CONTENTdm
[The Labor Statesman]
BC Historical Newspapers
application/pdf
. THE LABOUR Mil* *u PRICE IS CENTS ¥■ Contents LaPierre — Social Activist Let's Learn French (editorial) John Heston Writes to Santa Don't Knock Labour Draft-dodger Speaks Out - No Power Greater reviewed A Mindless Society Union News - =ampbelj^_. Page - 3 - 4 - 5 - 9 % I ■ Labour's Is Hitting the Target Four members of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union picket Canada Rice Mills at Richmond. See story on pages 6 and IS. British Columhia labour's fight against the use of injunctions in labour disputes is beginning to cause battle fatigue among the close ranks of management, Ray Haynes, secretary-treasurer of the B.C. Federation, of Labour said recently. Labour's swinging publicity campaign ("Take the Shackles off Labour — Amend the Trade Unions Act") has drawn vitrolic comments from management spokesmen, and according to the rules of the f^ame that means labour has'drawn blood, he said. The most recent outraged condemnation of labour's campaign was voiced at Harrison Hot Springs, where the 620-member Amalgamated Construction Association of B.C. held its annual meeting. The association's watered-down statement said, in part, that trade unions are misguided in their campaign by encouraging the "false belief" that injunctions are used only against labour. MANY EXAMPLES "We have hundreds of examples of injunctions being granted against unions where no illegal acts took place," Mr. Haynes said. "Management also seems to conveniently forget that no other civilized country uses injunctions the way they are used against labour in this country.'' * A paragraph in the assoda-, tion's rewritten version of the*, statement said: "If trade unionists went to jail they were either lawbreakers or individuals who chose to defy the courts delib- Lytton Ferry Meeting Set KAMLOOPS-A public forum on the Lytton ferry dispute, sponsored by the Kamloops and District Labour Council has been called for 8 p.m. on Dec, 21 in the Colonnade Room at the Canadian Inn here. Invited to appear on the forum are highways minister P. A. Gaglardi, Tory MP Davie Fulton, NDP- MI..A Rill Hartley the m-yor gf Kamloops and representatives from various interested organizations. erately. Should these people be exempted from the legal 'restraints that apply to ordinary citizens?" NOT CRIMINALS Mr. Haynes commented: "This- group would like the people of B.C. to believe that 17 CRIMINALS were sent to jail, rather than 17 trade unionists who demonstrated against what they believed to be a cynical and destructive use of the Bill of Rights." What does labour want to achieve through its campaign? Mr! Haynes explained labour's aims: "The unions don't want anything different from what We had before. We want the right we had before this restrictive legislation was passed by the Socred government. We are confronted with a double standard here. Even the hippies were granted the right by Mr. Justice Gregory to picket in order to convey information to the public. *•■ GRANTED RIGHT "If the hippies are granted this right of a first class citizens, (Turn to Page 15) A School Is Being Humanized" JURGEN HESSE CAMPBELL RIVER — A rev- olutionary approach to teaching high school students is going into its third year at the Campbell River senior secondary school, and from all appearances this attempt to humanize the school for the benefit of the students is bearing fruit. The biggest advantage of this new approach is that the students I talked to actually like going to school. They behave like adults in most instances. They learn willingly and voluntarily. There is no vandalism at the school. There are no rules to break as no rules restrict the students.- As a result of this ' open and permissive atmosphere, they have accepted responsibility. In other words, they don't buck the school system, WHAT'S DIFFERENT? What is so radically different at the Campbell River school? On the surface, the concept sounds almost unworkable. Students attend classes if and when they want to. They..do_!t. even have to come to school unless they so desire. They are given rights and privileges, but j no restrictions hamper their learning process. The concept of running a school contrary to every established principle is not new, but as applied by the principal, John Young, it is a headline- making venture into a school system that could well be the norm 10 or 20 years hence in all our schools in B.C., and in all the grades from kindergarten up. HUMANIZE SCHOOLS "What I'm trying to do is this," Mr. Young explained in a recent interview at his school. "I'm trying to humanize the schools. I believe our schools have become dehumanized. In the majority of schools in this country we try to make the student conform to the school, whereas the school should conform to the learning needs, the learning style, the learning rate, the learning ability and the. personality of the student. "We are here to serve the student. The student doesn't come to school to serve the school We are actually bending the school to serve the needs of the student." HIGH STRUNG Mr. Young is a highstrung, quick-witted man of 46 and a persuasive talker. Ever since he introduced the revolutionary educational concept to his school in 1965, he has been bombarded by questions from parents, educators and other Individuals. He always takes time to answer the queries because he wants the concept to become, known everywhere. He explained how the class structure works. "Every student has a regular complement of courses, as in any other school. When a student doesn't want, for example, to go to English class he simply doesn't go, and nobody forces him to go in any circumstances. It'r completely free. ~ — ATTEND CLASSES "Right now in this school 90 per cent of the time 90 per cent of the students attend their classes regularly. The other 10 per cent go to other places in the school to learn. It may suit a student not to spend six periods in mathematics, but to spend 10 periods in mathematics because he finds math difficult. "And he also may find his English very easy. In the traditional school you attend six periods of English whether you need it or not. We leave it up to the student. He is best able %Jttdge." —I asked Mri Young whether he has any cfisclpllnary ptob-"' terns-. , "There are all kinds of senior secondary schools in this prov ince where students are strapped, punished, given detentions etc. This is outrageous. These are mature people, 17, 18 and 19 years old. "We don't punish students here. We have no discipline problems, and last year we had only three dropouts out of 460 i .tudent?." How far does this freedom extend? What happens, for instance, when a girl students gets pregnant? "Last year we had a girl student who was eight months pregnant. She was unmarried. She can do with her body what she wants. It's none of my bloody business what she does with her own personal life. "I reject the idea that any principal of any schoor has the right to interfere. I would lay my job on the line if anyone tried to force such a student out of school. She is probably the very girl - who needs an (Turn to Page 2) I i ~4 ■ m. > Students at Campbell River senior secondary school studying in light and modern classroom. Humanization of School .Makes Students Happy •*_v From Page 1 .&rtn,catinn, .. hecause—obviously ers don't believe in it. I consider my role as being merely the ,_i*_~,. ■*..... .....I. "... .'j .^rgir^'>>.-■_.■ .;*—-. she doesn't know how to take care of herself. ■'Why .hould I deprive her of school -_s a form of punishment? I'm not interested in morality, 1 make no judgment about that. I feel very strongly about this." WHAT REACTION? What was the reaction of the people in Campbell River, of the parents, of the school board, of the department of education, to the school? Did Mr. Young receive any static from anyone? "1 and .my staff believe that this is a very good school — so why should anyone raise any static about_it? I got superb teachers and an excellent building and good equipment. "I believe that a permissive, open, friendly, trusting atmosphere is conducive to learning in the school." LOWER GRADES? I asked Mr. Young whether he thinks this system can. be made to work in. lower grades in other schools. "All we have here, basically, is a particular attitude towards students. The majority of the people are pretty decent people. Isn't it the.same with students? Nine out of 10 are basically decent students. Perhaps 10 per cent of the kids have problems of some sort. "We operate schools as if all the kids were of the 10. per cent Variety. All I've done is to switch things around — as though all the kids were of the 90 per cent variety. I'm wrong once out of 10, but if I operated the other, way I'd be wrong nine times out of 10." TRUSTS. STUDENTS How do the students bear up under a system of complete permissiveness? "I operate on the basis that I trust my students. We never supervise students at all. You won't see any destruction or damage in the school, and no vandalism. "Let me" tell you. There are ho four-letter words written on the walls in the toilets." DOWN THE LINE The school's operation has been humanized right down the line. The school, Mr. Young explains, makes' no major move with respect to .anything without complete unanimity and complete consensus on the part of all the teachers. "Anything that I attempt to do," says Mr. Young, "cannot be truly successful if the teach- iirs. among "eq-aliT' However, I didn't just take Mr. Young's eloquent statements for fact. I talked to some of the students and asked them if they thought they learned better here than elsewhere. The answer was a unanimous and enthusiastic yes. When I tried to make six students tell me what was really wrong with the school, if anything, I got a flat "there's noth; ing wrong here at all" in reply. I watched the students after the • bell rang for change of classes. They have the privilege to loiter in the corridors, but they didn't. JOHN YOUNG It was an uncanny experience for one who always hated going to school, to witness students talking and behaving like adults, like people who enjoy the process of learning. SEND DAUGHTERS I came away feeling very strongly that Campbell River was the one school to which I would like to send my two daughters when they get into grade 11. The new "humanized" system of education at the Campbell River senior secondary school has passed the experimental stage. There is every indication that from here on in, the_tta-_ T^iionalT" pater-jallstic aricT~an- achronistic "school system as still practiced*" elsewhere will never be the same again. A change is in the air, and Mr. Young has — in the opinion of many educators and parents — pioneered this change for his 460 students. NOT A DRAG If the parents of students in this province care td see their children go to a school that isn't a drag, they should start taking active interest in their PTA meetings and put pressure on both the school boards and the - department Of education. After my visit to Campbell River I saw Leslie Peterson, the minister of education. He gave me a qualified yes when I asked him whether he approved of Mr. Young's school system. The question remains — how long do we have to wait until our schools aire brought into the 20th century? Labour Council Attacks Tax Incease PORT ALBERNI — The November meeting of the Port Al- berni and District Labour Council recorded bitter dissatisfaction with the proposal by Finance Minister Mitchel Sharp for a tax increase. The labour council is writing Mr. Sharp protesting this proposal and suggesting that the answer to the present taxation problems lies m the recommendations of the Carter royal commission report and requesting jjim to implement all the recommendations of this report immediately. In November, 1966, the labour council lodged a protest with Education Minister Leslie Peterson with regard to the appointment of a representative from MacMillan Bloedel Limited on the school board of our district. The council has- now received a reply from Mr. Peterson, stating that all trustees of school district No. 70 will now be elected, and that this change will be effective in this coming December election. FINAL ARRANGEMENTS The officers of the labour council were authorized to make the final arrangements for a public forum of candidates for the forthcoming civic elections held on Nov. 30 in the IWA. hall. The officers of the labour council were authorized to purchase a suitable memento commemorating the opening of Echo-67. A comprehensive report on housing was submitted to the council by the housing committee. The report pointed out there was complete inactivity by the civic government with regard to the council's request of some months ago to initiate a lpw cost housing prggram by applying to the provincial government. Strikes In Progress Unsupervised, students writes essay. THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 RWDSU at Dominion Vancouver Motors, and at Canada Rice Mills and Martin and Robertson. IWA in the southern interior. Shingle Weavers at McCarter Shingle Co.; Victoria. IBEW L&cal 213 at B.C. District Telegraph and the city of New Westminster. Printing Specialties Union 598 at Sinclair and Valentine Inks, Vancouver. Teacher discusses current political affairs with students in open and frank exchange of ideas. - •. Why and When?' Principal Asks Of B.C. Teachers JOHN YOUNG Principal Campbell River Senior Secondary School "Human history is a race between education and cj>*'s- trophe."—H. G. Weill.. WHY is it that not a single sophisticated, experienced educator of any standing in the province can be found to seriously and aggressively defend much of what is going on in most of our schools? WHY is it that scarcely one sensitive, perceptive, intelligent high school graduate can be found who would sincerely and strongly defend much of what passed for "education" during his high school years? WHY is it that ever-increasing numbers of thoughtful ^parents arc seriously concerned about how poorly our schools are preparing their children to the enormously complex social problems which characterize our age? SO MANY CYNICAL WHY is it that the overwhelming majority of our imaginative teachers is either cynical about, or contemptuous of, or disillusioned with, so much that passes for education? WHY is it that among B.C.'s 18,000 teachers, 8,000 of whom are university graduates, there don't seem to be more than a pitiful handful who will stand up and assert their right to make professional decisions concerning what to teach, how to teach, and under what conditions the act of teaching will take place? WHY is it that so many of the teachers of this province, as well as teachers elsewhere in Canada, go on teaching for years and years wjthout ever once rising up in anger or rebellion against the anomalies, the irrelevan- cies and the educationally indefensible practices which they are asked to perform every day in the classroom? LARGE PROPORTION WHY is it that such a distressingly large proportion of our colleagues fail to demand the right to be intimately, actively and jwofessionaUy involved in "all the decisions concerning the operation and administration of the schools in which they teach? WHY is it that teachers continue to perform all manner of soul-destroying, repetitive, meaningless, stupid tasks just because, "that's the way it's' done around here," or "well, that's the~ way it's always been done?" * WHY do the teachers of this province stay so massively silent about some of the more glaring conditions, practices and policies which deprive them of their professional dignity, and, what is far worse, rob their students of the right to a quality education? START REFUSING WHEN are teachers going to start refusing to be told what to do by the principals and to start asserting their rights to be consulted about, or otherwise have a share in, whatever decisions are reached concerning matters of fundamental importance in the act of- teaching? WHEN are teachers going to inform principals that they categorically refuse to teach in subject areas, or at grade levels, in which they have not been academically or professionally prepared? The students, after all, have rights too — the right to be taught by a teacher who knows what he is talking about. WHEN are teachers going to commence insisting on their right to be free to teach as they see fit, and, at the same time, accepting the responsibility which accompanies freedom? INFORM PARENTS WHEN are teachers going to set out to inform parents, and society in general, that the teaching and learning conditions in the schools are seriously out of step with the age in which we live? In Canada, a shockingly low 6 per cent of our gross national product goes into education at all levels, from kindergarten to university. WHEN are teachers going to launch themselves fully into the public debate on education? (.It seems that everyone debates educational issuer— except teachers). NEW EMPHASIS The emphasis in education must change from the group to the individual; from memory to inquiry; from the graded school to the ungraded school; from the self- contained classroom to the self-contained school; from scheduled classes to appoint- ments and independent learning; from teacher as general practitioner to teach-, er as clinical specialist; from teaching as telling to teaching as guiding; and from schools like prisons to schools where freedom and humanity are enshrined. La Pierre: Tm a Social Activist The personal magnetism of Laurier LaPierre comes across a breakfast table as well as in a mass meeting. No one who listens to him can feign indifference. He speaks with a pronounced French accent, yet his English is polished and impeccable both in diction and articulation. . Who is this Quebecois who made headlines as co-host of the 111 fated CBC public affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days? Who is this politician who, amid cheers and jubilance, was elected a vice-president during the July federal convention of the New Democratic Party? What are his beliefs, what is his recipe for a better Canada? GOLDEN TONGUE When Mr. LaPierre, a political scientist who teaches at McGill University, toured B.C. early last month The Labour Statesman asked him some pertinent questions. Is Laurier, the man with the golden tongue, a socialist? "I'm a social activist and a man of the left. I believe in public ownership, in the public supervision of the economy and of the social services. I believe in change, but I'm not a doctrinaire socialist." AT BREAKFAST Mr. LaPierre squeezed in the interview at breakfast time in his hotel. When the waitress came to take his order, he asked for "orange juice from fresh oranges; one egg, four minutes; dry toast, and coffee." Then he turned to the editor of The Statesman and said, "I've got to lose weight." Despite the time — 8:30 a.m.— Mr. LaPierre fielded the questions weU. Did socialist principles, as endorsed and propounded by the NDP, have a chance in playing a leading role in Canadian politics? COMES TOO LATE "It (socialism and its principles) comes too late in the development of this country," he said between mouthfuls. "What would be developed in a modern age would, be a mixed economy. The Swedish formula was successful because it was intelligent enough to pool all resources. We have to make sure there is a sound alternative to private enterprise." Mr. LaPierre was quoted in local newspapers as saying that he thought the new Tory leader Robert Stanfield might win the next federal election. He was asked when, in his opinion, the NDP would form the government. MORE URBANISM "There is a resurgence of conservatism due to Rowing urban- ism, affluence and the rising standard of living. It crystallizes political opinion. There is now a movement to the right which we haven't had under Diefenbaker. People wish to protect what they've got. But there's a left that thinks seriously about, for instance, housing, international opinion, and asks profound questions of society. "But there's also a strong movement to the left occurring in Canada. However, the NDP's success has not been as great as that of the Tories and the Liberals. The Liberals have to be eliminated. A TIME TABLE "Let me give you a sensible time table for the NDP: we should stop this optimism that we will form the next govern-, ment. We need objectives. Fo/ the next election we should concentrate our forces and assess how many seats can be won, and what must be done to win them. "We have to establish a na- »tional (NDP) program. We leave it to the leader to create an impression on the people, and we Increase! our strength. Then we should' spend the next four years starting to build from the base we already have. I think that by 1973 we can form the opposition, and by 1977 the gov- / eminent. HOW TO UNITE How can the various factions within'the NDP (mainly the old CCFers and the more pragmatic new-line NDPers) be united in a common goal? "The NDP has one great asset," Mr. LaPierre said, "and that is that our leadership can be reassessed at every convention. I feel the party leader should be elected for a four- year term. We must not ostracize and excommunicate those (people) who want to make the leadership reassessment a meaningful affair—either by seeking the office or by helping the candidate. WINDOW DRESSING "Either these instruments exist or they are mere window- dressing. If people think it's premature fo oppose a leader who is going to decide whether To Fight Industrial Diseases U.K. Labour Builds Centre C. H. HARTWELL OTTAWA — Before the fireworks, fun and festivities begin next year in celebration of the 100th birthday of the founding of Britain's Trades Union Congress, building will have started on a project designed to be a perma- nent commemoration of the TUC's centenary. The plan is to open a national centre for a new assault on industrial diseases. The money to open this centre and keep it going at a cost of about $435,000 in the first year, and about $60,000 a year from then on, wiU come from extra affiliation fees that 170 trade unions wiU pay to the TUC on behalf of their total of _'■% million members. FIRST MEETING When the first congress was convented in June, 1868, only 34 delegates from a mere handful of trade union organizations were present and they spoke for fewer than 120,000 workers. It is fair to say that the health of working people has been one of the major interests of the Trades Union Congress through all the years since that first meeting in Manchester. HEALTH SERVICE Trade unionists were advocates of a national health service • Stirring Call During the past session of the provincial legislature last spring, NDP-MLA Leo Nim- sick introduced a motion, in the House that-ealted-for the. establishment of a provincial housing authority. The Liberal MLAs ' combined with the Socreds to defeat the motion. - '.'..- \ -_-___-_, On Sept. 20, Liberal leader Ray Perrault issued a stirring public call for the establishment of a provincial housing authority and of a ministry of housing. John Heston says: What the Liberals are trying to say is: "It's a good idea provided the New Democrats don't get the credit." which would give all the people of Britain ready access, without fees, to dentists, doctors and specialists and hospitals. When the service on that basis began, in 1948, their representatives were among those enlisted —to hospital management boards and other bodies — to help run it, and they have been alert since then in seeking every opportunity to improve it. OBSCURES FACT Yet the very effectiveness, of the service — and the efficiency of other public authorities in ensuring pure water supplies and uncontaminated food and in controlling infectious diseases — has tended to obscure in the public mind the fact that illness can have an occupational origin. One function of the Institute of Occupational Health to be opened as a TUC centenary commemoration will therefore be to stimulate medical education in this field, supplementing in a substantial way what is now carried out in fewer than half-a- dozen universities which, moreover, have no' organized system for disseminating information about health risks to working people and managements. CENTRAL CENTRE The Institute will also function as a central information centre on all known and suspected health risks in industry and it will give instruction in occupational health to trade unionists and other non-medical people. Britain was the first country to have legislation on health and safety in factories and the first to appoint medical inspectors of factories. . EVER SATISFIED Not that the unions can ever be satisfied with the speed or extent of progress ^n safeguarding health at work. If all their members were working with long-established methods they would have less cause for anxiety. But hew chemical substances, new synthetic materials and new processes of manufacture are coming into use all the time, producing dusts and fumes that may corrode the lungs, infect the skin, damage the £yes or rot the teeth of workers in contact.with them. NOT IMMEDIATE Worst of all, the effects may not be immediate and therefore are not traced and tackled with comparative, ease. They may be cumulative or — as in the case of the cancer - inducing substances—delayed for 10 or more years from the first contact. A major part of the work of the TUC's new Institute will be to seek out the dangers that may lurk undetected in modern industry. ACT AS STIMULUS The hope and expectation is that the Institute will not only do highly valuable work itself but will act as a stimulus to action in the direction of the creation of the comprehensive occupational health service which the trade union movement has for many years been seeking. _ We've Had Our Phil His voice sounded as if a potato dumpling, had got stuck in his throat. After he was through he told his audience that at one1 time in his life he had turned down a tremendous amount of money offered to him for a singing career. Instead, he turned minister —both at the pulpit and in the government. The man, of course, is highways minister Pi A. Gaglardi. He~ sang lasr month on that abominably parochial CBC show, The Other Cheek, as a guest. John Heston suggests.that perhaps B.C. would have been better off if The Honourable Phlying Phil had turned the other cheek and accepted the money for his singing career. After all, a singing Gaglardi can be turned off. A ministering Gaglardi talks on, and on, and on, and on, and on . . . it is premature? The efficacy of the party is that we never need to pull any Dalton. Camp stunt. It is not disloy-a to seek the leadership of the party." Mr. LaPierre stressed that he was speaking for himself only and not for the NDP, and that he was referring to the leadership question in general terms only. He was asked whether he saw in himself elements of a Savonarola, of a messianic firebrand. DEATH WISH "No- because Savonarola had the death wish. I see myself as a person of ambition and of relative intelligence." Is Laurier LaPierre hungry for power? "I'm not starving for it. I'm conscious of the fact that the exercise of political power is the best instrument one has to get things done. I'm not a lone wolf, I'm un homme d'equipe (loosely translated, a team man). I like to be in a team. This is what leadership is, in a sense." POWER POLITICS Does LaPierre the team man believe in power politics? "The party must have principles of action, of thought. These are implemented in a body of policy which determines the objectives. The realization of these objectives, (when the party comes to power) cannot be immediate. Nobody must think that we (in the NDP) will do things overnight. In the process of implementation we must not arrive at a dislocation of the economy. HAS WEAKNESS "The NDP has a weakness right now — it's policies are too remote. We make beautiful ^five- year plans, but their immediacy is missing. What we want can be attained in two ways: by a— sound program of communication and by immediate policies. "I want to remove the electoral promise. The priority of action must be to hold a national survey to ascertain the views of . the people on their regional needs. When the results are in, we should hold a special convention to embody these wishes and hopes into a concrete program of policy, a part of our political platform. PROGRAM REMOTE "Right now, the NDP's weak- - ness is the remoteness of our (political) program, its lack of immediacy, and our lack of ability to sell it (to the people), < Pro not accusing anybody here. "And secondly, I'm a man of action, a communicator. Our technique of organizing is excellent. The chances of the party are so good that if we miss it, it's only our own fault. OWN FAULT "In other words, if we don't make immediate gains (in the next federal election) it's our own fault." With that said, Mr. LaPierre got up and went to a radio station where he took over a hot- liner's show for three hours. I THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 THE LABOUR STATESMAN Published monthly by the B.C. FEDERATION OF LABOUR, and distributed i throughout British Columbia to members of more than 200 affiliated unions by computerized Mailing List. Editorial Board: .£_ I.____8*y _L ______ _G. Jolm_ion._,Ui_uy-M-Jfabn.-B. -C-Meyne. Ed/for.- J. J. Hessc Enquiries and circulation: Write to The Labour Statesman, 517 East Broadway, Vancouver 10, B.C. .879-3568) Advertising: Elizabeth Spencer Associates Authorized as second class mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash. \ THIS PRINTING: 52,250 COPIES, attested by Publisher's sworn statement lodged with "CANADIAN ADVERTISING" EDITORIAL JURGEN HESSE Gerard Rancourt, the secretary-general of the Quebec Federa-" tioi of Labour, was invited by the B.C. Federation of Labour to attend the convention in October. M. Rancourt is a French Canadian. When he arrived, he was greeted by English Canadians, hone of whom could speak French. But then, everyone knew that M. Rancourt, like a good French Canadian, could be expected to speak English. He does. When British Columbia labour leaders travel to Montreal to confer with their French Canadian confreres, they expect them to speak.English. They would be baffled, bewildered, if not downright insulted if they met a French Canadian labour leader who spoke only French. Such is the state of affairs in Canada. The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant mystique;— created by our Victorian ancestors and compounded by the business establishment —. expects, nay, demands of all French Canadians that they speak the only apparently valid language in this bicultural nation — English. * * * For decades, the French Canadians have complied meekly with this unreasonable and chauvinistic request. For decades they have been good boys, have behaved, have accepted the dictum. The Quiet Revolution in Quebec has changed all that. The French Canadians have suddenly reared their heads and have started to bite back — not the hand that feeds them but the hand that keeps them subdued and cowed. Our French speaking brothers are now asking us to speak French to them when in their own province. What do we do? We wince, we bark, we snap at them: "After all, this country is mostly English speaking. You are just a minority that has to conform to the generally accepted language of business, commerce and culture. Why should we talk French? You go on talking English to us and everything will be just fine." • * * But it isn't as easy as all that. No one can dispute the fact that six million out of 2QV_ million Canadians speak French from the crib up. Then they learn English as the complementary language. A perfectly bilingual Canadian has a better chance of making out in this country. /This inherited class structure is discriminatory, and the French Cahadians have revolted. But there is more than fundamental rights involved here. There is the matter of common courtesy, of acknowledging that Canada is a country with two basic cultures, two languages. What to do? Those in the labour movement who have continuing business in Quebec should be expected to volunteer for crash French courses so they begin to understand some of Quebec's problems. A language is more than a tool to converse: it is an essential key to the comprehension of a people. * V * British Columbians have traditionally been the worst offenders when it comes to speaking French. Only 7d,000 French Canadians, all of whom speak English, live in B.C. So why learn French? Right now, those of us in B.C. who have learned French, find ourselves in a vojd for lack of steady practice. Because the very fact of being able to speak another language is beneficial. It opens up new vistas, new horizons, new dimensions. Speaking French is as much a way of life than it is verbal communication. Those of us who speak French begin to take an active interest in French Canadians. It is never too late to admit a default. We can all sit down and study French. Learning a language is fun, especially if taught by teachers in love with words. Pupils who suddenly find.they can form a sentence in French feel proud, they have a sense of achievement. But it is human nature to resist learning a second language when tradition has preconditioned us into believing that English is good enough. So, except for those who recognize the validity of the argument, the majority of grown British Columbians will thumb their noses at French. • * * The solution to the dilemma is simple. French should be taught- in all our schools from the beginning, from Grade 1 through to Grade 12, on a Canada-wide basis. Then our English- Canadian papers need not translate editorials from Le'Devoir anymore, for example. This French-English education is a tall order. There are not nearly enough French teachers in Canada to do the job. But Canada's provinces could make a deal with the French government to send to Canada French instructors by the thousands, to train Canadian teachers in the summer month*''and to teach French the rest of the school year. "_ "The details can he left to the technocrats in the departments of education. Once the principle is established, the machinery can be built to fit the needs. _. * * * It is entirelypred"rct_tble__that, with everyone able to speak I ing one_ of. th_e_ greatest booms English and*Trenqh equally well, the so-called Quefrec prnbipi, 7 ..that has ince and yet B.C. has the most unemployed in Canada. It seems that under our democratic system the strike weapon is the only weapon the working man has. The reason why there are strikes is because there are' injustices being committed. That Letters to the Editor ■_.:■■ or the confederation prebTemT"or the separatist problem, would disappear within a few years. People who talk to each other in their respective languages find it hard to hate each other. As a special bonus, British Columbians would suddenly realize that their world doesn't end at the Rockies. They would become part of Canada, a truly bilingual, bicultural nation. < _■ C'e.'t vrai, n'est-ce pas, M. Rancourt? The Labour Statesman receives many letters that are *not signed or do not bear the writer's address. These letters will not be published for obviou_. reasons. If a writer has special reason to believe the publication of his name would be detrimental to his employment, the editor will consider a nom de plume. As a policy, how- ever, The Labour Statesman believes that anyone writing a letter to the editor should have the courage of his convictions and let his name and address be published. THE EDITOR Dear Sir: ■ -■-, The article by Julius Jacobson, "New Left" in your November issue, was pretty silly and out of place in your paper. It's rather stupid to criticize people who condemn Franco, apartheid in South Africa, and the Indonesian massacres, unless one supports such people and things. If Mr. Jacobson is so enraged by Castro, Russia, and China, then let him organize his own demonstrations. I can just imagine who will join him! GEORGE GOLDBERG, 40 Pleasant Blvd., Toronto 7, Ontario. P.S.: Who is Jacobson anyway? Did you find him in the Readers' Digest or some such place? Mr. Jacobson is editor of the leftwing intellectual quarterly New Politics published in New York. His quote was taken from a lengthy article on Isaac. Deut- scher's book on the Russian revolution. EDITOR Dear Sir: According to Premier Bennett, British Columbia is experienc- may be so. However, strikes breed feelings of distrust and fear. Eventually strikes are settled but in the meantime look at the wages and time that are lost. Strikes cannot be blamed on the subversive elements in the union. The union leaders, in order to hold on to their jobs, and their members, must stir up interest among their members. Labour and management should cooperate more fully. But it is easier said than done. As President Kennedy said "let us not negotiate through fear, but let us not fear to negotiate." CLYDE LEORDALE, Coquitlam, B.C. Dear Sir: May I suggest your article on pollution in your October issue should have the heading — "Nobody Cares." Years ago I became intensly interested in pol- THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 STARS Stars, crusted gems Imbedded in a cloak Of deep royal blue, Sparkle merrily, Like the frost-coverej snow "TvTien the moon's Silver rays strike. -■-■'' Then they slowly disappear, One by one, Till the la_>t twinkling star Has faded, •— And the faint light of dawn Appears. Deborah McNevin lution and pesticides. I called it the 3 Ps — Poison, Pollution, Pesticides. After collecting a frightening amount of fact about this mass murder, I began to talk to people about it Two months later, in sheer disgust, I burned the entire file. There should be a special award made to Canadians for stupidity, ignorance and complete indifference. However, the main reason I wrote this letter was in regard to a question to Howard Paish by your paper. Quote —- "How come that 30 years ago we never had any pesticides and we still ate fruit and vegetables?" For your reporter's information, there is a report in the surgeon-general's office in the United States warning of,the extreme danger of pesticI3e3\, This report was published about 60 years ago. GEORGE GRAHAM, > Vancouver, B.C. * * Hrr' Dear Sir: Recent notices in the press have provided interesting comment on the breaking down of racial discrimination. Mr. J. E. A. Parnall, UBC registrar, has reported to the university senate that the charters of all UBC fraternity and sorority chapters are free of written racial or religious discrimination clauses. The Union of B.C. Municipalities, at a recent convention of member municipalities, adopted a stance on racial discrimination far ahead of that of the provincial government. At the request of West Vancouver, support was given for a provincial law "to control adequately discrimination in respect to race, religion, colour, nationality, ancestry or place of origin ,nf any person, and par. ticularly in the matter of a sale, lease or rental of residential property." To prove their good faith and responsibility towards all our citizens, the higher levels of government should follow the lead of the municipalities im- (Tum to P. 6$ M^*-v__ Heston's Writes to poison Pen (Some of the more outrageous puns and ideas stem from the fertile brain of Geoff Hodgkinson.) THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 rft-BMB. ft<is_a».«_^aia_Bw_%i*_atfc- .F*»_-;_.fl *»■---*-•-•' m Fed Supports Union, Declares Wares 'Hot' The B.C. Federation of Labour has now thrown its weight -RWDSU—4_e.ail.~- Whole sale and Department Store Union V in its strike against .Canada Rice Mills and Martin & Robertson Ltd. by declaring all products normally handled by the company as "hot". At a meeting held recently Longshoremen, Packinghouse Workers, Grain Workers, Meat Cutters, Retail Clerks, The Merchant Service Guild and the Vancouver Labour Council pledged full support to the 100 strikers who walked off their jobs on Oct. .30, to back up new wage and contract proposals. COMPLETE BOYCOTT Secretary - Treasurer Ray Haynes of the Federation said, "Our Federation met prior fcf Ihe strike commencing and warned that if the company attempted to circumvent the strike by shipping in from other provinces, the labour movement would have to consider a' complete boycott of all products; such action has now become necessary." All B.C. trade unions have assured the Federation that none of the products normally processed or handled by the strikers will be handled until a satisfactory settlement has been _______H__________* _M_.ET__.T-_-OH ION I ''Instead of spending so much time and energy in finding devious ways to ship in hot goods from back east this company would be far wiser to meet with their employees' union and —do something.about the pitifully. low wages that are primarily responsible for the breakdown in talks" Mr. Haynes added. Wages of $1.65 an hour have no place in today's economic structure, he said. A $1100 Scholarship The B.C. federation of Labour is again pffering a $1,100 scholarship for a trade unionist who wishes to attend the 1968 session of the Labour College of .Canada, secretary-treasurer Ray Haynes announced recently. The 1968 term starts on May 5 and runs for eight weeks to June 28. The college was founded in 1963 to make higher education available to trade union members. It is operated jointly by the Canadian Labour Congress, McGill University and the Uni- versite de Montreal. Its aim is to broaden the horizon of trade union leaders by making available to them instruction at the university level, adapted to their needs. The following subjects are taught: economics, political science, sociology, history and trade unionism. Members of trade unions affiliated with the B.C. Federation of Labour are eligible to apply for the Federation's scholarship. Application* should be addressed to the B.C. Federation of Labour, Room 210, 517 East Broadway, Vancouver 10, B.C. Applications must be accompanied with a short outline of the reason why they wish to attend the college. Deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 1968. Letters Continued mediately, refusing to play politics with a few individuals by kow-towing to their subtle methods of trying to prolong discrimination in so-called "privileged" areas. Our association has been striv- 4 ing ' for some years towards eliminating discrimination in the above instances and feels en- , courage, by the tair attitudes shown by the University of British Columbia and the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Gradually, the unfair barriers towards full citizenship for all are diminishing. Legislation must lead the way. Man's attitude in demanding similar rights for his fellow Canadians to those he expects for himself can bring about a wonderful sort of Ca- nadianism, tbe envy of the world. HARRY DUKER, President, Vancouver Civic Unity Association. * * * Dear Sir: I am writing you to ask a favour. I am the chairman of the Pearson Hospital branch of the Vancouver Indoor Sport Club. This club at the hospital consists of 82 patients, 95 per cent of them in wheel chairs and the other five per cent either in THOMPSON LEATHER GOODS Industrial Belts —Saddlery CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 6975 VICTORIA DRIVE VANCOUVER Telephone .... 325-2014 walkers or on crutches. We have a very difficult time arranging transportation for our members to go to various functions such as baseball, football and hockey games, etc. As a result we started collecting Mark Ten cigarette coupons to obtain a small bus with a power tail gate. We need 990,000 coupons to get this bus. We started collecting them in December of last year. To date we have collected 95,000. We are trying to make this a centennial project and were wondering if you would be kind enough to print a story or a short article to this effect in your paper. Further information about the club is available on request. HARRY GOLD, Chairman Pearson Hospital Indoor Sports Club, Vancouver 14, B.C. * * * Dear Mr. Hesse: I heard you on a CBC broadcast that made me soul-sick, not for your part, but that of which you were speaking. It was about two young, unwed mothers renting a home and trying to carry on raising their children. I have seldom heard of many things more awful as the people complaining about their presence in the area. These people, in my opinion, are black-hearted monsters. 1 have always thought this . is exactly what unwed mothers should do — and that they should have financial aid and sympathy in the doing of it. The unnatural practice of forcing unwed mothers to give up their children will only create unnatural creatures.. Does anyone believe that a girl who has given up her child can be a whole person after that experience? Anyone who does believe she can be a whole person is a wishful thinker, or a fat-headed believer in expediency, and then damns the consequences — which likely includes her! • * * I have heard many men wonder what is wrong with women these days — it is a long, untold history, in my opinion ( I may have to write it) but I shall not attempt it here — but the practice of forcing girls to give up their babies, their creations — such an unnatural practice is the damndest practice a so-called civilized people could participate in. The decency and courage of the two young worn- men you spoke of should be applauded and it should appeal to the decency of every person in Vancouver, in British Columbia, in Canada and the world. * * * The other day I heard Marjorie Gage speaking with a woman whose job was placing children in adopted homes, on a CBC Matinee program. 1 was completely horrified! Do you know that we are placing Canadian children in U.S. homes? Has Canada reached such a point of underdeveloped exploitation that we, like Korea, send our own tiny citizens to the U.S. to be reared? MRS. HILDA J. PETERSON, Merritt, B.C. Editor, The Labour Statesman, 517 East Broadway, Vancouver 10, B.C. Please send me The Labour Statesman, for one year. I enclose $1.50 □ or bill me later □ NAME. ■■• l STREET. CITY PROV. Don't Knock Us! JOHN HESTON Q_ (The following is a conversation between Mr. Heston and his 19th century alter ego. Editor.) — "Well, Johnr you chaps in the labour movement think you've - got it made. You just had your provincial convention, and you think you've got the answer to everything. What makes you so goddamn smug? What have you ever done for the people in British Columbia?" "You, alter ego, make me wince every time you open your mouth. You and your kind keep knocking us in labour. You say we're greedy; you say we only think about higher wages and fat fringe benefits; every time the economy is staggering about on its feeble legs you blame us and tell us we are nothing but a selfish bunch of radicals ..." "Well, John, isn't it true? All we read about is strikes here and violence on the picket line there. You have no respect for the good laws of this country. You tell me . . ." "Hold on, alter ego. Good laws? You make me sick to my stomach. Do you know who made these so-called good laws? You and -your kind who have minds straight out of the middle ages. If it weren't for our constant vigilance your laws would protect 10 per cent of the population, and the rest — the other 90 per cent — would suffer from legal malnutrition." "Well, dear John, tell me what's so noble about labour. Tell me what you talked about at your convention. Didn't I read that you were tearing each other apart? That all you did was for one group trying to emasculate the other? Boy, what a Sorry spectacle you made of yourselves.-There was nothing positive about your ruddy convention, was there?" "You snide little alter ego, I'll tell you something. For one thing, you didn't attend the convention, did you?" "No, but I did read the papers." "Now I've got you. The big headlines were about our differences, to be sure. The papers just love throwing mud, that's what they live on. But did you read about our discussions on pollution, housing, the war in Vietnam and . . ." "Not so fast, John. You mean to tell me these 520 delegates cared about something else but their own advancement?" "That's what I'm trying to tell you. If you'll just promise to listen while I run through the list of topics you'll' see what I mean when I say that labour cares much more about the quality of life than the quantity of our own remuneration. Now, will you shut up for a minute?" "Okay, dear John, I'll be a good boy. Shoot" "All these delegates were not just chatting idly, but had submitted these resolutions: for better workmen's compensation; for medicare for all people, now; for a dental care scheme so even poor people could send their kids to the dentist and get their own cavities patched up; for housing projects so no one would have to live in slums anymore; for strict pollution control . . ." "But, John, nobody likes pollution and the government is doing something about ii" "Alter ego, you're naive. We proved that not nearly enough is being done to keep our natural resources intact. Let me go, on: we brought in constrictive resolutions about a sound ship building program; for an equitable taxation system; for a municipal electoral system that -would allow tenants to vote, and not just property owners; for an adequate labelling of cans and packages containing toxic materials used in households; for a foolproof system of government meat inspection; for better pensions so our older citizens can live decently ..." "But, John, pensions have recently been raised." "Yes, but Bennett cut. off some pfj_^ provincial pension money so he could finance his power projects. Most people don't know that." "Oh." "Exactly. The delegates asked for a better welfare system; they demanded better quality recreation in this province, linked with the pressing matter of conserving wildlife and other natural resources; they criticized the erratic highway building program; they discussed ways to improve our unemployment insurance scheme; they condemned our criminally high drug costs; they proposed plans for child day care centres; they looked hard at our hydro rates; and finally, they even talked about days off for statutory holidays that\fall on Saturdays." "Well, I don't know what to say. I never read much about these things in the papers. Does labour really care about all these things?" "You're damn right we doNwe've been demanding medicare for years." \ "Well, it's going to come next Year, .isn't it?" "Don't kid yourself, alter ego. Finance Minister Sharp wants to wait with medicare until 1969 so he can claim to have achieved the 'Fiftieth Anniversary of the Liberals\Unfilled Promise'." "He-he-he-he . . . harrumph . . ." \ "I beg your pardon, that was meant as a sick joke." "Never mind, I was.choking, not laughingXBut tell me, if the government doesn't listen to labour's constructive proposals, who does it listen to?" "Well, alter ego, have you heard of the CanadianTSVlanufac- turers Association — the special interest group that erttertains such a splendid lobby in Ottawa — that also wants medicare postponed?" \, "It seems their lobby works better than ours." ,, \ "Amen." V' '_', . j" THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 ZZ * • - FOR RENT Highly desirable office space. 