| “The liberation of Spain fron the yoke of the fas- ‘cist reactionaries is not the private affair of Spaniards, but the common cause of all advanced and progressive mankind.” (Joseph Stalin, 1936) HHA ARR Vol. i. No. 12. 5 Cents Vancouver, British Columbia, May 3, 1946 Formerly PACIFIC ADVOGATE B.C. Teachers’ Federation Demands Wage Increases New Education Standards) By BRUCE MICKLEBURGH x Brtish Columbia teachers moved into the front line of | the people’s battle for the peace last week, as they laid down policies for the coming year in the thirtieth annual meeting of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation held in the Hotel Vancouver, under the chairmanship of Bernard Gillie. Delegates represented a record total of 3,500. Members unanim- ously set their sights on a 300 dollar overall salary increase, de- fining the fcllowing as a minimum ebjective, in salary negotiations which will open almost at once in ail parts of the province. 41) Elementary teachers, 31304 to $2400. / - (2) Secondary teachers, $1600 to $3000. Wath a hundred dollar annual imerease in all brackets. The federation expressed its de- termination to win from the goyv- ernment this year legislation pro- widinge fer automatic membership. This is equivalent to a closed shop and would make member- ship in the B.C. Teachers Heder- ation a necessary qualification for any person teaching in the prov- inee with the Department of Edu- cation deducting membership fees at the source. The. convention lashed at Oe tawa’s policy of lifting price ceil- ings. A unanimous resolution pointed out that teachers’ living Standards were being cut below the 1939 level and warned that a continuation of the current trend eould lead to serious inflation. Ottawa was asked to reestablish all ceilings and make no further concessions on prices until sup- ply more nearly approximates de- mand. : The convention committed all federate locals to start support of union security and endorsed a Wage program of labor as being in the national interest. Other important resolutions call- €d for: @ No classes of more than 30 pupils. ® Universal franchise in school board elections. — @ Pensions act improvement. @ Curriculum revision. @® Reversal of the present trend towards undemocratic gov- ernment. @ Reorganization of the fed- (Continued on Page 3) See TEACHERS BRUCE MICKLEBURGH “«,..equivalent io a closed shop’ ‘| members - ganization war” ‘in general” does not in the slightest degree hinder the conspirators . . .“” (George Dimitrov, 1938) Sale RA UNITE TO WIN THE PEACE - =A TACT An TTT TE “Te want Peace is not enough. lt is necessary to fight for peace. It is absolutely inadequate to carry on general propaganda against war. MAINTAIN PRICE CONTROL = Propaganda against Jackson, UE-CIO, Urges Unity In Wages Struggle Thirty-five hundred workers paraded on May Day in Vancouver. Representatives and ef trade unions, New Veterans, N \Xis ew A EDINBURGH, Scot., April 30.— Speaking to a tory ral- ly in Scotland’s posh city, Winston Churchill tore into the Labor government's do- mestic policies, chargimg that if its “utopian socialist schemes” are put into oper- ation, the “well established processes of free enterprise will be ruined.” In best Ful- ton style the tory Churchill condemned the Labor gov- ernment on every point of domestic policy. In foreign policy he:;had little to say, but what he did say is vi- tally important to the peo- ple of SBritain and else where. Said the ex-prime minister: “. |. . his conser- vative party supported Yor- eign Secretary Bevin’s open and manly antagonism to international communism at home and abroad.” All Mr. Churchill’s other ‘disagreements” with labor government policies fall into insignificance with this main agreement of a Churchill- Bevin “anti-comintern” pact. cultural and national the LPP and other organizations took part in the parade. eas of thou- sands of people lined the streets and cheeredthe parade as it passed. Scores of splendid floats sym- bolic of trade unionism, Tabor Arts, the struggle for homes, and depicting the work of cultural organizations took part in the parade. Outstanding was the '“Wred Rose Defense” float and JACKSON, International Cc. Ss. Vice-President, United Electric, Radio and Machine Workers, CIO: st monopolists have ganged up.” ore. anizations, |of that body “Canadian Legion and that of the Scandinavian organ- izations, and the United WPisher- men. : : Speaking for the Vancouver and New Westminster District Trades and Labor Council, scored the attitude of Aiderman Miller for describing May Day as “a European institution” as an excuse for turning down the May Day Committee’s request that May Day be made a civic holiday. Rigby pointed out that the job of winning the peace was’ the number one job of the Canadian people. : Hd Leary, veteran