Franchise > Extension Demanded

Fifty representatives from progressive Vancouver or- ganizations met in the John Goss Studio here Monday evening to plan on definite lines of action to win the vote for this city’s disiranchised.

“A nation advances as greater numbers of its citizens are given a voice in its affairs,’ Minerva Cooper, Labor-Progressive Party secretary, told the meeting. ‘Women particularly should make it their- business to see that the franchise is extended, because it is on them that the inequality of restricted franchise mostly falls. It was no accident in Nazi Ger- many that Hitler adopted his ereed of returning women to ‘home, church, and children’.”

Mrs. Cooper scored Mayor Cor- nett for his statement, when the question of extending the fran- chise came up in council meet- ings last year, that he, personally, “didn’t want to see the list clut- tered up with a lot of names.”

“All delegates here are united, 1 think, in the belief that the city charter should be amended to pro- vide for broader franchise,” she continued. “But can we place all the blame for the present state of affairs on the shoulders of the Non-Partisans? Every speaker has agreed we must unite to vote against the Non-Partisans, but why could we not all agree who to vote for? Why did we not join together, Labor-Progressive, CCF- 7ers, and trade unionists, to pro- pose a united slate for our civic elections?

Mrs. Doreen McCorkindale, speaking as trade unionist and wite of a soldier, pointed out that although she and her husband, now overseas, were taking an ac- tive part in the war effort, nei- ther had a vote in civic elec- tions.

Other speakers were T. Als- bury, CCF parks board candidate, Harold Pritchett, TURC candidate for alderman, Mrs. Laura Jamie- son and John Stanton, TURC school board candidate.

The meeting resolved to de- mand wider franchise from the city council. A continuations com- mittee was set up to carry out delegates’ suggestions.

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who this week was nominated as Labor-Progressive candidate to contest Prince Rupert con- stituency in the next provincial election. First LPP provincial candidate to be named, Mickle- burgh is president of the Prince Rupert Teachers Federation and an executive member of the BCTE.

Stewart Nominated

Members of the Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders Union, Lo- eal i, will cast their ballots on December 17 and 18 to elect of- ficers for the coming year, with every position on the executive open and several candidates for each post.

Nominated for re-election as president is William Stewart, who successfully led the union through the bitter struggles at the begin-

ning of the year. Opposing him are Vic Forster, ex-editor of the

Main Deck, union paper; L. C.- Campbell, business agent of the

union several years ago, and H. Dawes.

Tom Mackenzie is nominated for re-election as secretary- treasurer, with Charles Caron, a leading shop steward, and Tom Strain also running for the posi- tion. Norman McSween, record- ing secretary and business agent, is being opposed by R. Benson and R. Boivin. William Schwartz and LL. Hunter are nominated for vice-presidency, Dave Jansen is one of the nominees for guard.

Running for the executive board are Austin Delaney, R. Morgan, J. Forrest, Gordon Webb, W. Mahoney, J. Downie and ©. Hill. Four are to be

~ elected,

Next week’s election will be one of the most important since the union was first formed, due mainly to the important position it occupies as the key organiza- lion in the shipyard union setup on the Coast. This growth has been particularly marked during the past year. During that time the union conducted a successful struggle to retain its identity against outside interference, con- solidated -its position, brought in thousands of new members, and finally won an agreement for re-affiliation to the Canadian Con- gress of Labor on a more Satis- factory basis than that prevailing prior to suspension.

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._ Baird,

Labor Policy Coolly Received

King Evades Issue

2

The statement of government policy on wages and labor relations, issued by Pri Minister Mackenzie King over the CBC last weekend, has met very cool reception by org:

ized labor.

Union leaders who made a careful study of the text of King’s speech coneluc

from it that the government intends to stick to its course of restricting labor rights, keepi the lid screwed tight on low wages, and blocking collective bargaining. :

Seen as the government's reply to proposals made by all sections of the labor movement to the National War Labor Board in- -quiry last spring, King’s new pro- gram was generally accepted as “full of loopholes and evasions.”

In Vancouver, comment by erganized labor was critical, par- ticularly on those proposals deal- ing with incorporation of the cost of living bonus in the basic wage, and refusal to place a floor on wages.

“The program doesn’t tell us anything,’ said Birt Showler, president of the Vancouver Trades and Labor Council. “What is meant by the cost of living ponus—the 95 cents a week apply- ing to some workers or the full bonus of $4.65 applying to others? This proposal does nothing but freeze bonuses at their present unequal levels.”

