CUPW to fight Post Office cuts
and organize in private sector

OTTAWA — The 23,000-
member Canadian Union of
Postal Workers is facing a cross-
roads as Canada Post is following
through with plans to cut its
$400-million deficit at the work-
ers’ expense, delegates to the
union’s triennial convention were
told May 2.

Postal management is gearing
up for a re-organization of its op-
erations that will mean job cuts
for postal workers and CUPW
members.

In his opening address to the
convention,, CUPW president
Jean-Claude Parrot called on the
delegates to prepare ‘‘a program
_of action unprecedented in our
history’’, to battle Canada: Post.

The National Executive
Board’s (NEB), report to the
convention was sharply critical of
what it called the Canadian Labor
Congress inability ‘‘to provide
leadership to a movement under
siege by a concerted effort of pub-
lic and private employers ...”’

It criticized the close ties be-
tween elements of the CLC
leadership, government and busi-
ness as “‘a complete contradiction
to democratic, militant trade
unionism.”

On May 3, about half way
through the week-long con-
vention, CUPW delegates
Strengthened the union’s con-
Stitution, making it possible to

_ organize in both the public and
private sectors. Courier com-

panies under contract with the
post office, which have grown in
the past few years, and use cheap
labor to undercut postal workers’
jobs, will be among CUPW’s
chief organizing targets:

Also targeted are workers in
large retail stores such as the Bay
and Eaton’s. CUPW’s executive
board has been authorized to set
up a committee to study potential
candidates for organizing drives.

Delegates launched the con-
vention with a May Day recep-
tion, May 1, at which Parrot
focussed his remarks on dis-
armament and international labor
solidarity.

“Everything that humanity has
struggled to achieve during the
past several thousand years will
be destroyed in a few hours’’ of a
nuclear war, Parrot told the May
Day gathering. Workers must
fight and mobilize with other
forces around the world for dis-
armament, to smash the climate
of fear caused by politicians’ talk
of limited, extended and winnable
atomic wars, and to shift govern-

ment spending away from

weapons of death toward ex-
pansion of social services to meet
people’s needs.

Parrot pointed out that ‘‘work-
ers have never gained anything
from war, war production, or war
preparations’, and he exposed
the true meaning of the new ‘‘cold
war’ launched by the Reagan
government.

: ‘: : 4 y # : : S. s
JEAN-CLAUDE PARROT

‘The logic of the new cold war
as preached by the U.S. administ-
ration’?, the CUPW leader said,
“is not only designed to produce
profits for the corporations pro-
ducing war materials, it is also de-
signed to justify the oppression of
workers’ struggles.

This cold war mentality is en-
couraged in the hope workers will
ignore the torture and murder of
trade unionists around the world
by the U.S. and Canada’s politi-
cal and commercial allies, he said.

Parrot called ‘‘red baiting’ the
“greatest lie’? spawned by the

forces behind the cold war and .

that it ‘is designed to undermine
our support for our brothers and
sisters who are struggling for their

. most basic rights ...”’

a SSC SSE
sear Wi

ment, without any prior consultation with the UAW. The UA

~ working and on layoff as Well as the detrimental effect on labo!

1,400 JOBS TO BE AXED
IN MASSEY DESERTION

TORONTO — The United Auto Workers has demanin a
“‘total explanation”’ from Massey Ferguson Ltd., of its future ||
plans in the wake of casual remarks by corporate President
Victor Rise that within the next two years the landmark plant of
King St. W. will be closed for good.

_Rice let the cat out of the bag at a stockholder’s meeting
responding to a shareholder’s question. UAW Canada directo!
Bob White fired off a telegram to the Massey boss the next day;
reminding Rice of the union’s ‘‘desperate”’ efforts to get inform?
tion about the company’s plans. Massey wasn’t saying anything.

White said it was ‘‘inexcusable’’ to make such an announc®

leader added: ‘‘Surely you must understand the terrible effect
this kind of statement has on the employees in Toronto, bol!

relations in general. _

Massey’s plan is to move the Toronto operation, where 800 of
the regular 1,400 work force is presently on layoff, to Brantford:
A meeting between the union and the company is being arranged:

UFCW CHARGES
PIZZA COMPANY

MISSISSAUGA — The United Food and Commercial Work: |)
ers (UFCW), last week filed charges with the Ontario Labo!
Relations Board accusing Canadian Pizza Crust Ltd., of unfaif
labor practices.

UFCW was in the process of organizing the work force of 90 at
the plant, when. 22 workers were laid off, some with as much a
nine years’ seniority. Of the workers still employed, there at
some with less than six months service.

Canadian Pizza Crust was recently forced to reinstate 23 East
Indian women it had fired last November because they wer
trying to gain union protection.

The union is slated to get its hearing with the board on thé
certification application, May 20.
: —_

ing, united class battles.
Today is no exception.

