Toronto IL

C Plans

Streamlined Drive
TORONTO.— Added impetus was given to the provin-
cial campaign of the Ontario executive of the Trades and

Labor Congress when about

50 executive members of the

TLC unions met at the Labor Temple here recently. Plans
were laid to streamline the unionists’ drive for action on

a legislative

é Ptogram for the
tario. :

Top of the list of reforms an
AFL delegation will request at
session opening of the Ontario
Sovernment are a labor code
guaranteeing collective bargain-
ing and union security, a 40-hour
week, a minimum wage of 65
cents an hour, and provincial aid
to municipalities for low rental
housing for workers and veter-
ans.

At the meeting the union ex-
ecutives under the chairmanship
of Donald A. Dunlop, president
of the Ontario executive of the
Trades Congress set up a com-
mittee of ten to spearhead the
drive in southern Ontario. Sim-
ilar committees will be estab-
lished in other Ontario centres
to supervise the campaign on a
regional basis. Heading the
‘southern Ontario group is Sam
Lapedes, of the United Garment
‘Workers, and Ald. Dewar Fer-
guson, acting president of the
Canadian Seamen’s Union.

The group will contact affili-
ated locals for funds for a large
seale campaign: Members of the
group will visit Hamilton to seek
Support of local unions and aid
in setting up a Hamilton com-
T™ittee.

A committee of unionists who
have seen service overseas, and
chaired by Fred Hackett, of the
Seamen’s Union, will seek the
endorsation of veterans’ organ-
izations for labor’s legislative
program.

The meeting sent a wire to
Donald Gordon, chairman of the
Wartime Prices and Trade
Board, protesting any contem-
plated “lifting or relaxing of
price control on the necessities
of life, since this can have no
other effect but to lower the
Standard of living of the Canad-
ian people.”

A communication to the On-
tario Command of the Canadian
Legion promised “every support
to the Canadian Legion in its
endeavor to provide better hous-
ing for our returned veterans.
We also pledge full cooperation
for a program of full employ-

Evictions

that the. money orders for those
months had not been cashed. so
duplicate orders were sent her
and these were forwarded by her
lawyer, A. H. Swencisky. to the
landlord. The money was re-
fused, however, and Bachand’s
lawyer applied to County Court
for an eviction order, which was

granted.

At this point Mrs. Dupuis got
in touch with Mrs. Effie Jones,
president of the Tenants and
Homeowners League, who put
the matter before shelter admin-
istrator J. G. Walker. On the
basis of the evidence, Walker
then counermanded the eviction

veterans and workers of On-

ment at good wages for all vet-
erans and workers as the only
adequate rehabilitation.”

Legion backing was asked for
the unions’ legislative program.

John Buckley, secretary of the
Toronto District Trades and La
bor Council, spoke strongly in
favor of bringing pressure on
the Drew government to gain
those reforms essential to the
living standards of the workers
and men returning from over-
seas. He urged that a large and
representative delegation should
go to Queen’s Park.

Contracts

an integral part of the perspec-
tive of a prosperous future. The
shipbuilders themselves see their
yards as purely private enter-
prise, and are not interested in
employing .large numbers of
men. None of the shipbuilders
have the aggressive outlook
needed for the maintenance of
this big industry.”

Culhane pointed out that ship-
builders are placing emphasis
on minor repair and maintenance
work, and are unwilling to carry
on the expansion necessary to
fit the yards for large scale op-
eration in new construction. He
indicated’ that a wide building
program would call for the
establishment of new  depart-
ments, greatly expanded from
the relatively .skeletal require-
ments of wartime shipbuilding,
where the emphasis was not on
luxury construction but on ships
built with basic necessities for
carrying. ;

“The shipyard unions will
again go out on a drive to
establish a responsible public
committee that will actually
fight for eontracts,” Culhane
stated. He urged that delega-
tions or trade commissions
actually visit the Soviet Union,
Poland and other European
countries badly needing ship-
ping, to find and meet require-
ments.

Support for the union ship-
building campaign was given
last week by the Labor-Progres-
sive Party, which seht a tele-
gram to Prime Minister Mac-
kenzie King urging that ship-
building be maintained in this
province. The telegram was a
re-affirmation of the LPP stand
that this. major industry be
subsidized if necessary by the
Ottawa government as a means
of meeting the growing unem-
ployed crisis, and providing jobs
for hundreds of skilled workers
available. It was also pointed
out that the establishment and
maintenance of a Canadian mer-
chant marine underlined the ne-
cessity of maintaining  ship-

order.
PACIFIC ADVOCATE—PAGE 2

a = c Seine aay

building.

EFFIE JONES

Citywide Confer 7
Planned On Home

Plans for a city-wide conference to discuss the ;
tion of a government-subsidized, low-rental ho:
gram, which will be sought from the federal cabi
the coming House of Commons sessions, z
this week by the Vancouver Housing Association thr
chairman, A. Malcolm Morrison. The meeting will }
on March 1, at 8 p.m., in Salon ‘A’ of the Hotel Va

The conference eall. now being
sent to all interested organiza-
tions, points to the return of
thousands of service personnel
and the population increase of
40,000 in 1945 as an indication
of the serious nature of the situ-
ation.

