‘We will wait no longer’ ~ QFL demands met by CLC — VANCOUVER — With a roar” of approval that shook the for- um, the 2,400 delegates assem- bled for the tenth constitutional convention of the Canadian La- bor Congress, turned down the recommendation of non-concur- rence on a demand by the Que- © bec. Federation of Labor for juris- diction in the province over edu- cation, labor councils and for funds equivalent to the money paid to the congress as per capita tax for the members in Quebec. The Canadian Labor Congress hierarchy had suffered its great- est defeat and the next morning a humbled executive returned the recommendation of concur- rence on the demand of the QFL. But the approval of QFL de- mands came as an anti-climax— the battle had been fought and won the night before. Wait No Longer - The debate on the motion of non-concurrence on the QFL’s demands opened with Jean Gerin Lajoie, director of District 5 of the United Steelworkers of Am- erica who told the delegates: “We in the QFL have waited for 1l years for the CLC to recog- nize the special problems of Que- bec and we will wait no longer.” He urged the delegates: ‘‘For the sake of unity and united action, turn down the recommendation of non-concurrence.” That state- ment brought a loud ovation but his appeal that the QFL’s officers meet with the CLC executive for a more Satisfactory solution . did not meet with the approval. of the delegates who wanted no more Stalling. . Louis Laberge, QFL president, fought the recommendation of non-concurrence and said, “This is nat the first time we have ask- ed for this and we now want a clear décision from the delegates. Let’s settle this thing once and for all. We are not trying to divide the labor movement but the three centres in Quebec is hurting all of us because the QFL can’t compete. What we are ask- ing is that this congress be stronger than ever in Quebec and the demands of the QFL will go a long way towards that end.” The Tenth Convention of the CL€ was really the first where the large international unions Chilean fabor leader Eduardo Rojas, vice-presi- dent of the CUT (Chilean Fe- deration of labor) one of the few top-ranking national labor leaders to escape from the junta, will be speaking in Toronto on Friday, May 24, at the First Unitarian Congrega- tion, 175 St. Clair Ave. W., at 8 p.m. Mr. Rojas was invited from Europe by the CLC to ad- dress their convention in Van- couver. Also on the program is a powerful film “Venceremos — Solidarity” showing Chile before and after the coup. Be sure to attend. PACIFIC TRIBUNE PHOTO Louis Laberge told a press conference after the QFL demands were met by the delegates of the CLC convention, “We have been trying to get this for 11 years and now we.can return with a stronger QFL and a more united CLC.” such as the United Steelworkers were not able to run the pro- ceedings according to their own liking and this became very evi- dent when a substantial rift ap- peared in Steel’s policy. Unlike Gerin-Lajoie, Lynn Williams, dir- ector of District 6 of the Steel- workers, told the delegates that he supported: the motion of non- concurrence and said the “end result of the QFL_ resolution would be that the Congress would no longer have: a pre- sence in Quebec.” But the majority of the other speakers disagreed. Jean Paré, representing:the United Electri- cal Workers and a member of ‘the QFL executive council told ‘the delegates. of the Common Front in the Westinghouse strike and said: “The Common. Front. was absolutely necessary be- cause the QFL was too weak to fight the battle alone. The de- New rules for CLC autonomy _ Continued from page 5 take on the role of enforcing the measures. With the last survey conducted to find out whether or not the unions complied with the standards, the carpenters didn’t even answer, and the con- gress did nothing.” After Werlin spoke to the question the mikes were then besieged by international repre- sentatives‘of the building trades who insisted on-a hard-line ap- proach and threatened withdraw- al from the congress. And these statements were made despite the fact that a decision was tak- en at the Building Trades Policy Conference before the opening - of the convention that rejected the threat of withdrawal. A-BOMB STILL CLAIMS VICTIMS HIROSHIMA — Eighty-seven people who died last year were victims of the atomic bomb drop- Bed on this Japanese city in 1945, the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hospital announced yesterday. Among 1,116 patients currently being treated are people who were. embryos at the time of the bombing. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1974—PAGE 10 mand of the QFL will provide us with the tools to treat us as Can- _ adians and not as second class citizens.” Homer Stevens of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union made a reference to a delegate who said “we are beg- ging for your support” and said “He need not beg for our sup- port -- he is: going to get it. There is no harm done if the QFL’s motion is carried rather it will strengthen the unity of the CLC. What we want is unity and to achieve it we must recog- nize each other’s rights.” | The QFL secretary. Fernand - Daoust, in speaking against the executive’s recommendation said “We are fed-up with this do nothing policy of the CLC.” The delegates were fed-up with it also and they took to their feet to cheer when the recom- -mendation was sent back. Russ St, Eloi, of the plumbers and pipefitters, who attended the policy conference wheré the de- mocratic decision rejected with- drawal said: “It’s none of your business as to what’s happening in Our organization. If we don’t comply, you won’t have to rec- ommend our expulsion, we’ll leave first.” : Dignity of Workers After the building trades roadmen had _ their say, still other speakers took the mike to say that while the resolution didn’t go far enough they sup- ported it and it was at this point in the debate that the alliance beween CUPE and the Quebec Federation of Labor became evi- dent. Louis Laberge was first, and he said: “The report doesn’t go far enough.. We don’t want to wait 10 years. What we are discussing is the dignity of the* Canadian workers, and this re- solution is a step in that direc- tion and we will vote in favor ofeit;? Stan Little, president of CUPE was next and he said, “We wel- come the provisions contained in the report and despite the Omissions, we must pass the re- port. It is a good beginning, Endorse the Spirit The CUPE-QFL alliance was then joined by Dennis McDer- UIC appeal won afte nine months of batt! ’ PETERBOROUGH—Who says you car?t fight City Hall? Admit- tedly it might be tough, but here’s the story of one worker who fought the system and won, with the help of. organized labor. Cliff Alexander had been un- _ employed since August, 1972. On April 15, 1973, he was -disquali- fied from Unemployment Insur- ance benefits, UIC saying that as under Section 25(a) of the Act, he had “not proven that (he had) made reasonable efforts to ob- tain employment”, and that “Benefit is suspended from April 15, 1973, so long as you fail to prove that you are available for and actively seeking normal full time work.” “Alexander’s union .appealed the disqualification and took the issue before the Board of Re- ferees on May 11, 1973. It shows that he was willing to acept any’ type of employment in the light industrial line, ‘but that he could not accept a heavy laborer’s job because of his age. During the period of his benefits Alexander had applied for work at a num- ber of establishments and at ~ Manpower, without success. The appeal was lost, but with a minority opinion in his favor. Nine Months Later. After a long and complicated procedure, in which the union forwarded Alexander’s claim for a hearing before an umpire, the claim was finally heard in To- ronto on Jan. 15, 1974, some nine months after the disqualification had taken place. The claim was won, with the umpire’s decision stating: “. . . he has demonstrated that he was. anxious to obtain employment ..and attended regularly at Canada Manpower looking for employment . . . that he has made reasonable and customary : efforts to obtain employment .. . For all of the above reasons the mott, Canadian. director of the United Auto Workers who said that, “I can understand the sen- timents of those delegates who feel the report’s provisions don’t go far enough and in large meas- ure I agree with them, but we must endorse the spirit of the document.” - -ance Commission Free Co a appeal of the claimant * are nena fits to which he® titled from the date of sion of benefits to h 13... are hereby Té Voicing concern OV Unemployment Insurane being interpreted, as in instance, to disqualify ed persons from recei ployment insurance, borough Labour Coum Not Tale of J . “This is a typical & took a full year to.res? ada Manpower wor set up to handle ava and also direct the uM to work opportunitie be in the interests © Canada Manpower We” direct the unemploy®” able work. We havé where the Caanda — told the Unemployt at is work was available. di so disqualified was * eh to that work. althows as listed with Canad es For example, the cake Alexander.” a has The Labour Councl manded changes if © to ensure that su occult! Even ear are segré i, f ; JOHANNESBURG f The South African & ni order that workers e must be provided ¥ rovok® ed ear muffs has P 40 ticism from unions Be pers. "Under new regula worker cannot re ear muff ne ee must be sterilize? ” clearly marked for (mise! of white, Coloreds hs Indians and Africa When the vote ee ‘overwhelming ™4. dA the provisions t's told the Tribun® rot baby’s. first ste peg but it’s a necessity : The Congress walk. F 2 rvalan!