WILLIAM KASHTAN‘S LABOR COMMENT

Unity of trade union movement
still far from being completed

jgHILE formation of the Can-
W cain Labor Congress marks
a big step forward in uniting the
trade union movement it would
be wrong to conclude that the
process is completed.

All-in trade union unity is
not yet a fact.

The Canadian and. Catholic
Confederation of Labor is still
outside the merger. So are a
number of independent unions
like United Electrical, Mine-
Mill, United Fishermen and Al-
lied Workers, and the railway
brotherhoods. Together they
embrace between 200,000 and
250,000 workers.

Their inclusion into the CLC
would complete the process and
really enable the CLC to speak
authoritatively and unitedly for
the organized workers of Can-
ada.

This is not to suggest that
this important question was ig-
nored at the founding conven-
tion. Far from it. But the way
it was handled by the admin-
istration left much to be desir-
ed and may make all-in unity
difficult to achieve,

a mt m

Take, for example, the ap-
proach toward the Catholic Syn-
dicates.

It seemed the Unity Commit-
tee had worked out a basis for
their inclusion whéreby the

Syndicates would be included
as a regional grouping with
their integrity and autonomy in-
tact. This would have met the
demands of the CCCL and cor-
responded with the national as-
pirations of French-Canadian
workers.

However, instead of bringing
in such a proposal, the Unity
Committee, or a part of it,
recommended that negotiations
be opened up with the CCCL,
leaving out entirely the propo-
sal that it be brought in as a
regional group. This was done
over the opposition of Millard
of the United Steelworkers who,
in this case at least, took a fair-
ly ‘sound position. 7

This was an ominous omis-
sion. One can only conclude
that some of the TLC roadmen
have not given up the effort to
liquidate the CCCL Trade union

unity is not likely to be ad--

vanced along these lines.
xt ce =o ae

The resolution of this prob-
lem is vital not only to the ad-
vance of the nation in Quebec.
Ii is equally vital for workers
throughout the country.

Is there a real likelihood of
organizing the unorganized,
raising wages to the level of
those in Ontario, defending trade
union rights and evolving a com-
mon political, education and ac-

AUTOMATION ON DISPLAY

One girl operates

this entire plant

PENING the Mechanical

Handling Exhibition, claim-
ed as the most comprehensive
of its kind in the world, at
Earl's Court, London, last week,
Sir Miles Thomas commented
that automation would help
“to provide cheaper products
with higher wages for all of
us.” .

Sir Miles said that several
major British plants already ap-
proach 100 percent automatic
handling, and “the ultimate’
aim is to eliminate all manual
operations which can be mech-
anized.”

He added: “I see the day ap-
proaching — indeed, it must
_come — when automation in
British factories will be wide-

' spread, enabling us to produce
more, in less time, and at less
cost.

“It will help us to gain an
ever-bigger share of the world’s
markets, which in turn must re-
sult in a better all-round stand-
ard of living for everyone.”

But ironically two companies
which between them have laid
off hundreds of workers recent-
ly — EMI (Hayes) and Fisher
and Ludlow (Birmingham) —
have combined to produce an
exhibit ‘which
is described
as the “world

painted teleprinter which auto-
matically translates the produc-
tion program on to tape.

This is fed into an electronic
reader, which converts it into
electrical impulses, setting off
a chain of automatic processes
without human intervention.

Among the first visitors was .

an 18-strong Soviet delegation
of metallurgical, building and
timber industry engineers.

Yevgeni Soldatov, a Moscow

engineer, praised the finish of

the machines and the skill of
British workmanship.

“I cannot understand why en-
terprises in this country produc-
ing automated machinery and
electronic equipment should be

dismissing workers,” he com-°
. mented.

é “Surely more of them
will be needed to produce more
such machines.

“In the Soviet Union we have
as much automation as possible
because it means making work

easier and accelerates produc-_

tion. No one in our country is
afraid of being made unemploy-
ed.” o

premier of a
new conveyor
systtm with

AUTOMATION
CORPN.

electronic con-
trol.”

It is an auto-
matic plant in
miniature de-
signed to op-
erate to a pre-
determined
program. |

One girl op-
erates the en-

tire plant. She “Sure they can produce the goods without me,

sits at a grey-

but can they buy the goods if rm on relief?”

paris oe terres

tion program for Quebec, with
the CCCL outside the merger?

To ask the question is to
answer: it. For this reason
workers should insist that the
negotiations between the CLC
and the Syndicates take as a
starting point recognition that
the CCCL be brought in as a
regional grouping.

A similar commonsense ap-
proach is needed towards the
independent unions.

Had a vote been taken at the
founding convention it is safe

to say that the majority would
have favored bringing these
unions into the CLC,

Sensing a powerful sentiment,
the administration sidestepped
debate on the 12 resolutions
which called for such a step.

Instead Claude Jodoin read
out a statement without per-
mitting debate on it, which re-
peated the nauseating anti-com-
munist statements of the cold
war and appealed to locals of
these unions to break with their
leaders. -

This is no /basis for all-in
unity and shows the contradic-
tory position the administration
is getting into.

On the one hand the constitu-
tion went on record as favoring
opening the doors to all bona
fide unions, opposing discrimin-
ation against delegates because
of their political views. On the
other hand, Jodoin continued
an obviously bankrupt policy
oi red-baiting’ coupled with ap-
peals to locals to secede.

