turning back.

LABOR

CLC pledges support © for UAW autonomy

By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — The Canadian trade union movement

came of age, and the people’s resistance to greater U.S. domination over our country was given a boost, Sept. 4-6 with the birth of the UAW-Canada.

The union’s newly-acclaimed president Bob White

could have been speaking for the whole trade union _ Movement when he told the historic gathering that

UAW-Canada was on the right track and there was no

It was a sentiment that would be echoed throughout the three-day meet by a host of speakers including fed- eral NDP leader Ed Broadbent, Quebec Federation of Labor president Louis Laberge, Ontario Federation of Labor president Cliff Pilkey, UAW pioneer Victor

Reuther and Dennis McDermott, president of the two Mmillion-member Canadian Labor Congress.

McDermott reminded the more than 300 delegates, representing the new union’s 135,000 members that UAW-Canada ‘“‘will be severely tried and tested in the months ahead.”’ But he also pledged, ‘‘the entire collec-

tive force of the labor movement”’, if necessary behind

the newest all-Canadian union. x

**As long as there is a breath left in my body, as long as I can manage support and loyalty from the affiliates of the Canadian Labor Congress this union of ours will not die ... it will go on to greater and greater accomplish- ment,’ the CLC chief, and former Canadian UAW director, told the delegates.

Indeed, the challenges immediately facing the union are critical, but the message the delegates drove home again and again was that the move to Canadian in- dependence can only enhance autoworkers’ ability to fight back, whether it is to wipe out concessions and the wage inequality at Chrysler, stepping up solidarity with striking VISA workers, or strengthening the union’s internationalism and its contribution to the world labor movement in such places as South Africa, Nicaragua and elsewhere.

Challenge Corporate Power This'was‘expressed in the policy statement adopted by the convention which declared the creation of UAW-Canada was based on the union’s ‘‘profound”’ belief ‘‘in the importance of international ties and in the

- national autonomy and national expression necessary

for strengthening those ties.”’

The statement also paid tribute to the CLC’s fight against concessions, the battle by B.C.’s Operation Solidarity against the Socred government's drive to wipe out basic rights and social benefit programs, and the struggles for women’s equality, peace and international solidarity — all in emphasizing that while the challenges facing Canadian workers are ominous, they run parrallel “‘to.an increased readiness by Canadians to mobilize for change.” 3

Calling on labor to ‘‘challenge”’ the power of big busi- ness the paper opposed any movement by Canada free trade with the U.S. because that would drag our social Standards into a competitive downward spiral. Instead it favored shifting Canada’s economic focus, “‘to a greater recovery of our own market, to import-replacement and to increased Canadian content, to planned trade linked to a planned economy.

The convention was also characterized by a rock-solid unity of the delegates behind the independence decision and in acclaiming the three new full time officers of the union. Along with White, as president, the convention elected former administrative assistant Bob Nickerson to the secretary-treasurer’s job and Claude Ducharme as director for Quebec.

Local 199 president Gerry Michaud, (St. Catharines GM), and Northern Telecom worker Ken Ouellette were elected as members of the executive-at-large. The re-

‘ maining officers of the 12-person executive board will be

elected from the Canadian and Quebec councils.

Tribute to Lambert

In his acceptance speech, Michaud paid tribute to the role played by workers like Communist autoworker Gordon Lambert who was among the left forces in the UAW which pioneered the fight for Canadian autonomy, and laid the foundations for the new union. ‘“‘It’s ironic, but in 1970 when the group in the plant that I was as- sociated with was elected to office, we went in as suppor- ters of the international in opposition to our rivals who were for a Canadian union,”’ he said.

‘‘I know that ifhe were with us today, Gordie Lambert would be proud of the decision we’ve taken and that we'd be standing together on this one’’, Michaud said.

The UAW’s declaration of independence not only shifts the balance within the CLC in favor of Canadian

unions, but it also opens the door for labor to play a

larger role in Canada’s fight against further U.S. domina- tion. It will also enhance our potential of stopping the federal Tory government and the pro-American, and U.S. corporate interests it represents, from destroying Canadian independence by trying to bind us tighter to the aggressive U.S. foreign policy and its economy through Free Trade.

The Chrysler talks now in progress will be the union’s -

first major test. Both White and Chrysler Local 444 leader Ken Gerard repeatedly stressed that the forth- coming contract will put an end to concessions and will win full wage parity between Chrysler workers with the workers at Ford and GM.

