2

CCL Decision Basis
Kor Labor Advance

Labor men throughout the country, assess ing the

results of the recent Montreal con-

vention of the Canadian Congress of Labor, were agreed this week that the general policies

approved by the 500 delegates in attendance
General agreement was expr

labor movement.

laid the basis for big new advances for the
essed that the positive achievements, as ex-

pressed by the move for labor political action, far outweighed certain retrograde decisions

affecting the inner organization of th

On the positive side, the move
for political action through affili-
ation with the CCF was in line
with the main decision of the
AFL Trades and Labor Congress
convention to establish political
action committees, and indicated
the growing realization among
Jarge sections of workers of the
need for labor participation in
politics. Delegates roared ap-
plause for Allan S. Haywood, CIO
director of trganization, and R.
J. Thomas, United Automobile
Workers president, when they
took the platform to speak on the
question.

¢ s es

The convention also approved
a number of other important de-
cisions.

On international trade union
unity, the incoming executive was
instructed to “apply for affilia-
tion with the Anglo-Soviet Trade
Union Committee through Sir
Walter Citrine.”

A second resolution instructed
the executive to “continue such
measures as would further the
cause of unity,’ in reference to
the invitation of the Trades Con-

gress for unity talks between the
two bodies.

On post-war reconstruction del-
egates took the position that there
must be no repetition of the poli-
cies that were responsible for the
dark days immediately preceding
the war, and that the Canadian
people must not again be denied
full employment as was the case
in the nineteen-thirties.

“Tf there can be manpower
shortages during the war, then
there can be manpower short-
ages during the peace,” they de-
clared.

Discussion on the resolution
for labor political action through
the CCF also raised the question
of unity in a desirable and ef-
fective form. The recommenda-
tions put forward by George Har-
ris of the United Electrical and
Radio Workers for a fully fed-
erated type of CCF (involving
revisions of the CCF structure
fo allow the direct affiliation of
trade unions together with the
assurance that they would be al-
jowed a voice in the policy-mak-
ing committees of the CCF in
proportion to their membership

Indian Delegation
To Interview King

First international convention of Native Indians held at

Brantford, Ontario, recently
co-operation between

all Indi

laid the groundwork for closer
ans in the future, according to

Andy Paull, business agent of the Native Brotherhood of BC,
who returned to his Vancouver office last week after repre-
senting British Columbia Indians at the Ontario meeting.

“Chiefs and sub-chiefs were
rresent,” said Paull. “There were
70 delegates representing nearly
every tribe in North America
and approximately 100 visitors.
Resolutions were adopted appeal-
ing to the federal government
to lift compulsory income taxes
from native Indians until they
are granted the franchise, and a
delegation was elected to visit
Prime Minister King shortly to
place our case before him.”

Paull explained that Native In-
dians object to the present sys-
tem of military callup as applied
to them With no voice in the
government of Canada, they are
nevertheless subject to compul-
sory service. While many young
men in Canadian iribes have vol-
unteered for service, 00 native
can enlist in the airforce or navy
unless he obtains fhe franchise
through an Indian agent

“Delegates discussed practical-
jy every problem that confronts
our people today,” continued
Paull. “A false impression exists
that all Indians are taken care
of by the government This is
not correct. Indians on reserva-
tions possess taxtree land, but
must support themselves. And 90
percent of the money used for
Indian welfare pelongs in the tri-
bal fund, and is income partly
derived from sale of Indian
lands.”

| (a
John Stanton
Barrister, Solicitor, Notary

503 Holden Bidg.
16 E. Hastings St. MAr. 5746
—)

Second meeting of the Indians
will be held next June at the call
of the Grand Council of the Six
Nations Iroquois Confederacy.

“Through such conferences na-
{ive Indians will come to under-
stand their future role in Can-
ada,” added Paull, “just as mem-
bers of the Native Brotherhood
of B.C. through close cooperation
with the Fishermen’s Union and
Cannery Workers Union have
proved once again that coopera-
tion with white workers’ organ-
izations is the only solution to
our common problems.”

Action Follows Expulsion By Grand Lodge

e CCL that will nevertheless

bear watching.

and strength) received wide sup-
port, though certain confusions
existing on this question allowed
the original motion to be passed
without the suggested amend-
ments.

It was on certain proposed
amendments to the CCL consti-
tution that reactionary influences
at work in the convention were
able to put across their policy.

There were noisy scenes when
a motion to grant the executive
board power to establish admin-
istrators. over suspended local
unions carried after strong Op-
position from B.C. delegates, led
by E. E. Leary of the Vancouver
Labor Council. Another proposed
amendment which would have
given the executive council still
wider powers was defeated, with
ihe attack again led by B.C. dele-
gates, and joined by C. S. Jack-
son, Canadian president of the
UERMWA, and George Burt ot fhe
UAW. On the other hand a mo-
tion to restrict representation at
conventions to ten delegates car:
ried by a majority of 70 votes.

In the elections, President A.
R. Mosher was returned to of-
fice, and with him went Alex
McAuslane, first vice-president;
Sol Spivak, second vice-president;
and Pat Conroy, secretary-treas-
urer.

