t of the huge crowd that filled Brockt
jsf Joe Mathias, head of the
= :d and the Labor Pylon in

Organized Labor Demands:

COMPULSORY
COLLECTIVE

BARGAINING

AFL, CCL Present
Briefs To Board

The Canadian government was told in clearcut terms this
week that the organized trade union movement, hundreds of
thousands strong, wants a new federal labor policy embodying
prineipally the introduction of compulsory collective bargaining

en a national scale.

on Point Oval, with
Coast Indians, on the speakers
the background.

‘ction of the colorful parade, interspersed with banners
shown as it approached the entrance to

many bands,
ley Park.

The demand was carried before
hearings of the National War
Labor Board in Ottawa by two
delegations from the chief trade
union centers — the Trades and
Labor Congress of Ganada and the
Canadian Congress of Labor. In
each case the briefs presented by.
the delegations stressed the main
points for which labor has been
pressing for years. These included:
i.Amendment of existing labor

legislation to protect the right

of workers to organize and pro-
vide for compulsory collective
bargaining.

2. Payment of the full cost-of-liy-
ing bonus to ail Canadian
workers.

3.Amendment of wage control
legislation to allow a more lib-
eral interpretation of the laws
in this respect, coupled with a
wage “floor’ of 50 cents an
hour below which wage control
legislation would not be effec-
tive.

4.4 complete change in the per-

sonnel of the Quebec War

Labor Board and of technical
advisers to the National Board.
First to appear before the War
Labor Board special hearings this
week were President Percy Ben-
gough and Vice-President J. A.
“Pat” Sullivan of the Trades and
Labor Congress. Both were sharp
in their criticism of present federal
labor policies, attributing much of
the unrest in war industry to the
government’s failure to take repre-
sentatives of the unions into its
confidence in all matters pertain-
ing to production.

Particular reference was made

by Bengough to the situation in

the Quebec Regional War Labor

Board where whole numbers of
applications by international unions
for conciliation were deliberately
ignored while company unions were
favored,

Both Bengough and Sullivan
questioned the goyernment’s as-
Sumption of a close connection
between wages and prices.

“There are many factors in the
inflationary process other jthan
Wages and wage increases,” they
declared, “and the © government's
present position in this matter has
brought considerable suffering to
thousands of low-paid ‘workers

whose wages were frozen at the |

time of the order.”

A. R. Mosher, president of the
Canadian Congress of Labor, who
appéared before the board on the
following day, declared, “the basic
need in the field of labor relations
is the adoption by the federal gov-
ernment of a labor policy which
will be positive, comprehensive and
unequivical toward labor.’’ :

His brief pointed out that in
place of a number of orders-in-
councils or sacts dealing “with
labor relations, there should be a
consolidated order or act making
the government's position plain.

“At the present time,” he Said,
“the existence of a whole number
of orders allows a very ambiguous
interpretation to be placed upon
them by various departments.
Labor’s position in this situation
has been extremely difficult.”

In both the TLC and CCL briefs,
stress was laid on the important
effect improved labor legislation
would have on the production of
war materials and the drive for
victory over fascism.

Press For

Labor Rights !

AN EDITORIAL
Ww Canada preparing, along
with other Allied nations, for
the final drive against Hitler and
the Axis, the need for an immedi-
ate solution to the confused labor
situation in vital war industries
has become the big issue of the
Moment. The government has
partly recognized this fact in the
hearings now being conducted by.
the National War Labor SBoard.
There is a good possibility that out
of these hearings will come specific
recommendations for a new feder-
al labor code along the lines sug-

gested by organized labor.

Bor this. reason,—it is extremely
important that all sections of the
trade unions make known their
Position before the War lLLapbor
Board on the important questions
of compulsory collective bargain-
ing, payment of the cost-of-living
bonus to all workers, provision of
a “floor” on wages and amend-
ment of wage control legislation.
Executives of both the Trades and
Labor Congress and the Canadian
Congress of Tabor have already
presented briefs on these matters.
But more ean still be done alons
this line.

The People believes that because
of the seriousness of the question
all trade unions in the province
should supplement the briefs al-
ready presented by their respec-
tive trade union centers by separ-
ate briefs on the questions now
before the War Labor Board. The
opportunity is here and labor
Should take full advantage. Send
in your proposals now—let the gov-
ernment know what labor de
mands! Then we can get on with
the job of backing the attacl.

Thousands Demand Second Front Now

reaffirm to themselves. their
tomrades in the armed services,
ind to the rest of the world that
shis is a people’s war, and that
as the people, they are deter-
mined to win it.

The day itself fitted the oc-
casion — warm sunshine, a
eloudless sky, the mountains
tlear in the background, and
the no less impressive sight of
Vancouver's war workers gath-
ering to pledge their support of
May Day traditions and Can-

Unity Marks City’s May Day

By CYNTHIA CARTER
Q* SUNDAY, May 2, more than 12,000 Vancouver citi-
zens—the majority of them actively engaged in the
production of ships, planes, and guns being sent in a steady
stream to the battlefronts of the world—paused briefly to

ada’s Fourth Victory Loan.

6

N THE speaker’s stand in

Brockton. Oval, Major-Gen-
eral G. R. Pearkes, VC, GOC Pa-
cific Command, chatted quietly
with Bill Stewart, president of
Boilermakers’ and Iron Ship-
Suilders’ Union, Local 1, while
Communist-Labor Total War
Committee provincial secretary
Fergus McKean, IWA Inter-
national Board Member Nigel
Morgan, and Hugh De Lacey,

president of the Washington
Commonwealth Federation, look-
ed down at the shipbuilders
and the girls from Boeings,
these last a little new to the
idea of May Day, but looking:
Smart in their white coveralls,
as they listened to the world
famous Esquimalt Naval Band.
In the Srandstand, thousands
more heard the spealers ex-
plain that this year May Day
took on ereater significance
than ever before; that this year
labor was fighting its biggest
fight, against its biggest enemy
—faseism. It was clear that
Vancouver's workers weren't

See UNITY — Page 8

fara