iene Delegates at OFL blast injunctions HE MORE than 1,000 dele- gates.to the Eleventh On-~ tario Federation of Labor Convention heard delegate after delegate blast the courts for granting injunctions to anti-labor employers as a means for break- ing legal strikes. They condemn- ed also the Ontario government years-long refusal to take appro- priate action to prohibit the use of injunctions during the course of labor-management disputes. They criticized Federation offi- cers for not leading more mili- tantly the fight-to break the use of the anti-strike injunction. The Convention which took place’ in Niagara Falls on Nov- ember 6, 7 and 8 hotly debated a composite resolution, combin- ing five resolutions demanding action on the outlawing of the use of injunctions in labor-man- agement disputes, illegalizing the use of strike-breakers, and amendments to the Ontario La- bor Relations Act. The resolution adopted after the longest debate on any single issue before the delegates reiter- ated the Federation’s position for the removal of all injunctions from labor disputes, that outside strike-breakers be outlawed and that Section 366 (2) of the Cri- minal Code dealing with picket- ing be brought up to date to meet the needs of the 20th cen- tury. The Convention decided also that the OFL press with all the means at its command to bring about legislation along the above lines and direct, coordinate and assist any legitimate efforts to bring about such legislation, that the FL organize a lobby on MPP’s on this question in con- junction with its annual brief, and also organize a conference immediately after the Rand Com- mission reports to adopt a plan of action on this question. é Delegates also adopted a pro- gram on housing and urban development. The policy state- ment outlining this program calls on all three levels of govern- ment to work out a coordinated program designed to meet the immediate and long-range hous- ing needs of the people of On- tario with particular emphasis on the requirements of the low- income and fixed income groups. The statement declared that housing must no longer be a problem for the individual family to solve. Rather it must be dealt with as a social problem to be solved by the kind of action which brought into being old age pensions and family allow- ances. It called for the spending of public housing money on housing for rent rather than sale. And for rent subsidization where necessary, so that the wage "Thepeals ogalnet ©. con tempt of court conviction a 2 to 1 decision of the junction due to membership vote during this summer's Bei oon earner has sufficient money left to adequately provide for food, health, clothing, recreation and other essentials. It named land speculation and high interest rates as two of the major contributors to the exces- sive cost of housing. To counter- act this. the Convention demand- ed massive land assembly pro- grams by-the provincial govern- ment with 100 percent of the funds made available under the National Housing Act. The OFL program calls upon all levels of government to give top priority to housing families earning under, $6,000 a year. With a substantial portion of federal mortgage funds being directed into public housing, calling upon the federal treasury to loan up to 100 percent of the capital costs of public housing. e The Convention gave whole- hearted support to the principle of equity in taxation contained in the Carter Report stating that the trade union movement can “unreservedly endorse the basic principle of taxation stated by Carter.” It promised to give full support to the Canadian Labor Congress to see that the Carter proposals for a “more equitable taxation system are enacted in legislation.” On the other hand the Conven- tion found that the Smith Report on taxation made on behalf of the Ontario government “has proved to be disappointing.” Delegates in adopting the Fede- ration’s policy on taxation stated that the basic weakness of the Smith Report “stems from the fact that it certainly appears to be business oriented. It does not propose a restructuring of the tax system in the interests of equity. Its proposals to increase revenue from those taxes that are generally considered regres- sive is completely unacceptable to the trade union movement in this province.” ; The available time allowed by the organizers of the Convention for the passage of important policy statements, general reso- lutions for mapping action pro- grams was far too skimpy to pro- vide for serious study of the 98 ~resolutions before the delegates These resolutions covered such things as apprenticeship and trade training, constitution, edu- cation, fair wages, federal policy, general subjects, hours of work and vacations with pay, human rights, injunctions, internal poli- cy, labor legislation, municipal act, pensions, political action, pollution, provincial policy, safe- ty, unemployment insurance, welfare and workmen’s compen- sation. — An