' THE MEANING OF

_ MAY DAY

- By TOM McEWEN

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MVP ORS 52

While the tides of battle may ebb and flow, sometimes
magnificent in theit intensity to hold and extend gains made,
at other times rendered low and listless by countless deadening
illusions, the great historical significance of May Day loses
nothing of its inspiring traditions. It could not be otherwise
because May Day symbolizes almost a century of international
working class struggle for human progress, peace, and socialism.

*

Countless decades before
May Day became a symbol of
working class struggle for the
8-hour day, decent wages and
working conditions, and the
right of organization against
capitalist industrial slavery,
peoples of many lands, in vari-
ous ways celebrated May Day
as a semi-religious ritual, her-
alding the eternal cycle of
Spring and the birth of new
life.

The rivers freéd from the
bondage of Winter’s ice, all
nature awakening to the new
and eternal call of Spring,
with, its bountiful promise for
all mankind. Primitive man
himself performing pagan rites
on a May Day which, to him,
symbolized a promise of new
life.

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Because of consistent anti-
labor propaganda, aimed pri-
marily at creating division in
the ranks of labor, the lie
keeps being repeatéd that May
Day is “a Soviet invention.” It
is therefore repeatedly neces.
sary to nail this lie, and state
again and again what should
be universally known — that
May Day was officially declar-
ed as the workers’ day of
struggle in 1886 by the newly
created American Federation
of Labor, a day marking a
focal ~point. in the titanic strug-
gles of American labor for the
8-hour day.

Lest it be thought that this
“Soviet invention” lie is un-
worthy of notice, just keep in

mind that a powerful trade

union bureacracy and _ their
political team mates in the
ranks of right-wing social dem-
ocracy, find this lie a ready
excuse for non-participation in
May Day celebrations. Discard.
ing history, to them May Day
is a “Communist” institution,
something to be avoided.

On that initial May: Day of
1886 for the 8-hour day, Am-
erican labor demonstrated in
its hundreds of thousands in
all great industrial centres.
From this mighty struggle
came the McCormick Harvest-
er Co. strike, with its Hay-
market martyrs, victims of
capitalist provocation, violence
and frameup. The anti-Soviet-
eers who distort the origin of
May Day, distort the brilliant

history of North American
labor.

Long before 1886 the strug-
gle in North America and in
other countries for the 8-hour
day had been carried on; often
marked by intense _ strike
struggles and ruthless capital-
ist violence against the work-
ers. The International Work-
ingmen’s Association (First In-
ternational) founded by Karl
Marx in London, England in
1864, had endorsed eight hours
as “the legal working day.”

In the U.S., as far back as
1842, organized groups of
workers had fought for (and
won) the 8-hour day, and an
end to the 10, 12 and often
14-hour day prevailing in
many industrial hells. Through-
out those early years as labor
gained new strength through
the uniting of its various group-
ings in the young American
Federation of Labor, the strug-
gle for the 8-hour day became
a continent-wide issue, involv-
ing bitter strike struggles
against the ruthless violence of
organized capital to hold onto
its “vested right” of a 60 and
72-hour week exploitation.

Thus May Day grew out of
the struggles of the working
class on this continent for the
8-hour day. In this tradition
May Day became the symbolic
day of the entire international
working class — adopted as
such by the first Congress of
the Second International in
-Paris, July 14, 1889. A day of
stocktaking, of tabulating vic-
tories and defeats, of planning
for the struggles head; a day
of national and international
demonstration for the 8-hour
day — ‘and the broader de-
mands of working class pro-
gress and peace,

Wont

2 This tradition too, the work-
Ing class of Canada have cele-
brated May Day for close to
three-quarters of a century;
to win the 8-hour day, better
working conditions, wages com-
mensurate with the great
wealth they produce, and la-
bor legislation that would en-
hance the wellbeing, the class
interests, and the dignity of
working people,

The balance sheet for May
Dav, 1959 shown many great
achievements to the credit of

Canadian labor. Its steady pro-
gress towards organic unity
within a single trade union
centre, already embracing
over one and a quarter mil-
lion workers. Mighty strike
struggles in many basic indus-
tries, some without a parallel
in Canadian labor history; soli.
darity on the picket line against
organized monopoly’s attacks
upon the wages, living stand-
ards. working conditions, and
partial legislative safeguards
—things won through long
years of hard struggle and now
threatened by concerted gov-
ernment-monopoly attacks.

The other side of the balance
sheet leaves still much to do.
Labor’s voice against the cold
war, with its threats of nu-
clear destruction, and the sur-
render of Canada’s indepen-
dence, econonry and peace to
the dictates of U.S. imperial-
ism, is still barely audible.

The gains of the past three-
quarters of a century made
by Canadian labor are now,
despite its numerical growth
and strength, in danger of be-
ing wiped out. We witness

government union-busting and °

RCMP violence against strik-
ing woodworkers in Newfound-
land—aimed at preserving the

60-hour week and peonage’
conditions for the monopoly

exploiters of Canada’s youngest
province.

And in British Columbia,
ball _ and - chain legislation
known as Bill 43, sired by a
Chamber-of-Commerce - Soc-
red government, an act which
nullifies labor’s right to strike
and picket with al] the free-
dom, unity, and moral force of
labor’s combined numbers. A
law designed to bleed labor
white in the courts by “legal”
blood-letting -—- and sap its
strength on the picket line.

Newfoundland and British
Columbia must be made to
serve as a warning for what
monopoly and its governments

Ah ANAL ADE
May Day came out of the struggle for the eight-hour day.

have in store for labor—and Liberal, Tory and Socred )
the realization by labor that ernments; the attempts of mon
such battles cannot be won in opoly to destroy the fightin;
the courts,

since) North American work- by a virile labor movement
ers had to fight to establish the steeped in the class conscio
inalienable rights of the work- ness of national and inte
ing class—in defiance of unjust tional unity and solidarity
laws, in the face of ruthless which May Day symbolizes.
state violence and class-pre-
judiced courts, so on this May itical power to:throw back
Day of 1959 Canadian labor attacks of monopoly, and ~
must gird itself for tremen- placing the subservient go
dous battles for the preserva- ments of the exploiters
tion and extension of these the rule of the working peop
rights. to speak up, louder, strong

truction, with Canada as its peace, progress, and an end

experimental “guinea pig” sat- the insanity of imperiali
ellite; the deliberate sabotage “brinkmanship.” That is
of Canada’s markets, economy essence of May Day 195
and resources by successive the fighting tradition of 18

as
ie

elan of organized labor—
Just as 73 years ago (and these dangers can only be n

Use of its economic and po

U.S. threats of nuclear des- more vehement than ever -

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

The issue of Canadian autonomy keeps cropping up
in the Canadian trade union movement despite the efforts
of the right wing to squelch and discredit it. Recently it —
found strong expression -in the United Auto Workers,
where a demand developed for a greater say by the Can-
adian membership in the determination of bargaining
policy. '

Similarly with respect to autonomy for the Canadian ©
trade union movement. The Canadian Labor Congtess
was compelled to take note of this demand in its constitu-
ion and call itself an autonomous Canadian trade union
centre. But the fact remains that the majority of its affili-
ates are not yet fully autonomous and that decisions
fecting the Canadian membership are made elsewhere.

This situation needs correction, and there is no dow
that over the next period of time it will be corrected
the Canadian membership in co-operation and agreeme
with the membership of the respective unions in th

United States.

There is equally no doubt that sooner or later ¢
Canadian trade union movement wil] be completely ing
pendent. The economic and political interests of the ©;
adian working class will determine that. And the soor
it comes the better. ae

May 1, 1959 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE