OPEN LETTER TO PEARSON:

‘Free Canada from U.S. policy

Photo shows some of the hundreds of students who gath-
ered at the Vancouver Court House last Saturday to pro-

LABOR ROUNDUP:

‘c Iribune

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1967

test the Vietnam war. They later marched to protest in
front of the U.S. missile carrier. (See story on page 1).

U.S.-Canada auto pact
boosts jobiess totals

While the Pearson government
in Ottawa is still proclaiming the
U.S,-Canada Auto Pact, signed
jointly between Prime Minister
Pearson and U.S. President John-
son in January of 1956 as ahowl-
ing success, all the fanfare ac-
companying the signing ceremony
is taking on a much more sombre
hue as thousands of Canadian auto
workers in Oshawa, St. Cather-
ines, Windsor and other auto and
auto parts centers in Ontario and
Quebec are pounding the sidewalk,
jobless,

In Oshawa some 5,000 work-
ers at the big General Motors
plant have been laid off. In St.
Catherines another 1,500 or more
are jobless, The number of laid-
off auto workers in Windsor, just
across the river from Detroit is
not specific, but it is estimated
that the layoffs there has not been
less than 5,000 or more.

When this pact was signed it
was estimated then that the Pear-
son government had made an out-
right gift of $50-million to the
U.S, auto and auto parts monopo-
lies, a virtual “free trade” ar-
rangement, with the benefits
heavily loaded in favor of U.S.
auto manufacturers.

Now it would seem that all Can-
ada has to show for Pearson’s
great “auto pact success” is a
growing army of skilled Cana-
dian auto workers of 10,000 more
or less which this pact has thrown
out of their jobs, and left their
families to get along on unem-
ployment insurance or welfare

relief.

* * *

A leaflet distributed at the
recent session of the Vancouver
and District Labor Council (VLC),
issued by the Retail, Wholesale
and Department Store Union
(AFL-CIO-CLC) urges workers

and others: “Don’t Buy ’67 Fords
from Dominion Vancouver Motors
itda;??

The new and used car sales-
men of Dominion Vancouver
Motors have been on strike since
May 17, 1966, and have exhausted
every effort to bring about a rea-
sonable and realistic settlement
of the dispute,

The company on the other hand
have resorted to hiring scabs,

Victoria parley
on Vietnam

“Vietnam — an International
Seminar’, sponsored by the
Alma Mater Society, Univer-
sity of Victoria, and made pos-
sible through the generous
efforts of 30 or more promi-
nent Victoria citizens, is
scheduled to be held March
18-19,

The first Seminar session
will be held in the Lans-
downe Secondary School, be-
ginning at 10 a.m., while the
Sunday session will be held
at University of Victoria Gym,
starting at 1 p.m.

The guest speakers’ list
include a number of national
and international personali-
ties, educationalists, etc., in-
cluding Dr, Gustavo Tolentino,
who has recently returned
from a 24-day tour of inves-
tigation in Vietnam.

According to the leaflet is-
sued by the sponsors of this
seminar, it promises to be
*« ... the largest in scope and
most intense examination of
any yet to be presented in
Western Canada’’,

blacklisting union members, and
on a couple of occasions sought

~ the use of exparte injunctions to

ban legal picketing.

If you plan a new car for Cen-
tennial year, get it from where
union men are respected by the
company as such,

* ok O*

New item intheB.C. Teamster.
**One of Canada’s youngest trade
union leaders — Edward M, Law-
son, has been re-elected for a
fourth consecutive term as head
of the Teamsters Union inB.C.”.

Ray Haynes, secretary of the
B.C. Federation of Labor, writ-
ing inthe Western Canadian Lum-
ber Worker of February, 1967,
says;

“First of all Mr. Lawson was
not elected by a referendum vote
as is the case oftheIWA and many
other trade unions. Mr, Lawson
was elected by a vote of the Team -
sters’ joint council. It should be
pointed out that the joint council
is composed of seven represent-
atives of each of the eight locals
in British Columbia,

“According to the Teamster
setup, a full turnout at a council
meeting would mean 56 delegates,
However, perhaps partly because
the council includes locals from
all. over the province, only 39
delegates attended. Many ofthem
were full-time, paid representa-
tives under the direct supervision
of headman Ed Lawson,

Despite this obvious advantage,
Mr. Lawson was only able to
defeat an unknown bread truck
driver, Des Howe, by a 26 to 13
vote. =

“Old King Pyrrhus once said,
‘*One more such victory, and we
are utterly undone’’’.

