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CLC ‘basic policy’ | (LC takes stand for tax cuts,

lon political action | wage boosts, shorter work week

Following is the full text of

"the “basic policy” resolution

“This convention believes that the imperative need of the Canadian political scene today is the creation of an effective alternative political force based on the needs of

_ workers, farmers and similar

groups, financed and control- led by the people and their organizations.

“During the past quarter ceniury the CCF hag made a -tremendous contribution to the welfare of the Canadian people, both in and out of parliament. The organized labor movement fully recog- nizes that contribution and knows that, with its limited facilities, i: continues to battle for the ideas of social justice, Security and freedom, which

are also the goals of this’ Con- gress,

“The time has come for a fundamental realignment of political forces in Canada. There is a need for a broadly based people’s poliiical move- ment, farm organizations, pro- fessional people and other liberally-minded persons in- terested in basie social reform and reconstruction through our parliamentary system of government.

“Such a broadly based poli-

tical instrument should pro- vide that labor and other people’s organizations may, iogether with the CCF, par- ticipate directly in the estab- lishment of such a movement, its organizational structure and basic philosophy and pro- gram, aS well as in its financ- ing and choice of candidates for public office,

“The experience of labor and social democratic political parties elsewhere should be studied for whatever their

history and structure might contribute, while recognizing that any effective political in- strument in Canada must be Canadian in character and structure,

“In participating in and in- nitiating the creation of a new poli'ical movement, labor emphasizes that not only is there no wish to dominate such a development, but there is the fullest desire for the broadest possible pariicipation of all individuals and groups genuinely interested in basic democratic social reform and the democratic planning nec- essary to such reform.

“This convention, therefore, instructs the executive council to give urgent and immediate attention to this matter by in- nitiating discussions wih the CCF, interested farm organiz- ations and other like-minded indviduals and groups, to formulate a constitution and a program for such a political instrument of the Canadian people; and to report on such a plan, draft constitution and program to the next conven- tion of this Congress for action.

“Pending this development, this convention reaffirms the principle set out in the politi- cal. resolution of the founding convention of this Congress, as follows:

““«“(This convention) urges all affiliated unions, federa- tions and councils (a) to take the utmost interest in politi- cal affairs, (b) to continue such forms of political action or education as they may have carried on in the past, and (c )to undertake such further activities as may in the future appear appropriate for achieving the basic ob- jec ives of the Congress;

“‘And that the political education department give all possible assistance to in- vidual affiliates, federations and labor councils in carry- ing out programs of political education or action,’”

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By MARK FRANK

WINNIPEG—Both Prime Minister Diefenbaker and Labor Minister Michael Starr went all-out to woo delegates attending the second Canadian Labor Congress convention here last week. Their speeches were studded with concessions: (“We'll consider extending supplemen-

tary unemployment insurance benefits”

— “we're going to introduce a Bill of Rights” —

Diefenbaker. “Let’s have a meeting on unemployment” — Starr).

But Diefenbaker had some steadying harsh words in the midst of the heady wine of platform oratory. They were:

“This is no time for drastic or over-demanding action by any sector of our economy.” Gallery visitors applauded but most delegates were cool and reserved.

With close to 300,000 organ- ized workers in, or about to be, in the midst of negotia- tions, a railroad strike possibly in the wings, these words could only be a direct refer- end to the union side of the bargaining table.

The shape of labor’s answer had come earlier in the ses- sions. It had adopted in rapid succession resolutions cover- ing the need for “substantial wage increases in order to provide additional purchasing power” as one of the ways of meeting unemployment; a na- tional minimum wage of $1.25 an hour; and the shorter work week without reducing take- home, reaffirming its policy for a six-hour day and 30- hour week.

A further reply came in a post-convention statement of the newly-elected eight-mem- ber executive committee. The CLC would give full support to all unions seeking wage in- creases, it said.

“It has been made evident that unions comprising a large part of the Canadian labor movement will be seeking wage increases this year. They will have the full support of the Canadian Labor Congress.”

Despite assurances from Starr that things were getting better, that a conference would be organized, and Diefen- baker’s call on people to spend their savings as an answer to unemployment, CLC delegates followed the policy of keeping their powder dry.

They called for a tax reduc- tion, higher welfare payments, public investment, works pro- grams, housing, to meet the slump. They warned about un- employment next winter.

Launching of the significant new “broadly based people’s political movement” was intro- duced by Eamon Park, Steel- workers’ legislative spokesman and a leading CCFer.

He made it clear that the idea of an exclusive trade union party was being reject- ed. The CCF would be the new movement’s political core. Af- filiation would be by decisions of individual unions.

Individual members could elect to pay a portion of their dues to the new movement or not. The CLC relationship to the new alignment would be the same as now obtaining between the British TUC and the British Labor party.

Organized labor would par- ticipate in financing and choos- ing candidates in the constitu- ency, helping to formulate its program “as parties to the movement rather than as sup- porters from outside.”

He declared that the largest people’s organization in the country, the CLC, could not avoid giving a lead on the issue of political action.

Speaking of the future, the chairman of CLC political. edu- cation committee saw this as a country playing a more posi- tive part in the fight for world peace, as one of the by-pro- ducts of the new movement.

Max Federman of the Fur Workers represented an ex- treme rightist minority at the convention; he estimated that the present resolution was much like that passed two years ago.

“No, no!” interjected Eamon Park from the platform.

But Federman continued saying the resolution should endorse outright the CCF pro- gram and party, and should not speak of both a Labor Party and the CCF. There was very little support for his speech.

Most delegates made refer- ence to a Labor party, but the platform and S. H. Knowles

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steered clear of this name in describing the new develop- ment.

Knowles said it was the thing the CCF had fought for all its life, although delegates recalled bitter opposition to the idea of a Labor party when it was advanced strongly by left-wing delegates, members of the Labor-Progressive party, and a number of unions later expelled for such views.

In a_ tongue-twisting for- mula Knowles explained the CCF had decided “to get be- hind itself, with it, or in it, a larger movement—to be- come part of a movement to form the first people’s gov- ernment in this country.”

What the resolution asked, he added, was not a narrow Labor party in the trade union movement, but a broad peo- ple’s political party. The reso- lution, he stressed, did not say a new party, it said a “new instrument.”

The new instrument could be the CCF, he said, with its constitution amended. But that this would await close study.

Significantly absent from the resolution was anti-Com- munist wording, present in the founding convention’s policy statement about possible new alignments in the future. One delegate spoke of the door being open to Social Credit and the _ Labor - Progressive party. No one rose to chal- lenge this view.