2400 square feet lit choice Tocation. - 7-ionwrswikD hon union offices! ~~~~ Will develop on reasonable terms to suit long term tenant GLOBE TOURS 253-1221 2679 E. Hastings. St. 254-2313 »^^ ■»■■ La Boheme All Over Again The. "drop-cuit". worlds,?. It would be pleasant for me to suppose that the good word of Bakunin and Malatesta has at last penetrated to the kids, but these worlds really seem those of personal evasion. They may solve some personal problems (while creating others), but have no impact on the huge conformist majority — apart, perhaps, from providing tourist attractions for adult sightseers in California. In Tact, they're no more nor less than a form of self-indulgence; no harm in that, perhaps, for adults are self-indulgent too, when they can be . . But if so, why pretend this life has some special .virtue about it? It's la Boheme all over agaifrin a modern context, with even less to show for it than the dreadful pictures one. suspects Mimi's mates actually painted. What Is more, while Mimi's lot probably were struggling after something, there is a strong scent of Pop and Mom or someone with loot in the background, to ball these kids out if the going gets too tough." When pseudo-religion gets mixed up with it, as in the multi- cult fantasies of Dr. Leary and his followers, the phenomenon becomes pretentious and depressing. Christ: Buddha: the Hindu sages: all their sagacity and vision, and the profound experience of their disciples over centuries, are instantly available to you and me, like, man, after a trip or two! This is really "belief of the kind the#most hypnotized evangelist would welcome in the faithful. , - —Colin Machines in Encounter Need Control Of Economy For the only manneE„.ij} which a collectivized system can manifest any economic democracy is in the democratically organized political controls of that economy. A socialist state, then, presupposes the conscious political rule of the broad mass of people which can be established only through political democracy — the exercise of free elections, competing political parties, right, of recall, genuine trade unions, guaranteed civil rights, full cultural freedom, etc. Conversely, in a state where the bour- geosie has been expropriated and the economy nationalized but where the people are subjected to the domination and whim of a totalitarian ruling party, we are confronted with a new form of political, therefore economic, class oppression. v —Julius Jacobson ATTENTION BUSINESS AGENTS! Want to save time and money? • . Dozens of Union Officers use our services whenever an out-of-town trip 'I Declared Myself a Homosexual' A U.S. Draft-Dodger Speaks Out On a cold an windy afternoon during this fall, the editor of The Labour Statesman interviewed an American draft evader in Vancouver. The young man had arrived a year ago almost penniless. He opened a small business in his line as a craftsman and earned enough -_-6he'y\'to see him through his' anticipated travels around the world. He left several days after the interview'was taped. The young man's decision not to fight in a war he considers wrong has unalterably changed his life, as have similar decisions by, hundreds of American conscientious objectors who have left their country for Canada or elsewhere. The following interview has been edited only for reasons of length. Q.—How long have you been in Canada? A.—For about a year—legally for nine months. Q.—We'll agree not to use your name. A.—Yes, I may as well remain -, anonymous. There's no reason to set me up as a representative. Q.—Would you fear any action by the FBI? A.—Well, I tend to be a lot more idealistic about my Position. There is a pretty good chance that they know what's happening about which people belong and which don't. With an influx _f five (draft dodgers) a day (in Vancouver), five people * being processed by the organiza- •"•■'•«Mon downtown, and probably a great many more coming in, I'm sure that there's knowledge of all of us..... '._..$ Q.—You've been processed as an immigrant? A.—I crossed the border as an immigrant with my immigration papers in January. Q.—Legally they can't touch you now although you are still a U.S. citizen? A.—Yes, that's right. Q.—How old are you now? A—Twenty-four. Q.—How come they didn't catch up with you sooner? Usually they latch onto draftees at the age of 19. A.—I graduated from high school and about that time I applied for my draft card and from that point on they are aware of what you are doing and where you are and your status. My draft board is in Florida. I was going to school. There are enough clods down there, who weren't going to school, more likely to be caught up by the draft at age 18 or 19. I stayed in college for 51. years and did some graduate work and I was going to go for a master's degree. A large part of the reason why I wanted to continue in school was to stay out of the army. Coming up here and then looking back I get a much clearer view of something 1 didn't realize at all down there: it's such an insidious structure of values that's pushed upon you from the time you're first aware that there are people fighting for something. I wasn't really aware that I was trying to get out of the army and that I could do things like — well, I declared myself a homosexual and at another point 1 declared myself a user of drugs. Q.—And that would automatically have eliminated you from being drafted? A.—Supposedly yes. Q.—I can see an inherent danger in saying that you are a drug user. A.—That's what I'm saying. I took steps that 1 don't thin., a Canadian would take, and most of my friends were doing similar things because it's important enough. It's a game down there, but it isn't a game — it's a game with very serious consequences and as long as you«keep ahead of them by staying in college it's fine — it's a good game, because you don't take it seriously. But I took it a lot more seriously when I came up here a year ago and spoke to kids who were in the same situation. I hadn't realized how serious the consequences were of being drafted (Turn to P. 8) Now Showing RESTRICTED YOUUNG APHRODITE XI IV.UUI Granville «t SlWHM )__ --1.1I SOON LOVING COUPLES LAUREL & HARDY FILM FESTIVAL CO-OP BOOKSTORE 341 WEST PENDER STREET VANCOUVER 3, B.C, CANADA LABOUR BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH "THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT OF CANADA 1827-1959" by CHARLES UPTON Clothbound, 400 pages $8.50 KLM R0YAL DUTCH AIRLINES Offers the New EURO-AUTO Trips: • Round Trip to AMSTERDAM by Fast and Comfortable DC-8 JET • ACCOMMODATION for Three Weeks. • A VOLKSWAGEN with 1000 KILOMETERS FREE • For the Exceptionally Low Price of $442 t. Low Cost TIME-PAYMENT Available. Ask your TRAVEL AGENT for group departure dates and further information (KLM forms the groups) or phone KLM direct. Vancouver: •682-4606 or send this coupon for free brochure to: KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES, .030 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C. ! comes up. 2679 E. Hastings St. 253-1221 254-2313 The writer has sought to give an account of Trade Union evolution for the period 1827-1959. An important feature of this book is its outline*of how Canada's unions came to form connections with the United States unions — the origins, status and significance of International Unions in Canada. Write for Catalogue of Other Outstanding Books Available from the Co-op Bookstore Please send me.. EUR-AUTO Program. N a me_ ___, Street City : brochures on your j I Prov i nee UK [KLM] THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 --* ■*. Political Self-Exile Nothing to Defend / ' A Draft-Dodger Speaks Out (From P., 7) and being sent over (to Vietnam) to fight, partake in something in which I don't believe at all. I consider myself a political self-exile in Canada because my political principles and underlying moral and values are diametrically opposed to those of Southern California, of (Governor) Reagan's California' and the South where..my draft board was: Q.—Were your main reasons humanitarian — that you don't like killing people — or were they imbedded in other trains of thought? A.—I don't know which were my main reasons, but that's a main reason and the other half of that is that I don't want to be killed myself. But more important: I've been asked, commanded to do something that I don't believe in. I have no intention of going some place and fighting another man's battles. I'm sure my leanings would be definitely socialistic or more precisely anarchistic. Q. -But you don't belong to an organized political group over here, do you? Do you have any inherent interest in politics? A.—No, definitely not, only as part of a game that I'd like to understand, it's all part of an . intellectual game that I'm trying to get away from, too. Q.—You wouldn't call yourself a member of The New Left, for instance? Are you just an individual opting out? A.—I'd like to place myself in that category. Those are my main reasons for leaving, for escaping from the United States. If I found myself in the same position in Canada, if I were asked to defend the country or my friends or my people, I would not do it. You know, you're always asked in the United States when you say you don't believe in the draft, and you don't want to go to Vietnam, whether you'd feel the same way if your mother were being threatened— Q.—I think we can disregard that In 1951, with the Nazi menace going as it was, would you have felt the same way in those days? In a way, this is an unfair question. A.—-Yes, I've asked myself. That places me in another position because I feel my Jewish tradition much more strongly than I feel my American tradition. America has just been a jumping off place for me, and I do feel sort of a collective con-, '*'-OT6_Sl_(e.§: ~~"—: ~~~ Q. When you say Semitic "tradition, are you Jewish yourself? A.—Yes. Q. -You feel that has had some influence ...... A.—I feel it has had a great deal more influence than anything in the States could have had. I don't feel there's anything for me to defend in the States. Of coarse I haven't had a taste of communism or whatever else Is the great threat, but the threat of the second world war — well, I could ,see_the_consequences „—• ~ the six million Jewish lives that were taken -=- that's a little bit better reason for making my blood boil to the point where I might take up arms. . Q.—-You went into inner exile from what society wanted you to do. What was the exact reason for this? A.—There came my day of reckoning when I was living in San Francisco, when I was due at my draft board which had been changed from my Florida draft board. These little old ladies (on the board) make all the decisions, with their whole southern mentality — the old southern world down there. I met them when I was 18 and I never went back there again. But they are the ones that make the iHtimate decisions. That's a pretty funny thing, too. It's tired and it's old, the whole bureaucratic structure down in Miami Beach, deciding my fate. They didn't think the Peace Corps which I was in was a good enough reason to keep me out of the draft, and they didn't think that my desire to do some alternative service as a conscientious objector — they just decided arbitrarily that I wasn't serious. Q. -You mean that conscientious objection today is no longer a valid excuse? On religious grounds? A.—It is if you are prepared to fight with the structure. I have a friend who did it and it took him two years to get his CO classification. He never did *_*t it completely because lie was involved in a lot of college politics, and he had a beard, he led a funny kind of a life. Q.—He wasn't really a member of society in good standing as far as the little old ladies were concerned? A.—Right. Q.—Were these women squares in your terms? Did they have Mr. Raymond Courtney United States Consul General 1030 West Georgia Vancouver, B.C. October 2,1967 Dear Sir: For the December issue, The Labour Statesman plans to publish an interview between myself and an American draft evader now living in Canada. The young man I interviewed transcends the reasons for his evading the draft by indicting American society as a whole. He makes the point that for him and many other young Americans life in the United States today has become unbearable and undesirable. T feel that the questions and objections he raises warrant a reply from a representative of the United States Government. May I request an interview with you or a person of your,choice at your earliest convenience, preferably before October .5. I am looking forward to a positive reply because I feel that The Labour Statesman in all fairness should carry both points of view. Sincerely, J. J. HESSE Editor. ( P.S.: For your information I enclose a current issue of The Labour Statesman. Mr. J. J. Hesse, Editor Labour Statesman 517 East Broadway Vancouver 10, B.C. -October-4,. .96. Dear Sir! .. In reply to your letter of October 2, 1967, it will not be possible for a representative of this office to give you the interview which you request. Very truly yours, RAYMOND F_ COURTNEY United States Consul General. any kind of knowledge of what rnotivateefyduT"" . A.—No, nor do I think did they have any real knowledge of the situation as a whole, what conscientious objection in the world was all about, and what was happening and what the war (in Vietnam) was all about, whereas the San Francisco and Los Angeles draft boards represented a better cross section of people working, although they are part of the structure. Q.—To our Way of thinking Southern California has a taste of religious fanaticism. ______ A.—Of course at the same time it has the avant garde voice, i There are both sides. I would have much rather been affiliated with the draft boards on the west coast, I think I could have become a CO because then the United States was the place where I. wanted to live — the people__were Beautiful and the country was beautiful. I don't feel the same way now. It took me probably six or seven months here before I could see the States clearly. All the things that really turn my stomach now that I look back. I don't want to go back now. Q. Let's say tomorrow there's an amnesty, you can go back and you won't be drafted. A.—If I could live — I don't think I could really be true to the country. There's a whole different attitude toward nationalism (in Canada), it's a calmer thing, a more realistic thing. I can feel more nationalistic about Canada because it's a bigger place, there's more room in many ways to be more outspoken. I think the U.S. mentality is becoming staid, very conservative, and I think there's going to be some sort of a revolution because the politics and the structure are going into different directions than to create a thought, the avant garde thought. Q— But all the s a me, you didn't want to be part of that revolution. A.—I might want to be a revolutionary in the States, I think I might be able to do that for the sheer excitement and because there are a lot of people that believe in the things I believe in. But I much prefer to that to be really free. There are a*Tot of vkids that are coming up and they are not doing it the right way, because they don't know anything about it and they're not ready to make this big jump, you know, because in a sense you are giving up your American citizenship. You can't go. back. Maybe some day, but the chances are pretty good that "~f"Tvon't be allowed to go back. So these kids get stuck up here and they have no money and' they can't work, legally. They will probably get into some kind of a situation where they have to do things dishonestly. Work dishonestly, change their identity, Q.—Has evading the draft altered your whole life?..*—. A.—It acted as a catalyst. It certainly accelerated my desires to be an anarchist, to set up my own set of values, to remove myself from this mainstream. Q-—When you say you are an anarchist, what do you mean? A.—It's almost a. passive approach. I think I could be spurred to a positive and active kind of anarchism but it doesn't interest me now. I don't feel now I have to identify with a .national cause. I'm basically He's lucky — no draft for him here. THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 looking fur •_. relaxed- klud'uf freedom. Q.—You've opted for individualism then, for a vanishing breed of^ma.n? Do you think you can afford staying out of society in this day and age? A.—J think I have settled down a little. I'm not quite as anxious to have everything my way, and if I find that I can't travel with a beard and long hair I will make adjustments. Q.—In other words, there's an element of pragmatism in your philosophy? A.—Yes. I found I couldn't do it the other way. I don't want to leave again like I left the United States. I don't want to cut myself out of society. I'm a craftsman and I think I'll make my living that way. On perhaps I'll teach. Q.—Your plans are _o travel now? A.—My plan is to go around the,world. I can make the trip vA without stopping and- working. I want to have a taste of other men's lives and live many different ways. I believe in a tribal way of life as opposed to a great society. I don't know how practical it is now. Q.—Do you consider yourself a hippie? A.—I consider myself a bohe- mian or else just a, a — Q.—A happy wanderer? A.—Yes, that's nice. Q.—I detect an element of romanticism in what you say: A.—You're very observant. Q.—There's so little of that .nowadays, it's all business. ___A_r_!_his long breaking-in period, where you're exposed to the Great American Myth — ' it's there, you feel it in the colleges. People want to be free. But they don't have a real idea how_.these freedoms can be gotten. It's easy to live in the States, In California, it's easy to eat. You want to lj£ entertained, you.„want to,,. hav_"irear and until you get away from it it's hard to know that you can have other things that, will give you the same feelings. I think it's all over in the United States, but I don't think there's as clear an idea of what can. be done as in Canada. It's hard, though, for them (the young people) to be really free because their parents and all their friends and aU the people around them, and their school, and the mass media, all say the -same tilings, yuu kuuw: HUI. V.'. bit of the plenty that's there. When they come up here they're arrogant and self-satisfied and they don't really know what it's like to have really little, close to having nothing. Q.—What does your father do in the United States? A.