Federal aid Sought for fishermen

“The only thing required to Make unemployment insurance Practical for the fishing industry is for the government to decide to make it so,” Fishermen’s Union Tesearch director Bill Rigby said 4ast week at a mass meeting called ‘by the union in New Westminster.

_ The meeting voted to back a Program of action to fight for Unemployment insurance and _ Win emergency aid for fishermen _ Whose 1955 earnings have been the lowest in years.’

.. “Every man in this room will find it very difficult to live this Winter,” said Chief Francis Joseph of Langley.

“An editorial in The Fisherman

us week called for emergency ald now followed by amendment of the Unemployment Insurance Act later to grant full coverage to Seasonal workers.

_ (Only a powerful campaign Mvolving other unions can crack through the callousness of the - federal government and _ force action to assist shoreworkers, fishermen and their families Tough the long winter months ahead,” said the editorial.”)

LPP to meet on legislative plans

_ The B.C.-Yukon Committee of

the Labor-Progressive party will Meet in Vancouver over the Weekend to discuss plans for the forthcoming session of the Legis- ature, it was announced this Week. The fact that the session, Which the government has an- Nounced will be a short one, is Senerally considered to be the Second last before another genera! Election is spurring LPP consti- tuency committees throughout

€ province into action to get 40 candidates into the field.

Proposals will be submitted tc

€ 35-member committee for ex- tension of the LPP’s resources Campaign, and for launching a drive aimed at bringing about Public ownership of the province’s “ydro and natural gas services M order to speed the industrial- lation of B.C. and provide these coon facilities at the cheapest

ates,

U ___

HUB HUMOR

see Junior finally decided to ake a bath!"

Need new clothes and short of Cash? Use the HUB’S FREE CREDIT PLAN. Pay a little “ach week with no extra charge Or credit;

|

'e e

Candidate in Surrey

Leo Brady (above) has an- nounced his candidacy for council in ‘Surrey’s Ward 7. He is campaigning on a pro- gram which seeks tax relief for home owners through federal assumption of elemen- tary education costs and re- vision of the municipal taxation schedule.

Alberta LPP launches 5-point farm campaign

EDMONTON The Alberta LPP has opened a province-wide campaign | to rally farmers around a five-point farm platform. This was an- nounced by Ben Swankey at Innisfree at a public banquet honoring his ten years of pro- vincial leadership of the Labor- Progressive party. The banquet was attended by 150 farmers and their families.

The five points as were: : Trade with the whole world: barter deals; accept the local currencies of other countries; credits to countries wishing to buy our farm produce.

Cash advances on farm stored grain from the federal treas- ury and through the Wheat Board.

Alberta trade delegations to other lands to negotiate trade agreements directly.

Raise the floor price on hogs to 27 cents. As a basis for. a floor under cattle, raise the price for good quality steers to 22 cents.

5 Industrialize Alberta and pro- ~ vide a stable home market for

farmers. 0 Ne

The LPP will also advocate sending a Canadian farm dele- gation to the Soviet Union.

ankey said that the cam- ae will include public meet- ings throughout the province as well as distribution of several thousand postcards directed to Alberta MPs demanding cash ad- vances and new policies to win markets.

Speaking at the banquet, Tim Buck, LPP national leader, charged that “the present scheme to mortgage farmers to the banks via loans at 5 percent interest is a denial of the principle upon which the Wheat Board was sup-

outlined

| posedly established by the federal

government and a rank discrim- ination against grain growers. Labelling Trade Minister C. D. Howe as an American agent in the Canadian cabinet and cast- igating him for his betrayal of Canadian farmers by refusing to accept the currencies of other countries in exchange for our wheat and other farm produce, Buck pointed out that the U. S. is accepting other currencies with great advantage to itself and has

taken markets away from Canada. : i

FARM LEADER SPEAKS

at the conclusion Union.

number will be elected by the farm union and BCFL execu- tives to meet jointly at regular sessions; a yearly educational institute for farmers and CCL members is planned; consultation is planned before any labor group takes action affecting the farm- ers; when necessary the commit- tee will prepare joint legislative briefs for submission to the pro- vincial government.

Davies, a working dairy far- mer, told the labor convention that “we desire to cooperate with you to the utmost, so that the fullest understanding be- tween labor and farmers can be achieved.”

He outlined the difficulties en- countered in building a union of farmers:

led to believe they were their own bosses and that cut-throat competition was the best way to operat under a free enterprise system.. They were told that high prices of things they had to buy were caused by that ‘evil’ force, labor, demanding higher wages.

“Farmers work hard, and they and their families work long hours and have little time for other activities. But seeing what the trade unions have achieved by uniting workers in an in- dustry, farmers are beginning to realize that they must form a union, as the only way to achieve parity and equality.

“Our Farmers’ Udion is small, and at present we look upon the trade union movement as an elder brother. But we're go- ing to grow, and some day we will be big enough to clasp your hand firmly and march along with you.”

Before Davies spoke several CCL leaders made powerful pleas for farmer-labor unity.