Vancouver labor leader and president of the Vancouver Tabor Council (CCL) conveyed the fraternal preetings to the meeting. Jack Henderson, President of the B.C. Command of the GCanadian Legion, and Eric Martin, secretary. of the New Veterans’ branch, 5 spoke of the identity of the prob- iems of labor and veterans. “Jobs, homes, and security is the basis ef our unity and struggle” stated the iegion president, and the New Vets’ secretary clinched the fact by pointing out that “soon, instead of labor accepting a few erumbs from the table of mon- (Continued on Page 8) See MAY DAY Oust Franco NEW YORK, April 26. The U.S. must break relations with Franco Spain, Charles ©. Lannin,. secretary-treasurer of the CIO Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plas- tic Workers, told the State De- partment this week on behalf of his union’s 200,000 members. Si- miliar action must be taken by the UN, Lannin said, adding: “The UN will belittle the high motives which prompted its or- if it Stalls, sidesteps or quibbles over an issue which, in the interests of world peace, Should be decided at once.”’ Boss Loggers’ Figures Corrected By Pritchett Reporting on the progress of wage negotiations, Harold -ritchett, District President of the B.C. District TWA, iS- sued the following statement to the Tribune: We regret that in a matter as important as the current negotia- tions of the Union and the em- ployers of the woodworking in- dustry, that the employers would resort to gross misrepresentation of the truth. We are aware of the public concern in the dispute and for the purpose of offsetting the employer’s press statements of April 30, with headlines an- nouncing: “Lhe Union rejects a nine million dollar pay boost.” We submit the following facts: Im the first place, the complete picture is not presented and sec- ondly, the nine million dollar fig- ure is absurd and represents three times the amount offered. Using the Stuart Research own fig- ures of thirty thousand workers in the industry and their figure of an average work year of 275 days, the increase per worker, based om 44 hours per week at 12% cents per hour inerease, would be $5.50. On the change over from a 48 to a 44-hour week, a@ worker earning 80c per hour QGess than the average wage claimed by the operators) would lose $3.20, thus, the net weekly inerease per employee is $2.30 (Continued on Page 8) See IWA — Irail-Kimberley Miners lo Resume Negotiations By CHAS. SAUNDERS, Tribune Staff Writer TRAIL, B.C—The C.M.&S. have requested a meeting with the joint negotiating committee of the Trail and Kame berley Locals of cae Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers on Monday, May 6, when they will give their final position on the wage demands of the union. Negotiations resumed after the membership had rejected the ccm- pany’s wage proposals by over ninety-six percent in a referendum covering Trail and Kimberley. Commenting on the vote, Fred Henne, union president, stated: “We have recruited over six hun- dred new members into the local Since negotiations opened, the bulk coming in during the last month. The result of the vote in- dicates the temper of the work-— ers. They have given a definite answer as far as any proposal that would result in a reduction of present earnings is concerned and expressed their solidarity on the question of obtaining ade quate wages. The company has received its answer from the men. We hope this will be reflected in our negotiations.” Meanwhile tension mounts here as the union prepares a broad campaign to take its case to the public. Shop stewards will inter- view business men in town to ascertain their attitude towards the union demands. Union men are becoming impatient with lack of action on the housing crisis, used by the company aS an ex- euse for delay in instituting the = Shorter work week and are ask- ing what the city council is do- ing or is prepared to do to over- come this bottleneck. in a broadcast over the Trail Station this week, Fred Henne pointed out that the union was fighting for the citizens as 3 whole and was concerned with the general welfare of the people. “The workers’ fight is of direct interest to you,” he declared, “yet SO Many of you seem to hold With the fear that any support of our struggle will meet with the disapproval of the company.” Pointing out that that this city with a thriving industry is so unattractive and has so few fa- cilities for decent living that peo— ple try to establish homes not in Trail but in the outlying dis- tricts, the union president asked what the city was doing to pro- vide decent housing, playground facilities for children, sports and other forms of healthful enter- tainment. “This struggle is not ours alone but belongs to each and every one of us, and ‘that is (Continued on Page 8) See TRAIL Wm. Rigby * ty