—He's very conservative, he's building his empire. Q.—Is he a businessman? A.—Yes, he's got a mail order factory and he has investments, and his financial position is that he doesn't have to work. It's J)ejen given to him. It's so typical of American businessmen, whatever they're doing it's been passed on to them. Q.—How did your father react when you said you were fed up in general. A.—He was horrified, as he was every time I've taken a move in any direction on my own. He said he wouldn't help mc in any way, that I was strictly on my own. He is really of the past, very representative of this passive attitude. Q.—Do you bear a grudge against your father? A.—No, not any more, I've been all through that. I don't think my father knows me. He's really shocked because my younger brother, he's 15, is doing the same. He's influenced by all the hypocrisy around him, by the lies that are told. My father's an integral part of that structure. Q.—This syndrome of b e i nj. fed up with middle - class society and its aims, you're just one exponent of this thinking. Do you think the war in Vietnam helps this movement away from home? Or would it have happened without Vietnam? A.—I think that the war In Vietnam, another country's war, is a real motivating factor that's gotten a lot of kids off their behinds. It's forced them to make "some kind of^*-7 choice. Their Ideology (in the U.S.), their fre<? enterprfop system. are in California, and we're happy and free and we're light- hearted. Still, if you ask somebody: Do you believe in the war in Vietnam they say, well no, and you say, would you give up your citizenship and go away to another country, they say: Well, there are other ways to do it. Everybody wants a little it's so abstract now. It's a war but it doesn't really involve us. It's a'war of ideals and values. The most unfortunate part is that the people (fighting it) are pawns, are not directly involved in the ideologies except insofar as they have it drumme'd into them. Some sort of revolution is inevitable in the United States. Bickering Among Unions: Didn't Alter Social Order' WALTER YOUNG Reviews No Power Greater If, as Paul Phillips argues, "The labour movement is a social movement dedicated to changing the prevailing social ..order to jrnprove the lot of its members" then it has, on balance, been a_ failure of some magnitude. Its history, as exhaustively presented in the chapters of this book, seems to indicate that while organized labour did clearly improve tBe lot of its members—and a great many non- members as well — it did not significantly alter the social order. It is sti!l pretty much what it was 50 years ago. There are more souls numbered among the middle 'classes and that's because labour has done its job. UNIONS FAILED What the history of labour in British Columbia shows is that the unions failed to alter the social order — if that was their function — and that when they made any concerted attempts to do so, they fell to bickering among themselves. The. story of labour's relationship with the many fissiparous socialist and reform parties in British Columbia is one of discord and rancour. While all could agree that there should be an eight-hour day and better working conditions and wages, there was little real unanimity on the reconstruction of society. And when relative prosperity had been achieved there was no real anxiety to change society. What there was burned in the breasts of the leaders but not the rank and file. STRENGTH GREW The figui_s Dr. Phillips presents in his book show that the numerical strength of organized labour in B.C.* grew with prosperity — as he points out on page 161 quoting Professor Hobsbawn, labours' growth corresponds with periods of prosperity — which suggests that better wages is the basic purpose, of the labour movement. The politically conscious and, usually, politically active leaders of the unions often make political demands but these are seldom shared by the union -members. Voting statistics bear this' out. WON'T QUIBBLE . It is not my intention to quibble with Paul Phillips over a point which Is, after all, at the very end of his book. But it is, I suggest, important that we do not delude ourselves about the nature of the trade union movement In this province. The bulk of this history — and I use the word bulk deliberately for, the amount of factual data in the book is remarkable and a tribute to the author's thoroughness — concerns the" pre-war period. Obviously, for the material is more available and the principle actors are either dead or less concerned about their future in the union movement than those still active. The period portrayed is one of violence and bitter struggle, within the unions and between the unions on one side, and busi- So What's New? PAUL PHILLIPS The Dosco steel plant in Nova Scotia is to be closed down by the parent company, Hawker-Siddeley of Great Britain. Despite the great fracas that has resulted, why should anyone be surprised? The move had been predicted by NDP members of Parliament for a long time. The NDP wanted the government to diversify the economy of the region to prepare for the eventuality of Dosco's closure. But buoyed up by the bland assurances of the company, the government took no action. In fact, in its own way, the government encouraged Dosco to close the Sidney steel plant. * • • For some time, particularly during the past year, Mr. Sharp, .the minister of finance, Mr. Winters, the minister of trade and commerce, and the Economic Council of Canada have lost no opportunity to exhort Canadian business and industry to rationalize, specialize, and improve jsroductivity if necessary by. closing inefficient plants. Then why. not Dosco? Because it is not politically expedient for the Liberals and Conservatives to practice the principles they preach. What has the government done about the layoff of CNR railroad men, of B.C. ship builders? Very little, because the crisis is not so readily apparent. * * * No one, should be surprised when private industry acts in its own self interest for maximizing profits without consideration for the workers or the public. After all, this is the creed of capitalism that both the Liberals and Conservatives adhere to. If we want to change the rules of the game then we must change the people who make the rules. So why blame Dosco? It is not responsible for the economic welfare of the community under the private enterprise system. * * • At a royal commission hearing in B.C. in 1903 the owner of the Vancouver Island coal empire, Dunsmuir, was asked what responsibility he had for the welfare of his workerss and of the Island communities. He said, "absolutely none." It was the trade unions and the labour party that forced the employer to accept some social responsibility. Dosco is just one example of how little progress has been made. ness and the government on the : other. With gr^at patience and economy, Dr. Phillips threads his way through the labyrinth of inter-union and inter-party coalition, divisions and creations. It is to his credit that he manages this task in one volume without losing the reader in a sea of initials. DEDICATED MEN . What emerges is a picture of tough. and dedicated men who were prepared Jo risk their lives, to say nothing of their livelihood, to organize, publicize and at times, terrorize, in order J to win for the employee a power in the operation of the market. In doing so they fought the market system itself through their political activities and in their pamphlets and newspapers such as The Federationist and The Clarion. Scratch a union leader and you found a socialist or a communist _a_ '*) MARKET PLACE | In the end they won that place -. in the market but they did not manage to do away with the market system itself. These men were democrats, not revolutionaries. The persistence of the influence of the British parliamentary tradition in which most were raised precluded armed ' intervention; only the companies were allowed that. And so government is still on the side of business, and labour still fights for better wages and r"' "At Christmas play & make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year... *■*■ Greeting* & Pest misfyti for tiie J^eto gear from YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDING THESE BENEFITS * DENTAL PLANS * MEDICAL PLANS * WEEKLY INDEMNITY * EXTENDED HEALTH CARE HEALTH SERVICES SOCIETY "Welfare Plan Services At Cost" 96 East Broadway Vancouver 10, B.C. . . ' WALTER YOUNG working conditions — ..the. only difference is that the* battle is much more sophisticated and genteel. BOOK NOTEWORTHY Paul Phillips' book is a note- -WSKtfey^ contribution to the history of trade unionism in B.C. — and in Canada — and as such an eminently successful centennial project providing, as it were, the other side of the story of the growth of this nation. This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government ot British Columbia. .witha beer , this popular. THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, T967 ..'■ .» y- ..'.?■ ____■ w ._*__ ^_ •. An Open Letter to Teen-agers Dear Teen-ager: You were sitting next to me when I went to see Richard Lester's film How I Won the War. You were drinking pop ... and eating popcorn, . both activities accompanied by noises reminiscent of those emanating from a pigsty. But that didn't faze me. What irked me beyond measure was what I would describe as your callous reaction to the film—-yours and that of most other teen-agers in the audience. But before I tan your hide let me explain to you what leads me to write you'this letter. I have sat among your kind many times, and when the subject matter of a film is a trite story, your rude V comments (while not necessarily appreciated by myself and other adult squares) do <^__ not disturb me. I can even condone wolf whistles whenever the heroine on screen is sultry and seductive. * * * I do, however, object strenuously when I hear your kind emitting wolf whistles during the showing of How I Won the War, and I'm thinking of the scene of a battlefield with dead soldiers strewn around while a German officer takes pin-up photographs of a female camp follower. Your whistle proves to me that you haven't understood the message,,of this scene—nay, of t__e''''e__r_-'e'•'■•'■ film. '^ How I won the War has been described by critics as the anti-war film to end all anti-war films. I agree. No film on war could possibly be more direct and to the point. It shows the irony of being a soldier; of dying for "democracy;" of having to obey a fatuous officer corps; and the degradation of human values to the cloakal level. . * * * .'■" You," dear teen-ager, you and your friends obviously didn't understand what Lester's film was about. I suspect you came to be entertained by the spectacle of people fighting and dying, by battle action. You came to see something like The Dirty Dozen which was to me the dirtiest pro-war film made in recent years. And you were disappointed in How I Won the War. This film was an intelligent parody on war, and its meaning for yourself, for your generation, escaped you. This is not Lester's (the director's) fault. This is not your fault either, because your atv* titude only reflects that of. your parents, of your environment, of your fellow teen-agers, of your whole society in which you live and which imposes its credos on -your malleable mind. * * * Your parents, my generation (I am 43 years old), are at fault here. They have not been able .to instill in you a m e a s ur e of independent thinking. They have not equipped you with the tools of individual criticism of their own yardsticks. They have failed to send you on yoUr way in life with a respect for life, for decency and for mercy. As a result of your parents' neglect you are crude, callous and snide. I wish' I could .wing myself to detest you for what you .did in that Weftr-on that November Sunday afternoon in Vancouver. But I detest only what you did to Lester's brilliant and disturbing film. You yourself are innocent of the crime of dispassion. I look to our "adult" society for the direction my disgust must take. You ar„e a victim. We are the perpetrators of the guilt. • "it ■ " * When the film ended," one in your crowd shouted at the top of his voice: "This is a sick film." He was right and he was wrong. It is a film about a sick society, and this is what This girl attended a recent meeting in which freedom of the press was demanded in the wake of Mayor Campbell's (of Vancouver) suspension of the hippie newspaper, Georgia Straight your teen-age friend didn't understand. For a minute I had the feeling that Hpw 1 Won the War had managed to break down the barrier your parents have built up in your minds. But when you left the theatre, I heard you condemning the film as nutty and stupid. You thought it was a waste of money. I thought sadly that all the Lesters in this world— all the people who want to show us the futility of any war — cannot succeed faced with such audiences. Dear Teen-ager: I pity you, but your parents make me sick. JURGEN HESSE Editor The Labour Statesman. YOUR FREEDOM IN JEOPARDY! The Memorial Society of B.C. (a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing low cost funerals for members) has reason to believe that an attack is being mounted on your individual rights to choose your own funeral arrangements. . _ A Private Member's Bill (an Act respecting Embalmers and Funeral Directors) is about to be introduced into the B.C. Legislature in Victoria. This Bill represents a second attempt (the first having been defeated) by the funeral directors of B.C. to protect their interests in current high cost funerals, by establishing a "Board" that would control and regulate the undertaking business in all its aspects. Though claimed to be in the interests of "professionalism" and evincing the most touching concern for the alleged protection of the "public interest" which is of course already fully protected by excellent Provincial Government regulations and health laws, the real purpose of the Bill appears to the Society to isolate and ultimately drive out of business the Memorial Society of B.C., which, with a membership nearing 16,000, has proved that it is fulfilling a genuine need. ff Is Your Freedom to Choose Your Own Funeral Arrangements That Is Being Menaced. You Can Help By ... (1) WRITING TO YOUR M.L.A. IN VICTORIA (2) WRITING TO THE NEWSPAPERS (3) STRENGTHENING THE MEMORIAL SOCIETY BY JOINING NOW LITERATURE ON REQUEST Freedom is Easily Lost, and Once lost is Hard to Regain Published by THE MEMORIAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 735 Delbrook, North Vancouver, B.C. '4 "v Tel.: 995-3322 10 THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 A Frightening Mirror of Mindless Society ENDrCCTr^O^SONBY The most important new television series, in my opinion, is PaWck McGoohan's The Prisoner, which ended after a run of 13 weeks. If anybody had thought, from the title, that this series would be something in the vein of that long-running series, Tlie Fugitive, he was pleasantly surprised at the difference in concept and quality. Whereas The Fugitive was nothing but a single plot (underdog man wrongly accused and pursued by society's long arm of the law). The Prisoner is much more. • * * The Prisoner is many things. It is good, solid and entertaining drama. But so are other series or one-shot programs, particularly on the CBC network. The Prisoner is more, a mirror of our society and; the direction in which this society is likely to go — conformity at the cost of individual freedom. Patrick McGoohan, who is both executive producer of the show and its main protagonist, is the hero whose mind refuses to give under the pressure of the village. The people of this village are living automatons, they obey the wishes and commands as issued by Number Two. * * * The very fact that Number Two is someone different every week is in. itself the key to the villagers' conformity. Number Two not only represents authority, he is authority. It is not the man who rules, it is the post of Number Two that holds the key. to the village's mystery. Patrick McGoohan as the erstwhile secret agent — who resigned in a list-banging tantrum — refuses to be brainwashed, refuses to divulge the reason why he, the former secret agent, resigned. It is this role of ex-agent that constitutes the weak element in this series. I would have preferred as the hero a man who was kidnapped for no apparent reason, a man of average intelligence. * • • Were this the case, The Prisoner would be a valid document of our times. But even as it is, The Prisoner is a frightening mirror of the mindless society. McGoohan and the inventor of the series have done some serious reading. They know their Franz Kafka (The Trial) whose anti-hero Josef K. is accused of an. unspecified crime by faceless individuals; they have adapted their series tq.tlie world of George Orwell (Animal Farm, 1984) whose hero "Winston Smith in 1984 refuses to conform and breaks down at last when confronted with a cage containing hungry .rats that would eat out his eyeballs; they have finally brought ^fd6us*'Tf_iM_ley's Brave New World into the chilling reality of today's and tomorrow's technology — a world run by technocrats, • • * Quite apart from its terrifying message, The Prisoner is written brilliantly, directed superbly, and acted convincingly by an array of the finest British actors. The weekly game — McGoohan, in order to survive the