By WILLIAM REPKA_

~ Grandma Fights the Union

T KNOW it’s me you're after.
And you'll not sign me up. But
come on in. You want to talk
about organizing our shop. You
want to know why I haven’t join-
ed. You want my signature on your
little UE card, and my dollar for
the Ontario Labor Relations Board.

“Well, don’t just stand there.
Come on in.

“And I know you, Jack Turner.
And I know exactly why they
brought you along. Because we
were on the ‘pogey’ together. And
we used to fight the welfare officer
tagether. Remember in the ’30’s?
Remember how they would give us
‘relief’? As if we were dogs? And
how we stopped them from evict-
ing people from their homes? And
I was right up there in front?
Screaming at the bailiffs?

_ “You want to know why I won’t
join your UE?

“Well, I’m tired, Jack. I’m over
64 years old. I’m going to be pen-
sioned off in a few months. I’ve
got a job—not much of a job—but
a job. And a pension coming up.
Why should I risk all that just for
your union?

‘J know. I know. You'll say
every card will help. You’re in the
final stretch and you need my
card and my dollar. But I’m tired,
Jack. I’m just sick of fighting. All
my life I’ve ‘been at it.

“Remember the days when we
put out leaflets asking workers to
organize? And then in 1936 when
the CIO came. Remember how we
had stars in our eyes? We were
going to organize the whole work-
ing class. Out every morning, put-
ting out leaflets before going to
work. Risking our jobs.

“Those were the days, Jack.
Leaflets at 6 in the morning, then
meetings till ’way past midnight.
Never a weekend to yourself.
That’s when we started to organize
the giants — Stelco, Westinghouse,
Gutta Percha, General Electric,
General Motors, Ford.

“Then came the war, Jack.

“TI remember as clearly as yester-
day when you, Jack Turner, were
arrested for organizing a strike.
You and Davey Wallace and Harry
Peace and Andy Hearty—eight of

“Remember the strikes in '46?” This old photo shows a United
Electrical Workers Union picketline at Canada Wire and Cable in
Toronto in 1946. The union is the “UE” referred to in William Repka’s
story, reprinted from Voice of the UE Worker.

you from Ward Street CGE, and
six from Davenport — remember?

“And then they grabbed labor
leaders and shoved them into
concentration camps. Remember
that? As if anyone could forget!

“And remember when, some
time later, they let them out? How
we chéered?—because they knew
and we knew working people were
going to keep on organizing.

“But I’m not joining your union,
Jack. An old lady has her memor-
ies, but I said to myself: ‘Never
again. I’ve had it! I’m just tired!’
I’m just living for me now. I’m
just going to take it nice and easy.
I’ve even been back to Scotland.
Back to the Clydeside.

“Union men! What do these
youngsters know about the labor
movement? Why, I was on the
picket-line in my baby carriage—
back in the Old Country. All my
relations were union people. Our
men built the unions. They built
the Labor Party. Some of the
finest fighters in the British labor

movement came from my home
town.

“But I can’t join your union—
because I can’t just be a member.
The minute I join I’m up to here
in it. I just can’t help myself. The
labor movement is so much a part
of me—and I love it so—that it
wears me out. Fags me right out.
And each time it comes up, I say:
‘Never again. You’re too old.
You’ve done your bit!’

“Remember the strikes in ’46?
Remember those picket lines?
150,000 striking Canadian workers!
Remember those days? ‘Lost four
and a half million working days,’
they said.

“That’s what won us those labor
laws — the 40-hour week — wages
that give you a living. Remember
how they used to scoff at us? Call
us Reds? Agents of Moscow? And
Premier Hepburn even organized

‘his Hussars to smash the labor

movement? So many said ‘You'll
never do it.’ But we did, John
Turner!

“And you know it was especial-
ly hard for a woman, There were
so few of us among the men.
There are so many places a woman
can’t go. I took my babies on the
picket line. I made sandwiches
until I looked like a sandwich. I
don’t know how many barrels of
coffee I poured into good striking
men-and women.

. “Now don’t you go pulling out
that UE card. I know. I’ve seen it
before. I don’t want it.

“See! There! I’ve torn it up. Torn
it up into little bits. I have to
hate the union to stay away from
it. I’m afraid of it. I’m afraid for —
my job—for my pension—for my —
64 years.

“Well, don’t look so sad. You'll
sign others up. I don’t know where
yen get the strength tokeep going. |

ut you'll sign others up. There ~
are new babies born every minute. fy
The population explosion. Grand- 5
children by the truckload,

“How many grandchildren have
you got, Jack? Eight? Well, we i
beat you. We have nine. Nine of
the sweetest darlings. And the
girls look like me. And the six-
year-old says: ‘I lost two teef.’

“When I think of those wee |
chicks going out into the cruel jj,
world, with automation, and com- —
puters, and cybernetics — see —I
pronounced that right. It’s a new b
world — and not enough unions. \

“And when I see those mono-
polists— those war-makers— the —
greedy ones— the people-eaters— jig
and my innocent little grand- h
children — it makes my blood boil. It}

“Ah, yes. They'll need unions. 0)
They’ll need good ones. a

“See! I can’t help myself, Jack.
When I start thinking about. my
grandchildren, I just wilt. I go
soft all over.

“IT hope you have an extra card. _— {it
‘You have? Good. There is nobody q
could talk me into signing it. But
since you’ve come, I’ve talked my-
self into it. Me and my grand-
children! I’m not signing for me i
but for them. . *

“So here’s the card. And wait, |"
now. Here’s the dollar. i

“I suppose 64 is not so old.
There is still lots of living to do.
And lots of fighting.”

a

April 15 ,1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pagé