LABOR SCENE

by

BRUCE MAGNUSON

Last week I mentioned the rather unique and unprecedented injunction, granted by the B.C. Supreme Court at the behest of the West Coast Maritime Em- ployers Association, forbidding members of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehouse- men’s Union from exercising a right granted them by the Parlia- ment of Canada — namely to ob- serve Victoria Day, May 23, as a statutory holiday by remaining away from work that day.

Since that was written there have been new developments, Ten officers of the union have chosen three months in prison rather than pay the $4,100 fine imposed by Mr. Justice Verchere, follow- ing convictions for contempt of court,

If there were any doubts about the role of governments and the judiciary as instruments in the hands of employers to enforce and maintain a dictatorship over labor in this country, these ought now to be dispelled by this un- mistakable _example of class justice,

Following on the judgment by Mr, Justice Gale of the Ontario Supreme Court in the Tilco Plas- tics case, this latest B.C. injunc- tion case proves the need for the trade union movement to proceed with firm and speedy action to put an end to this provocative use of unjust laws to subvert Can- adian democracy and destroy the rights o f labor.

The skeleton of what was once a federal department of labor at Ottawa is now presided over bya big business tycoon who undoubt- edly feels ill at ease in his present position. Under such conditions itis not surprising that government agencies lead the parade of resistance to labor’s demand for decent wages and working conditions,

It took a strike of postal em- ployees to force an investigation of the shameful conditions in our post offices across Canada. Workers on the CNR forced the Freedman Investigation, It re- mains to be seen if the employ- ees of the CNR will have to strike to secure a newcollective agree- ment.

Is it any wonder that big corp- orations feel secure in a pattern of court injunctions, police pro- vocations and open strike-break- ing to the point of demanding government action to impose a

straitjacket on labor by means of

compulsory arbitration laws?

This kind of government labor policy is obviously out of line with the needs of our complex society, now moving inthedirec- tion of technological change and automation, Not even union agreements can any longer be looked upon as legal strait- jackets, but must be made subject to reopening for review and pos- sible changes through processes of democratic and equal collec- tive bargaining. :

Labor’s rights are not sec-

ondary to management’s rights,

The benefits of technological change and automation must be shared with labor and the com- munity at large. The needs of people are not secondary to pri- vate profit, Democracy must be made operative on a day-to-day basis, as well as every-so-often at election time.

The federal labor minister, John R. Nicholson, told Canad- ian labor in Winnipeg seven weeks ago that he would act soon to implement the Freedman recom- mendations, But a month later he told Parliament the exact opposite, Presently employers have launched an all-out cam- paign to discredit the recom- mendations. Will Mr. Nicholson listen to the employers, or will he heed labor’s opinion, which is the voice of the majority of Can- adians?

It must be made clear that the Freedman report and recom- mendations not only of concern to the railway employees but all workers in all industries of this country. Moreover, it is not just a federal matter, but also a matter for provincial govern- ments to act on, The Freed- man recommendations are not only useful as a guide in collec- tive bargaining, but must be enac- ted through legislation at both the federal and provincial levels of

. government,

Now is the time when the Can- adian Labor Congress, repre- senting 70 percent of all organ- ized workers in this country, ought to convene a country-wide conference of representatives of all unions, affiliated and non- affiliated, to demand government action to implement the Freed- man recommendations, Such a conference could project an ac- tion program to meet the needs of labor and make plans for ac- tion to secure its implementation. The key to advance labor’s cause is solidarity and unity in action,

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Canada and the crisis in NATO

By WILLIAM KASHTAN National Leader, Communist Party

The NATO Council which met in Brussels recently, was unable to resolve anything. It could not even decide where to move its military headquarters now that France has withdrawn from its military. structure. In fact, on Canada’s insistence, a decision on this matter was hoisted for the time being.

The real problem confronting NATO, however, is not where to move but what to move on, Here too the NATO Council maintained a frozen position and failed to come to grips with a changing world situation whichis reflected in the crisis in NATO itself,

Part of the changing world situation is reflected in the re- emergence of countries like France as strong imperialist powers who do not wish to be subordinate to U.S. imperialism and are striving for an inde- pendent course in world affairs. This is why it can be said that the crisis in NATO is a deep- seated one and is likely to be- come more acute until and unless the causes of that crisis are understood and proper conclu- sions drawn,

One of the first causes of the crisis is the collapse of the argument that NATO was needed as a “shield” against an alleged «danger from the East,’’ that is, the Soviet Union. No sensible person believes such a danger existed or exists today,

This is not to suggest there is no threat to the security of Europe and of Canada. it comes from the Johnson admin- istration which wants to enlarge the scope of NATO and involve it in its military adventures in Vietnam and in the Far East as part of its policy of escalation of war. The U.S. government has been working systematically to realize this objective and it is this which is causing internal stresses and strains in NATO itself. This, then, is the sec- ond cause of the crisis in NATO,

A third factor accentuating this crisis is the effort of the John- son administration to forge a

military-political bloc between itself and the German Federal

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Republic. In line with this aim, U.S. policy is directed to making nuclear arms available -to the West German revanchist@ — a policy which would endanger European security and threaten world peace, ‘ The Bonn government has made no secret as to why it wants these weapons: to bring about a forcible revision of state boundaries at other peoples’ expense and to liquidate the German Democratic Republic. Such a course would inevitably involve the entire world in another blood-bath,

For Canada or any other coun- try which is part of NATO to agree to such a policy would be not only stupid but suicidal,

Rather than being more deeply involved in such military en- tanglements the sane course for Canada is to work for a Europ-

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‘ ~ Ay DON ean Security Pact. The heart of such a pact must include a clear-cut declaration that:

*West Germany will not be permitted to have access to nu- clear’ arms in any way, shape or form;

*Nuclear free zones will be established in Europe;

*Existing boundaries in Eu- rope will be recognized by all governments;

*The German Democratic Re- public be recognized and brought into the United Nations;

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*A German Peace Treaty will be concluded and a non-aggres- sion pact be signed by the NATO and Warsaw Pact countries as a preliminary to the eventual elim- ination of both military group- ings, :

Such a course could strengthen European security.and therefore Canada’s security also. It would eliminate the vestiges of the last war, eliminate regional blocks, put an end to the cold war and make the United Nations a truly universal body,

Instead of focussing attention on these questions External Af- fairs Minister Martin chose’ to argue the point of where and when NATO headquarters shall be moved. However, what Mr. Martin and the government failed to do Parliament ought to do.

There is need for parlia- mentary debate on a question of such vital concern to the Can- adian people, And because this is so, all those concerned with peace ought to insist on such a debate and press for anew course in Canadian foreign policy.

Such a new course ought to in- clude a reassessment of Canada’s relationship to NATO, There is all the more reason for it on the eve of 1969 when the NATO agreement comes up for renewal,

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