“King’s proposal for compul- sory collective bargaining to cov- er war industries only doesn’t

Boeing Elections

Several thousand members of the Aeronautical Mechanics’ Lodge, No. 756, employed in Boe- ing Aircraft plants in Vancouver. and Victoria, “voted on their executive members for the en- suing year last week and swept almost a complete new leader- ship into office.

New: president of the union is Pete Canavan, succeeding Char- les Whent, who has been presi- dent for the past two years. Suc- ceeding Canavan as vice-presi- dent is Gordon Baird, elected by acclamation. ;

Other officers include Stuart Kennedy, popular head shop steward at Sea Island, who suc- ceeds Ed Knechtel as financial secretary; Tom Parkin, reelected recording secretary; William Car- dus, reelected treasurer; and Gordon DesBrisay, conductor.

The Sea Island plant has three new representatives on the execu- tive board: Al Setton, Barbara Bainbridge and Burt Nixon. S. McNair represents Plant I> Art Davis Plant IA, and J. Waites, Plant 2. Tom Price was reelect- ed business agent by a small Margin over Bert Wybrew.

Elected for the District Lodge, International Association of Ma- chinists, were P. Yandell, Gordon George North, Wally Boyes and Art Davis.

The new executive members will be inducted into office on January 6 with a full program of organization already mapped out that is expected to make the Boe- ing plants fully organized. Weak- ness to date has been the fact that the union embraces only about 50 percent of the em-

ployees. Plans call for strengthening of the shop steward organization,

the opening of a branch office of the union at Marpole, and a drive for 100 percent membership with a closed shop agreement as a perspective.

answer labor’s problem at all,” said Harold Pritchett, IWA dis- trict president. “Ganadian labor has made its wishes in the mat- tér clear enough—it wants col- lective bargaining to be all- inclusive and not limited to war industry. : :

“Tt looks very much to me as though the government has bow- ed to the pressure groups repre- senting big business. There is

nothing in King’s report { ‘ answers our basic demands, — he has done again is to indy in some petty political maner ering which is in direct contra tion to the needs of speedy tory and winning the peace” Ottawa headquarters of the labor congresses declined to ¢ ment in detail on King’s spe until the final announcemen made as to the labor code |

Labor Asked .. |

HE is what labor asked in briefs submitted by Trades and Labor Congress, the railway brotherho the Canadian Congress of Labor, and dozens of their filiates and other unions to the National War Labor By last spring: : :

1. Legislation making it compulsory for employers iz industries to bargain collectively with trade unions.

2. A minimum wage of $25 a week or 50 cents an he

3. Adjustment of sub-standard wages throughout country. : |

4. Granting of the full cost-of-living bonus to every wol |

5. Recognition that prices are not determined by W and that decent wage levels will not cause inflation.

6. Revision of the cost-of-living: index. 7. Tax exemption on the cost-of-living bonus. 8. Equal pay for equal work for women.

“== 9. Simplification of the whole governmental machi for conciliation of disputes and swift action to implement” proposals.

10. Equitable labor representation on all government boards and commissions.

King Offered ..

HH" is what Prime Minister Mackenzie King offer end:

his policy-making broadcast to the nation last ~ .

1. A statement that a “labor code” is being prepared ° will, he said, make collective bargaining compulsory = industry only.

2. Strict enforcement of the wage ceiling but no refe to a floor under wages.

3. Prevention of any improvement in the “standard | ing” with a vague reference to possible correction DF iy inequalities.” =

4. Abolition of the cost-of-living bonus by its incorpe in the basic wage. (This will mean that the majority of ers now receiving only a fraction of the full bonus will no chance of adjustment. Inequalities in bonus payment - be frozen). ao

5. Denial of the fact that industry’s wartime profits absorb wage increases where needed, stressing the false that wage increases raise prices and bring inflation.

6. Rejection of the wide demand for revision of the of-living index. oe :

7. Outright rejection of the request for exempt bonuses from taxation. :

8. No equal pay for equal work for women. 9. Further complication of conciliation machinery # disputes by promising a “national wartime labor Te board” to enforce the promised “labor code” while & ing the present National War Labor Board with juris over wages. a 10. No recognition of labor’s demand for represe on government boards and commissions. -¥ 11. Refusal to publish the McTague report or J. L. © minority report on the labor relations inquiry until af government’s labor code has been made public and 15 complished fact. :