Mhe one year under review 1 0-June 1971) Ontario f more plant shutdowns ater reduction of employ- , 42 in any one decade pie financial crash of . ‘ls is the opening sen- mot the survey entitled, OWN: The impact of 7 qattdown, extensive em- at; terminations and lay- the Workers and the com- in, Published by the On- . “deration of Labor. Survey, prepared by John “Nand Ashley G. Bernar- Mates; i : phe Past year 138 plants -° have closed, had ex- },, UPloyment terminations layoffs. Seventy-six of f° either foreign-owned '80-controlled. Sixty-two Mestic, “@ Were 16,224 workers V affected, 7,394 had their A. terminated, 8,830 : finitely laid off. Of the if Ployees terminated and e297 were. from for- F tolled plants and 5,927 Omestic plants. On the " € foreign controlled hive © 1arger and had more ..° displacements of em- y Y-three plants had layoffs hy ‘aa 50 employees. Ap- 3 fly 20 of these had less €mployees to begin \ survey of plants was only .With 25 or more work- ated or laid off during Year period. It did not, Hors are careful to ker’ Include ‘thousands ats S who lost their jobs Nas that had less than 25 4, 4s or layoffs each.” , Salation of unemploy- Ntario is described: " byte past two years our i been faced with a my €mployment problem. ; uated Ontario was ina Ty Foon in this respect Provinces, having the “mployment rate in the '“0Wever, in the begin- = a SD ning of 1971 unemployment in Ontario started climbing faster than in many provinces, and threatened to close the gap with the national average which was over 8 per cent. In absolute terms, Ontario experiened a 50% increase in unemployment since 1961.” Facts are presented to dis- prove the campaign of monopely and of governments that wage increases are the cause of unem- ployment: “The facts do not bear this out. Wage increases are NOT the cause of unemployment. If they were, some of our compe- titors would be in the same po- sition as we are. “For example, in 1969-70, wages in Japan went up by 17.9%. Unemployment went down 0.7%. Wages in Italy went up 22.0%—unemployment went down 2.2%. Belgium: wages up 11% — unemployment down 9.1%. Denmark: wages up 9.8% — unemployment down 22.6%. Netherlands: wages up 12.3%— unemployment down 9.8%. “There is no need for prices to go up if wages go up. The wage component in the goods and ser- vices we produce ‘is usually only a small part of the whole... “For instance, in building an average home labor costs are about 13%. The direct packing- house wage cost of a pound of steak selling for $1.40 is about five cents. The assemblers who put together a $5,000 car are paid $60 in wages—a very small part of the total cost of the car. : “Along with the bogey that wage increases cause high prices is.the one that wage increases price us out of world markets. The facts show that our exports to our toughest competitors are high. “The three major single pur- chasers of our exports have been Britain, Japan and the United States. Combined, they bought close to 80% of our exports in 1970. The U.S. share of this was 65%.” FOLLOWING ONTARIO LABOR LEADERS ENDORSED THE NOV. 6 DEMONSTRATION AND RALLY (organizations listed for identification only) fini, , UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKERS (UAW) IcDermott, Canadian Director; Herb Kelly, Assistant irector; Jim Peters, Secretary of Canada UAW Council; q Los’ President, Local 28; Norman Simpson, Financial Secre- %y,,¢! 124; William Rutherford, Vice-President, Local 222, te Pat Pat ) Don tig Gordon, President, Local 252; Glen sid Clancy, President, Local 707, Oakville; Douglas pe Dou, €nt, Local 303; Archie Wilson, Plant Chairman, Loca Blas Aircraft); Jack Kirby, Chief Shop Stewar €marco, Chairman, Political Action Committee, d, Local Local Bedell, Chairman, Macy committee, Local 1967; George Oleksuik, Chairman, Poli- Mitte, | COmmittee, Local 112; Joseph McConnel, By-Laws ; logy; Local 1967; F. Pannier, Chairman, Welfare Comm Hee 1967’ Bill Martin, Chairman, Unemployed Labor Committee, C fc. NADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (CUPE) \y W Presi mtd, Local 1000 Are a ly Men Leman, National Secretary-Treasurer; H Wy, ocal 771, and Secretary, t Loa °e-President; Louise Wattam, Executive > Percy Huggett, President, ; ER yeent, Local 1144; Christine Baird, Vice-President, Local enry Cawkwell, Metro Council; Shirley Carr, Officer and Edi- Ontario Division; Pat ‘ggins, President, Local 