a

tne

* Here Toronto’s Aohiose are shown lined up in bitter weather waiting for the National

Employment Service offices to open. It is estimated that Toronto has about 100,000 un- employed.

j

_ Gee tells court of

threats to get him

In his Supreme Court suit against Local 213, International

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,

claiming conspiracy was

urged to oust him from the union, former business agent George Gee testified Tuesday this week that he was “threatened” in 1954 by international vice-president John Raymond of Toronto when he refused to fire his assistant business manager Don

Wilson.

“T was told that unless I fired Wilson the union would get me,” said Gee. “Raymond also told me if I mentioned his threat he would deny it.”

Evidence concluded Tuesday before Justice J. O. Wilson and the case was adjourned to this coming Monday.

John H. Waplington, present

LABOR DELEGATION TO CHINA PROPOSED

IWA takes firm stand on

Spot” ictori €atures

Which ended here last weekend.

ed * paniiey session, attend- and as local representatives and gy fraternal delegates Soest est Speakers, left no sity Sec economic neces- shia a the employer offen- ie eee labor has swelled pean for unity and amon Mation to struggle nies the membership of the ces largest union. : bes ons from locals ‘iibaag the province, like takes the speeches to the militan lon, expressed a rising Gsae.” and desire to see serene bargaining position ae hened through achieve- it te greater unity. In this €cted the trend evident the earlier B.C, Federation abor convention.

Delegates reacted sharply to me Tecent setback in negotia- S Suffered by the pulp and fen: union, rising unemploy- 3 tie the feeling that la- that lust fill the political void Seay developing out of the rele instability of political lonships in the country. ee were almost unani- that a Support of the demand ment the Canadian govern- i recognize the Peopte’s ;, public of China.” And while with resolution asking “trade tiie all countries” the Dulles of making a false issue Weapons and _ strategic eo was introduced, the os €ntion went on record as ieee to the B.C., Federa- Csi °f Labor and the forth- Ng Canadian Labor Con-

Mat

Br *SS convention that» “a dele-

Resolutions calling for sending of a Canadia Study of trade possibilities with China, a next week, and for merger with th of the 21st annual convention of the B:

By NIGEL MORGAN

gation of trade unionists, in- cluding IWA members, go to China to promote trade and make a survey of the real pos- sibilities at first hand.”

Among some of the other more important resolutions adcpted were:

@ Adoption of a 10 per- cent across-the-board wage de- mand, with upward revision of tradesmen’s rates, along with other fringe benefits and contract amendments.

Officers, as well as delegates stressed the point that there could be no retreat from the fight for the basic wage de- mand. Last year IWA asked 20 percent but got only 7% per- cent. Today the woodworkers need 9% percent even to catch up with the pulp workers.

Disappointment was eX~ pressed by some delegates that while the idea of a shorter work week was endorsed and referred to the CLC for action, nothing wag placed in the pro- gramatic resolution demand- ing a reduction in working hours (without loss of take- home pay) from the lumber industry here. There was also criticism of the failure to for- mulate a demand to take care of the needs of lower-paid categories such _ as: laborers; chokermen; section, cook and bunkhouse employees.

@ A call for “internation- al agreements on abolition of atomic weapon — stockpiles’; “prohibition of the manufac- ture and use of such destruc- tive weapons”; and interna-

n labor delegation to make an “on-the- for full participation in the mass labor lobby to e Pulp and Paper Makers Union, were the main C. District of the International Woodworkers

tional agreements through the U.N. “to pool information on the use of this powerful ener- gy for peace, and that the pro- posed launching of satellites, rockets and _ interplanetary space become a joint effort in- stead of a race.”

@ A request to ‘the inter- national executive board to give consideration to reopening talks with leaders of Pulp and Paper ... and in the mean- time . . . District Council No. 1 to hold exploratory talks with the B.C. Pulp and Papermak- ers.”

@ Support ior the “estab- lishment of educational com- mittees in the field of muni- cipal affairs, and the running of labor candidates.”

® Criticism of the federal government’s immigration pol- icies, and a demand for expan- sion of government housing plans, lowering of NHA re- quirements, and a vast pro- gram of hospital, school, dyke and public works and slum clearance.

@ Denunciation of the use of new “electronic, eavesdrop- ping devices” being introduced to spy on workers.

On the question of political action, delegates rejected a resolution submitted by Van- couver Sawmill Local 1-217 favoring establishment of a Labor party — in effect con- tinuing support of the CCF.

This being an “off-election” year, there was’Nno contest for elected positions. Strong and

united opposition however, was expressed to proposed changes in the international union con- stitution currently under dis-

cussion, which may propose

the substitution of “presiden- tial appointments” for refer- endum elections, force a sub- stantial dues increase on the B.C. District membership, and result in a ‘reorganization of existing district council juris- dictions.

These proposals, first moot- ed in the union’s Kenney Re- port at the last international convention, have divided dis- trict councils 6-5, with the ma- jority led by Harvey Nelson of Columbia River favoring the changes, and the minority led by Joe Morris of B.C. hav- ing the support of only ‘one top officer, international pres- ident Al Hartung.

The issue is expected to come to a head — and per- haps an explosive one—when & special committee reports to an international convention on March 29.

It is reported a number of influential district leaders have indicated that they will lead their membership into ar autonomous Canadian organization rather than sub- mit to:anything bordering on the Kenney proposals.

B.C. President Joe Morris has scheduled a conference in Portland next week in a last minute attempt to iron the problem out. And undoubt-

edly, the matter will be up for further discussion at the IWA’s one-day national con- ference preceding the CLC

February 14, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 7

business manager of the union, asserted that “Gee supported the position taken by the LPP” and backed *““Communist-

line resolutions” put before the local.

Gee’s counsel, Thomas Ber- ger, called these charges against his client “smear tac- tics.”

wages

convention at April.

Winnipeg in

One of the fears is that re- organization of district coun- cils will raise the’, question again of extending the Boom- men and Rafters, and Ply- wood Council to Canada — cutting the “indus- trial” geographic basis of or- ganization with these two separate “craft” divisions in accordance with established practice on the U.S. side.

across

This has long been a con- tentious question in the IWA. B.C. boom-men see _ their closest allies and natural link with their fellow workers in the B..C. industry rather than with the boom-man doing the same job perhaps, but as far away as Eureka, California or Duluth, Minnesota.

Such a reorganization is also seen as contributing to im- creased U.S. interference and domination in affairs of the Canadian union and likely to encourage raiding of other unions like pulp and long- Shore that work along side the IWA. It is considered to he against the best interests of the Canadian membership whose welfare in politica] is- sues, tariffs and export con- trols is often diametrically op- posed to that of the U.S. mem- bership.

Considerable unofficia] in- terest was shown during the convention to the “right of Canadian autonomy” won by Canadian Mine-Mill and the likely upshot of the present sharp feeling is a considerable strengthening of the de- mand for Canadian autonomy.