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C.s Trade Unions

ome Into Their Own

we

By AL PARKIN

Iveoney by god,” one of them said, “if any man ever

‘tries to tell me again that labor can’t unite its forces,
ll him toe go see an alienist.”
use others in the group around him, members of the

te of amendments to the
.ct, nodded agreement. Ali
m had been present on that
j jay evenings, March 11, when
bvernment, breaking all pre-
, had brought down Bill 30,

sg was called, for second and

readings in the one day.
returning to Vancouver on
idnight boat, they were all
sing, more soberly than dur-

a pe first few hours of jublia-

gihe crowded events of that

; nd the lessons it had pro-

day before, Wednesday, they
ft Vancouver for the capital
to lobby for the passage
ae Pearson amendments:
they left there was danger

@be bill might not reach the
3 or final readings.

The gov-
at had been under tremen-
pressure from ~ employer
\ A last-minute lobby by
y 2ntatives of the Canadian
fp acturers’ Association “was
g to have the bill shelved.
Blaylock was sendings a
tion of company unionists
his Trail Workmen's Com-
—a delegation which failed,
er to arrive in time to do
arm. it was rumored that
| MLA’s had been won over
CMA side, among them Dr.
4. Gillis of Yale.
e
fas this Situation that
mpted the delegates, on ar-
nm Victoria Thursday morn-
>» convene a special meeting
' Victoria Labor Temple. It
= representative meeting.
i were President Birt Show-
the Vancouver Trades and
Council and Ed. Leary of
Sl: Vancouver Labor Goun-
iiso present were such Jead-
Gionists as H. J. Pritchett of
ternational Woodworkers of
ca, Nigel Morgan, TWA; W.
Peess of the United Fisher-
S. Tf Wybourn of the Van-
© Street Railwaymen, Charles
£ cf the Vancouver Aero-
‘al Mechanics, Guy Marshali
3 Machinists’ Union. Alto-
* every big trade union on
suver Island and the Lower

Hand was represented—a pow-
\foree representing some 60,-

it

=!

aionists and therefore a fac-
' be reckoned with.

} immediate problem before

a | coup was to decide how to

Ps

the position being taken by
)SMEA delegation which was to
' Shelye the bill or to offer

fin damaging amendments. A
sary of labor’s position out-
s by Showler indicated that

¥ were to continue pressing
Sor’s additional amendments,

were of only minor im-
ace, there was every likeli-
ithe bill would not pass be-
second reading and would be
id into legislative committee,
} undoubtedly it would be
d for another year.

hh these facts in mind, the

ktes voted unanimously to
ti Showler’s proposal to
2 their demands for the
© amendments they had pre-
ly asked. In Showler’s words,
ve got the principal amend-
3 we asked for, namely, rec-
son of collective bargaining

ia : trade union delegation who were in Victoria during final

by unions and outlawing of com-
pany unions. Our other amend-
ments, while they would add
strength to the government’s pro-
posed revisions, are not impor-
tant enough to justify endanger-
ing the entire bill’ This point
of view was then communicated
to the minister of labor.

hh ei @
Gee tay after the entire dele-

gation, their number since in-
creased by representatives from
@ number of Victoria and Island
local unions, were sitting in the
legislative press gallery, set aside
for their convenience by Pearson,
listening to the minister deliver
one of the finest speeches of his
career in presenting the bill for
second reading.

From where they sat, they
couleé look out over the legislative
chamber and observe every mem-
ber. There was Pearson, speak-
ing calmly, with no attempt at
oratory, telling the House that
“in the interests of the people,
the time has arrived for the trade
unions of this province to come
into their rights.” Then Pattullo,
former premier, taking the floor
to congratulate the government
and te personally endorse the
amendments, and Harold Winch,
voicing the approval of the GCF.
It was obvious, too, that every
MLA was conscious of the labor
delegation’s presence, sensed that
here were a united body of men
representing the workers of the

Britain

The other day I got a letter
from a girl I know who works in
@ munitions factory in Scotland,
and in it she said she was work
ing overtime every other night
of the week. She kidded me about
being a gunner, and said, “If it
wasn’t for us you wouldn’t have
any ammunition to fire.”

She is right, and she is symbolic
of the millions of workers in
Britain today.

Amazing strides have been
made in our factories. Through
our shop stewarding system, peo-
ple’s clubs, production committees
and trade unions, we are achiey-
ing phenomenal production fig-
ures. Observers sometimes say
that most of this drive comes
from our being so close to the
war, but there is no doubt that
the workers have a clear under-
standing of the war as the final
drive against fascism, and through
the leadership of the factory
unions have themselves achieved
this great production.

.)
NE of the clearest practical
examples of this is the
“Shock Brigades.” These brigades

province, the political and eco-
nomic power of 60,000 B.C. trade
unionists, watching every move,
guarding the interests of labor as
a whole.

So noticeable was this attitude
that every member of the House
became aware of it. Even Dr.
Gillis of Yale, who was rumored
to be ready to take the floor in
opposition, sat silent and uncom-
fortable during the entire reading
of Bill 30, casting occasional
glances toward the press gallery,
overawed, as some delegates later
put it, by that almost tangible
feeling of solidarity expressed by
their presence.

- the ordinary course of events,
third and final reading of the
bill would not have taken place
until at least the next day. But
here again the government, con-
seious of labor’s presence, broke
still another precedent.

