Nanaimo labor was represented ina parade for the first time in many years on May 21 with the above float which was well received by the public. Labor's entry was co-sponsored by the Nanaimo-Duncan and District Labor Council and the Vancouver Island Labor Picnic Committee. Riding in the car are George Popplestone, president of the council, Grac Tickson, vice-president, John Holmgren, |WA member and Miss Labor — Linda Haugheland of Nanaimo. The float pointed to the upcoming labor picnic at Parksville on September 2, which is a major Island event. Cont'd. from pg. 1 with its profit motive its the present housing crisis. According torecentestimates there is ample supply of suitable land for urban development in the Greater Vancouver area. There are moré than 29,000 acres of vacant land which is more than experts say willbeneeded in the next 25 years of develop- ment. The problem is that land speculators and real estate com- panies are holding the public at ransom withthe high prices they are demanding for land on which to build homes. The same is true of the lum- ber, cement and construction companies. They have pushed construction costs up to anall- time high in their drive to squeeze all the profits they can out of the public. People who want homes can build only if they pay the ransom in the form of high profits to the monopolies Responding to the threat of Seagram’s to shut down the New Westminster plant, the B.C. Federation of Labor called on the provincial government to consider a takeover of the operation if Seagram’s seeks to carry out the plant closure. Inaletter to provincial trade and industry minister Gary Lauk, the Federation noted that ‘close to 200 jobs would be lost; while the government could keep the distillery open as a profitable operation and could, no doubt, expand its business,” and offered to meet with the gov- ernment at any time on the question. The call for government takeover inthe event of a plant closure is the latestina series of action taken by the Federation in support of the 180 striking workers at the Seagram's plant in New Westminster, all mem- bers of Local 69 of the Dis- tillery, Rectifying. Wine and Allied Workers International Union. Federation secretary Ray Haynes sent repeated demands to the international office for strike benefits for the workers and when funds were not made available, the Federa- tion canvassed affiliated locals for money to give strike benefits to Local 69 members. Early in the dispute, the Fed- eration intervened when the international office of the Distillery Workers sought to deny the right of Local 69 to sign its own contract by declaring null and void an overwhelming vote in favor of strike action. The position taken by the B.C. Federation in the Seagram's dispute has been significant in giving leadership to a number of unions and locals seeking the right to determine policies that affect the local membership. The action taken has been de- cisive in maintaining labor unity in the face of international non- eooperation: ; The support given the mem- bers of Local 69 may well have national implications particu- larly inrelation to the campaign of the Canadian Labor Con- gress against breakaways. Last week, Local 61 ofthe Distillery Workers, representing some 800 members at the Hiram Walker plantin Walkerville, On- tariosent their charter back to the international officein New Jersey stating that the action was taken as a protest against the international’s ‘‘consistent refusal to issue strike benefits to our brothers in B.C. who only want to gain wage parity with us. In a poll taken among the Hiram Walker workers. 85% opted for ‘an alternative union” and instructed the local execu- tive to find other affiliation. The return of thecharterisnot a decision to seek Canadian affiliation since the local is pre- sently negotiating with three other unions only one of whichis independently Canadian. It was prompted more by a fear that similar treatment to that given Local 69 by the international would result if strike action were necessary inupcoming contract negotiations. Six years ago the Hiram Wal- ker plant was onstrike for five weeks without any -strike benefits coming from the inter- national office. In commenting on the action taken, Local 61 president Dick Tighe said that the members were “fully aware of the CLC campaign against breakaways. but we know of nothing the CLC has done about disowning such internationals as the Distillery Workers.” Clearly. action in favor of unions whose _ international offices offer no assistance in disputes and noright to make in- dependent decisions will figure largely in any campaign to main- tain unity in, the face of break- PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1973—-PAGE 12 aways. The criticism levelled by Local 61 is not isolated; other unions have beencriticalof the Congress for failing to be responsive to the underlying reasons for breakaways. D.N. Secord, president of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and Gen- eral Workers (CBRT) last week announced that his union would not support the CLC campaign against breakaways because of Several fundamental ommis- sions from the program. The program does not get at the root causes of the erosion of international unions in Canada’’, Secord said. ‘‘It has Veteran been evident for years that more and more Canadian workers want control over their unions— the right toelect their own Officers, adopt their own policies and programs to meet Canadian needs, control and decide their own spending, and establish Canadian-oriented re- search, education, legislative and public relations services.”’ Secord emphasized that had the CLC concentrated on ‘‘these important reforms instead of seeking simply to preserve the Structural status quo’’ the CBRT would have been ‘‘happy to endorse the campaign.” loggers’ leader mourned The B.C. Labor movement lost one of its most colorful and staunch champions this week with the sudden passing of John McCuish, pioneer loggers organizer and veteran Com- munist. McCuish, who was in his 75th year, died in his sleep early Saturday morning. JOHN McCUISH Born at Ferguson’s Lake, Nova Scotia, he came west in 1921 to work in the lumber camps. Well known on both sides of the border for his consistent militant and fearless stand, McCuish’s trade union activities spanned more than half a century from the days of the I.W.W., the Lumberworker’s Industrial Union, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, the Federation of Wood- workers, the IWA-CIO and finally the International Brother- hood of Electrical Workers— where he worked before retire- ment ten years ago. After working for several years in the U.S. Northwest, followed by astint of loggingin the Hawaiian Islands in 1929, McCuish returned to Wash- ington State. In 1936 he was elected to the woodworkers Central Strike Committee, where his fearless. incorrup- : ‘who building rd dominate the industry. The same is true with reg@ to apartment accommodatio® The big landlords are quilt frank in saying that ‘‘the retul!! (profits) on the investment jl hel! isn’t enough.’’ Pay themt & ransom and they'll build aP ments. : All this points to one fact: There will be no major breé through in solving the housit crisis by depending on priv4 ; interests. Housing experts hay long pointed out that the privé sector cannot solve the houstt problem and that only throug the large-scale injection of ot lic funds and public action a the housing problem be tae seriously. at The demand for govern action has been voiced by 1a the Communist Party, ten and housing associations. vial recent brief to the provines cabinet the B.C. Federatlot Labor called the hous! situation ‘‘critical’’ and ie the Barrett government to® at an immediate confereh involving all three levels of ernment to discuss the meals tackling the housing crisis. it The BCFL urged the pris, cial government, along with ; federal government, ae matter of top priority, - available large amounts of @ ie gage money at the Jo possible rates of interes vl called for a signifl@: expansion in the amount cost public housing. ‘of A ee weeks ago Prem Dave Barrett announcé inf intention to appoint a ho A minister ‘‘within a few we That would be a welcome meh but initself will not be onal The appointment of a 500! minister should be madé and it should be accompal jag a large scale plan for tae" the housing problem. avail Sucha plan should make* sy able large sums of moni ell public housing and to @ pil easier for those wanting 1 calé ahome todoso. The larbe "aj injection of government the the only way to allevi4 sit housing crisis. The 10 rogl squeeze by the mortgage” on estate and building supP uel panies has gone on long 2 j t tible, militant stand came a attention of the U.S. opt gration service who pea deported him back to Ca United States loss 7 cuis! Canada’s gain for inl scarcely missed a beat B an outstanding contribUy ¢s building the IWA-CION cag! upcoast logging camp: © pid! skippered the pioneet av! organizational boat © d Wayne’’ to become aff ly known all the Way Vancouver Bay an nat! River to the Queen C Islands and down the esd of Vancouver Island aS “3 4 of the Loggers Nave president of loggers 1? fof . and upcoast organize! | adel union, he was one of the rot! of the historic que ' Island logger’s strike- t A long-time mem yb? Victory Square logger in the Communist Party: active to the end: ection