All signs show the Chrysler workers more than ready to take the company on with these demands, given the

TRIBUNE PHOTO — JOHN MACLENNAN

*

UAW-Canada leader Robert White introduces SACTU- ANC representative Zola Zemba to convention delegates.

company’s unprecedented profit picture and its rotten treatment of the union in-plant. :

While there’s been speculation the international may try to withhold the $36-million it owes the Canadians as part of the ‘‘divorce’’ settlement in a bid to make the Canadian union back away from the ‘‘no concessions” stand that embarasses Solidarity House, the unity dis- played at the convention, its militant bargaining and legislative policies and the CLC’s promise of all-out backing to the UAW-Canada, would make such a plan, ill-advised at best.

The message proclaimed at the birth of the UAW- Canada was loud and clear: ‘‘Those days are gone, there’s no turning back.”

_ Labor greets UAW move _

The Communist Party of Canada greeted the found- ing of UAW-Canada as an “‘historic’’ and ‘‘sig- nificant’’ event for the Canadian working class.

Ina telegram to the union signed by general secret- ary William Kashtan, the party extended its “‘heart- felt congratulations’’ to the UAW-Canada.

“‘We contrast the significant step you have taken for an independent Canada with the readiness of big business circles and their governments to sell out Canada’s economic future and political independence through policies of free trade and our very existence through Star Wars’’, the message read.

The party’s message joined a flood of greetings from throughout the labor movement.

Congratulations were received from John Fryer, president of the National Union of Provincial Gov- ernment Employees, the National Farmers Union, the Letter Carriers Union of Canada, the Ontario Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council, Dave Werlin president of the Alberta Federation of Labor, the International UAW’s Technical, Office and Professional division, the Japanese Council of the International Metalworkers Federation, the Japanese autoworkers union, Chrysler UAW Local 122 at Twinsburg, Ohio and the Confederation of Canadian Unions.

In addition, the delegates heard greetings delivered in person to the convention from Jeff Rose, president

of the 304,000 member Canadian Union of Public Employees, Louis Laberge and Cilff Pilkey represent- ing the Quebec and Ontario federations of labor, Herman Rebhan general secretary of the Inter- national Metalworkers Federation, Zola Zemba of the South African Congress of Trade Unions, who brought greetings on behalf of SACTU and the Afri- can National Congress, UAW pioneer and former international affairs director Victor Reuther and NDP federal leader Ed Broadbent, among others.

Reuther, speaking to 1,024 people who attended the convention’s wrapup banquet stressed that Canadian UAW independence would strengthen the union’s internationalism. Welcoming the Canadian develop- ment, he delivered a sharp attack on the U.S. UAW leadership for signing the Saturn agreement.

The Saturn project is an agreement between the GM and the top union leadership that will re-organize _ labor relations in the U.S. on the model of class — collaboration and enterprise trade unionism existing in Japan. It will mean lower wages, and reduced trade union rights for GM workers who will come under it. It threatens to dismantle the company-wide bargain- ing system currently in place. :

The convention also received greetings from UAW president Owen Bieber expressing the international’s disagreement with the move but greeting the dele-

gates with ‘‘best wishes.”

By JOHN MACLENNAN

TORONTO — Zola Zemba, representative of the South African Congress of Trade Unions was given a warm greeting by delegates to the UAW Constitution Convention held here. Although not on the agenda, Zemba, in a show of international solidarity, was

asked to address the delegates. UAW Canada has always been a supporter of our People’’, Zemba said. In a message from SACTU and

ROE disappoint you. The struggle will go on until apartheid is removed ... our people are prepared to make the supreme sacrifice’.

the African National Congress, he pledged, ‘‘we will _

SACTU vows to bring down apartheid

Zemba thanked the delegates for passing a strongly worded resolution that morning which called on the Tory government to impose sanctions on the South African regime.

The SACTU speaker told the convention, that con- trary to news reports the recent miners strike was not called off but was only suspended. He explained what was going on and that miners faced very big obstacles. .

They are mainly made up of migratory workers and have little or no contact with the more politicized areas of South Africa. The mines are “‘glorified pris- ons’’ with big gates. When miners go out they have to

get permission. They are not allowed to mix together without supervision; food and water are centralized.

‘There have been 1,000 miners dismissed”’ he went on “‘with 300 being exported back to their homelands. Eight-five mineworkers, shop stewards and leaders have been arrested, and this a so-called ‘“‘legal strike’’. Zemba pointed you can never have a legal strike under the apartheid regime.

He concluded by thanking the UAW for its on going support for the struggle in South Africa. He told the delegates that this year was ‘‘the 30th anniversary of SACTU and we will continue as long as there is an injury to one, there’s an injury to all’’.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 18, 1985 ¢ 7