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Aluminum Strike Provoked
In Effort To Smash Union

SHAWNIGAN FALLS, Que.—The serious strike in the plant of Aluminum Company of
Canada was deliberately provoked by the company as a means of smashing the AFL Alum-
inum Workers Union and blocking a labor department election slated for November which

would have
This became clear this week as
at least half the 3,800 Alcoa em-
ployees remained away from
work after being provoked into
action on Monday and seeing
their picket lines smashed by
troops and RCMP officers.
Noteworthy feature of the
sovernments action in using
troops against strikers — the
second time within a month in
Eastern Canada—is the fact
that Munitions Minister C. D.

Howe is Known to be a big
shareholder in the aluminum
monopoly.

Immediate cause of the action
by the workers was a new com-
pany regulation forcing men to
tend eight aluminum pots instead
oi the five and six formerly tend-
ed. Labor men here see this as
a calculated move intended to
throw the workers into confusion,
weaken if not smash the union,
and win the labor department
election for the Catholic Syndi-
eates,  clerical-company union
that holds an “agreement” with
Alcoa.

* = Es

Background of the present dis-
pute goes back over a year when
the AFL union succeeded in
organizing a majority of workers
in the plant over the opposition
of the Syndicates. With the re-
guired majority the union ap-
plied for bargaining rights and
in April this year Labor Minister
Mitchell reluctantly sent in a de-
partment investigator. Out of the
investigation came a department

ruling that an election should be
held in November.

This was immediately interpret-
ed by the company—apparently
correctly—as a signal to get busy
and smash the union before elec-

tion time. Using intimidation and
outright terrorism, company
goons got to work. Organizers

were beaten up, union members
were fired. In some cases wives
of workers were visited and told
that they and their children would
be molested if their husbands
kept their membership in the
international union.

Company officials then sent one
of the superintendents of the
plant to Newfoundland with ord-
ers to recruit 400 workers as
union wreckers. Only 100 were
secured, but the superintendent
returned with them on the boat
and coached them in the tactics
to use in breaking the union.

“= . >

Despite these obstacles, the
union had been able to win some
concessions—increased wages for
oene—though the present wage
scale in most Alcoa plants aver-
ages 60 cents on hour as against
$150 an hour for comparable
work in the American plants of
the company. Aluminum prices in
Canada are the same as in the
United States.

Meantime, the strike has tied
up a big part of the production
of this vital war metal, with little
likelihood of a satisfactory settle-
ment unless the King government
ean be forced to back down from
its union-busting program.

An Editorial

N
I British Columbia many

ciety of Metals.

steel mill.

mill cannot pay.

to success.

Steel Industry

THE campaign to establish a steel industry in
strange arguments have been
advanced by those opposed to the project.
illogical of all come from Dr. Victor O. Homberg, pro-
fessor of metallurgy at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, who recently addressed the American So-

Dr. Homberg conceded that British Columbia pos-
sessed the raw materials for a
coal and limestone, in abundance. But, he said, industry
in this province was still too undeveloped to support a

“The market to purchase the finished products of the
mill is simply lacking,” he stated.

“Dr..Homberg entirely ignored the fact that British
Columbia’s industrial development has been stunted
largely because all attempts to establish heavy industry,
and particularly a steel mill, on the Coast, as after the
last war, have been thwarted by dominant industrial and
financial interests in eastern Canada.

To a certain extent, through the development of ship-
building and aircraft construction industries here, this
has been overcome during the present war. But because
these industries must still depend on the East for their
steel and other materials, the prospect, that they can
be maintained after the war is small.

A vital factor in determining this issue will be the
success of the present campaign for estabishment of a
steel mill in B.C. The changed perspective of post-war
trade across the Pacific, the needs of our own people,
make the further industrial development of the Coast
essential to Canada’s economy. The campaign for a steel
mill concerns all and none more than organized labor
which can give the leadership in carrying the campaign

But the most

major steel industry, iron,

“Without it, a steel

determined the workers’ choice of a bargaining agency and an arbitration board.

Will Hold

Congress
In Toronto

TORONTO, Ont—A great
three-day Congress of Cana-
dian-Soviet Friendship will
be held here this month on
the occasion of the 26th an-
niversary of the Soviet Union.

The Congress, sponsored by
the National Council for_Can-
adian-Soviet Friendship, will
open at the Royal York Hotel
on November i2 and end Nov-
ember 14 with a Thanksgiving
Service at the Maple Leaf Gar-
dens, in which the famed Tor-
onto Mendelssohn Choir will
participate.

In a call to the Congress, Sir
Ellsworth Flavelle, chairman of
the National Council, declared its
purpose would be to assist Soviet-
Canadian fraternity in war and in
peace through “the deeper mutu-
al understanding that an ex-
change of knowledge will make
possible.”