When the House assembled for
the evening session, with the joint
trade union delegation again in
the galleries, Premier Hart took
the floor and moved third read-
ing of the amendmends. With little
debate the various clauses were
moved, considered and passed.
Then the bill as a whole was
moved and as the Speaker called
for the question and the vote was
taken, there was a roar of ap-
plause from every legislator in the
chamber. As they pounded their
desks, the enthusiasm overflowed
into the galleries. Ignoring rigid
rules against any demonstration
by visitors, delegation members
shouted their congratulations to
Mr. Pearson. Then, as they filed
out, a final precedent was broken.

In service far afield, this Red Cross worker brings supplies
to a British soldier in North Africa.

It is common for House members
to applaud each other, but it was
the first time in the memory of
the oldest member that the ap-
plause of MLA’s had been di-
rected towards. visitors in the gal-
leries.

T was memories of this event-

crowded, victorious day that
still was the main topic as the
delegation returned to Vancouver
Thursday night.

What had they achieved?
Simply, but significantly this—
the placing on the statutes for
the first time in the history of
Canada laws guaranteeing the

right of trade union representa- -

tives to bargain collectively with
employers, thus clarifying the
status of unions as bargaining
agencies, the subject of endless
dispute since the ICA Act was
first passed in 1937. In addition,
the amended legislation discour-
ages the setting up of company
unions and shortens the process
of arbitration.

Most important, however, was
the fact that this victory was
made possible by labor unity, a
fact of tremendous significance
for the future. The proposed draft
amendments of the trade unions,
later incorporated in the main- by
Pearson in the final bill, were

the result of joint conferences be-
tween leaders of AFL and CCL
trade unions, among them Birt
Showler, W. T. Burgess, Ed.
Leary and H. J. Pritchett. There
was complete unanimity among
union members as to their de-
mands. Only jarring note was
Supplied by CCL vice-president
McAuslane, when his attempt to
smash the Boilermakers’ Union
threatened for a time to confuse
the issue and even weaken the
unity between some CCL and
AFL members.

In spite of McAuslane, how-
ever, and in spite of almost des-
perate moves by the employers’
associations, unity was main-
tained and the victory was won.

Results of the entire campaign
were, in the words of IWA Presi-
dent H. J. Pritchett, “the most
outstanding accomplishment in
interests of Canada’s war ef
fort. The morale of the workers
of this province will be boosted
tremendously. It means the rec-
ognition that unions are growing
up. It means~ that the trade
unions are coming to realize the
value of unity, and the possibili-
ties of further united campaigns
to come. The learning of that
lesson of unity-augurs well for
the big problems facing labor in
the future.”

And The Battle For Production

By BILL BALCON

Ae ee most people want to know how we merchant

seamen live and about the voyages we make, I think
that one of the great things that have come out of this latter
phase of the war is the tremendous strides our folks at home
have made in the battle of production. Stalin once said “the
front line runs through the factories,” and it is of the factory
people that I would like to talk.

were started by one of the young
people’s movements in Britain.
Several workers formed them-
selves into a group and set down
on paper their plan. It was sim-
ple. They promised to do every-
thing in their power to overthrow
fascism, promised full production
and then set themselves a target.
They. got out a wall newspaper,
graphs, and watched day by day
the figures increase. Competitive
spirlt helped and in a short time
they were turning out 150 percent
over production.

When TI last left England hun-
dreds of these brigades were in
operation. They had names such
as “Spirit of Stalingrad,’ “Re-
venge of Dunkirk,” “The 200 Per-
centers.” Horty great meetings
were held in the main cities where
the leaders of the brigades met
and exchanged ideas. In one in
London 40,000 young people at-
tended and which prizes were
given to the best Brigades.

But the best part was when the
top brigade sent.a message to a
Stakhanovite factory in the Soviet
Union, challenging them to a pro-
duction competition. The signifi-

One day this week a
young member of the Brit-
ish Merchant Navy, Bill
Baleon, just arrived in
Vancouver from the Atlan-
tic seaboard to help man
one of the new ships re-
cently launched from local
yards, came in to The Peo-
ple office with a story. No,
he didn’t want to talk
about his experiences on
the dangerous Atlantic con-
voy routes, but about an-
other phase of the anti-fas-
cist fight that was, to him,
just as interesting. We pre-
sent here his own story of
Britain’s battle on the fac-

tory front. We liked it,
and so, we believe, will

you.

cance of this is tremendous.
Through the Stakhanovite system
in the Soviet Union tremendous
heights of production haye been
achieved, and for us to challenge
them, well, that certainly means
something.
e

T points out, too, the feeling

that so many people in Britain
have for the Soviet Union and
the feeling for Russia is great.
Everywhere one sees examples of

the great love the workers of Bri-
tain feel towards the Red Army,
great meetings and demonstra-
tions, Aid to Russia groups,
pageants and steadily growing
feeling of real comradeship.
This is not just a feeling of
thanks toward the fighters that
have for nearly two years held
the whole German army at bay,
but a real growing political un-
derstanding that our path lies
with full unity with the Soviet
people and that at all costs we
must break down the lies and
propaganda of our reactionaries
and fifth columnists who attempt
to split us from the Soviet Union
and break the unity which will
enable us to win the war and go
forward to a real people’s victory.
Ss
HERE are so, many things
to write about! I would like to
tell you a few stories that stand
out vividly in my mind about those
people at home. Once I was
off a, southern coastal port
in a little tanker. This port had
been receiving one of the worst
air raids in Britain for three
nights. Hundreds of tons of high
explosives were dropped. The Ger-
mans were even using land mines
tied together in pairs. I shall never
forget the sight of hundreds of
workers’ homes blasted to nothing
or the misery of seeing people
slepeing in the ditches. But it fs
not the bombing but what I

(Continued on Page 7)
See PRODUCTION