“The Vancouver Housing As-

B.C. Unions Rally Behind

Fight For $2 Day Increase

erica organization, and

A clarion call.to labor to pre-
pare to fight against the organ-
ized blockade by big business,
aimed at choking off the de
mand for increased wages to
meet rising living costs. and to
maintain the spending power of
Canada’s thousands of workers,
was issued last week by Tim
Buck National Leader of the
Labor-Progressive Party.

Buck’s statement which set
the tone for the progressive
movement in backing labor’s de-
mands. pointed out that the
broad wage movement proposed
by the CCL and AFL is overdue.
Increased costs, and reduction of
working hours, are making con-
stant inroads on the real’ pay of
the workers of Canada. and
Buck reveals that a study of
wages and living costs clearly
indicates that actual earnings of
workers are at least 10 percent
lower than before the war.

A press release from the Unit-
ed Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers. Union, following an-
nouncement by Prices Board
head Donald Gordon that price

Canadian Congress of Labor unions in British Columbia,
including the powerful International Woodworkers of Am-
the International Union of Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers, prepared to join the co-ordinated
campaign of Congress affiliates across Canada as labor
moved to fight for national wage increases.

ceilings are to be lifted. charges
the federal government with
pursuing a continued policy of
pandering to greed and mocking
the needy. It nails the govern-
ment action as a continuation of
the “flair for granting form
without substance’. and warns
that Gordon’s release of price

controls is “an atomic bomb
against the standards of the
people while retaining ‘wage
ceilings”.

The UE release states that
the government has joined the
drive of employers against
wages and living standards, and
points out that workers are
forced into the position of fight-
ing for their survival on picket
lines in opposition to both em-
polyers and government.
COORDINATION NEEDED

Labor is coordinating its bat-
tle for higher wages and im-
proved conditions with a drive to
break the restrictive influence

Continued on Page 8
see WAGES

Gervin Urged

A warning to Alderman R. K.
Gervin to avoid “contamination
by the spirit of pioneerism and
and provincialism that seems to
permeate the city council” was
issued at the regular meeting of
the Vancouver, New Westmin-
ster and District Trades and La-
bor Council by Delegate Jack
Stevenson, Building Trades
Council, this week. Stevenson
urged Gervin to “steer a clear
labor line among that bunch of
Whatyamayeallums up at the
city, hall”, in ¢losing a report
of the nine months’ activity of
the Advisory Building Commit-
tee under the chairmanship of
Alderman F. J. Corey.
Stevenson pointed out that he
had been sitting on the advisory
committee for a period of nine
months but as yet has seen no
action come from the body. He

cited reaction of a city council

7

To Initiate

Action At City Hall

member to a proposition that
the city council sponsor a low-
rental housing project to meet
the needs of Vancouver’s lower
income tenants. “The council
member opposed the idea be-
cause he said it would reduce
morale and tend to destroy the
pioneer spirit”, he said, and
stated that the city council rep-
resentative suggested that citi-
zens “buy a lot, build a shack
and enlarge it. until they have a
home’”’, -

A letter was received from the
Vancouver Joint Housing Com-
mittee asking representation
from the Trades Council at a
housing conference to be called
under sponsorship of the Labor-
Progressive Party in Grandview
Hall. February 19. The com-
munication was referred to -the
Building Trades Council.

j that

sociation takes the posit
subsidized, low-rent:
program, financed by +
government and under
administration. is the Jy
housing emergency.

“In view of the u
feel that the citizens
munity should have j
tunity to make knoy
government their o
housing plans, and
sity for their rapid
ment.” :

Among those associ:
the calling of the conf
cluding A. M. Mortis
Walter S. Owen, Mrs
Selman, E. J. Ruddell g
U. Stratton.

Endorsed

Assurance of lab
unity in the future
this week as it was ann
a permanent
Veteran Relations

tee has been esta
with Jack Henderson
dent of the Pacifie
Canadian Legion and de
the Vancouver Building
Council, as chairman,
body will include repre
from the Vancouver, }
minster and District Tr.
Labor Council, CCL Labo
and Canadian Legion,
function will be to discus
ters pertaining to veteral
cooperation. ‘ i
With the number of at
by so-called spokesman
erans organizations to
and destroy the unity tha’
up to the present betw
ans and labor, the forma’
this committee has been
as a move which
that the solidarity of
will not be split. The
also seen as portentio
new relationship betw:
ans and labor, and the «
ment of this body asu
“beefs”. played up by th
have other than the in
labor and the veterans
can be settled with the
of danger: 3
R. K. Gervin, reportinz
Vancouver Trades Cou
pressed satisfaction at
cussions between the #
ganizations represented
meeting. He pointed out;
one point had arisen dui
cussions leading“ to the
tion of the permanent com
which was not sati
settled.
John Turner, secre

and for all individuals wh
already used misrepresetl
and slander as means

ing discord between
“veterans. :

FRIDAY, FEBRUAR