79; Andrew Bekerman, Educa- licity Officer, Ontario Hydro Local 100 0; Verne Olson, D STEEL WORKERS OF AMERICA (USWA) ; et Steel Workers staff; Harry Greenwo Mila cal 1005 (Stelco); William Longridge, Steel m Hans, President, Local 5629; Ray Stevenson, Ni i, kers, “tvey Mj Syl MacNiel, Vice-President, Loca urphy, United Steel Workers. od, Recording Workers United 1 2900 (John D ELECTRICAL, RADIO AND MACHINE WORKERS hy. Jac The Kson, National UNION (UE) : : ncaa George Harris, National Sec- ' Caonarers Stan Bullock, Editor, UE News; Art Jenkyn, Na- vr “a Mator; Tom Davidson, National UE-Westing eee amilton; Bill Revill, President, Local 525; Evelyn Arm house Co- In view of the contradictory statements and rumors of dis- cussions between government, employers and labor about a Canadian incomes policy aimed at wage controls, it was reas- suring to hear Canadian Labor Congress President Donald Mac- Donald’s denial in a speech to the recently concluded Ontario Federation of Labor convention in Toronto. Mr. MacDonald unequivocally stated that there is no basis for speculation that organized labor in Canada.may modify its op- position to a wage freeze in the light of developments in the United States where labor lead- ers have decided to participate in administering Phase 2 of Pre- sident Nixon’s wage freeze. The Edmonton convention of the CLC did the right thing last year when it corrected the prev- ious misconception that a wage freeze was acceptable on condi- tion that prices, rents, interest and profit also be subject to controls. To equate income from work with income derived from ownership, control and specula- tion is fundamentally wrong from any and every way one looks at it. To do it the name of equity is both unjust and in- equitable. Basic Error But the main and principled position is that payment for work done in productive activ- ity and for services rendered can never be inflationary. No capitalist would ever employ a worker unless he can make a profit in the long run. A worker has to earn his wages and pro- duce a profit besides. In that sense, wages cannot figure as costs in the same way as other costs of production. ; : The 1970 CLC convention in Edmonton did go on record in opposition to a wage freeze un- der any conditions. The idea about loading the dice against labor with respect to income for work done is an attempt by monopoly capital to make labor bear the cost of a crisis which labor had no part in creating whatsoever. Today the benefits of techno- logical and scientific develop- ments which increase produc- tivity do not go to the workers. ~ On the contrary; because of private ownership of land, re- sources, factories—in short, the means of production—the bene- fit from increased productivity goes to the private owners, mainly the multi-national cor- porate giants. Capitalist mono- polies reap all the profits, while working people lose their jobs and suffer deteriorating condi- tions as a class in our society based on human exploitation. Bosses Oppose Yet, even the most inadequate proposals for some legislative protection for workers with re- spect to technological change, such as proposed in a federally sponsored bill now before the Canadian House of Commons, is met with the most violent opposition from the corporate bosses. Their aim is always to cheapen the cost of production at the workers’ expense in order to enhance their profits. The clearest example of this fact is the present strike by members of Local 1967 of the United Automobile Workers against the Douglas Aircraft Company of Canada, a branch plant of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation of the USA. This large corporation, with 5,000 production .workers_ in Canada and over 100,000 in the USA, has tried to use the Cana- dian negotiations to cheapen its costs of production at workers’ expense by opening the door wide to _ speed-up, overtime work, worsened working condi- tions and vastly increased pro- ductivity and profits. But it has used the wage freeze in the USA to deny any increase in pay to Canadian workers in any new contract. The company has Ontario trade union leaders for peace strong, National Representative; Dave Monie, President, Local 531, Bramalea. FOOD AND ALLIED WORKERS S. S. Hughes, Assistant Director, District 15 (Amalgamated Meat Cutters); Alfred Barber, President, Local 114; George Ellis, Chief Steward, Local 114; Giles Endicott, Research