Fisherman photo’

The Follawing letter was sent to Prime Minister eo
Pearson by William Kashtan, National Leader of the Comm

Party, March 10th.

Many Canadians from all walks
of life hope that when you meet
with President Johnson shortly
one of the questions your Gov-
‘ernment will raise for discussion
is the war in Vietnam. We too
share their hope, all the more
so in light of the further escala-
tion of the U.S. war and theclear
indication that U.S, policy in-
cludes an invasion of the terri-
tory ofthe Democratic Republic of
Vietnam,

You yourself in a Speech in
Philadelphia on April 2nd, 1965
drew attention to the dangers of
this policy when you stated that
‘*continual intensification of hos-
tilities in Vietnam would lead
to uncontrollable escalation” and
that it “might become a far
wider and more terrible conflict’’.
Events have borne this out, It is
becoming a far wider conflict
precisely because the U.S, Gov-
ernment refuses to endits bomb-
ing and other military efforts
which today are the sole condi-
tions for opening up meaningful
negotiations,

The whole world can now see
how hypocritical is the pretense
of the U.S, Government when it
states it willingness tonegotiate.

It is not by words but by deeds _

Church leader
hits Canada’s
foreign policy

One of Canada’s top church
leaders told a meeting of
church representatives in
Vancouver Tuesday night that
Canada’s foreign policy is con-
tradictory and hit out at Ex-
ternal Affairs Minister Mar-
tin’s leadership of foreign
policy.

Rev. Ray Hord, secretary of
the board of evangelism and
social service of the United
Church said, ‘*‘Much of the
arms we Sell to the U.S, goes
to Vietnam, yet we say we
are taking a role of leader-
ship in efforts for peace,”

Royal City women’s

rally marks

A Centennial celebration of
significance was held on Sunday,
March 12 in New Westminster at
Dreamland Hall, marking Inter-
national Women’s Day and one
hundred years of the achieve-
ments of Canadian women,

Speaker Mrs, Eileen Dailley
NDP-MLA for Burnaby-North,
stressed the need for women to
become more involved in politi-
cal life, Active in the realm of
education as a teacher and asa
school trustee in Burnaby for
several years, Mrs, Dailly feels
that young women should be
taught in school the role of women
in society and be urged to take
part in the affairs of government
at all levels,

The program took the form ofa
narration portraying the role
women have played over the past
century in the periods of the suf-
fragette movements, early union

- joys and sorrows of each go

that one can iudge the poli
of the U.S, Governments
deeds speak for themsel¥® i
show the U.S, Administra a
bent on a military solutil!
the conflict with consequen
one can foresee,

In light of these actions
persistent refusal of en
Government to end its bom
there can be no excuse er
tinued support of U.S ce
particularly in view of te’
tion, of your Governme st i
political not amilitary soltt
the answer to the co
fact to continue to SUPP? ait
policy is fraught with vs
And yet this is ecactly ye
Government proposes ut
your letter to Professor is
which the Globe and M son
lished on Friday March !
state “we believe that 2™ |
tion involves reciprocal
ments, Any other position of
by the Government, ! #
vinced, would be uphelpfuls

On the surface this ape io
be a sound position. In {2
ever it would place thé
cratic Republic of vie
has been attacked on a
plane as the aggressors att?
it is not the DVR whichis® A
ing or invading the USA+* is?
other way around. The sit
question of reciprocity . f
cause reciprocity would eel
that the U.S, Government a
bombings, withdraw its 707 nf?
abide by the Geneva Agt®

By supporting the sano
ment of reciprocity Ca *
facto is being led t0 a
the extension of the war
and the present co” by
U.S. Government, all + the ao
to a military solution of aii
flict, all aimed at spre ai
to the whole of Indo chi
to the Chinese mainlan® 5

This is why we eae
dissociate Canada from U 4
policy and call upon te pat!
its bombing. This is He
negotiations and the peste ig
This is the path to @ 08
solution of the conflict. ‘din "
this is the path to at esti
far wider and more #
conflict”.

Centennial

organization, the dark day® :
Hungry Thirties andthe
Second World Wars.
The narration was
by colorful songs sung P ‘ya vot
of nine women, which told ad

ae pct

and the finale was a square
done in the costumes 0 yet
lands and“TheSong of 1027
written by an eleven Jo yi
New Westminster ay ol
Chobotuck and sung py tH fot t4
which told of the hope*
future for Canada.

An appeal was give? i “a

Several pioneer
the Surrey and New We
area were honored with ®
and given centennial emble n te
the affair was closed Fi:

March 17, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNEPO®