as a popular issue but one that can easily be sidetracked, down to Ottawa in this case, and Bunco becomes a hero. A labor lobby upsets this game. Rank and filers from Bunco's constituency interview him while the House is in session. They - come armed with copies of bills and they know quite a bit about the business of the House. They congratulate Bunco on his speech and then they ask, “Now what do we do?” Bunco is» on the spot and gets a bad taste in his mouth.

Workers who go on labor lob- bies have learned what happens next. Bunco in desperation ap- peals to his party. He is alarm-

ed at the thought of what may ‘happen to him when the truth is known. The government hadn’t intended backing down, but in order to save Bunco, Jim Pompous and a few more of its stalwarts, it has to grant con- cessions, e

: know that they can Y never have Utopia under capitalism, but they do know - that concessions can be won. A comparison between the condi-

tions of today and those of 50

years ago provides ample proof of this. Workers know that every con-

- eession gained is a victory and >

_ that each victory paves the way for the next one. Compulsory education, the eight-hour day, higher wages and labor legisla- tion were all concessions that ‘make further yprogress possible. _ Workers know too that they eannot afford to sit back and - wait for the election of a govern-

ment promising to implement all

their demands. They have learned that an empty stomach ig no asset when it comes to a fight and that to “call off the dogs” would sabotage the whole struggle for labor’s program. ‘Labor’s brief to the provincial

_ FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1947

government contained demands for:

@ A Trade Union Act to guaranteed collective bargain- ingt ‘'- @ Improvements to the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

@ Old Age Pensions of $50 & month at age of 60. >.

e@ A Health. Insurance Act to provide security and elimin- ate racketeers, :

e@ A 40-hour week for more

@Two weeks’ vacation with pay a year.

@A housing plan to” provide homes for low-income, families. Every one of these demands is of extreme importance not only to organized labor but to all working people in this province. The fight for these social se- curity measures cannot be left to the organized labor move- ment alone. The labor move- ment provides a center around which a much broader movement is being built.

Bill Bunco is interview-

ed by a labor representative

in the Parliament Buildings it is not the individual he fears. Nor is he too concerned about

the members of the particular

union the delegate may repre- sent. What he fears most is the fact that the trade union is a vocal foree in his community. A trade union can make its voice heard and while the press may do its utmost to subdue or shut down the voice of labor, it is never entirely successful. Particularly is this so when the voices of _ veterans, houewives, farmers and even city councils are added to al demand for ac- tion. é The Coalition government in Victoria is vulnerable and suf- ficient pressure can be applied by organized labor to force some important concessions from it, despite the high-powered cam- paign conducted by the Cana- dian Manufacturers’ Association and the millions of dollars being spent on anti-labor propaganda. In fact, the very viciousness of the attacks against labor, the red-baiting campaigns and the desperate efforts to put labor in a strait-jacket, all indicate fear. Big business is afraid for its profits and its privilege of ex- -ploitation. It fears public opinion and the effect of labor’s influ- ence in directing public thought towards a new conception’ of hu-

man dignity and human rights— a conception held out during the war as the aims and objects for

which we were fighting. It fears

for its power because it is aware of its dependence on trickery, confusion and the influence of a paid press.

e

S LONG as Bill Bunco re-

mains just a name to the peo- ple he represents, a big name that appears in newspaper head- lines or a voice that comes over the radio reading a prepared speech and -spreading confusion and the propaganda of big business, then monopoly capital can reasonably hope that its super-profits are secure. Inse- curity, scarcity, low wages and high prices will continue to be the order of the day.

But when Bunco stands before

members of a labor delegation |

and his face gets red and he blusters ‘and squirms, evasive answers, until finally he gets mad and says, “Go to hell,” the illusion he has carefully built up is shattered. He knows that word of his attitude will be spread around among his con- stituents. Next time he finds it politically expedient to make a demagogic speech in the House his words will have lost their plausible ring for many of his erstwhile supporters. Perhaps he will think twice befoe he says, “Go to hell” and be prepared to listen, ;

Labor has never won a conces- sion without a show of strength and labor's lobby this year can make real gains, from which all the people will gain, provided labor rallies its full strength, re- pudiates those who try to weak- en and divide its ranks, and lets the members of the Legislative Assembly know that labor and social legislation approved by the

‘big boys’ in hotel rooms will not pass muster with the man on the -

job.

Bill Bunco is very annapey a cause labor is’ coming to Vic- tgria. He has just had a session with the influential representa-

‘tives of the Canadian Manufac-

turers Association and he would like to fulfill his commitments with as little adverse publicity as possible. Labor can force him to change his stand. And, if it means money in the workers’ pockets, food on their tables and roofs over their heads, why should labor worry if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

@ Jack Greenall is executive

secretary of the British Colum- ©

hia Federation of Labor (CCL.)

giving |

, ask

The bold statetments made by Tory members on the floor of the House are outward proof that the most reactionary anti- Jabor forces within the Coalition are now confident of their views prevailing over those. of liberals within the Liberal Party, whose influence in shaping government policies is becoming less and less. Otherwise even an out- spoken tory like A. J. McDonell (Coalition-Conservative, Vancou- ver Center) might have hesitat- ed before launching into his recent vicious—and factually in- correct — attack upon the trade unions.

There can be only one an- Swer and that is mass mobiliza- tion of workers, veterans, farm- ers and pensioners to increase pressure ‘upon the government and force it to alter the anti- popular policies dictated by the tories in both wings of the gov- ernment and their big business mp ‘

In the face of the conicstted attack upon labor, it is astound- ing—or would be if the labor movement unfortunately had not had many such experiences—to find labor leaders like Birt Showler and Ald. R. K. Gervin opposing the labor lobby they helped to initiate and, until their about-face at the beginning of this month, generally supported. The rank and file members of their own organizations, who

can hardly be expected to share —

their changed sentiments,. will themselves the question raised in every union concerned with wining labor’s united de- mands: Why did they reverse their stand when their action could only serve to weaken and confuse labor’s campaign?

Se e

s Nas important factor for labor,

and for all the people, is that the labor legislation enacted at this session. will govern the trade union movement for the next three or four years.

Big business, the pawertul monopolies which control the economic life of this province and of ‘this country, sense the

onset of the economic crisis

which their own policies are pre- cipitating: The labor movement

constitutes the greatest obstacle to their drive for super-profits

and the most potent threat to

their continued domination of.

government.

Their attack on aber, which is an attack on’ the living stan- dards of the nation, finds its direct expression in proposed

legislation to cripple the trade

unions, hamper their efforts to organize the unorganized and rob them of their basic weapon —the right to strike.

touch the

To drive home their attack they are utilizing every trick and strategem at their disposal —red-baiting, smear campaigns, divisions within the ranks of la- bor itself and between labor and the farmers and middle- class elements, all played up and spread throughout the country through the medium of the daily press, national magazines and the radio.

ABOR cannot counter this

tremendous campaign with any ordinary measures. It must, because its future depends on it, marsha] all its strength and call upon all its supporting forces among the working people to de- monstrate that the people will not go back to the miseries of the thirties. The people have come a long way since then, all the way from Madrid and Mun- ich through Berlin. Recognizing that the present reactionary trend in Canada and the United States bears within it the seed of fascism, they also know the strength of their progressive forces and what they can ao complish provided they are. united.

The outcome of labor's strug- gle will shape our future and individual lives of every one of us. International relations and living standards alike will reflect labor’s success in defeating the current highly organized campaign directed, in Canada as in the United States, to crippling the trade unions,: encroaching upon the hard-won rights and ultimately to smash- ing the labor movement and de- livering the people’s standards and liberties into the merciless hands of big business. ©

This is the background to our own campaign for labor legisla- tion fully guaranteeing our rights and what we achieve will, in turn, ‘strengthen the hand of labor throughout the country. Far from minimizing the im- portance of the forthcoming la- bor lobby, we cannot exagger- ate its significance.

If there were any doubt that the labor legislation proposed by the Coalition’ government bears the stamp ot the employers’ organizations this paragraph, from Leslie Fox’ dispatch in the Vancouver Sun on March 10, * should dispel it:

“Employers have Been? pressing strongly for the secret strike vote and have gained enough Support | ry the caucus to ensure

oot BEE

To Bcore | she scent re- strictions upon labor from the government’s proposed legisla- tion labor must demonstrate such strength and such unity in’ Vie- toria this coming week that the government will be forced to

withdraw them.

@ Ernie Dalskog is interna- tional board member in B.C. for the International Woodwork- ers of America.

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