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DOOOOSOOOOOOOOOHO08OOF BIGGEST EVER HELD

¢ LABOR FRONT $Easter peace marcher
protest nuclear arms

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

The results of the 4th Constitutional Convention of the
Canadian Labor Congress make one thing clear: the basis upon
which the merger of the Trades and Labor Congress and Cana-
dian Congress of Labor came about is beginning to fall apart.
More than that. If present policies are persisted in it may well
wreck the Congress as it is presently constituted.

The merger in 1956 started off with great hopes. It looked
as if at last conditions were being created for a truly united
trade union movement. But with every passing convention
since 1956 one or another union has either been expelled or
suspended from Congress while unions which have applied for

entry had constitutional roadblocks thrown in their way.
* * *

‘This convention has continued that process and aggravated
it. This time it was the Carpenters Union
which walked out of the convention, with
the implied threat that it would walk out
of the Congress. And it appeared to be
backed by all other building trades unions.

All the conditions are being created
for civil war within the trade union move-
ment. This was made clear in the resolution
on “Organization” adopted by the conven-
tion which legitimizes raiding of all unions
not presently in the Congress. How wide
the net has been cast could be seen in the
fact that the Committee on Organization proposed non-concur-
rence in a resolution calling for bringing the Confederation of
National Trade Unions into the CLC, as well as in the statement
made by CLC President Jodoin over the TV in Vancouver in
which he declared in answer to a question that “we may or
may not raid the Teamsters union.”

With this in mind it is not difficult to understand why
Jodoin attacked the concept of solidarity in his opening address
to the convention.’

The truth of the matter is that the CLC is in a crisis, and
that it was pushed there by the right wing and its policies.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost with a venge-
ance. but unfortunately it will not be Jodoin with his $16,000-
a-year job and the other paid officers who will suffer the conse-
quences of these policies; it will be the rank-and-file in every
union who will pay for the sharpening divisions in the trade
union movement, unless they can reverse and change these
policies in good time.

There is only one way out of this crisis and that is by
achieving in fact a truly united and fully sovereign.trade union
movement in Canada with the autonomy of all unions and the
democratic rights of all members fully guuaranteed. The CLC
as it is going today can say less and less that is the “house of
labor”. How can it, when as a result of the pclicies of iis domin-
ant leadership, close to 500,000 organized workers will be
outside its ranks? How can it, when it does not truly embrace

all industries in Canada?
oe * *

This very crisis should give cause for a re-examination of
the basis for a truly united trade union movment. The basis:
established in 1956 has ceased to have validity. -A new basis
for unity needs to be established of which more will be said
later, but one of its cornerstones must necessarily be that the
workers of this country must be masters in their cwn house.

Are they masters of their own house today? CLC President
Jodoin says they are. According to him the “unions havé all the
autonomy they need”. Speaking in Vancouver on the eve of the
CLC convention he declared that “charges by political leaders
that United States trade union leaders dominate Canadian trade
union affairs is so much bunkum. Canadian workers in interna-
tional unions make their own decisions.”

When has that been the case? Who split the trade union
movement into TLC and CCL after Canadian workers voted
against a split? Does Mr. Jodoin have so little knowledge of
labor history that he cannot remember the instructions issued
by the AFL that all the industrial unions in Canada were to
be expelled from the Trades and Labor Congress?

And today. who will decide that the Carpenters-union and
12 other building trades unions may be pulled out of the CLC
the Canadian workers in these unions or the international
union officers in Washington?

* * *

In case Mr. Jodoin isn’t sure I would draw his attention to
the following item appearing in the Vancouver Sun where Mr.
Black, eastern Canadian director of the Building Trades Coun-
cil, is reported as saying that the Carpenters’ walkout was a
matter of very serious concern and that ‘it would be discussed
thoroughly at the Washington meeting, April 24-25, of the
international presidents of the 13 building trades. Local unions
and international offices of these unions would be instructed.
after the meeting on their future position in the Canadian labor
movement. Policy would be made there, not here.”

