© ‘Carl-Bergers’ burn up as Civic Employees | turn heat on raiding Carl Berg’s splinter group, set up by the Trades and when Vancouver Civic Employees’ Union, Lozal 28, refused torial order that its entire executi ‘Labor Congress vice-president to knucklé under to his dicta- ve board res'gn, is making little progress in winning civic workers as members. The “Carl-Bergers” (as the group has been nicknamed) were burning CRA pushes petition for vote on public ownership of transit | “We, the undersigned electors of the city of Vancouver, petition the city council to submit to the electors, before De- cember 30, a plebiscite to determine if the electors desire the city council to acquire the public transportation system.” This petition was being circulated in two representative polling sub- divisions this week by members and supporters of Civic Reform Association. “The Non-Partisan city council has illegally brushed aside provi- sions of the city charter and pre- vented Vancouver citizens from saying whether or not they want city ownership of the BCElectric,” said Civic Reform Association al- dermanic candidate Elgin Ruddell. “Support of the petition does not commit anyone to public owner- ship. It only endorses the right to vote on the issue.” Effie Jones, also seeking an al- dermanic seat on the CRA ticket, commented: “The action of the BCER gang of NPA aldermen in city council in denying voters the right of plebiscite on this question was to be expected. The “Maho- gany Room’ boys have served the BECR well. At every turn they have blocked. the right of voters to express their considered opin- jons on important matters. “But we can’t take it’ lying down —it ig our democratic right, guar- -anteed by the city charter, to have a voice in the making of civic policy. We have to enforce that right. That is the meaning of the petition now being circulated by the CRA.” oe) Under section 163 of the city charter it is clearly stated that no franchise can be granted until the covering by-law “has first been submitted to and received the as- sent of the electors of the city.” A leaflet relating the history of the growing domination of the BCElectric was distributed this week by Civic Reform Association supporters. It urges citizens to sign the CRA pétition demanding *a plebiscite on public ownership, and points out: “This year Vancouver may. serve notice on the BCE under the terms of the 20-year fran- chise, to acquire the public tran- sit system. A decision must be made this year, or wait another five years. The CRA urges you to sign the petition when a can- vasser visits your home.” Marine Workers win 13c af steel plant More than 300 ‘workers at Wes- tern Bridge and Steel Fabricating Company in Vancouver won a 13 eent an hour pay hike, retroactive to September 13, in a new con- tract signed by Marine Workers and Boilermakers Industrial Union. » On Wednesday last week the men voted to take strike action, after rejecting an offer of a 10-cent boost. The company then raised its offer and the workers voted to accept 13 cents. Their wages are now the highest in the indus- Sey. wide Youth unife in opposing warmongering “Canadian youth should — not fight again. Canada is in no dan- ger of attack. War is not inevi- table.” This was the ‘general opin- ion expressed at a meeting held last Sunday in Burnaby, jointly sponsored by Finnish Youth Club, Collingwood Cooperative Common- wealth Youth Movement (CCYM) and Burnaby National Federation of Labor Youth (NFLY). Among. proposals put forward as means of preventing war were: Seating of China in the UN; re- turn to the UN charter and peace- ful settlement of the Korean crisis by withdrawal of foreign troops and mediation; opposition to con- scription in Canada; general re- duction of armaments and _ ban- ning of the atomic bomb; aboli- tion of capitalism because itis the source of war; outlaw all kinds of war propaganda. Teijo Lehtonen, speaking for the Finnish Youth Club, contended that the strength of the world- peace movement which has eollected over 450 million. signa- tures to the Stockholm Appeal, was the chief obstacle in blocking the warmongers. The wide distri- bution of crime and war comics, he said, pointed to the need for young people themselves to under- take immediate action to counter- act war propaganda. Manfred Schmid of the CCYM said his group believed in edu- cation and organization, but at the present time it was concen- trating on self-education because its members did not see what practical’ things could be done short of a complete social