Po tit ht ty LI Jey | BY WILLIAM KASHTAN Time for united, independent Canadian trade union centre Kaa recently held international convention of the United Auto Workers union poses some les- sons for the Canadian labor movement. Here was:a great convention of around 3,000 delegates with 200 coming from Canadian auto locals representing 70,000 organ- ized Canadian workers. One would assume that because it is an international convention it would therefore discuss U.S. and Canadian problems. And yet what actually took place? All the resolutions and dis- cussions centered on American problems. Not one resolution appeared in the resolution book as coming from Canada. No dis- cussions were held on Canadian. problems. It was an American conven- tion. Why then maintain the pretense that it was a convention of equals with mutual problems being discussed when actually it merely expressed the fact that the Canadian locals are domin- ated and controlled from outside the borders of Canada? The amendment now gives the - ’ international officers the right to interfere in the affairs of the Canadian membership and vre- vent those whose politics they oppose, from running for office. The Canadian membership should resist with all their might the interference in the affairs of Canadian locals. e Isn’t it time to correct such a situation? A case may have been made many years ago, when the or- ganized labor movement in this. country was small and weak, for such a relationship to exist. ' There is certainly no case for such a relationship to continue today. The more a million strong trade union movement in this country is perfectly able to stand on its own two feet, in fact it has been doing so for quite some time. The time has come for a unit-- ed and independent Canadian trade union centre — one which would have fraternal ties with labor in all countries on a free and equal basis but be dominated by none. This is the proper kind of relationship the Canadian workers must fight for and achieve. Anything less is in- compatible with their real inter- ests and with genuine interna- tionalism and international solid- arity. e@: There are some workers who! may say: “Wouldn’t the achieve- ment of a truly independent trade union centre in Canada be a denial of international solid- arity? Shouldn’t the workers be internationally-minded?” Of course they should. Cana- dian workers need to fight for and practise international solid- arity as they need to fight for a policy of internationalism. The struggles of the working class anywhere and everywhere is part of the struggle of Canadian workers. The struggle of the colonial peoples for their na- tional liberation is part of the struggle of Canadian workers. In their own interests therefore, the Canadian working class must give every possible assistance to work- ers everywhere in their battles. But this is entirely different to the relationship which exists now between the organized labor movement here and in the USS. Being part of the U.S. labor move- ment is not an act of interna- tionalism nor is it a measure of international solidarity. It mere- ly expresses the fact that the Canadian trade union movement is an appendage of a movement outside its own borders, subord- inate to it and unable to work > out its own policies. poor old Winston Churchill _is definitely slipping. In his old age he has accepted an | “honor” he could have had at any time in the last 30 years. - The Tory Prime Minister’s title is: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, | Last month Queen Elizabeth made him a Knight of the Garter. He went to receive it at Windsor. He _ Stayed the night. Churchill was offered the Knight of the Garter by the late King George VI after his defeat in the 1945 general elec- Sir Winston slipping _ tion, but refused it at that time. He later accepted the Order of Merit, to add to his Com- panion of Honor and to his Privy Council membership. Why he has. accepted this “honor” now is anyone’s guess. Politicians know his resemb- lance to Lloyd George, who scorned such “honors” in. his prime but accepted them as he grew old and mentally feeble. @ The Duke of Wellington is reported to have remarked when made a Knight of the Garter. “The Garter is the only Order worth having as there is no nonsense of merit about it.” There are some workers who may say. “Well, we have trade union centres here such as the TLC, CCL and CCCL. The an- nual conventions of these bodies determine policies for the Can- adian membership.” But these centres, apart from ‘the Canadian Catholic’ Confed- eration of Labor, are subordin- ate to the AFL and CIO and their policies emanate from the U.S. and don’t take as a starting point the real interests of the Canadian membership. More- oyer these centres are, by and large, legislative bodies, not or- ganizational centres, while their affiliates are part of the AFL and CIO and likewise reflect the policies of their parent bodies. The working class of this coun- try must not and cannot permit such a relationship to continue indefinitely. The fight for an independent and united trade union move- ment here, in the main, lies at this stage through the fight for the autonomy of every union which is affiliated to an interna- tional in the U.S. | Shouldn’t the trade unions have the right to hold their own annual conventions in Canada? Shouldn’t they have the right to determine their own policies based upon the needs of the BY BEN SWANKEY Frank Slide anniversary marked ae Canadian membership? Should- n’t they have the right to elect their own officers? Shouldn’t they have the right to determine how funds raised in this coun- try can be used to advance the interests of the membership here? These are° questions which must be in the»minds of thous- ands of trade unionists up and down the country. e : There is a direct connection between the fight of the Cana- dian working class for a united and independent trade union movement having fraternal ties with the workers of all lands, and the fight for Canadian inde- pendence and sovereignty.