancouver so they are taking
their trade to American ports.

“But this isa long term project,”’
Jacobs continued, ‘‘and just like
anything else, the companies are
only interested in a quick return on
their investment. Without positive
government action nothing will be
done,”’ he warned.

‘held

sensational charges. of crime and
corruption remains to be seen, but
one thing is certain: the main body
of the trade union movement, in its
overwhelming majority, is honest
and decent. The sooner we get rid
of any corrupt or criminal
elements, the better.

It is preferable for the trade
union movement to do its own
housecleaning, rather than to leave
the job to governments hostile to
the trade union movement. It is not
necessary to shoot a man in the
stomach in order to cure him of an
ulcer.

Which brings me to the question
of a basic concept of trade union
democracy, because the more
trade union democracy is prac-
ticed, the less chance there is of
corruption. The key to trade union
democracy is membership in-
volvement and membership
control on all decisive questions.
The following principles could
serve as guidelines:

1. Whereunions are governed by
conventions, conventions should be
regularly with broad
representation. Time between
conventions should be no longer
than two years. Similar standards
should prevail in local -unions,
councils and federations, whether
they elect by convention, at a

membership meeting or by
referendum.
2. Freedom of discussion, in-

of-
all

cluding reasonable access to
ficial union publications, for
union members.

3. Democratic election .of of-
ficers, including the right of all
members torun for and hold office.

4. The use of democratic
methods, so that all members have
the opportunity to decide on all

policy and major organizational

questions.

5. The right of all union mem-
bers to hold any political beliefs
they desire, without discrimin-
ation.

6. Complete financial  ac-
countability of the officers, with all
members enjoying the opportunity
of receiving regular -financial
reports. Members should be given
all the details necessary for a
thorough understanding of the
union’s income, expenditures and
financial procedures. (I have
heard financial reports that even
an accountant could not un-

derstand without a lot of detailed
study!)

There has been a big expansion

of the trade union movement since
World War 2 and a parallel growth
in the number of full-time, paid
positions. This growth of full-time
officers, field representatives and
support clerical and_ ad-
ministrative staff is not a bad thing
in itself, because a mass

movement of more than 2 million:

Canadians cannot operate on a
completely voluntary basis. _

However, the stronger the
stewards’ movement in every
local, the more members who are
involved in voluntary committee
work and the greater the at-
tendance at union meetings, then
the more accountable the paid staff
will be to the membership. This, in
itself, while not a perfect
guarantee, is a_ substantial
protection against corruption.

I spent 27 years as a full-time
trade union official and the main
form of corruption I came across

was that of members who used

training and positions gained in the
trade union movement to move up
the ladder financially, by going to
work for big business or govern-
ments unfriendly to organized
labor. In the narrow sense of the
term, they committed no offence.
But from a class point of view, they
betrayed their fellow workers. (In
some cases, of course, the workers
said ‘‘good riddance!’’)

The best way to prevent this
fence-jumping is to work for a
class understanding among trade
union members, as opposed to a
limited craft or industrial outlook.
A class conscious membership is
less likely to be fooled by petty
opportunists and demagaogues on
the make, because such members
look at all major questions from
the viewpoint of what is good for
the working class and not from a
selfish, egotistical viewpoint; and
they expect their representatives
to have the same viewpoint.

. One of the major sources of
bureaucracy and corruption in the
trade union movement will be
removed when we establish a new
relationship with the American
trade union movement, when we
are successful in achieving an
independent, soverign and united
trade union movement. This is not

See MARINE, page 12

Walt Jacobs, recently elected secretary-treasurer of the Boilermakers

Union, at the B.C. Federation of Labor convention.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13,1974—Page 3