village's conformity, must destroy every new Number Two — is a deadly affair. One false move by the prisoner, and he (and that means us) will lose his mind, his free will, his power to protest. It is a super-human task. Only at the end of this series were we told the outcome. The Prisoner, being a television series and not a book, did not end in the defeat of the village's system and in the victory of the prisoner. The prisoner was made to succumb to the village — the only logical conclusion. The village is the world. For the first time in television's history has a drama series managed to compress the world's ills into a new format. The Prisoner bears the message our own Marshall McLuhan has been trumpeting around: the world is a global village. There is no escape for anyone, unless we, the people, rise and smash the machines that empower an amorphous, evil system to triumph over mind and matter. Perhaps we are closer to become amorphous villagers than we think. _5 eadon 5 Ljreetinas a Ljooa l/l/idned for a briaht and Secure I lew Vlear from INSURANCE SERVICES CO-OPERATIVE LIFE INSURANCE CO-OPERATIVE FIRE AND CASUALTY 96 East Broadway, Vancouver 10 - TR. 2-7454 With other office, _it CHILLIWACK, DAWSON CREEK, DUNCAN, LANGLEY, MISSION, PORT ALBERNI. PRINCE GEORGE. PRINCE RUPERT, TERRACE, VICTORIA, CAMPBELL RIVER and PARKSVILLE. Tm ~* World Affairs: Missiles Like Slugs DOROTHY STEEVES It was sad to see that the most prideful exhibits in the great Moscow parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of the revolution were great war missiles — liketgfigaatic, loathsome slugs — passing before Lenin's—temb. They showed, of course, that in— this short period Russia had grown from an illiterate, poverty-stricken, peasant nation into the second most powerful technological nation in the world. It is unlikely that any capitalist nation could have done the same. '___. _ One would have liked to have seen ballet dancers, children's choirs, happy farm and factory workers. Perhaps they were there. __ CLASS SYSTEM We cannot Ignore the great advances made possible through the revolution — technical, social and educational. Of course, there is still a class system. As James Burnham predicted for the technological society, the managerial class and intellectuals are the elite, but at least everyone has a chance for education according to ability, including the child from the Far East or the collective farm. Those who have been in Russia know that the children are the most privileged and the least inhibited in-the world. We wish the Russian people well — freedom from war and persecution, internal and external. NAZI REVIVAL Close on the heels of Jthe rightwing military coup in Greece comes a modest electoral success of the new-style West German fascist movement, the NPD under Adolf von Thad- den. Its similarity to Hitler's party Is startling. Dismissed by many as a flash in the pan, its membership is mushrooming, and the party has elected 48 representatives in state parliaments. The membership is both bourgeois and working-class; people who are tired of hearing their fatherland blamed for,, the wars and want German frontiers extended to the status of 1937, embracing the Sudetenland and Austria. It sounds horribly familiar. ! While in West Germany the .Communist1 Party is outlawed and people are jailed for belonging to it, the NPD enjoys full legality and is expected to make gains in the next Bundestag election. WHAT'S AHEAD? The fruits of freedom from British colonialism are bloodstained in Nigeria. This huge land contains many tribes. The rebellion of the Biafrans against the federal authority of Lagos is growing. This tragedy — thousands of Biafrans are killed or put into concentration camps — is the result of the years of colonialism during which Britain failed to resolve the tribal and religious divisions. ^_The Organization for African ~J Unity has made efforts to solve this question but has given up. Biafra has chosen "separatism," but has met determined opposition from the centralizing authority in Lagos. It is interesting .hat Conor Cruise O'Brien, who knows Africa well, thinks the Biafrans should be given independence. ° For a nascent African nation the cost ot the civil war has ■ boon staggering; and Hie *irormgr~ export income on which Nigeria counts for development of her huge scattered areas has been severely cut. Although the Nigerian government has divided 'the country into 12 states, hoping to solve tribal problems, the Biafran Ibo's will not give up. These legacies of tribalism may well plague other former African colonies. SMITH'S UDI X In. Rhodesia the white rebels are, outnumbered by the blacks by 118 to 1. Hew long can this anomalous condition continue? It is novi^ known that white South Africans have infiltrated Rhodesia to fight African guerillas, some of whom also come from outside. Dr. Kaunda, the moderate president of independent Zambia, has been warned by South Africa not to allow African guerillas fighter's to cross into Rhodesia, and attached was the threat of viplent'.reprisals. Zambia is in a tough position, as she haj" to get all her supplies by Jibuti. African and Rhodeslan railways. In the long run the odds are ' against Ian Smith, but how much blood must be shed before decency and democracy can prevail? In the British House of Commons a number of Labour MPs have petitioned the-gov- ernment to apply sterner sanctions, but there is little hope that these will be carried out due to Britain's current position of economic woe. Africans must rely upon themselves, but it may be a long, hard fight. Split personality — On a warm Indian summer day in downtown Vancouver, the photographer caught this girl taking a literary rest, oblivious to the stares of passers-by. S £** f ______ — ■—, . £ Besf Wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and * | United New Year from INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF PULP, SULPHITE AND PAPER MILL WORKERS _k_a_ft»*-.»lKft-._ft_ft_-ft^ I )Sieicvl(tgtct.tCtC.«._-.-««...-..«-«..-..«...-.««««...« "SEASON'S GREETINGS" from the Building Service Employees Union (Local 244) ED DETINA, President S JACK HENDERSON, Vice-President y THOMAS B. HYDE, Business Representative * VIC GAILBRAITH, Business Representative S BEN A. R. MORLEY, Secretary and Business Manager '§ 359 Homer Street Vancouver 3, B.C. Telephone 685-5251 m &»»x**»»*st»*ft»3.2.3;aaa2ia»»&s*»a»»»»»***3j*a»»**a;3.._. --.._•<--.«.•«•€.-...-.*<•«•«..l*«^ Bakery & Confectionery Workers Local468 £ka_.on'£ Greeting* _MaaiMaaa---i_a__»i_'-^ »*_.***»***»**»**»***»»»»*»**_*»»__**.'<_____ | SEASON'S GREETINGS from | GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (B.C.) I ■ I*******************-***************************** X-THE COMPLIMENTS Of THE SEASON |- I INTERNATIONAL UNION OF AMERICA * s * LOCAL 69 ..««...._..«._..*«-...._....-.^ .-..«_-.«-...«.- So What's New? PAUL PHILLIPS The demonstrations of opponents to the war in Vietnam and their brutal dispersal by club wielding police and military personnel has raised a moral question that must surely be in the minds of marty North AmericaLDSL.as.lhe. war debate-aad-the- iise of hon violent ahd even violent forms of protest continue. People" in the United States and in other countries aYe being fined or'thrown in jail because they refuse to accept the orders of their governments,._What about the American who refuses to be drafted? He must either go to jail, escape to Canada, or give in. Should "we in Canada accept all draft evaders? At the same time that the government of the United States is jailing people who refuse to abide by the decisions of the government, West Germany, with the active aid and encouragement of the same United States government, is jailing people who did not refuse to abide by the decisions of the German government 25 years ago. Why is it wrong to refuse to kill today when it was wrong not to refuse to kill 25 years ago? it- ~* -k Many experts have claimed that if the German people had. resorted to civil disobedience, protests and violent demonstrations in the early 1930s Hitler would never have been able to rise to power and the world'would have been spared the horror of another world war. Who is to say that, if the American people don't protest the.Vietnam struggle, we might again suffer the ravages of war? If the United States loses in Vietnam should Dean Rusk, President Johnson, General Westmoreland and other American leaders be executed as we executed or punished—after the second world war — the German leaders who just followed orders? • -. **"- * The United States was strongly criticized after the second world war for not accepting political refugees from Germany before the war. It was inhumane, it has been said, to refuse political asylum to these opponents of the German government. Is it not equally inhumane to refuse to accept American government opponents and not grant them asylum in Canada. These are not new questions, but they are as pertinent today as they were 30 or 40 years ago. •«i«i<i««i€i<:tet«u:_t-s!.ie-si«i«i<tci-ic«.w«wi-««i-«««««ie'«ie«'<'-i«i-«'e'e'<«'a S If If il !' I j| . . . to all Trade Unionists and their families and may j! tbe New Year carry us all forward to a United Trade 1 Union Movement. QTfje $eagon'* Greeting* __ __ __ y __ y * Amalgamated Transit Union Division 101 _ _ _ _ _ I I CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR GREETINGS from The Office and Technical Employees Union Loc. 378 Representing Office and Technical Employees of: INTERNATIONAL POWER & ENGINEERING THE B.C. HYDRO & POWER AUTHORITY CONSULTANTS LTD. INLAND NATURAL GAS CO. LTD. '7 and ALL OFFICE & TECHNICAL EMPLOYEES ON THE BRITISH COLUMBIA DAM PROJECTS "*; RtbNE BONE, President BILL SWANSON, Bus. Manager 116 Hornby St, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone 683-6604 *>ii.l.»_K**3la*a.a*-.a*K**aa****3'*******a>'aa3;:*,:'1*3l*Si3!3'Sk 1 _ 1 _ _ X A A i _ | I f _ _ i _ i «-iie!c«««!e«ie!€«'fi!-«!6>s!e!g!e«iei X Christmas Greetings £ n from the Officers fi and. Members af ■ % «/%««%«%««««!.«_.«««!-%%_ i y y I: Christmas Greetings fo All from BARBERS —IV- « | _ I (not forgetting a Happy New Year!) "" . from the DISTILLERY RECTIFYING & WINE WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF AMERICA New Westminster VANCOUVER I 3 TYPOGRAPHICAL I s I ? y UNIOI., LOCAL 226 * L I **Si3>*»**!«l»*3s3i»*_»S3>__ THE LABOUR-STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 w_:mATToT*rar JOURNEYMEN OF AMERICA LOCAL 120 .1 R3l3i3!3il.%3)_.%3)3)»3)»3l3)9)%S)3t% VI ■ I. nion News From: .G -Quebec ntario So-SorryL actively in the strike and demonstrations,, and a majority of i About That TORONTO (CPA) — Friday, Oct. 13, was a bad day for Wally Higgins, president of Local 79, Canadian Union of Public Employees. That was the day the union presented its contract revision demands for a small section of its membership, the 65 employees of the Metropolitan Toronto Licensing Commission. There was one small omission — any mention of a pay increase. "I'm sick," was Mr. Higgins' astonished comment when he learned of the omission, several days after the deadline for presenting any further demands. Local 79, representing 5,054 Metro Toronto and eity of Tor-' onto "inside" werkersr-is-one-of 24 CUPE 4ocals bargaining simultaneously for 14,000 area municipal workers. The contract demands for the Metro Licensing Commission.,em'ployees was supposed to include a request for a 24 per cent pay increase that is being asked by most of the groups. Legally, Local 79 could not ■put on the table any further contract change requests after Oct. 15. However, it was believed the pay increase issue would still be part of the bargaining for the licensing commission employees. Students Strike And Win MONTREAL (CPA) — Students at Sir George Williams University won a louder voice in the administration of their school after a one-day strike here. The decision to call the walkout was made by the executive committee of the Students' Association following the breakdown of negotiations with university officials over the spending of profits earned by the schools bookstore. The. store is reported to make about $90,000 in profits every year. The university has always used the money to promote and sponsor athletics. The students felt the money could be spent in much better ways and also thought that since they are the ones who buy the books they should have some of the respon- L. sibility for the spending of "profits. The university administration disagreed and so the students called their strike. After the walkout the administration agreed to compromise with the students and decided to give them somewhat of a voice in the government of the university. About 1,000 of the school's 5,200 day students participated the professors cancelled their classes in sympathy. To Seek Seat KAMLOOPS — Brother Ferguson of Local 900, Canadian! Union of Public Employees, has been nominated candidate for a seat on the Kamloops school board. He recently received the endorsement of the Kamloops and District Labour Council. In other news, Mrs. Mclnnes has resigned as secretary-treasurer of the labour council. Supports College NEW WESTMINSTER -=THeT New Westminster and District Labour Council "has voted to again support the Labour College of Canada and has donated $25 to the college. Bargaining Starts EDMONTON — The Upholsterers International Union has started bargaining with the Canadian Bedding Co. The Union was recently successful in organizing the 225 employees of the firm after numerous attempts during the past 20 years had failed. The union won certification in a government supervised vote by defeating the existing company union with a 2-to- 1 margin. New CLC Rep EDMONTON — Jim Shew- chuk, president of the Edmonton and District Labour Council, has been appointed represent tive of the Canadian Labour Congress for South Alberta effective Nov. 1. Steelworkers Pick Team KITIMAT —A very good turn out at the monthly membership meeting of Local 5115, USWA, elected the committee to ne-. gotiate their 1968 agreement. Negotiations will start early in the new year. Elected by the membership to serve with Roy Simmonds. president oi Local 5115, were George Linton, Russ Hoover, Ed Scaife, Willi Frisse, Bill Penner and Bob Dunlop. Ask to Affiliate VICTORIA — The Marine Branch of the Government Employees, which represents unlicensed employees of the B.C. government ferry system, has applied for affiliation with the Victoria Labour Council. <" i LONDON DRUGS OPTICAL DEPT. 2 LOCATIONS ONIY 677 GRANVILLE 675 COLUMBIA Opposite the Boy Of p. Army*- Navy 681.6174 LA 1-0751 . Vl""*!«'. N°w-W"ti?__'"*r • Optn dally t a.m. • Op.n Friday! fa - p.m. 'HI' f p.m. • 32-Hour Week is Here TORONTO (CPA) —■ Maybe some other group of skilled workers has it, but it seems the photo-engravers union-has broken new ground in starting on the four and a half-day, 32-hour week. In this city, Local 35-P of the Toronto Photo-Engravers Union started a 32-hour week in its Commercial Gravure Division on Nov. 1, according to the local's secretary-treasurer L. J. Young. The 32-hour week consists of four 7-hour days Monday through Thursday and four hours on Friday. The night shift does even better. This shift works just 30% hours — four nights for a total of 27 hours and Friday night for 3% hours. The contract also called for a wage increase on Nov. land no loss in take-home pay. The minimum weekly wage rate for day- journeymen is $174 for the 32-hour week, and $200 for the night shift for 30% hours. Mr. Young believes that Local 35-P's settlement is a breakthrough in both Canada and the United States. October 1964. This means that 59,000 more Canadians are out _ of work than a year a_fdY~and lay-offs continue to be Announced, f "Mr. Sharp's emphasis on the government's borrowing position seems to imply that this is the reason for a high tax policy, without regard to other factors. 'There are indications of history repeating itself. We are seeing a repetition of 1958 when a slack developed at the same time" prices were rising. There are now serious danger signs indicating an economic downturn.' This is certainly not the' time for action to further slow the economy." 