LABOR FRONT!

By WILLIAM KASHTAN
It may be remembered that Mine Mill’s application for
affiliation was rejected by the Canadian Labor Congress’

executive council recently,

although some dissenting

voices were raised against this position.

Since then Mine Mill has
circulated union locals
throughout the country asking
them to support their right to
appear before the CLC ‘con-
venion and present their case
for affiliation.

“A number of union locals
have acted on this appeal and
forwarded .resolutions to the
convention in support of Mine
Mill’s request.

One of the latest to do so’
was Steelworkers Local 1005
at the Steleco plant in Hamil-
ton, a fact of no mean signifi-
eance,

‘This has caused some con-
sternation in the ranks of the
CLC top leadership as well as
among the national officers of
the Steel union who have been
working might and main to
destroy Mine Mill.

.They immediately went into
action with the aim of having
the resolution withdrawn, or,
if that could not be done, have
it defeated at the Annual Steel
Policy. Conference which will
be taking place on the eve of
the CLC convention. —

‘One can anticipate that all
the big guns will be brought
out to brow-beat the delegates
into opposing Mine Mill’s
right to state its case,

Whether they can succeed ‘in
this remains to be seen. The
fact that an important local
~ Tike 1005 took the position it
did shows clearly hat a grow-
ing and influential body of

trade unionists understands
that monopoly’s offensive can-

not be thrown back by a div-
ided irade union movement:
nor can the trade union move-

ment go over-to the offensive

unless it is fully united.

This of course, is not the
position of the dominant lead-

'ers of the CLC, who seem to
fear genuine unity like the
devil fears holy water.

They still hope that by prov-
ing their anti-Communism,
monopoly: will throw them
some crumbs and make some
minor concessions to the trade
union movement.

President Jodoin’s boast
about what the trade union.
movement was doing to com-
bat Communism at home and
abroad did not move the Dief-
enbaker government one inch
away. from its callous and in-

different attitude to the un-
employed. and to the solution
of those problems the CLC pre-
sented in its annual brief to
the government. :

- Wor is it holding up their

provincial’ government from

similar measures.

None. of these concessions
has helped the trade union
movement. They have, how-
ever, been of considerable
value to the monopoly inter-
ests of this country. s

Isn't it time now to recog-
nize that two and two make
four? Isn’t it time to change
this situation.

Isn" it time to bring into the
Congress unions like Mine
Mill, UE, Fishermen, Civic
Workers and the textile work-
ers?

Isn't it time to work out a
‘sound basis for the inclusion
of the Catholic Syndicates in
the Congress?

Wouldn’t such measures,
more than anything else, sig-
ify the fact that the CLC is
really going over to the of-
fensive, is putting an end to
retreats and intends to ad-
vance the interest of the work-
ers on the economic, social and
political fronts?

The CLiC’s top leaders didn’t
have a leg to stand on when
they rejected. Mine Mill’s ap-
plication for affiliation. Neith-
er have they a leg to stand on
now when they oppose the ris-
ing demand that Mine Mill
present its. case before the
convention.

What are they afraid of? If
as they claim, they are uphold-
ers of democracy, why prevent
a useful debate on the conven-
tion floor on this vital matter?

The delegates should not al-
low themselves to' be bam-
boozled on this issue.

Mine Mill’s application, and
now its request to be heard,
has placed trade union unity
squarely on the floor of the
convention. No amount of
double-talk or chicanery can
erase this fact. - eon

’ Should the Congress be open
to all unions in Canada? Shall
the autonomy of all unions be
respected? Shall the national
Steel union leadership be per-
mitted to exercise a veto on
who can and who cannot affil-
iate to Congress? :

It is now up to the delegates.

They should not only vote
in favor of Mine Mill being

| heard. That is the first step,

They should equally demand
that it and other unions pre-
‘senily outside Congress be
brought in so as to make it
truly representative and more
effective than it is at the pre-
sent time, ie ;

Only in this way .can genu.
ine trade union unity be re-
~alized and conditions created
fora leap forward by the

Photo shows Premier Chou
En-lai and Prime Minister
Koirala of Nepal exchang-
ing documents after signing
a treaty of peace and friend-
ship. Premier Chou En-lai
will again visit Nepal on his
return from a meeting with
Premier Nehru in New
Delhi April 19.

tion fallout count has been

of B.C., reported Dr. G. M.
Griffiths, who keeps a con-
tinual watch on fallout.

Similar increases were re-
ported in Ottawa and many
other places around the
world.

Dr. Griffiths said the
increase has been attributed
to explosions of two atomic

by the French government.

Report big profits

growing list of large compan-
ies reporting huge profits in
1959 were two more powerful
monopolies. Ae
Consolidated Mining and
Smelting Co., reported last
week a net profit of $16,704,-
000.
Powell River Co. announced
a net profit of $9.9 million,

working class of this country.

An increase in the radia-|

bombs in the Sahara Desert |:

Adding their names to the |i

for last year’s operations,

re

All-in unity way to win
in BC election says CP

Declaring that “all indications point to an early
provincial election,” a recent meeting of the B.C. Commit-
tee of the Communist Party underscored the fact that,
“only a broad united front open to the entire labor - farm

and progressive movement of B.C., united around an anti:

monopoly platform, can bring about the kind of an alter-

native that will defeat Social Credit, prevent the revival -

of the Tory party in’ provincial politics, and end big

business domination.”

This was the gist of a politi-
cal resolution adopted by the
committee. The resolution also
states:

“The CCF leadership, while
talking about the needs of the
people have stood as a road-
block to effective united action
around the principal issues,
and by consistently injecting
disunity, have held up the
emergence of a genuine alter-
native to the parties of big
business. Instead of trying to
find the basis for co-operation
with other groups, which is in-
dispensable if we are not to
be exposed to continuation of
monopoly rule, they persist in
futile efforts to compress labor
political action within the con-
fines of the CCF,”

‘Nothing short of all-in unity
on all immediate issues can
oust the Socreds and open the
way to a government that will
give effect to the popular needs
of the people. Such all-in unity
must include the Communist

Mill, UFAWU, Civic Employees"

and. other people’s organiza-—

tions.

“The starting point is united —

action around our immediate
needs. We must press hard the
struggle for all-in unity around

the needs of the people — ~

patiently but persistently ex-
plaining that there can be no
real unity, no real alternative
to big business government
that leaves out the Communist
Party, and all who agree with
and want to work for labor's
program.

“Experience has shown that

any real challenge to reaction

will have to be fought for -

every inch of the way, and be

fought for from below by those ~

suffering most under present

relationships. The fight for the —

right of all labor to enter po-

litical activity as equals, to

have a full voice in the deter~
mination of candidates and pro-
gram, -and to reach out for
support to all in the commun-

ity who will support the PrO-
Party as well as large and in-; gram is basic. It is the DECSs

fluential unions like the Mine-| of any real progress.”

recorded at the University |.\.:'