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Pearson betrays nation to Pentagon

CANCEL A-ARMS PACT

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1963
VOL. 24, NO. 34

GEE 50 am
VANCOUVER;:B.C. 10¢

set for next Wed. —

PLANNING FOR 250,000 MARCHERS. That's the |o
committee, shown here planning the route of the h
ton demonstration, which will be the biggest in U.S.

b of the above
uge Washing-
history. Left is

A. Phillip Randolph, pres. of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car

Porters; Roy Wilkins,secy. of the Natl. A
of Colored People, and Negro woman

ssn. for the Advancement
leader, Anna A. Hedge-

DEMANDS CITY LABOR

Vancouver Labor Council Tuesday night expressed the overwhelming feeling of
revulsion among Canadians at the signing of the nuclear weapons pact with the
U.S. last Friday by adopting a strongly-worded resolution demanding that Prime
Minister Pearson ‘‘reverse his decision.”’ The VLC resolution called on the Canadian
Labor Congress to undertake a nation-wide campaign to cancel the agreement.

Waiting until. Parliament had
adjourned for the summer so 4s
to avoid public debate on its
action, the minority Liberal gov-
ernment last Friday signed an
agreement with the U.S. to ac-
quire nuclear warheads for Can-
ada and Canadian forces over-
seas.

The government has refused to
release the terms of the agree-
ment on the grounds that it would
“not be in the public interest.”
Its action was announced in a
press release at a press confer-
ence.

The agreement calls for the
stockpiling of nuclear warheads
at six locations, including Comox
on Vancouver Island. Delivery
of weapons is to be speeded up

with early autumn as the goal.

The agreement also provides
that custody of the weapons will
remain in U.S. hands and will be
guarded by U.S. military person-
nel, an arrangement which com-
pletely violates the sovereignty of
Canada and places Canadian mil-
itary forces under direct control
of the Pentagon

Prime Minister Pearson told the
press conference the agreement
was similar to one signed by the
Diefenbaker government three
years ago. However, the former
Prime Minister has denied that
any such previous agreement ex-
ists. What is more, when chal-
lenged during the recent session
of Parliament to produce such

tional climate, and

TEXT OF VLC RESOLUTION
CONDEMNING A-ARMS PACT

Whereas, the three great nuclear powers after
prolonged negotiations have come toa partial agree-
ment to ban tests of nuclear weapons, and

Whereas, all indcations point to lessening of
world tensions and an approach of a better interna-

Whereas, all indications point become a charter
signatory to the partial test-ban agreement which
was recently concluded in Moscow,

Therefore be it resolved, that the Vancouver &
District Labor Council strongly urge Prime Minister
Pearson to reverse his decision in acquiring nuclear
weapons for Canada and Canadian forces overseas,
and to strive for the ultimate goal of a peaceful world
without destructive arms now that a major break-
through has been achieved.

~ weekend,

commitment the government re-
fused to do so on the grounds
that it ‘“‘was secret’’ and “‘not in
the public interest’’

The action of the Liberal ad-
ministration shocked the Canad-
ian people and immediately
brought forth condemnation
across the country and abroad.
Here are some statements made
on the Pearson betrayal of
Canada:

@ Speaking to 4,500 people at
the Toronto Labor Festival last
national Communist
Party leader Leslie Morris said:
“The Ottawa-Washington agree.
ment to accept American nuclear
bombs should be rejected and
cancelled out by the stormy pro-
tests of the Canadian people.”’

“This fresh betrayal of Canad-
ian sovereignty is not only a
blow at the spirit and intent of
the partial test ban, but at the
idea of a non-agression pact. . .”
(See summary of speech on
pg. 3)-

© NDP national leader Tommy
Douglas said, before. leaving
Canada for Europe, and before the
pact was announced, that the
Pearson government has ‘no
right’ to sign a nuclear agree-
ment with the U.S. before first
consulting Parliament and the
people.

New Democrats in Parliament
will continue to oppose such an
agreement, he added, and that if
one is signed the NDP members

See A-ARMS PACT, pg. 3

Longshore

For the first time in his-
tory, a group of workers in
Canada will be sharing in the
fantastic profits being accu-
Mulated as a result of tech-
hological improvements and
automation in industry. The
newly won agreement _be-
tween the International
Longshoremens & Ware-
housemens Union and water-
front employer groups points
the way ahead for the entire
Canadian labor movement.

The main points of the
agreement have been accept-
€d in principle by the Ship-
Ping Federation of B.C., B.C.
Wharf Operators Association
and the union membership,
Which voted 70.9 percent in
favor of acceptance. The
agreement itself will now be

formally drawn up and will

Tun for a 3-year period. Main
Points are as follows:

® Instead of a scattering
of contracts throughout the
Mdustry, there will now be
a master contract between
the union and each of the two
€mployer groups;

e An Automation Protec-
tion Plan will safeguard wor-
kers against the effects of
mechanization and automa-
tion;

e@ At the same time, the
agreement includes a modifi-
cation of work rules which
will enable the employers to

realize greater Sav i n gs
through added mechaniza-
tion.

Under the plan, which is
the culmination of 16 months
of tough negotiating, layoffs
for technological reasons are
prohibited and union mem-
bers are guaranteed work for
a minimum of 1820 hours a
year or 35 hours a week, as
long as cargoes remain at
their present levels. Should
cargoes drop, the guarantees
will be proportionately reduc-
ed.

Where mechanization elim-
inates old jobs and creates
new ones, members will re-
ceive retraining at the ex-
pense of the employer, with-
out loss of income.

Where mechanization elim-

inates jobs at one port, while
employment opportunity ex-
ists at another, members will
be relocated at the expense of
the employer.

Workers who are forced to
retire early will receive $300
per month until age 65 (when

men win big

their normal industry pension
becomes due) to a maximum
of $10,800.

Any union member with 25
years of service in the indus-

try can retire at age 65 and.

will receive $100 a month for
72 months—in addition to his

‘MILITANT POLICIES PAY OFF FOR DOCKWORKERS. Photo shows

a 2 hour stop work meeting May 16 in Vancouver's waterfront to
emphasize support for their demands. Support such as this from
the workers won their union sweeping gains which were announc-
ed this week. —FISHERMAN Photo

gains
normal industry pension. The
same benefit is available to
any member with 25 years of
service who wishes to retire
voluntarily any time after his
62nd birthday.

In addition, a member re-
tiring at any age on account
of disability will receive the
same amount, but must have
15 years in the industry to
qualify. In event of death,
the $7,200 will be paid to the
member’s widow or estaté.for
all three categories outlined
above.

The agreement is undoubt-
edly one of the most far-

reaching ever concluded in

this country. Of particular
importance is the consolidat-

ing of all contracts into two-
which ©

master agreements,
will enable workers to work
for different employers in the
industry without loss of sen-
iority, vacations, welfare and
pension rights—and ultimate-
ly, also wages.

Wages themselves, al-
though not of prime impor-

See LONGSHORE, pg. 8

i

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