They have been doing it for years.
Right-wing social democracy always leans on the
ultra-left, using it as a ‘left bower’’ in times of grow-

Aclear pattem of ultra left, right-wing collaboration

Ultras find friends in strange places.

William Stewart

Labor in action

signed to smear the Vancouver May Day as a Com-
munist plot. They failed there as they will fail here.
Two weeks ago it was the peace movement which
was the objective of their splitting tactics. When the
police refused to allow the parade to march on Yonge
St., the Trots, together with some other ultra-left

has emerged in the labor, democratic and peace
movements across Canada. In every instance the es-
sence of this collaboration is to split the growing
fightback movements. In most cases its underlying
rationale is anti-Sovietism.

The task being assigned to the ultras by the right-
wing leadership is to set up the left for the kill by
providing a ‘‘left’”’ illusion of anti-Sovietism. This acts
as a point of entry for the anti-Communism and anti-
Sovietism of the right, who are finding their leadership
challenged on many fronts in the labor and democratic
movements.

The basis for all the actions of these ultra-left
groups, as well as their right-wing benefactors, is the
mad anti-Soviet binge monopoly media have em-
barked on, aimed straight at the heart of the working
class, peace and democratic movements. In condi-
tions of such an attack on real socialism and the
Communist Party, wavering elements in the working
class more easily fall prey to the blandishments of the
ultras who offer various kinds of anti-Soviet
“‘socialisms’’.

Conniving, Splitting

A recent example of the connivance of the ultra-
left, with elements of leadership of the labor move-
ment, together with ultra rightists and the media, was
provided at the Metro Toronto May Day Parade.

A group calling itself the Solidarnosc Support
Committee, but in reality a motly group of Trotskyite
splitters who are as little concerned about the workers
of Poland as they are about the workers of Canada,
applied to enter the May Day Parade.

Their request was unanimously turned down by the
May Day Committee consisting of 42 organizations,
as the splitters knew in advance would be the case.
They immediately set about following this refusal to
try to split organizations and individual speakers

away from the parade. This was their sole objective.
We are informed by the organizers of May Day that
the reason given for the refusal to let the group into the
parade was that they did not represent anyone. They
do not represent the Solidarnosc movement in exile,
nor do they represent the Polish people of Canada, the
CLC, any union or any affiliated body of the labor
movement in Canada. They are mainly based in the
Dovercourt constituency of the New Democratic
Party which is the main hiving ground for the Trots.

No Interest in May Day

The Solidarnosc movement in Canada had no wish
to be in the Toronto May Day Parade. The representa-
tives of exiled Solidarnosc in Canada have made it

-quite clear that they do not have any sympathy for the
labor movement, accusing Dennis McDermott of
being no more their friend than the police in Poland.
The Canadian Labor Congress and the Polish Con-
gress, who now make up the committee of contact

with Solidarnosc in Brussels, did not ask or display —

any. interest in taking part in the May Day march.

The splitters from the left, just as the splitters from
the right are working overtime these days trying to
make anti-Communism and anti-Sovietism the issue
in the labor, peace and democratic movements. As
the working class more and more is impelled to unite
its ranks in the fightback against the crisis, the split-
ters can be found everywhere, working hand in hand
with the right wing elements, trying to break this
unity.

Last year they tried to break the unity of the Van-
couver May Day, going so far as to undertake one of
their patent ‘“‘Canada-wide’’ protest campaigns de-

allies, undertook to force a confrontation between the

police and the parade by defying the police order.

They were blocked in this attempt to turn the
parade from an anti-Cruise demonstration to an anti-
police demonstration.

At the first meeting of the Committee Against
Cruise Testing, following the parade, instead of con-
centrating on the positive aspects of the great demon-
stration and where the movement goes from here,
their first order of business was to attack the left and
the Communists for opposing their divisive and coun-
ter productive Yonge St. operation.

Day for Workers, Not Bosses

And so it goes, on and on. A great May Day
demonstration based on the vital demand for jobs and
peace, is turned into an-excuse by the media to con-
centrate on what is made to appear as a division in
labor’s ranks over Poland.

‘May Day is ignored and the press is given a further —
opportunity to add to its already overflowing bag of
lies about what is really taking place in Poland.

Those well-meaning workers and leaders in the
labor movement who are inclined to argue that the
May Day parade should be open to anyone who
wishes to participate, regardless of their credentials,
need to be reminded that May Day is a day to cele-
brate the international solidarity of the workingclass, —
its growing united opposition to the war plans and —
economic policies of imperialism and monopoly —
capitalism. To admit the splitters into such a celebra-
tion is like inviting the boss to sit ona union negotiat- —
ing committee.

The membership of the trade unions, labor, peace
and democratic movements will not thank those who
open up their ranks of these movements for the unin-
hibited actions of such elements, no matter that it is
done in the name of ‘‘democracy’’.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 13, 1983—Page 6