'Outlaw Scabs' ST. CATHARINES (CPA)— Use of professional strikebreakers should be outlawed, the Ontario-Quebec Conference of the International Typographical Union has resolved in convention here. A resolution seeking anti- strikebreaker legislation law was unanimously endorsed at the 113th annual meeting of the conference. It is generally conceded that the use of professional strikebreakers from the U.S. helped the publishers of the three Toronto daily newspapers hand the ITU a stinging rebuke in the now three-year-old strike. The ITU states in its motion that strife was,not a factor on picket lines until strikebreakers appeared, and this gave employers the opportunity to obtain an injunction against the use of pickets. Therefore, the printing delegates held, if employment of strikebreakers was illegal, there would be no violence and a strike would be strictly an economic battle between two sides. Election Expense KELOWNA — The Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and District Labour Council has Voted to spend up to $300 in the forthcoming civic election. Government Sacrifices , Employment Donald MacDonald, acting president of the Canadian Labour Congress, said recently: "It appears that once again the government is prepared to^sacrifice the goal of full employment. Mr. Sharp's announcement of a tax increase comes just when unemployment has soared to a seasonally adjusted figure of 4.7 per cent — the highest since Steelworkers, -^t, not Autoworkers It was not the United Auto Workers who achieved the privileges of "white collar" status for the workers at Aluminum Co. of Canada in Kingston but the United Steelworkers of America. In an artcle headed Time Paid for Doctor on page 14 of last month's Labour Statesman the implication was that the UAW had achieved the historic accomplishment. The article had been reprinted from The Globe and Mail in Toronto. The Labour Statesman is happy to give full credit for this pioneering achievement where it belongs — to the Steelworkers. — ■ . THE GOVHNMMT Of TNI MOVINCI OF BRITISH COtUMBU _3_?aJon 3 LjreetL 9* 12 THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 The British Columbia Department of Labour is pleased to have this opportunity to wish the working men and women of the Province a Joyous Christmas. During this Season, when most of us are able to take a brief and well-deserved respite from our toils, it is good to reflect that much of the prosperity we enjoy today is due to the talents and acquired skills of the work force. The Department of Labour, which bears much of the responsibility for manpower training as well as for the general well-being of the labour force, expresses its sincere thanks for the cooperation that has made our high standards possible. ^ BRITISH COLUMBIA - DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR L. R.♦Peterson, Minister of Labour W. H. Sands, Deputy Minister of Labour. ■"' ^\. Arab and Israel) Workers Are Still Worlds Apart ZEEV BARASCH NEW YORK — Of the many developments in Israel as the result of the fighting last June, perhaps one of the most challenging is the question of the Arab workers in East Jerusalem who now find themselves for the first time within the purview of a meaningful and effective labour movement. Histadrut at once took measures to deal with their problems, both as a matter of immediate urgency and as a long-range process. I should like to confine" myself to the first category, which found,...concrete expression in two steps: a training seminar for Arab labour representatives and the opening of the Histadrut branch in East Jerusalem. DIVIDED CITY The reunification, in the wake of the June fighting, of the artificially divided city (and population) ol. Jerusalem brought iiitb sharp relief the contrast in the labour conditions in which workers on both sides of the barrier had lived. Working within earshot of each other, the two communities were worlds apart in matters of labour practices, wages, working conditions, standards of living and principles of trade unionism. When Histadrut representatives explored the labour situation in East Jerusalem, immediately upon reunification, they discovered that workers there were subjected to bizarre and obsolete conditions. RUN BY GOVERNMENT To begin with, although a movement labelled "trade unionism" was found to exist in the part of Jerusalem Jordan had overrun in 1948, it was a far cry from the free and independent brand of trade unionism prevalent in Israel and elsewhere in the free world. Jordan had 14 "trade unions." These were government - sponsored, government-controlled, and, in effect, government administered. The country's unions were nominally autonomous, although linked loosely with a "national workers association." Both the independence and effectiveness of the unions were fatally flawed by their subjec tion to government control. To Israeli workers,■'-as to all members of the free world's labour movements, government-controlled unions are on a par with company unions. SIX-DAY WAR After the Six-Day War Histadrut promptly stepped in to survey conditions, take ameliorative steps and plan for the future. Drawing on its decades of experience, Histadrut inaugurated a program to educate and rehabilitate the Arab workers in East Jerusalem. Consultations were initiated with Arab, trade union leaders in East Jerusalem, and the result was Bank Union ..Starts Talks MONTREAL (CPA)—An unusual item will be raised when union and management meet here to discuss the terms of the first labour contract covering the 1,100 employees of the Montreal City and District Savings Bank. The union, an affiliate of the Office and Professional Employees' International Union (CLC), is the first to be certified by the Canada Labour Relations Board to represent work- > ers in the Canadian banking C industry. " The unusual item is a traditional rule about bank clerks having to request, permission to marry from their employer. The union will ask that the rule be scrapped;'' an invitation extended to 3? leading representatives of Arab workers to attend a three-day crash course in modern labour organization at Histadrut's Trade Union College in Tel-Aviv, and was to be followed by a second course for Arab women workers. Opening the sessions, Histadrut Secretary-General Aharon Becker invited the Arab workers to "become part and parcel, of Histadrut within the framework of our trade union, .cultural, social and cooperative activities." Histadrut was eager to raise their standard of living to the level already ■ enjoyed by Israeli's working community, he said. "We come to you as labour friends to work with you, but not to substitute for you." SOLVED PROBLEMS Thr Arab participants, tor whom Histadrut accomplishments were startling revelations, were not slow to speak of their many grievances. Becker explained how Histadrut solved such problems and offered unstinting and unqualified Histadrut help in reaching the desired goals. A month later, Histadrut opened its first branch in East Jerusalem. The plans for immediate action, Becker said, were only the forerunner of a more extensive program, which had as its purpose the complete absorption of the new Arab members via wage equalization, a strong cooperative^ movement, increased employment, f u 11 health services and educational facilities. (Histadrut is tbe General Federation of Labour in Israel). Vietnam Not Holy War Against an Ideology' I have repeatedly stated how wrong it is to regard the war in Vietnam as a kind"oTlioIy"waf"alaTnsf"a'pai^'u-aFTdeblbgyr I have expressed the view that the motivating force on the'part of those' who are being charged with this ideology is really a strong sense of nationalism, a desire to win their national independence and establish their national identity. it is nationalism and not communism that animates the resistance movement in Vietnam against all foreigners and now particularly against Americans. Those Vietnamese who have fought and still fight against foreigners do so to win their national independence. I am convinced that the war cannot be brought to an end until the United States and her allies recognize that it is being fought by the Vietnamese not as a war of communist aggression, but as a war of national independence. It is sometimes argued that those who fight against foreigners in Vietnam constitute a -small minority of the Vietnamese people. History is replete with instances where the freedom .fighters often constituted a minority. The rest of the populace were indifferent to change or preferred the continuation of the status quo. — U Thant, July 30, 1967, at a Quaker conference. A Ray of Hope? For many years, NDP-MLA Alex MacDonald has spoken Otit in favour of compensation for the victims of crime. His formal motion in the provincial House during the past session to create a Criminal Victims Compensation Board was defeated. Liberal leader Ray Perrault has now decided to join the NDP's bandwagon, He has announced he will place a bill before the next session of the House dealing with the same subject. John.Heston asks: Is there a Ray of hope? ■ ( Christmas Greetings from the Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen of North America Local 212 ' New from Park & Tilford PARIS BOOTS ii*i___? ** \M\ el a ■ = irl T- ^^\_SB ■" __________i_____FX Hand-Made for HUNTERS, LOGGERS, CONSTRUCTION MEN, MINERS, SAFETY BOOTS Available from your local retailer, or from PIERRE PARIS & SONS 51 West Hastings Street Vancouver 3. B.C. Family Teamwork in Craftsmanship since 1907 '■. *- . We call it 1840 Reserve You'll call it magnificent It takes an uncommonly good whisky to make a man switch his brand. 1840 Reserve is an uncommonly good whisky. New in name only, 1840 Reserve is a happy blend of two perfectly aged whiskies - a five year old and a twelve year old. The result is an exceptionally light taste. Light but richly rewarding. Try 1840 Reserve. Sfp it slowly. Roll it on your tongue. The odds are you'll agree: new 1840 Reserve is magnificent. CANADIAN PARK & TILFORD DISTILLERIES LTp. 1 This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia. •■ THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 13 'All Canadians Must Help To Support Safe Driving' (Following is * statement by Prime Minister Frtrson). A nation's wellbeing is usually gauged by the amount of security enjoyed by the citizens. One of the major threats to Canada's population is the senseless killing and maiming that continues to take place on the country's highways and streets. The problem is serious and must be solved. However, we cannot, expect any single individual, group or government to accomplish this alone. Total participation by all is needed. From Dec. 1 to 7, the Canadian Highway Safety Council is again sponsoring Safe-Driving Week in an effort to impose on Canada's motorists and pedestrians the fact that they too must do their share. It is my hope that every Canadian with a sense of responsibility will take it upon himself to support the Council in Safe- Driving Week and help free Canada's highways and streets from the stigma of death, vio- HUNTERS lence and crippling injury that has come to charactefrzethem. * * • John Heston says: Prime Minister Pearson would do better to introduce legislation to force automobile manufacturers t o build _cars with every safety gadget that is possible with advanced technical knowhow. This he is not prepared to do. Democracy: Help All A democracy is in duty bound to assist the masses, and even capitalists when they are in trouble; and this it can do only by overloading the old liberal institutions with an ever greater number of tasks. The result everywhere is an increase in areas of power, of a kind and a quantity that no political democracy can possibly control. Thus the so-called sovereigntyof the. .people is more than ever reduced to a fiction. —Thomas the Cynic (From Ignazio Silone's The School of Dictators). .—~s Money Moguls Go On Strike And Gain Extra Purse NE vT,YQRK, N. Y.-A bunch of millionaires went on strike, won major demands and it was hardly noticed, as the press, as usual, gave all of its play to strikes of working people. The strike of the big money moguls was by owners of race horses in New York State. The horse owners Went on strike against refusal of the state to enact a bill raising the^pu__es at* race tracks. They closed down Aqueduct Race Track for five days by refusing to let their horses run. The five-day strike cost New York about $1.7 million in lost taxes. This assault on the "public interest" didn't find the government issuing injunctions, or publicly blasting "inflationary trends" that meeting the horse owners' demands would involve. Instead they quickly came to terms with the barons of the aptly named "sport of kings." The settlement was a cool $3.5 million a year in extra purse money for the horsey set. i Building Trades Told ■■_ - *r Organize Factories! DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR DEER, MOOSE OR ELK HIDES. BRING THEM TO US AND EXCHANGE FOR GLOVES. BROADWAY PRINTERS LIMITED printers and lithographers since 1911 Vulliamy & Browned CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Phone RE. 8-3233 2205 Fir Street Vancouver, B.C. SARNIA CCPA*-.... The build.- ing trades unions are going to have to organize factories en- gaged in the manufacture of building components, delegates to the annual conference of the Ontario Building and Construction Trades Council were advised. James Black, co-ordinator ih Canada for the AFL-CIO Building Trades Department, told the conference that factory pre-fab- rication could jeopardize the existence of craft unions, and research on factory methods of producing building components is increasing. INSTAL COMPONENTS He predicted that factory workers would work on building sites to install these components, and no help can be expected from the industrial unions "because they believe we are out of line when we prevent * factory hands from coming onto the job sites now." The federal housing agency, Central. Mortgage and Housing Corporation, has already authorized a study of ways and means of reducing housing costs which would include pre- fabrication, although the study is supposed to be done within the context of the present construction industry. IT'S UNTHINKABLE Mr. Black said it was unthinkable that unions could compel contractors to dis-assemble factory built components for reassembly by craft workers on site. The building trades should take a look at the effects of industrialization on their trades, he said. They must come up with an effective plan to keep control of the industry. "If we don't prepare, our unions will slowly disappear." The conference adopted a resolution, submitted by the Toronto local of the Bricklayers, urging joint negotiations by unions in the construction in- ...d«s_y.-T__-_a» been tried-in negotiations with public bodies like school boarda but not with the construction industry generally. ARE COMPETING Clive Ballentine, representative of Local 2 of the Bricklayers, said that at present unions in the building trades are competing with each other. One union gets a settlement, another must try to exceed that settlement. This snow-balling effect now means that unions in Toronto must go after 60 cents an hour in the first year of a contract just to keep up with Hamilton. "A lot of us are. doing nothing but playing politics on this issue," he said, in support of his local's motion for joint negotiations. — - QUITE FEASIBLE Ballentine thought it was quite feasible for unions like the Bricklayers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Labourers, Rodmen and Hoisting Engineers to get together. "We have to be honest with our rank-and-file," he said. A speaker from the London and District Construction Association warned the delegates that unions were pricing themselves out of the market. Watson gloves 127 EAST 2nd AVENUE VANCOUVER 10 HARRON BROS. LIMITED FUNERAL DIRECTORS "British Columbia's Finest Funeral Service" CHAPEL OF> CHIMES 55 E. 10th Ave. TR. 6-8877 Vancouver ROYAL OAK CHAPEL 5152 Kingsway, Burnaby HE. 1-5577 Madison Avenue On Tap News item conceived by John Heston during sleep: DAK TO, Vietnam — U.S. Air Force fighter bomber pilots have been instructed by General William Westmorelandto be more publicity-conscious when they attack Vietnames villages with napalm (jellied gasoline). As a result, all aircraft have been outfitted with loudspeakers that blare, as napalm is sprayed over men, women and children: "Wouldn't a Dow go good now?" (Ed. note: Dow Chemical produces napalm; the Dow brewery produces beer). II5 EAST 8th AVENUE VANCOUVER 10, B.C. Telephone 876-2101 'THIS IS FOR ME . . . I can't do better than . , pER on my doily balance!" *% ANNUM Thafs true. PLAN 24 is a big fir>t. Never before has interest been calculated on the daily balance of ordinary savings accounts . . . and at a big 5% too. Another reason why you should be a member/owner of: Vancouver CITY SAVINGS Credit Union' 96 East Broadway 2626 East Hastings 5606 Victoria Drive 3295 West Broadway Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 fo 5.00 Friday 9:00 to 6.00 Saturday 9.00 fo 1:00 Closed All Day Monday WORKBOOTS by DAYTON The No. 209 For MEN on A sturdy workboot in California tan upper, with outside leather counter, single vamp, and neoprene cork soles and heeis. 14 THE LABOUR STATESMAN -- DECEMBER, 1967 Created by & for UNION MEN DAYTON SHOE MFG. CO. (B.C.) LTD. 2249-50 East Hastings Street : VANCOUVER 6, B.C. Injunction Fight Hits the Target (From P. 1) and .if these, same rights..