Chinese Fund
Tops Quota

Chinese War Relief fund went
over the top this week, with in-
dications that when the cam-
paign closes within the next few
days the total will stand at $155,-
000. The original quota for Brit-
ish Columbia was set at $100,000.

Help from labor unions was
responsible for much of the suc-
cess of the drive, according to
campaign officials here.

Numerous donations were also
sent in from sawmills, lumber
camps and shipyards, it was an-
nounced. Housewives League con-
tributed $5, the provincial Labor-
Progressive Party donated $25,
another check for $25 was sent
in from The People. Various CCF
clubs throughout the province
also contributed.

An Editorial . 7 e:

Where Is The Plan? |
HE seven-day continuous production plan in Vo
couver shipyards is officially being abandoned —

the shipbuilding industry is reverting to the five an
half day working week. The production plan is rep
edly being cut by 25 percent and fewer ships will s- e
down the ways with a further extension of daunch =
time from 80 to 100 days. =
There are many factors responsible for this situat |
Ships, two years ago the Allies’ great need to suy
distant battlefronts, are no longer so urgently nex
This would seem to be borne out by the report 1
curtailment of the shipbuilding program is not conf

to British Columbia but will affect shipyards in eas}
Canada and the United States as well.

In two years huge fleets of cargo vessels have b
launched from shipyards on this continent. Many
the ships were sunk, but the fleets continued to #

.The submarine packs which preyed on convoys E
generally been driven from the high seas by destra:
and corvettes built in Canadian and American §
yards. Now that North Africa has been freed and
liberation of Italy is proceeding Allied convoys can¢
again use the shorter Mediterranean sea lanes wl
the Italian navy is no longer a threat but an addi
to the Allies’ sea power. ,

Te problem now becomes one of placing the j
who will be laid off. In the next three months « @
between 4000 and 6000 men will be released fro
shipyards. Where are they to go? What provision:
being made for their immediate re-employment?
National Selective Service officials are reporte
being confident that they will be absorbed into ¢«
industries. But workers who have had some exper
of National Selective Service, because of the lack
comprehensive manpower policy in the directim
which labor would be given its rightful voice, will hi |
share that confidence.
The war is not yet won. As Prime Minister Chu
pointed out this week, “The bloodiest portion—mat
mistake about it—the bloodiest portion of this wa
Britain and the United States still lies ahead of
There is an acute labor shortage in many importa?
dustries—aircraft production, logging and mining. 3
But if the government is expecting to place shi
workers in these industries, then the people and |
more than the workers affected, are entitled to kna
plans. There must be no repetition of the muddling
bungling which has been so characteristic of the go
ment’s manpower policjes in the past. There must }
loss of thousands of man hours because once agal-
government resorts to expediency when what i @
quired is a comprehensive plan acceptable to lat’

Boeings Dircriminat

In the face of a labor short-
age which is seriously curtailing
production of the important PBY:
patrol] bombers in the big Sea
Island plant of Boeing Aircraft,
the management last weekend
discharged three experienced em-
ployees in what union members
generally regard as an open case
of discrimination against leading
members of Aeronautical Me-
chanics Union, Lodge 756.

The three were Pat Ryan, Wil-
liam Turner and Ruth Bregar,
each with a considerable period
of service with the company, two
of them trained for the industry
at government expense, one rated
as a production specialist. No
reason was given by the manage-
ment for their discharge, but the
fact that Ryan was chairman of

fhe shop stewards committee,
Ruth Bregar the secretary, and
Turner a leading figure in the
labor - management production
committee setup, is seen by union
members as another in a series
of moves by the company to get
rid of active members of Lodge
756. Boeing’s anti-union position
bad been shown previously on a
number of occasions, notably in
the discharge last year of Jobn
Wigdor, union representative on
the labor-management production
committee, and of Elgin Ruddell,
one of the leaders of the fight for
rest periods.

Behind this latest discriminat-
ory action are several factors.
The company‘s production record
has never been of the best, and
it has been aggravated by a labor
policy which has tended to keep
wages at the minimum level and

es Against Three Unionis}

stitution, though not a 4
of the workers’ confiden

The trial committee, ¢
ly not clear on the ©
recommended their expu
this decision was overru
general lodge memberst
ing, which recommendet
that the expulsion chi
dropped “in the inte

unity,” advising the Gra’
to this effect.

This was in June, anc
further was heard of tf
until the expulsion ore
through last week.

It is understood that t
question is being revi
special meetings of the
and shop stewards ce
and the matter of discr
will probably be protest
company and National
Service. :

deny the union any voice in boost-
ing output. As a result, em-
ployees’ morale has been at a low
level and labor turnover has run
as high as 600 per month.

In addition, the company’s re-
cent attempts to obtain at least
1,000 new workers has failed dis-
mally. Only about a hundred have
been taken on the payroll.

In this situation, workers are
asking why the management sees
fit to let three experienced em-
ployees go when their work rec-
ords have been excellent.

Union members in the plants
also question why the release of
Ryan, Turner and Miss Bregar
followed within 24 hours an order
from Grand Lodge, International
Association of Machinists, to ex-
pel the three from the union on
charges which arose from a tech-
nical violation of the IAM con-