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HE first big round of postwar economic struggles
did not end in a victory for monopoly capital. We
are justified in our conclusion that the recent wage
movement and the subsequent wave of strikes resulted ‘in
the gaining of important concessions by Canadian labor

and in the strengthening of the trade-union movement.

At

the same time it should be abundantly evident to all that

the overall postwar ~ objectives
of Canadian labor — a higher
standard of living, shorter
hours, increased purchasing
power, improved social legisla-
tion and a more decisive voice
in the shaping of our country’s
foreign and domestic policies—
are yet to be won.

Indeead there are adequate
Signs that point to a renewed
flanking movement on the part
of big business to nullify much
of what has been gained by
labor during the summer months.
@n the other hand, there are
also ample indications that Ca-
nadian labor is now entering
the second-round of this all-
important postwar battle. The
labor movement, and the trade-
union movement in particular,
should be clear of the coming
events, map its strategy and
marshal its forces for the events

that now lie before us.
e

Wet are the factors that

are shaping the round of
com-

battles which are now
mencing? They are, in the
main: —

1. Out of an approximate 5,-
000,000 gainfully employed peo-
ple in the country, only about
750,000 are organized the
trade unions of all types. The
improved wage scales gained
during the war and the wage
increases won during the recent
wage movement benefited main-
ly the organized sections of Ca-
madian labor. The overwhelm-
ing majority of Canadian work-

into

ers have received either no in-
creases during the war or rela-
insignificant

tively raises. It

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 12

would be correct to say that
the majority of unorganized
workers in industry, the white-
collar field, and the service
trades and occupations, whose
wages were unduly low before
the war, received little more
than their cost-of-living bonuses
and nothing since the bonus
payments were discontinued.

Even R. S. Waldie, president
of the Imperial Bank of Can-
ada, admitted in his annual re-
port made November 27, 1946,
that “it seems evident the freez-
ing of wages during the war
was at. too low a level and with
‘too great a spread in some in-
dustries as compared with
others.”

The mass of Canadian work-
ing people feel, therefore, very
keenly the effects of the in-
ereased living costs and partic-
ularly the rapid price increases
during the last few months. It
is imevitable that they shall

press for wage increases now.
They are compelled to do so.
There are encouraging signs that
these masses are joining the
trade unions in large numbers

and they bring with them a
militant determination to
the decline of their
dards and to bring about a
rapid improvement in their con-

end
living stan-

ditions. In the province of Que—
bec, as well as in Ontario, this
development is to be seen on

all sides.

strategy of big busi-
the period following
round Sof wage strug-

2. The
ness for
the first
gles is easily discernible. It is

a strategy of destroying price

’ etc.) ; of

_ Shall

“Wovempber 11

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controls completely; of remoy-
ing government subsidies (milk,
utilizing: company
union agencies of all sorts (CEL,
plant ‘union,’ the syndicates in
Quebec) to thwart the growth
of genuine trade unionism; of
withholding products from the
market to maintain high prices,
to benefit from the inflationary
development and of introducing
Pew speed-up norms all of which
increase their profits and
the living standards

from rising.

prevent

“While lacking certain statisti-
cal data in our country we know
that the general trend here,
though varying in many
stances, runs parallel to that of
the United States.

in-

To the south of us profiteer-
ing has reached new and un-
paralleled heights; inventories
are higher than ever in the his-
tory of the U-S. and wage in-
ereases have been wiped out py
the complete destruction orf the
price-control machinery.

In Canada, though price con-
trols have not been completely
destroyed as yet, dividend pay-
ments have Sharply
month by month during 1946;
inventories are also high in an-
ticipation of reduced corporation
taxes in 1947 and the lifting of
price ceilings of “many of the
commodities kept from the mar-
ket; «while rapid ;
living costs have already wiped
out considerable portions of re-
cent wage increases. Where the
wage increases were low, prices
have more than overtaken those

risen

increases in

increases.

The WEA’s Labor News for
shows that the
minimum weekly amount neces-

sary for “a minimum standard
of living,” according to the Tor-
onto Welfare Council Budget

was $27.17 in- 1938 and $37.17 in
1946 and that in October, 1946,

A

x

the average weekly wage in Can-
adian industry was $32.75 oF
$5 a week below the require
ments for the. minimum  stan-
dard of living

3. Big business, fully aware
of the effect of its ,policies on
the living standard of the work-
ing class, has raised the ery
for increased production as a
cure-all. Like William Green in
the United States, there are
some trade-union leaders in Can-
ada who also repeat this prop-
aganda to the workers. In fact,
@ man like Charlie Millard stat-
ed publicly that Canadian labor
may consider a wage truce. for
the next period of time.

Weedless to say that those
who echo big business argu-
ments in labor’s ranks are, ob-

jectively speaking, selling labor
down the river. Increased pro-
duction in certain lines will un-
doubtedly have a deterring ef-
fect on the trend to increase
in those But the

Qverall national picture calls not

prices lines.
for “wage truces’ but for wage
imereases to provide the. neces-
Sary purchasing
decent living standard and for
an expanding home market.

power for a

Big business .advocates stress
the importance of capturing for-
€ign markets and
that wages must be kept low
to enable them to compete fay-

emphasizes

orably. in foreign countries.
Without minimizing the import-
ance of foreign trade it is the
obligation of-the labor move-
ment and of all forward-logwxing
Canadians to and to

strive for the attainment of na-

stress

tionally higher wage levels to
increase the home market, to
standard
of life, and to deal with exports

on the basis

provide for a higher

of governmental
arrangements between the gov-

a

sai

a 0H TET

ernment of Canada and the goy-
ernments of other countries on
the basis of long-term loans.

To fall into the trap of Blair
Gordon of the Dominion Textile
trust, who wants a wage rate
in that industry to enable him
to compete with Japanese tex
tiles, is to condemn Ganadians
to coolie standards while af few

wealhy families would grow
even weaithier. It should~ be
Stated that much of our in-

ereased production is syphoned
out of the country, not necessar—
ily to aid the people in the
devastated countries, but to reap
profits from exports to South
America, etc.

Free all this it is abundant-

ly clear that we are on the
eve of a new big wage move
ment. The strike at Noranda is
but a forerunner of struggles
for higher wages in the whole
metal mine field. The strike
vote of the Neva Scotia miners,

the wage demands of the Nova

Scotia fishermen and shipbuild-
ers, the organization of thous-
ands of hotel and restaurant em-
ployees and
Montreal around wage
and similar developments else
where in the country, are in-
dicative of this new wage move—
ment.

truck drivers in
issues

The trad€ unions and the
whole labor and progressive
movement must, therefore, plan
carefully and lead wisely but
militantly in the unfolding: strug-
gle for higher wage rates and
union security. This is an inte

gral part of the struggle of

the Canadian masses for win-.
ning the war in terms of higher

living standards, greater eco-
nomic security, and for the play-
ing of an active role in Shap-

ing the destiny of our country.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1946