Director, District 15. LABOR COUNCILS AND CLC LOCALS J. C. L. McNeil, Executive Board Member, Metro Toronto Labor Council; Tom Simons, President, Oshawa and District Labor Coun- cil; Doug Upton, President, Toronto and District Joint Council of Chartered CLC Locals; J. Cox, President, CLC Local 24762; Bathea Konopie, Secretary, CLC Local 24762; Sam Copone, President, CLC Local 24739. CANADIAN BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY, TRANSPORT AND GENERAL WORKERS J. D. Hunter, Regional Vice-President; R. J. Roussel, Representa- tive. UNITED RUBBER WORKERS UNION John Meharry, Chief Steward, Local 232; Dave Birrell, Chairman, Political Action Committee, Local 232; Victor Hugh, Chairman, Stewards Council, Locall 232; Harold Keeton, Hamilton. OTHERS George Hutchens, President, Int'l. Union Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers; Jack Jaght, President, Local 4, Canadian Com- munication Workers; Carmen Cole, President, Local 101, and Cana- dian Vice-President CUOE; Boris Mather, Director, Canadian Com- mu nications Workers Council; Vic Cridland, President, Ont. Conf. Bd., International Moulders Union; John Irvine, Business Represen- tative, Local 2309, Millwright’s Union; Gerry Gallagher, President, Local 183, Laborers’ International Union; Balfour MacKenzie, Presi- dent, Local 91, International Typographical Union; James Buller, Vice-President, Local 91, International Typographical Union; Vic Skurjat, Manager, Joint Board, Textile Workers Union; Jim Tester, President, Local 598, Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, Sudbury; Herbert Thorne, Exec. Secretary, Local 461, Retail and Wholesale Employees Union; Business Manager, Wedro, Secretary, Leather Workers. Bill Walsh, Trade Union Consultant; Irv Dawson, Bakery and Confectionary Workers Union; Pear] VMC Labor Committee, and Local 82 Fur & consistently refused to talk about wages in negotiations. Import Strike It is clear as can be that this American-owned and controlled corporation is seeking to im- pose President Nixon’s wage freeze on Canadian workers, while at the same time setting a pattern here for an emascu- lated contract, which could later be imposed upon American aircraft workers. The Douglas Aircraft work- ers are presently manning pick- et lines in a legal strike, sanc- tioned by their union. Neverthe- less the company. a week and a half after contract termina- tion, has charged the union with contract violation and is claim- ing damages of $2,500,000. The purpose of that gimmick is un- doubtedly to stall and prevent further negotiations. In the circumstances now prevailing the Douglas Aircraft workers carry the main burden, and operate in the front lines of the struggle to prevent an imposition of: U.S. law—namely Nixon’s wage freeze—on Cana- dian workers. Embodied in this strike is the question of mono- poly super-exploitation of labor, as well as the question of Cana- dian independence. This, therefore, is no ordina- ry strike but a strike that sym- bolizes Canadian problems from both a class and national view- points. Solidarity Actions It is imperative that every local union, every central labor council, every provincial fede- ration and the CLC, go on re- cord in support and solidarity with the Malton, Ont. aircraft workers. This is the focal point of the Canadian. labor movement’s struggle against the imposition of a wage freeze — President Nixon’s wage freeze — in Canada. Letters and resolutions need to be sent to the provincial and federal governments demanding action to force the company to negotiate in good faith and to settle with the aircraft workers on their reasonable terms. Wherever feasible, demon- strations of support may also be expressed in other forms. It was one of the biggest short- comings of the recent Ontario Federation of Labor convention that it did not single this par- ticular struggle out for special attention, discussing and _pro- posing concrete steps to deve- lop unity and solidarity actions all over the province of Ontario. A ringing call for such solidar- ity should also have been made to all Canadian workers through the CLC. This failure must be correct- ed by action now at the local level and the Central Labor Councils. for new readers... half-price for 1 year subscription (Only $1.99) communist viewpoint Write: Progress Subscription Service 487 Adelaide St. W., Toronto 133 °Good only till Dec. 31, 1971