revolu- tion. “However,” he _ said, “youth should be united to do whatever constructive things are possible.” For his own part he said that he had signed the Stockholm Appeal. “We cannot wait until the peo- ple of Canada and the U.S. are ready for a social revolution before we do something to prevent war,” said Steve Endicott of NFLY, “af- ter all, the atomic bomb is a fact. An atomic war would wipe out most of the people of the world. There is the possibility for peaceful existence of the capitalist and socialist states. The Soviet ‘Union ‘is confident that in peace- ful competition socialism will prove the superior system. In the mean- time, there is not a shred of evi- dence of Soviet aggression against any other country.” - - f up this week as the legitimate un- ion went on the offensive and took their case to the trade unions and the public by means of an exten- sive leaflet and radio campaign. “Unions must be free to choose their own officers and run their own internal affairs, free from out- side intereference,” stated a union leaflet distributed in thousands of copies this week to trade unions from coast to coast. The leaflet was published by Local 28 Job Stewards’ Council. Berg has asked union members to revoke their check-off, sign a phony application card to join his splinter group, and give the “Carl- Bergers” a free hand in negotiat- ing on their behalf. “This is sabotage on the .eve of the annual wage negotiations,” de- clares the Civic Employees’ Union. “No union can condone this des- picable act of raiding. If Berg gets away ‘with it, your union will be in danger.” The union is holding a public meeting at Pender Auditorium, Sunday, November 19, at 8 p.m. where Donald Guise and other officers of Local 28 will tell the full story of Berg’s raiding and the activities of his rump group. In a statement broadcast over CJOR Monday night, Marshall Ar- buckle, chairman of the Job Stew- ards’ Council and one of the 17 union officials suspended by Berg for failure to “cooperate” in his union-busting scheme, declared: “Tt belong to the union because I believe in trade unionism; be- cause only through collective bar- gaining is it possible for me and my fellow workers to improve our wages and working conditions. “T have been a job steward for more than three years. I have signed up more than 100 new mem- bers. This year my fellow work- ers re-elected me as a trustee and member of the executive board, for a three-year term. “Then, out of a clear blue sky, Carl Berg—who calls himself a Jabor doctor’—tells me I am sus- pended from office and member- ship. / “Believe me, I am not suspend- ed as far as the union is con- cerned. Like the other members who have been suspended for ‘non- co-operation’ I am appealing my suspension to the Trades and La- bor Congress of Canada. When I joined the union na one asked me my religion, my political affiliation or what lodge I belonged to (attention, Doctor Berg, I am a member of Ennis- killen Orange Lodge No. 1615). No one has ever told me to stop being an Orangeman; or that I had to be a Liberal, Con- servative, Socialist or Commu- nist. “A trade union is organized to advance the wages, working con- ditions and general welfare of the working people. Any outside civic worker is entitled to be a member of our union, no matter what his religion, politics or fraternal af- filiation, providing he lives up to the constitution. And once he is a member, he must have full right to serve as a delegate or officer. I believe in democracy. We can’t. have two classes of membership and continue to call ourselves a democratic organization. ; “Car] Berg has had a good visit in Vancouver.. He has been here long enough. I would be only too glad to see him off on the train back to Edmonton. We have been running our own business for 40 years and doing a good job of it. Why change now?” Park Board candidate The Civic Reform Association announced. this week that Mau- rice Rush (above) would contest a park board seat under its ban- ner in the forthcoming Vancou- ver. civic elections. ‘ Textile Workers in Montreal win new wage boost MONTREAL Canadian officers of the United Textile Workers of America (AFL- TLC), under anti-Communist at- tack from big business and its own right wing international last week once again demonstrated what fighting leadership coupled with rank-and-file democracy can win for Canadian workers. j A Led by Canadian district direc- tor Kent Rowley and_ secretary- treasurer Madeleine Parent, the UTWA signed. a collective agree- ment with the -huge Dominion Textile trust for a