entire area of questions re- lating to the future of the Cana- dian economy was not dealt with at all by the Convention. Such questions as wage and price guide-lines suggested by Finance Minister Sharp, as well as his threats to hike income taxes and his questioning of the wisdom of implementing medicare in the coming year, as government measures to lower real wages and fixed incomes were not even mentioned. The President in his address did not. Neither did the Officers Report. Nor was there one single resolution from the locals and labor councils on any of these matters. The only mention of these questions and of rising inflation brought about as a consequence of the U.S. war in Vietnam was made by Donald MacDonald, secretary- treasurer of the Cana- dian Congress of Labor when he addressed the Convention. Mr. MacDonald said “Labor is fight- ing against a wage-price guide- line that would be a form of wage freeze.” The Government,” he charged, ‘‘has chosen the risk of.unemployment to the risk of some inflation. And, as usual, the worker is to be the whipping boy for the sins of a badly run economy fundamentally immoral in its objective.” The CLC acting president said the Congress would welcome an incomes policy that is “based on a concept of social justice and not the preservation of the right of the wealthy to add to their wealth.” Mr. MacDonald called for a policy that would “challenge poverty, bring about a more equi- table distribution of income and make expanding technology an instrument toward the goal of a better society.’ “No incomes policy,” he said, ‘no matter how it is disguised, that does less than that will be satisfactory to the trade union movement.” Crisis developing CTION by both the Federal and Provincial governments to head off what is shaping up as a serious crisis in North- western Ontario was demanded by the Annual Convention of the Northwest Region of the Com- munist Party, meeting Nov. 11, 12 in Port Arthur. Mike Commission, reporting for the Regional Committee, spoke of lay-offs in the paper mills, grain elevators, construc- tion industry, lumber camps and railroads and estimated that the unemployment situation at the Lakehead. could be the most serious in Canada this winter. Underlying the crisis is the lack of basic industrial develop- ment in this region and its re- liance on the raw materials in- dustry. The report placed the blame for this on the big mono- poly groups in Eastern Canada who have no interests in the de- Novembel 24° 119674L ARCIPIC TRIBUNE Page B=” velopment of this region and are just using its vast resources to fatten their profits. It-also indict- ed both senior governments for failure to intervene on behalf of the region and ‘instead assisting the big corporations to carry through their criminal policies. The Party reiterated its de- mand for the construction of a steel mill at the head of the Lakes as the most important step towards the industrializa- tion of the region. It decided to step up its public campaign for the building of such a mill. The convention singled out the fight for peace as its prin- ciple task. While recording some achievements there was at the same time agreement that much more could and must be done to unite the growing forces op- posed to the war in Vietnam. Recent peace actions at the Lakehead have proven that wide _— seeking an end to hostilities.” of a three-nation trusteeship, the winning of amendments. given the opportunity of of delegates voting against. OFL CONVENTION SEEKS END TO WAR IN VIETNAM Declaring that if the U.S. continues to escalate the in Vietnam the result could well be a nuclear war wilt, total devastation of civilization, the OFL annual conve stated that it “supports those forces everywhere whic The resolution adopted by the convention was tute for two other resolutions before the delegates: ! for an agreement “‘by both sides to meet under Unit tions auspices with a guarrantee by both sides, tha minutes prior to the evening adjournment on the sé of a three day convention, several to hotly debate the issues involved. A number of delegates called for amendmen | strengthen the resolution. Delegate John called for its total defeat and delegate United Auto Workers Union in: Windsor scored this 05" ft “just what the Pentagon would want us to do.” Amendments sought would have actually na the U.S. military of using the Vietnamese as guin perfecting riot combat techniques and weapon? against people everywhere who fight rights. In this connection he charged that U.S. troOk used modern versions of dum-dum bullets agains et U * Americans in the ghetto rebellion in Detroit an cities last summer. He declared himself for 4 but said he would vote for the substitute resolution” pelt The debate was closed without the delegate “ck voting on a referral nat amendments. The resolution was carried with 4 n While many delegates would have welcomed ¢ ‘i "he resolution they saw in the resolution’s declaration