Labor Front

By WILLIAM KASHTAN ee,

Where do we go from here? This question is increasingly
being asked by trade unionists in face of the varied ang com-
plex problems confronting the trade union movement and
working class generally.

Chronic unemployment, seasonal unemployment, cyclical
and structural unemployment, automation and technological
developments and the scientific revolution generally, jobs and:
job security, reduced hours of work, the propects of employ-
ment for young people entering the labor market, run-away
plants, depressed areas, economic development, planning and
nationalization, changes in the structure of the economy and

in the composition of the working class, organization of the
unorganized, problems of jurisdiction and
raiding, problems of trade union structure,
including merger of unions in one industry,
anti-labor legislation and labor relations,
political and legislative action, French Can-
ada and the labor movement, peace and dis-
armament in the nuclear age, U.S.-Cana-
dian trade union relations, Canadian trade
union autonomy and trade union unity —
these are some of the questions and issues
knocking at the door of the trade union
movement.

a

* * *

Some unions have begun to dig into these problems in
piecemeal fashion; others have tended to evade them.

One example of soul searching is the fraternal address of
William Mahoney, Canadian director of the United Steel Work-
ers union, to the Trades Union Congress of Great Britain in
_ which he felt impelled to explain why the organized labor
movement in its majority did not vote for the New Democratic
Party in the last federal election. The position he advanced
merits a separate analysis and will be dealt with in this column
at some future date. '

Another example of soul searching is the conference of
staff members of the Canadian Brotherhood of Transport and
General Workers union (CBRT), which, according to press
reports, seems to have concentrated on the theme of national
unionism and Canadian trade union autonomy.

One of the top officers proposed that the CBRT sponsor a
_ merger of all railway unions in Canada so as to form a national
union of railway workers. Another proposal advanced was that

the CBRT issue a strong statement in support of national union- _

ism which would include a demand for ‘‘complete autonomy
of all Canadian workers, even if the headquarters of their
unions are in the USA.”

The discussion apparently was quite critical and far-rang-
ing and included the opinion that the Canadian labor move-
ment lacks leadership and has less influence than it thinks,

that there is a vast gap between leadership and rank and file, -

that the structure of the Canadian trade union movement
should be overhauled and that many unions should merge.
: * * *

Such views, coming from one of the bigger unions in
‘Canada, are rather interesting. Whether the CBRT will in fact

issue a declaration on these matters remains to be seen but_
_ the fact that it was impelled to hold a staff meeting on these

subjects would indicate there are considerable stirrings in the
trade union movement and among workers generally, which
may presage the possibility of new alignments in and outside’
the Canadian Labor Congress.

Such soul searching is all to the good and ought to stimu-
_ late an active and lively discussion in all unions, provided it is
conducted within the framework of making the trade union
movement a more effective instrument for the working class
and provided it-leads in the direction of a genuinely united,
fully autonomous and sovereign trade union movement based
on forward-looking policies which will enable the workers to
cope with the many varied and complex problems facing them
today.

Not only is such a discussion all to the good. It is abso-
lutely necessary today and should be of great value in light of
the coming convention of the Canadian Labor Congress next
spring and the various provincial Federation conventions this

ELECTION BANQUET

Hear

TIM BUCK—National Chairman
Communist Party
" MAURICE RUSH—North Van. Candidate

SAT., SEPTEMBER 21, 6 P.M.

NORTH VAN. COMMUNITY CENTRE
23rd & St. George s—1 blk. East of Lonsdale

@ HARVEST DINNER ¢ FOLK SONGS

@ ENTERTAINMENT =
Tickets: $1.50 at Door—or Rm. 503, Ford Bldg. and
‘PT’ Office — Rm. 6 — 426 Main St.

Movement to scrap A-arm
| growing across Canada...

A movement .against the
Pearson-U.S. nuclear arms
deal is beginning to gather
strength across Canada, and
demonstrations and _ lobbies

- will take place in Ottawa and

in Quebec City in October.

The Canadian Peace Con-
gress has appealed to “all
peace organizations and
people of good will” to take
part in a demonstration
against nuclear Bomarcs and
a lobby to Ottawa on Satur-
day, Oct. 5:

“It is our duty now to make
the signing of the partial test-
ban treaty a decisive first step
toward the objectives of the

peace movement,” says the
Congress call.
Slogans and leaflets will

call for cancellation of the
agreements to have U.S. nuc-
ear arms on Canadian soil;
move forward with the test-

- ban treaty toward disarma-

ment agreements; stop the
spread of nuclear weapons.