“In. the past,” he said, “Cana-
dian public opinion about the So-
viet Union has often been ais-
torted by prejudice and misinfor-
mation. We know today that to
a considerable degree misleading
information about Russia has
been ‘planted’ by those who are
now our enemies, and by their
willing or unwilling agents in our
midst.”

Among the patrons of the Con-
gress are Prime Minister Macken-
zie King, six provincial premiers,

numerous educationists, _ artists,
leaders of industry and labor,
parliamentarians and distin-

guished representatives of every
field of Canadian life.

Invitations to attend the three-
day gathering have been issued to
all groups, Organizations and pri-
vate individuals. Registration
costs for delegates and individu-
als are nominal.

On Friday afternoon, November
12, the Congress will feature an
exhibition of Soviet and Cana-
dian photos, posters, films, etc.
In the evening, the great Can-
adian Arctic explorer, Wilbjal-
mur Steffanson, will address a
banquet on the subject: “Cana-
dian-Soviet Cooperation in War
and Peace.”

On Saturday morning the Con-
gress will break up into panels
on Soviet science, education, ag-
riculture, labor, medicine, public
health and the arts. Outstanding
Canadian and U.S. authorities on
these subjects will lead the panel
discussions.

Sir Bernard Pares, of the Uni-
versity of London, Eng., will
speak on “Post-War Relations
with the USSR” at a special lun-
cheon meeting for business men.
Following further meetings there
will be a concert of Canadian-
Soviet music at the Massey Hall,
at which Sir Ernest MaeMillan
will conduct the Toronto Sym-
phony Orchestra.

On Sunday there will be panel
meeting to draft reports and res-
olutions to be presented to the
plenary sessions of the Congress
which will be held later in the
day.

and will be in the district severai
days to address conferences and
meetings, including the giant
mass meetings scheduled for the
Orpheum and Capitol theatres on
the night of November 7, anni-
yersary of the Russian revolution.

First meeting in British Colum-
bia is set for October 31 at Prince
Rupert. The same day he «will
be guest of honor at a banquet,
attended by the mayor and mem-
bers of the city council and lead-
ing trade unionists. Similar af-

fairs have been planned in a
number of other centers.
His first appearance in Yan-

couver will be before members of
the Junior Board of Trade at
their regular luncheon in the
Hudson’s Bay dining-room on
Thursday at 12:15 pm. Later in
the day he will visit millwork-
ers in the New Westminster area
and be conducted through one
of the big sawmills on the Fraser

Fraternal Greetings
Bringing fraternal greetings from British workers, Will
Bayliss (right) of the British Miners Federation to
63rd AFL convention that a strong union movement

surest defense of Sigs interests both during and a
the war. With Bayliss is AFL President William Gi

Tim Buek Here
Next Thursday

Keen interest is being shown in labor and political ef |
over the visit to Vancouver next week of Tim Buck, nat
leader of the Labor-Progressive Party, now on national
Buck will arrive in the city Thursday morning, Novem

River, with a mass meeting &
Arenex that night

On Friday he speaks in BP”
River in the big company
torium. Saturday, Novem
citizens of Cloverdale and
rounding municipalities will
him speak at the Opera Hot -

Sunday a special conferen
trade union members of thy
bor-Progressive Party has
ealled for the Hastings Aud
um in Vancouver, with Buch’
principal speaker. In the evé
he will speak, along with Fe
McKean, provincial chairme
the LLP, at the Orpheum |
Capitol theaters.

During his Vancouver E
tour, which will take him 3
as Campbell River, he wil’
taken on a tour of one Gf -
big logging camps. ~

In addition to meetings, he
be featured on several 1.
broadcasts at such points as
lowna and Trail. ]

Airman Nominate

By LPP In Winnipe

WINNIPEG, Man.—LAC Bernard Muller, of the RG
was nominated last week as the standard bearer for the I

Progressive Party in the byelection for the provincial ho

in Portage la Prairie constituency.
man and Ald. Jacob Penner, of Winnipeg,

Bob Finnegan was
was guest speaki

A statement, prepared by the LPP executive in Portagt
Prairie, was read from the chair, outlining steps which ]
been taken to reach some form of unity or co-operation ¥

the local CCF. But a letter had
been received in reply, advising
that the CCF could not consider
the suggestion of cooperation in
the byelection. Therefore the LPP
was taking independent action.
LAC Muller was born in Eng-
land and came to Canada with
his family when seven years of
age. His father was a Minister
ci the United Church. Bernard
received his public and high
school education in Toronto and
graduated from MeGill Univers-
ity with first class honors in

chemistry. Offered a positior
research at a California Univ
ity, he felt that he should :
his services to the country Su
had provided his training.
He became interested in
youth problems of the times
played an active part in the €
Youth Congress Movement ©
few years ago. He was busi
maneger and later editor of
New Advance Magazine, tak
leading part in establishmen’
this periodical which plays §
an important role in youth ac
ties.

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