matte War Places Increased Duties On Unionists “The war has placed heavy tasks before the people of Can- ada, but on the trade union moyement the responsibilities are heaviest,” Tom McEwen, of the Communist-Labor Total War Committee, told a capacity audience at the Beacon theatre last Sunday night where, in a talk on Trade Unions and the War, he called for greater trade union unity, better labor-manage- ment committees, increased production, and rapped the attitude of “those ultra-revolutionaries who refuse to have anything to do with the boss except — in theory — to throw him out.” The great changes that have taken place in the world during the past five years, felt McEwen, were reflected in the changed out- look of trade unionists. “Trade unionism is a road—not a destination,” he pointed out. “If it is regarded as a means, rather than an end, it can become a tre- mendous power. it was through trade union unity that the amend- ments to the IGA Act were passed, and the placing of the new Act on the statutes is the greatest vic- tory for labor in some time. ‘Here, both GCL and AFL labor councils joined together, and pre- sented a brief to the government In Ontario, each presented a sep- arate brief and the Act was shelyed. But in British Columbia we can look forward to greater union membership; guaranteed col- lective bargaining is a reality; the possibility of strikes is reduced. “Production committees must be set up—active production commit- tees not just grievance committees,” McEwen continued. “We're going to do most of the dying in this war—we insist on do- jing part of the supervision. “There are many workers who are opposed to production commit- tees, on the grounds that ‘its the bosses’ plant, so let them worry about it. This is not the attitude of a Ganadian patriot who realizes that freedom depends on him and his fellow workers. Production com- mittees will bring higher produc- tion, and therefore higher profits. But with trade union unity they should also bring higher wages. The idea that inflation is caused by decent wages is politically and economically unsound. “The communists of Canada ask production—and more production. Trade unionists must say to the boss, ‘We're not trying to confiscate your plant, but you aren't getting enough out of it, and we insist that it’s possibilities be exploited to the full.’ “Because communists take this attitude, we are accused of going haywire, of deserting the working class. This, to use a popular ex- pression, is a lot of bunk. Sure, it’s class collaboration we advocate, because only on this basis can vic- tory be won. Winning the war on this basis is one of the sacrifices the Canadian workers must make. “Right now we have a job to do— smash Hitler. And its the working people who are going to do at The only alternative is to suffer the fate of the workers of Europe. The strike must be the last resort. But communists haven’t forgotten the struggle for higher wages and living conditions. The job of trade unions is to develop a well-paid well-housed working class, that can give its best towards the win- ning of the war. “mo do this, labor unity is neces- sary, and not only national unity but international unity. Not so long ago the AFL in the States refused to help create this international unity on the grounds that Soviet trade unions were working for the state. Sure they’re working for the state. Today they're serving the state by putting up the greatest battle of all time against the great- est enemy of trade unions and workers everywhere; they're do- ing what we in Canada are trying to do—only they're doing it better, because they work in a socialist country. “Righ now our main task is the defeating of this enemy. That is what communists are working for. We aren’t offering blueprints for the future. The people will deter- mine the future, not any political party. Communists will only bring socialism to Canada when the peo- ple of Canada want it.” Harold Pritchett, president of International Woodworkers of Am- erica, explained to the meeting the significance of the new ICA amend- ments. ‘Tabor Minister Pearson and Premier Hart realized that some employers are more interested in licking the labor movement than in licking Hitler, more interested jn forming company unions than in sitting around a table with repre- sentatives of labor to increase war production,” he stated. “They also realized that Canada is at war, and the delegates who went to Victoria came home convinced that the labor minister sincerely hates fascism. “The press gallery was full of labor delegates. Dr. Gillis, his notes on the table before him, ready to lash out at any progressive labor legislation, looked up at that press gallery and was silent. “Tf the law is as we understand it to be, the way is clear for col- lective bargaining, and Blaylock can say goodbye to his company union. “The workers of Canada know that certain things are mecessary for victory. Our armed forces must be highly trained. Weapons must be paid for. The Red Cross must be supported. “Most of all, production must be increased, and a second front must be opened now, while Hitler's pan- zer divisions are withdrawh from the west, leaving Nazi Germany unprepared for inyasion. “Victory for Hitler means slave labor, concentration camps, perse- eution of Jews and progressives. Victory for the United Nations de- pends to a great extent on labor's ability to bring forward concrete- ly problems of production, and to bring with the problems the answers to them. “The next step is a supreme war council, on which labor will sit with management and the gov- ernment. The longer we put it off, the more Chinese, Russians and British men and women will die. There is only one answer to who's going to do the job of winning the war; we'll do it!’ he concluded. New Co-op Planned Cooperative marketing of Fraser River