This is the measure of the autonomy Canadian workers
enjoy in many unions. Decisions are made “there” as to
whether or not there shall be a united trade union movement.

It is high time that decision was taken out of their hands
and placed where it rightfully belongs: in the firm hands of
the Canadian workers: Once that is achieved it will not take
too long to have a truly united union movement in Canada.

It must be said that this CLC convention failed to live up
to the hopes and expectations of workers in all parts of the
country. Responsibility for this lies squarely on the shoulders
of the inept and irresponsible leadership of the Congress.

On this more later. ;

While an airplane flew
overhead with a skysign
reading: “No Nuclear
Arms for Canada,” about
1,500 marchers in Vancou-
ver’s largest Easter parade

marched through city

streets last Saturday and
ended up with a rally in
Stanley Park.

The sea of banners carried

by the marchers urged: ‘‘De-

Fe

planned in US’

The Washington Corres-
pondent of the Chattanooga
Post reported last week
that a group of 350 Cuban
exiles is in training for a
guerilla landing in Cuba.

The correspondent said
the exiles would shortly an-
nounce their plans and
would issue a call for sup-
port from all Cubans in the
United States and from the
U.S. public, but} would not
ask for U.S. help.

stroy the bomb, not people,”
“Negotiations, not war,”
“Stop spread of nuclear
arms,” ‘‘Keep Canada out of
nuclear club.” Dominating the
march were .slogans urging
“No nuclear.*arms for Can-
ada.” One slogan which at-
tracted much attention was
attached to a large dog. It
read: ‘“‘Woof not poof.”
Sponsored by the B.C. Com-
mittee Canadian Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament,
many groups including peace

‘Cuba landing Day c
peace disarmament

MOSCOW—Appeals to the
peoples of all countries to. end
colonialism, be vigilant for
peace and win general dis-
armament are prominent in
the May Day slogans pub-
lished recently by the Soviet
Communist Party.

After hailing world work-
ing class unity and peace and
friendship among nations, the
Communist Party calls on the
Soviet people: ‘‘Forward to
the victory of Communism!”

It ends with “ardent greet-
ings to the courageous fight-

s the Fraser Valley.

2 left Peace Arch park 39 &
morning and were enthu™

S took part in the march ®
| led in singing peace *

: part in the parade there wht

: Buildings where a rally

organizations, trade unl®
youth and fraternal orga”
tions took part.

Included among thes? §
ganizations were branch®
the CCND, B.C. Peace 7
cil, Women’s Internati?
League for Peace and
dom, UBC Nuclear Disa
ment Club, the Quakel”
ganization, Unitarians, Ul™
Fishermen and Allied W)
ers Union, Oil and Chei®
Worker’s Union, Mati?
Workers Union, membel
Local 452 Carpenters, U™
Ukrainian Canadians,

others.
Sixty marchers came

marched: from the Peacé ©
at the U.S. border to jon
Vancouver parade. und
sponsorship of the White "
Focus Society, the mat®

ically greeted when thel
rived at Robson park
day morning. it

Also joining the Vanco)
march was a group from
son’s Landing. }

Large numbers of ¥°,

o)
all along the route of the
ade.

From Victoria came rele "
that nearly 300 people “4

ended up at the Parlia®

held. Included amoné
marchers was Brock Chis!
and Dr. Hugh Keenleysid® |
Early reports indicated
peace marches in maby ~,
dian centres were large!
in former years.

f |
ers for their people’s greet |
and happiness languishi”y
the capitalist countries
and calls for ‘freedom fo
victims of reaction”. i

Fraternal greetings
tended to Chinese Rep!

ci
and all People’s Democl#

The Soviet Union will i
part in exhibitions and iH
in 16 foreign countrie Fr
year, including such 4
ones as Brazil, Nigeria | 4
nam, Libya, Ghana, a”
Sudan.

peace and the space age. It was entered by have many colorful floats.
April 26, 1962—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—