flat wage in- crease of nine cents an hour for all the 3,000 unionists at the com- pany’s four Montreal plants. én addition the UTWA _ secured a three cent an hour second shift premium, making an®* actual in- crease of 12 cents an hour for second shift workers. The new contract, which is re- troactive to September 6, will run one year. Also included in the big gains of the new agreement are clauses providing for a surgical Unionists seek right fo work for fired men TORONTO Leading trade unionists of this city went into action at a special “Right to Work” conference last week and drew up a program designed to win back the jobs of Reg. Wright, Charles Manser, Wil- liam Johnstone and James Bruce. Wright, Manser and Johnstone were fired from Consumer Gas Company under a closed shop clause after being expelled from the International Chemical Work- ers’ Union (AFL) by its red-bait- ing president H. A. Bradley. Bruce was fired from Lever Brothers when that firm also took advan- tage of Bradley’s undemocratic edict, The “Right to Work” conference was attended by unionists repre- senting auto, electrical, steel, nee- dle trades, chemical, fur and other locals. Prominent at the confer- ence were leading union officials. The program of action drawn up by the conference included the following points: 1. Circulation of a petition demanding that the fir- ed workers be reinstated to the union and their jobs. 2. A labor delegation to appear before Toronto Board of Control! urging that the city take action on behalf of unionists who have béen discriminated against. ; 3. An intensive campaign | to bring the issue before every To- ronto trade union local to win broader support behind the fight for the “Right to Work.” 4. Possible legal action by the labor movement to win back the jobs. plan which will pay maximum be- nefits of $134 for workers and dependents. Weekly sickness and accident indemnities were raised to $15 per week. Vacation pay for employees with 15 to 25 years employment was hiked five per- cent, Under the new contract Domin- ion Textile workers will continue to enjoy the 40 hour week with overtime after 40 hours; one week — vacation with pay after one year rvice; two weeks vacation with pay after five years service, six paid holidays; hospitalization, sp¢- cial hospital ‘service benefits, and life insurance. McMANUS’ ARTICLES SCORNED “TORONTO _ A ‘series of two “sensational” articles published by McLean’s Magazine under the name of T. G. McManus, renegade Com- munist and trade unionist, this week, were scorned «by Tim -Buck, LPP national leader, as a “dreamworld of lies” baring “the plan of big business in Canada, for driving underground —as Hitler did—all opponents of the present war program and war hysteria that emanates from Washington.” : In a statement issued here this week Buck declared: “The McManus “revelations” reveal something quite different from what his financial spon- sors intended. They lay bare: the plan of big business in Ca- nada for driving underground —as Hitler did — all opponents of the present war program and war hysteria that eman- ates from Washington. __ “Amid all the highly colored fantasmagoria of McManus’ dreamworld of lies — one fact stands out: His Bay St. spon- sors dream of’ the day when Canada can be reduced to the status of United States occu- pied territory in which — as under the Nazis in Europe, as '‘Dreamworld of lies’ he textually states — the Com- munists would have to lead workers’ struggles under condi- tions of illegality. The fact that — the prospect of “war with Rus- sia” is held up to justify sup- pression of the Communists re- veals the fascist motivation be- hind the U.S. inspired cam- paign in Canada, of which the McManus article is but one un- savory sample. “McManus lies, shamelessly— for cash. Unwittingly, he be- trays his own mendacity. Af- ter a “super-sensational” build up, packed with penny thriller embroidery, he confesses: “No- body (in, the Central Commit- tee) talks, even in the most general terms, about sabotage, espionage or fifth columns in- side the armed forces.” The reason that this is so is quite simple. Such things are not discussed because they do not exist. They are strictly the creation of McManus’ fevered— and well-paid—imagination, “The early Christians had their Judas, The modern Com- munists have Sergeant Leopold, Louis Budenz, T. G. McManus. They will meet with the same loathing and contempt on the part of honest people as has their infamous predecessor.” — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 17, 1950 — PAGE 2