gillnet caught spring salmon appears well on the road to becom- ing a reality, it has been announced by a special committee set up to consider the question. Offers have | been received from two fish houses in Vancouver offering their mar- keting and transportation facilities to the fishermen for a fixed charge. After discussion, the committee has decided to recommend to United Fishermen’s Cooperative that they draw up a binding agree- ment with International Fishing and Trading Company, and it is expected that this proposal will be approved at a meeting of the Fish- ermen’s Union Executive some time next week. IWA Opens Drive For 6,000 Sawmill Workers Officials of the International Woodworkers of America were laying plans this week for a province-wide organizing drive expected to bring an additional 6,000 millworkers into the union. Indication of the looked-for suc- cess of the drive was’ given earlier in the week when the TWA Dis- trict Council reported the signing up of 196 employees of the Ham- mond Cedar Company mill at one meeting, addressed by Council President H. J. Pritchett. Response by the workers of the Hammond plant to Pritchett’s appeal is seen as the direct result of last week's passage of amendments to the ICA Act, which granted unions the right of collective bargaining. With those previously signed up, the IWA already has over 51 per- cent of the workers carrying union cards, and Pritchett declared there was every likelihood that negotia- tions would soon be opened with the management. C. J. Culter, man- aging director of Hammond Cedar and of the Youbou Timber Mills and camps at Cowichan Lake, has assured an IWA negotiating com- mittee last month that if collective bargaining became law he would accept it. It was felt that in this case it would apply also to the Hammond mill. Meantime the union plans to re- open negotiations at a number of sawmills which previously had re- jected its bid for recognition. Among these were Mohawk, Royal City and Alaska Pine lumber com- panies, and the BC Wood Pre- serves. Union members at these plants together with Fraser Mills already number some 3,000. Pritchett reported that sawmill workers in all parts of the district greeted the passage of the ICA Act amendments with great satis- faction, and were confident that it would contribute greatly to Can- ada’s war effort through improving morale. Precision Work Skilled workers on the job, say experts may miss. mittees, are able to discover many bottlenecks that effic advocates of production for the coming year. worrying League members a great deal lately,” a press release from the organization states, “and Dr. MacDonald’s very optimistic speech as reported in the press on March 10 did nothing to reassure US, &S he appeared to consider, that with no more extra labor than would be supplied by high school students, the usual berry pickers, and the same setup as last year, the prov- ince would still be able to show an increase in agricultural production of 25 per cent. ‘We feel that even if the 25 per cent increase is forthcoming it will not begin to answer the needs of our rapidly expanding population.” The brief presented to Dr. Mac- Donald emphasized that since Ot- tawa had not taken any steps to organize a land army, it was now up to the provincial government to work out a plan for supplying needed help so that farmers would be assured of labor as the season advances and would be able to plan and plant accordingly. “We are not dealing here with the problem of subsidizing certain crops to make it worth while for the farmer to grow them,” the brief continues, “although we be- lieve that in many instances such subsidies are going to be mneces- sary. These proposals deal only with the Fraser Valley, as we are not sufficiently in touch with the problems of other farm- ing and fruit growing centers of the province. Housewives Propose \X/omen s |_and Avr} Proposals regarding the establishment of a Women’ Army for BC for work in the lower Fraser Valley, we¢ sented to K.C. MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, by § gation from the Housewives’ League last Monday, af } ‘League at a emergency meeting decided that the for} of such a body would help solve the food production F “This is a question that has been¢- Farmers: Brigade Forming > CLOVERDALE, BC. — boys and girls of Brookswt are organizing a Farm La gade to assist on Frasei farms and provide labor for ing berries and other cropi, 1943. Most men of the commu engaged shipbuilding, and sawmill work, and the boys and-girls of this are: comprises small farms, m yet at a productive stage, termined to contribute the towards Canada’s war through production of food. gade is being organized — MacDonald, of Brookswood' “This is the kind of labor which will be of great use,” ing to John Bowles, of Goast Poultry Producers’ in “This plan is not a ‘blue-print’ —we are quite aware that all parties concerned ,provincial and municipal governments, farmers and workers, will have their own angles, but we believe the plan eould be adapted to meet the major requirements of each group.” Proposals outlined in the brief included provisions for establish- ment of Women’s Wand Army camps in each municipality; sur- veys in each district to determine number of workers required; com- munal shelters for workers; paid the government, for each camp; transportation for workers to and from farms, and a well-organized publicity campaign. cooks and supervisor, provided by tion. “Anticipated food short BC are due to the failure federal government to ad subsidize and encourage the tion of foodstuffs,” stated “Many factors such as lac! “orities on farm machin ‘equipment also contribute | pects of decreased produc year. I have tried for six to secure a heating elemeé electric battery brooder. I the priority from Ottawa, still unable to get the he case is a typical one!”