Chartered buses will leave
Toronto for Ottawa on Oct.
5, and return the same night.

The Peace Congress hopes
to have buses from Montreal
and Hamilton as well.

The lobby takeg place on
the eve of Parliament’s sche-
duled opening.

In Quebec,’ le Mouvement
pour le desarmament nucle-
aire et la paix (MDN) has

7

taken a strong initiative in
calling for a “march on Que-
bec city” by at least 5,000
person’s on Saturday, Oct. 12.

MDN has invited the coop-
eration and participation of
peace organizations and other
bodies interested in planning
and carrying through the
peace march.

Its call says: “We believe

it important to state at the
outset that MDN does not set
out to take sole credit for
this march. Our aim is above
all to stimulate participation
of the largest number of
movements, associations, ete

“Tt appears to us without
any doubt that the majority
of the people of Québec op-
pose the acquisition of nuc-
lear arms by Canada, and
the storage of these arms
the soil of Quebec.

“The federal] government
hag decided to go over our
heads in the matter of Can
dian sovereignty in making U
become members, against oul
will, of the nuclear club .

“As. the leaders in Ottaw#
remain deaf to our protests
and defy democratic proce
dures, we will mobilize public
opinion in Quebec and sum=
mon ‘our leaders to take 4
stand on this important ques-
tion.”

Quebec’s peace forces have
already indicated they will
give massive support to the
MDN call for united action. —

is reflected in new protest
before B.C. dump at Comox

‘In Vancouver, the League For
‘Total Disarmament is sponsoring
a trek to Comox to protest the
newly established nuclear dump
there. The league has ‘invited all
peace supporters—regardless of
political, religious or philosoph-
ical belief—to support the demon-
stration on Saturday, September
28th.

Dr. Brock Chisholm has wired
the league that he is in full agree-
ment with the intent of the dem-
onstration, although he will be
prevented from participating due
to illness. :

t

Also expressing his support was

NDP MP Colin Cameron (Nan-
aimo—The Islands) who stated
that he is fully behind the protest
and would do what he could to
press for a mass demonstration.

A spokesman for the league told
the PT that buses and cars will
be leaving the Horseshoe Bay
ferry terminal at 8:45 a.m. for
the trip to Nanaimo and then up
the Island Highway to Comox.

The B.C. Peace Council has an-
nounced that it is asking all its
supporters to participate in the
trek. ‘“‘We feel this action is most
important and are urging every-
body to get behind it,’’ Laud
Gardner, council president, said.

For more information, readers
are requested to phone Gardner
at the council office, MU 5-9958
(between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), or
at his home, CY 9-5298.

All those planning to take part

in the action are urged to make
their intentions known as early
as possible, in order to allow —
enough time for arranging trans
portation, etc.

The National Executive of
the Communist Party has call-
ed on the Canadian people to
force the Pearson government
to cancel its nuclear arms pact
with the U.S.A. The party
statement says:

“By agreeing to take nuclear
warheads, and allowing the
U.S. to establish five nuclear
dumps on our soil, the Pear-
son government has delivered
us into the hands of the Penta-
gon ‘“‘strike first’’ generals..

“Pearson has no mandate
to do this! Although he asked
for a majority vote on his
nuclear arms program, he re-
ceived a minority vote.

“Just when the signing of
the partial test ban treaty
brought new hope to the world
the Pearson government ex-
tended the area of nuclear
arms. It wiped out its own
signature on the test ban

Cancel Nuclear Pact!

treaty and opened the way to
spreading nuclear arms to
many other countries. :
“The majority of Canadians
don’t want nuclear arms. The
trade union movement, the
farm unions, the NDP, and
thousands of Liberal, Tory and
Social Credit voters oppose
them. French Canada is
against them. :
“It is not too late to change
this suicidal course.
“Parliament meets on Sept.
30. Backed by public pressure
a majority of MPs can and
must cancel out the nuclear
arms agreement.
“Write, wire, visit
Member of Parliament.
“Let the voice of the people
be heard—for an end to nu-
clear weapons, for disarma~
ment, for peace.
“Cancel the Nuclear Arms
Pact!”

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