Apparently this is the new
technique CLC heads have de-
vised. They hope to side-step
an embarrassing situation by ap-
peals to locals to break from
their parent bodies. |

Such a policy, however, is
doomed to failure. The workers
will continue to insist that the
doors of the congress be open-
ed to all unions with their aut-
onomy and integrity intact.
And if they press hard enough,
all-inclusive unity can become
a fact before the next conven-
tion comes around. ;

EART disease — the No. 1

killer in Canada and the
United States — causes little
trouble in the Far East. In no
Asian country does heart
disease rank among the three
top killers. Rarely does it
appear among the top 10,
India, Indonesia and Thailand

heart disease statistics.

In Asia, the top killers are
epidemic diseases and others
such as tuberculosis, beri-beri,
cancer, malaria, yaws and
pneumonia.:

The theory held by some
U.S. heart specialists that
a high fat diet can be blam-
ed for the heavy toll finds

Canada’s No. 1 killer

do not even bother to keep J :
' for the wide gap in heart .

support by some authorities
in the Far East.

It was pointed out that the
staple diet in most Asian
countries is composed of rice,
fish, fruits, vegetables and
other foods low in fat con-
tent.

‘Korean authorities said the
“only reason” they could give

death rates in Korea and the
U.S. was that Koreans eat
less meat and fat.

Indian authorities blamed —
sedentary life and rich food
for the higher heart disease
death rate among India’s
city dwellers than among ©
villagers who live a more
physically strenuous life,
with a simpler diet.

OPEN FORUM

Letter to Strachan

JOHNSON M. HOLMES, Bur-
naby, B.C.: Following is a copy
of a letter which I wrote’ to
Bob Strachan, MLA, on April
25. I ask only that you with-
hold publication (if you decide
to use it) until he has had ample
time to reply.

Dear Bob: After reading Nes-
bitt’s column last night I felt I
must write you and don’t know
whether to congratulate you on
your appointment as CCF lead-
er, or offer you my sympathy
in your struggle. However, I
hope you will take the follow-
ing suggestions sincerely, com-
ing as they do from one who
has been in the movement in
Canada for over 40 years,
through the old Federated Labor

party, the ILP, then the CCF:

—years and years of hard work.

Like dozens more, or maybe
hundreds, I have fallen by the
wayside in my activities but
heaven knows I have kept
awake with both eyes on the
CCF and the Labor party \in
the Old Land. I often wonder
what Keir Hardie, Jimmie Max-
ton, Bob Smillie and others
would have to say to us, and if
I was a Spiritualist I would
try and get in touch with them
and seek their advice,

I think the main reason for
so many leaving the CCF is be-
cause they felt the party had

gone too much to the right and __

was being ruled from: the top
instead of by the rank and file,
and unless resolutions meet with
the approval of the executive
they never reach the floor of
the conventions — this has been
going on for years and years.

I have never been a mem-
ber of the Communist party or
the LPP, but I have always
likened them to left wing so-
cialist — socialists in a hurry;
and not as enemies of the trade
unions and the CCF.

The articles of Tom Alsbury
in the Vancouver Sun were more
than I could stand. So many
of my old friends in the CCF
are so bitter against the LPP
that they forget that our fight
is against capitalism—not against
our fellow working men — and
if you want, which you do, to
make a success of your car-
paign, for heayen’s sake meet
the LPP as friendly human be-

‘ings and arrange for them not

to have opposition if they de-
cide to nominate candidates at
the forthcoming provincial elec-
tion — this fall probably.

Time is too precious to waste
calling one another names with
all the social problems facing
us, particularly the waste on
ridiculous defense at the ex-
pense of old age pensioners;
hospitals, schools, cancer and
other problems, and let’s abol-

ish charities for ever and ever-

——

One of the inbred_royalty,

A very ordinary sot,
But ah, the title Gracie got,

-

The world is full of broken hearts,

To think that one of Cupid’s darts

Should miss a man and hit a wart.
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

Grace Kelly was a movie queen,

That royal lineage of the screen,

Her curves a pleasure» to be seen,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

A princeling came across the sea,

Went to Hollywood to look-see,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

His kingdom had to have an heir,

The prince, he sought a lady fair,

A wife his gambling joint to share, —
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

The prince came from a gambling spot,

“Grace Kelly’s married.”

Grace Kelly's married
The fate of empires and of kings
Are merely secondary things,

With news around the world that rings,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

To those who sneer at royal love

Such marriages come from, above,

The priest gave it a lusty shove,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

One knows not love if one is poor,
Only the rich and the secure
Can know of love, divine and pure,

“Grace Kelly’s married.” .

But who are we to scorn love’s dream?

On to the royal baby’s scream,

Away with every envious gleam,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

If Princess Grace is blessed with twins
Or maybe triplets-to begin,
The royal tree will make a din,

“Grace Kelly’s married.”

And Grace: sits beautiful and dumb,

Amid the luring roulette hum

While heirs in quick suctession come,
“Grace Kelly’s married.”

Meanwhile, true love will take its course
And time bring Princess Grace remorse,
We calmly wait coming divorce,

“Her Grace is single,”

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H.GS.

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May 18, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 4