* “Labor hasn’t assumed its re- sponsibilities to the farmers of

IWA. “Both rank-and-file and piecards must go out and do something to work with the far- mers. In the past four years there has been a 50 percent de- cline in farm income. Labor must realize that we’re both on the same bobsled, going down- hill.” : % “Prairie farmers have produc- ed wheat and not been paid for it?’ said George Home, BCFL secretary-treasurer. “Just imag- ine how we trade unionists would feel if we worked all week and then didn’t get paid.” Home pointed out that in the last few years the farmers’ share of the national income has been dropping so rapidly that in 1954

.

smaller than in the depression years. In the same period pro- fits of most big corporations have skyrocketed. :

“A joint labor-farmer commit- tee is essential,” said Jack Guest, Grain Workers. “But generally, the trade unions have confined their activities to resolutions. This isn’t good enough. The farmers are’'in bad shape, and we must give them concrete assistance—

SN

trade union.”

An important step towards convention of the B.C. Federation delegates enthusiastically endorsd a statement of polic Farmers’ Union of British Columbia and the BCFL of a speech by I

}

A standing committee of equal

“In the past farmers have been!

Canada,” said Warren Lowery, |.

it was a mere 5.6 percent, even|

By BERT WHYTE

of Labor held in Moose

CCL meet approves labor-farmer ties

achieving labortarmer unity was taken at the 12th

Hall here last weekend when

y On joint cooperation between the , and gave a hearty round of applause -eo Davies of Hatzic Prairie, president of the Farmers’

Four resolutions submitted by. Grain Workers local 333 were endorsed by the convention. They called for:

@ Joint labor-farmer represen- tations to Ottawa to adopt a more flexible grain mar- keting policy.

Support for the farmers’ de- | mand for a guaranteed mini- | mum price for grain. Opposition to upward revi- sion of the Crows Nest Pass freight rates.

Endorsation of proposed in- terest-free cash advances to farmers by the federal gov- ernment to the value of 50 | percent of the grain in store on their farms.

i a

As expected, delegates endorsed

steps to hasten the labor merger

on a provincial scale, as contain- | ed in a joint letter from the

TLC and CCL outlining methods |

for merging councils and federa-!

tions, and suggesting that the first merged provincial conven-| tions could be held in the fall of 1956. :

While -supporting the broad’ terms of the merger, spokesmen | from the floor made it clear that: in the process of merging their | unions had no intention of giv-| ing up cherished democratic | rights which had been won over }

‘the years by militant struggle. | “We want an extension, not a

contraction of democracy,” said |

William Douglas, Marine Work-|

ers. i

dustrial unions (one delegate for | each thousand members). On this’ basis, five small craft locals of: 25 members each would have the same voting strength as an in-. dustrial union with 5,000 mem- bers. This is obviously unfair and must be changed. We also believe that conventions of the new Canadian Labor Congress should be held annually.”

At the recent CCL convention no B.C. delegate could get the floor to discuss the merger, said Sam Jenkins, president of Mar- ine Workers.

“We were in accord with the merger, but I for one don’t want a merger at. any price. I believe that here in B.C. we must have some autonomous rights to meet, | discuss provincial problems and tackle them in our own manner — particularly problems relating to political action.” i

On Sunday delegates endors- ' ed two resolutions submitted | by Marine Workers demanding | holding of annual\conventions and asking the joint convention to institute the same form of representation now in existence for the CCL.

Barely defeated on a 48-47 vote was a resolution demanding that the designated representatives of each organization to the general board be from the Canadian sec- tion of his or her union and a resident of Canada.

% os a

Labor has a vital role to play iin the fight for peace, delegates decided, in unanimously endors-

just as we would assist a striking |

ing a resolution “recommending to the Canadian Labor Congress | that the exchange of trade union

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 25, 1955 — PAGE

“The proposed method of rep- resentation to the Canadian Labor | Congress is unfair to large in-7

delegations between Canada and all other countries of the world be encouraged.”

The preamble to the resolution noted that the cold war in the past 10 years has brought about fear, distrust ‘and misunderstand- ihg among different countries, but since the Geneva meeting of the four great powers, doors have

been opened for the exchange of delegations.

Other ‘important resolutions

called for:

'@ BC. government Jo take the

lead in federal-provincial conferences for establish- ment of a national social security plan.

@ Labor to press for the 30-—

hour week.

@ Property qualification to be

abolished in civic elections.

BCFL to ask the B:C. gov- ernment not to certify any further craft groups in an industrial unit unless the craft unit is able to make application for at least 51 percent of all: employees.

@ The provincial government to pierce the “Aluminm Cur- tain” at Kitimat and launch a probe into the. housing situation, because “houses ‘are being sold from $14,000 when their actual value is no more than $10,000.” ( bog 5 23 :

Guest speakers at. the two-day convention included Claude Bal- lard, IWA international. second vice-president; Labor - Minister Lyle Wicks; and Leo Davies, president of the Farmers’ Union of. B.C. -

In elections Sunday afternoon delegates returned Dan Radford, president; Joe Morris, first vice- president; William Symington, second vice-president; Bob Smeal, third . vice-president; and. George Home, secretary-treasurer. —

Strike settled by Engineers —

Strike of 150 members of AFL

Operating Engineers, who walked out of 15 Lower Mainland and

Vancouver Island sawmills on November 6 demanding a wage boost, was settled Monday this week when chief conciliation officer William Fraser called to- gether the union and Forest In- dustrial Relations, representing the companies.

The union accepted an offer of 10 cents spread over two years, with five cents retroactive to June 15. ; : :

During the strike eight oper- ations were shut down tight and at other plants production was slowed down.

7

RE fe rat ee = Sees Ares So Ca