-are- denied the members of the B.C. labour movement, this makes us second class citizens. I don't think anyone can argue against that," Mr. Haynes said. The association approved in principle a proposal that a B.C. board be set up to deal with jurisdictional disputes that can lead to work stoppages. R. K. Gervin, a former "trade union official" who became the association's industrial relations officer, said management would bear the cost of $80,000 a year of a joint management-labour board.. HASN'T READ "Mr. Gervin referred to the 'fact' that jurisdictional disputes are taken to unions' international headquarters in Washington, D.C.," Mr. Haynes said "Mr. Gervin has. obviously not read the constitution of the Canadian Labour Congress, which spells out jurisdiction; he doesn't know about CLC mediation procedures, and he doesn't know that Mr. Carl Goldenberg is the CLC umpire." Summing up the impact labour's an.ti-j"ijiin"c_an_cainpaign.. has made on the public, Mr. Haynes concluded: "We felt strongly that a publicity campaign would put matters in the right perspective. Too much has been said about injunctions by management (that just doesn't hold up to close scrutiny. * INFORMED PUBLIC "With our campaign, we have informed the public that all labour wants is its basic rights — no more and no less," Mr. Haynes said. "But we don't want to convey the impression that the vociferous management faction at Harrison Hot Springs reflects management's mind in this province. "We know, that, off the record, many top management people concede that labour has a case in the injunction issue. Now that all the facts have been brought to the public's attention, the Federation is tossing the ball to the provincial government. "We are awaiting the government's reaction," Mr. Haynes said. ~ Union Hits 'Hot' Plot The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has un-. _covaj?e<__a--seheme- -by-strike=- bound Canada Rice Mills Ltd. and Martin & Robertson Ltd. to ship rice products from the southern United States into Canada. John Squire, International representative of the union, said, "We haye received information from reliable sources that the company is processing and packing rice at an Arkansas mill in the heart of the low wage area of the United States. Containers have been printed in Vancouver and shipped to the Arkansas mill since our dispute started. "This is an obvious attempt by the company to circumvent a legal strike and force our union to accept similar'wages and conditions that exist in the south," he said. The Canada Rice Mills and Martin & Robertson companies have been strike bound by a strike of their 100 employees since Oct. 30. The strike is over the union's request for a 50— cent-an-hour wage increase. Present rates range from $1.65 to $2.56. NDP Quebec Policy Unchanged—Dougias- New_ Democratic J__r_Y„JegdeL..'_to^ "recent news conference in Vancouver that the NDP's policy concerning Quebec's status within Canada has not been changed or rescinded. He was referring to a meeting of the Federal Council of the NDP in Ottawa in November.. ■_-■ Mr. Douglas affirmed that the council could not have made such a drastic decision to rescind or alter the-NDP's policy, as only the full convention of the party is empowered to do so. What the council did decide was, instead: "a survey across Canada in all NDP constituencies to find out what the economic objectives are that the Canadian people desire to attain. "Secondly, to find out,(jyhat new powers have .to be. given to —the federal government. It needs strong powers to deal with such issues as housing, * manpower training, marketing farm produce and economic development. "Thirdly, jn this process we want to make sure not to impinge on the basic rights of allJhejeople in Canada. This is the area wheer a particular -__ftus~would be necessary for Quebec," Mr." Douglas said. Quotable Quotes "Private ownership of urban and especially metropolitan land, is not compatible with a good housing program." —Dr. Alex Laidlaw, General Secretary, Cooperative Union of Canada. "Community ownership of development land offers the only effective check on skyrocketting land values which are pricing homes out of the reach of a growing proportion of our people." —Donald C. MacDonald, Ontario NDP Leader ALBERTA UNION DIRECTORY ALBERTA FEDERATION OF LA- bour, F. C. Bodie, Executive Secretary-Treasurer; Room 201, 10026 105th Street, Edmonton, Alberta. B.C. UNION DIRECTORY AMALGAMATED CLOTHING WORKERS OF AMERICA. Local 178 — Room 5 — 2475 Manitoba, Vancouver 10. John Zastre, Busi- ness Agent. TR. 9-3031. AMALGAMATED MEAT CUTTERS AND B.W.. Local 212 — Representative Geo. Johnston, 203 Labor Temple; TR. 6-5735. AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION, Div. 101 — Business Agent, C. Stewart, Street Railway Bldg., 125 East 8th, TR. 4-2010. AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION. Nc. 134 — Bus. Agent, D. L. Bryce, Room 22. 774 Columbia, Key. Westminster, LA. 1-7330; AMBULANCE EMPLOYEES UNION. Local 873. CUPE — Secretary, R. D. Beckett, 530 Fenwick Wynd, New Westminster. Phone' 936-4967. AUTOMOTIVE LODGE No. 1857, I. A. of M. — Business Agents, Jack Chapman, Brian Trodden, Room 17. 2414 Main. TR. 6-4104-5. BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY WORKERS, Local 488 — 337 W. Broadway. TR. 2-5205. BARBERS— INTERNATIONAL JOURNEYMEN OF AMERICA, No. 020 — 421 West Broadway. TR. 6-0641; Secretary, Allan Cole- man. BEVERAGE DISPENSERS' UNION, No. 676 — President-Business Agent, James Morrison: Secretary - Treasurer - Business Agent, H. D. Courson, 440 West Pender, 688-1391. BEVERAGE DISPENSERS (New Westminster) Local 835 — Business Agent, Ed Carlson, 601 Royal _Ave.,_New Westminster, 681-3/59. BOILERMAKERS, IRON SHIP BUILDERS, BLACKSMITHS, FORGERS AND HELPERS, Lodge 359 — R. M. Macintosh, International Representative, C. W. Rowa, Business Manager, E. R. Lee, R. C. McElroy, T. B. Harris, Assistants, 113 Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street. Vancouver 3. 682-7564. BOOKBINDERS UNION Local 105— No. 8, 199 East 8th Ave., Vancouver 10, B.C.; phone 872-1013: President, Frank S. Allen; Union Representative, William Dunsmuir. BREWERY AND SOFT DRINK WORKERS Local 300 — Business Agent, Joseph Madden, Room < 1, 4897 Kingsway. Burnaby 1, B.C. Phone 434-5155. BRICKLAYERS & MASONS INTERNATIONAL UNION, Local No. 1. Secretary, B. Fleming, 423 West Broadway, Vancouver 10. 879-1331. 1 B.C. FEDERATION OF LABOUR — R. C. Haynes, Secretary-Treasurer, Rm. 210, 517 E. Broadway, Vancouver 10, B.C. TR. 9-3568. B.C. INTERIOR FRUIT & VEGE- table Workers' Local 1572. Presi- dente: C. B. nankins. Business Agent: Jim Currie, 212 Main St., Penticton, B.C. Phone 492-6013. B.C. PROJECTIONISTS,- Local- 348 — President, A. E. McManus; Secretary, James Porter; Business Agent Hank Kabbin. Office, 1356 Seymour, Vancouver. MU. 4-7024. BUILDING SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL. Local 244 — Business Agent and Secretary, Ben A. H. Morley, 359 Homer. Phone 685-5251. BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL — Secretary, D. C. Fraser, 108 Labor TemplK TR. 9-1210. C.U.P.E. Local 707 (Kitimat Municipal Employees), P.O. Box 1170, Phone 1154, Kitimat. B.C. President, R. Grieve, Box 333 N.P.O., Kitimat. B.C. Phone 1043-L; Secretary-Treasurer: Victor F. Peppar, Box 5068. Kitimat, B.C. Phone 1154. CLASSIFIED ADS CANADIAN BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY EMPLOYEES AND OTHER TRANSPORT WORKERS, Royal City Division 226 — Mr. L. Pudney, Recording Secretary, 494 E. 18th Ave., Vancouver. CARPENTERS (New Westminster) Local 1215 — Business Agents, Ray West and Harold Hanson, -office, 732 Royal Ave.. New Westminster. 521-0525. CARPENTERS (Vancouver) Local 452 — Business Agents, Larry Anderson, Lorne Robson, Bob Smith; Financial Secretary, Carl Erickson; office, Rm. 103. 307 West Broadway, Vancouver. TR. 6-1212. 879-5371. CEMENT, LIME & GYPSUM Local 400 — President, Roy Ogilvie, 837 West 15th Ave.. Vancouver; Secretary, Dick Stewart, 5241 Ewart St.. Burnaby 1, B.C. CEMENT MASONS' Local 919 — Business Agent, Frank Stevens, Rm. 202, 2520 Ontario St., Vancou-' ver 10, B.C.; phone 872-2221. CIVIC EMPLOYEES UNION, Local 407 — President T. W. Sikstrom, FA. 7-4688. DENTAL TECHNICIANS — Local No. 1543—Secretary George Hygh, 4007 Dunbar. DISTILLERY WORKERS. Local 69 —President, Roy Cairns, 734 - 10th St.. New Westminster. 521-7946: Recording Secretary, Harry Nev- ard, 118 Regina St., New Westminr ster, LA. 1-7672. ELECTRICAL WORKERS' UNION, Local 213 — President, John S. Leslie, 111 Dunsmuir Street, 681- 7331-2. ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS, Lo^ cal 82—Sec, H. C. MacKichan. 3755 Elmwood St., S. Burnaby, HE. 4-769) FIRE FIGHTERS (BurnabyLLocal 323 — Secretary, H. Br<Swn, 2011* Cliff Avenue, Burnaby 2. B.C. FIRJE FIGHTERS (VANCOUVER) Lotf-l 18 — President Gordon R. Anderson, 1386 East 61st Ave., FA. 7-3729: Secretary, J. E. Bunyan, 7810 Thomhill Drive, 321-8443. FLOORLAYERS UNION, U.B. of C.J., Local No. 1541 — Room No. 208, Labor Temple, 876-2423; Business Agents, Bruce Robson, Wil- liam Kessel. GLAZIERS AND GLASSTWORKERS, Local 1527 — Recording Secretary, A. Alien,' Room 4, 2475 Manitoba. TR 4-7535. GOVE R N M E N T EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION (B.C.) — E. P. O'Connor. Gen. Sec, 2090 West 4th, RE. 1-5361-62-63. GRAIN "WORKERS UNION, Local 333 — Recording Secretary, D. E. Fraser, 994 Foster Ave., Coquit- - lam, B.C., Tel. 936-7606; President, B. Chapman, 3033 Graveley, Vancouver; Sec-Treas.,. H. Ramsey, 501. E. 13th St., Nor.th__yan£Oayer. GREATER VANCOUVER WATER DISTRICT AND GREATER VANCOUVER SEWERAGE __ DRAINAGE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES UNION — P.O. Box 4686. Station ' C Vancouve* 10. Secretary, Den- nis Mulroney, ' HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS No. 118. Room 112. 307 West Broadway. Telephone 876-6814. . HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES' UNION. No. 180 — Business Manager, W. M. Black, 335 W. Broadway. TR. 6-5822. HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES, Local 28 — Secretary, A. E. Morgan, Room 406. 402 W. Pender. MU. 4-8441. INTERNATIONAL LADIES' GARMENT WORKERS. LoraH ?7« -nd 287—Business Agent, Harry Minuk, 119 W. Pender, MU. 4-5514. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS, Lodge 456 — Union Centre, Quadra St., Victoria, B.C.; President, S. G. Gardner, phone 656-2610; Recording Secretary, E. Cherkas, 1325 Den- man St., Victoria; Business Agent, H. B. Wydert, 2371 Lansdowne Rr., Victoria; phone EV. 3-7735. INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS of America, Local 1-423. President William F. Schumaker. Financial Secretary-Business Agent: Samuel A. "Bill" Muir, 1139 Ellis Street, Kelowna, B.C.Phone 762-2801. INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS, Local 115 — 5804 Fraser St., Vancouver 15, B.C. Phone 327-6395. Business Manager, M. L. Parr. President, Jim Malange. Secretiry, Fred Randall. IRONWORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION, Local 97 — President, J. D. Paterson, 319 Shelly Building. 119 West Pender, Vancouver 3. phone 681-8628. IRONWORKERS' SHOPMEN'S, Local Union 712 — Business Agent, Benjamin D. Parry, Room 210, 307 W. Broadway, TR. 2-5515. JEWELRY WORKERS' INTERNATIONAL, Local 42. Office. 339 W. Pender, MU. 1-5831. President, Roy Stark, 1144 E. 12th Avenue, Vancouver 12. KAMLOOPS AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL — Box 562, Kamloops, phone 374-1747. Secretary. Mrs. C. E. Mclnnes. LABORERS CONSTRUCTION & GENERAL, Local 602 — Secretary, C. H. Savage, 5 E. 8th Ave., 879-4591. LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANING SALESMEN, Local 334 — J. A. Curry, Secretary-Treasurer, 2632 West Twelfth, RE. 8-9649. LAUNDRY WORKERS, No. 292 — Business Agent, Mrs. Catherine Browne, Suite 1, 224 East Broadway, TR. 6-4543. LETTER CARRIERS UNION OF CANADA Local 12 — Secretary- Treasurer, R. C. Hamilton, 104 - 339 W. Pender, Vancouver 3, B.C., phone 684-4823; President, Ray Andrus. phone 434-4905: Grievance Chairman, R. Palmer, 327-1793. MACHINISTS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Lodge 692 — Business Representatives: R. G. Carr, R. Taylor, Rm. 17. 2414 Main, TR 4-0513, TR. 6-7.35. MARINE WORKERS & BOILERMAKERS' INDUSTRIAL UNION, Local 1 — President, Jeff Power; Secretary, W. Stewart, 339 West Pender St., MU. 1-9481. MILLWRIGHTS' UNION, Local 2736 — Room 116. 307 W. Broadway, Vancouver 10, 876-3744. Business 'Representative, W. J. Herbert. MUSICIANS' UNION, Local 145 — Business Manager, Room 510, Dominion Bank Building. 207 West Hastings, MU. 4-1564. MOULDERS UNION Local 281 — Representative, C. Pitman, 3604 Oxford St.. Vancouver 6, B.C.; phone 299-3608. OFFICE & TECHNICAL EMPLOYEES UNION. Local 15, Ste. 9, 246 East Broadway, 874-5201. President, E. Caswell, Secretary-Treasurer, Opal Skllling. OFFICE AND TECHNICAL EMPLOYEES UNION, Local 378 — Business Manager, William Swanson, 1116 Hornby, 683-6604. OIL CHEMICAL & ATOMIC WORKERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION, Local 9-601. President, V. F. Waller; Fin. Corres. Secretary, H. S. Penfold, 5550 E. Hastings. CY. 8-3940. TUNNEL __ ROCK WORKERS. Local 168 — 337 W. Broadway, Secretary. H. Croft, TR. 9-3231. TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION, Local 226 — President, Len Guy; Secretary. Robert Jefferies, 517 E. Broadway, 876-6810. PAINT AND VARNISH WORKERS,' Loeal 1550 — Secretary, Ed Dueck, Room 4, 2475 Manitoba. PAINTERS UNION LOCAL 138 — Business Agent, C. W. (Tom) Carson; Asst. Business Agent, H. V. (Bill) Baldock; Asst. Business Agent C. W. (Cy) Sloan. Room 3, 2475 Manitoba. TR. 6-6033. PATTERNMAKERS' ASSOCIATION — Secretary, John S. Pratt, 720 Anderson Cres., West Vancouver. Phone 922-6043. PILE DRIVERS AND WOODEN BRIDGEMEN, Local 2404 — Business Agent, S. Allen, Room 116, 307 West Broadway, TR. 4-7817. PLASTERERS' UNION,. No. 779 — Secretary, J. V. Chambers, 517 East Broadway, TR. 2-2122. PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS, Local 170 — Business Mgr. & Financial Sec'ty, John L Fisher. Asst. Business Managers, Harold S. Cranna and Edward Fay. 115 Labor Temple, TR. 9-1428. PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS— Local 170; phone 563-3416; 1331 4th Ave., Prince George, B.C. Donald A. Currie, Asst. Business Manager. CANADIAN UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS (Vancouver Local) — President. Jim.McCall; Sec- Treas., R. H. C.pstick, Box 2411, Vancouver 3. Office, 3391 West Pender, 685-8724. PRINCE GEORGE & DISTRICT LABOR COUNCIL — 909 5th Ave., Prince George, phone 191L2. PRINTING PRESSMEN, Local 69— Sec-Treas., W. H. Put.., Ste. 101, 2121 Alma St., Vancouver 8, B.C. PRINTING SPECIALTIES «_ PAPER PRODUCTS UNION. Local No. 598 -— Secretary-Treasurer. Bob Banninger, 2753 Horley Ave., Vancouver ■*_.- B.C., HE. 1-8443. PULP SULPHITE Local 76. I.B.P.S. & P.M.W., 5814 Ash St., Powell River, B.C.; Telephone 483-4130; President: C. M. Mouat, 5515 Maple St., PoweU River, Telephone 483-3306; Secretary: J. C. Kane, 5511 Manson Ave., Powell River. Telephone 483-9132. PULP AND SULPHITE (Converters) UNION, Local 433 — Business Agent. 5608 Victoria Dr., 321-3471. PULP SULPHITE AND PAPER MILL WORKERS. Local 312, Ocean Falls. B.C. — Secretary. Drawer 190, Ocean Falls. B.C. PULP, SULPHITE AND PAPER MILL WORKERS — International Office. Suite 202, 1089 West Broadway; S. G. Green, Vice-President. RE. 6-7448. REFRIGERATION WORKERS UNION. Local 516 — Secretary. L. R. Wintle, 137 W. 40th Ave., 321-3613 and 936-5353. * , * RETAIL. WHOLESALE &. DEPT. STORE UNiON — Room 212V517 East Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 879-2996. SCHOOL BOARD EMPLOYEES' FEDERAL UNION (Burnaby), Local 379 — Secretary, W. E. Apps. 4865 Triumph St., Burnaby 2, B.C. SHEET METAL WORKERS. Local 280 — Business Manager, Alex McGee, 207 Labor Temple, TR. 4-8020. SHINGLE WEAVERS' UNION, Local No. 2802 — Business Agent and Financial Secretary, B. A. Robertson, Room 116, 307 West Broadway, TR. 6-3744. SIGN AND PICTORIAL PAINTERS. Local 726 — Secretary. J. A. Middleton, 6464 Kitchener, N. Burnaby; Room 4, 2475 Manitoba, TR. 4-7535. '___ THEATRE EMPLOYEES, Local B-72 — Secretary, Mrs. F. Foster, Ste. 1, 4508 Main, TR. 9-5453. Business Agent, Frank M. Smith, 4395 William St., North Burnaby. B.C. CY;r8-3538.,,,, TILE SETTER-.' No. 3, 423 W_ST Broadway, Vancouver 10, _.-.€;''**"'»*•*'»-"• Business Agent: T. B. Flaming. Phone 879-1231. ^ TILE SETTERS HELPERS, LOCAL 78. Secretary. B. Fleming. 423 West Broadway. 879-1331. NEW WESTMINSTER TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION No. 632 — President' Y. McDonald, 10967 Partridge Crescent, North Surrey: Secretary, H. T. dePencier, Post <^, Office Box 754, New Westminster, B.C. UNION LABEL TRADES COUNCIL — Secretary, Mrs. A. E. Hallock, day phone, TR. 4-0827; evenings, TR. 4-3748. UNITED GARMENT WORKERS'. Local 190—Secretary, Annie Fast, 1435 E. 62nd Ave.. Vancouver 15. UNITED PACKINGHOUSE. FOOD AND ALLIED WORKERS. AFL- CIO, 785 Kingsway, Vancouver 10. B.C., 874-9358. Field Representative, William Symington. Field Representative, James Smith. UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA, Local 5115, Box 196. Kitimat. President L. R. Sim- monds, Recording Secretary, Mr. Russ Hoover. Phone 65 or 66. UPHOLSTERERS' INTERNA- TIONAL UNION, Local No. 1 — Business Agent, Karl Reich; office. 666 East Broadway, TR. 4-1727. VANCOUVER 8. DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL — C. P. Neale, General Secretary-Treasurer, 307 W. Broadway, Vancouver 10, B.C. TR 9-2421. WOOD, WIRE __ METAL LATHERS. Local 207 — President, A. Son- nenberg; Rec. Sec, D, Riecl; _ Financial Sec, W. R. Shields; Secretary and Business Represen-j tative, A. Allen, Room' 4r"2475" 1" Manitoba, TR. 4-7535. MANITOBA DIRECTORY MANITOBA FEDERATION OF LA- ■ BOUR — A. A. Franklin, president; J. James, secretary-treasurer. Office address, 102 Union Centre, 570 Portage Ave., Winnipeg. Manitoba.' NOVA SCOTIA DIRECTORY NOVA SCOTIA FEDERATION OF Labour, Leo F. McKay, executive secretary: James K. Bell, secretary treasurer; John Lynk, president, New Glasgow. Office ad-- - dress: 530 Roy Building, Halifax, N,S. Phone 423-6056: • -'~~'"''*""**' ONTARIO DIRECTORY ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR — David Archer, president: Douglas Hamilton, secretary-treasurer. Office address: 33 Cecil St., Toronto 2^B, Ontario. SASK. UNION DIRECTORY SASKATCHEWAN FEDERATION of Labour. K. S. Elkin, Executive Secretary, Room 4 and 5, 1601 - Uth Ave., Phone 527-9471, 527-7883, Regina, Saskatchewan. THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 15 —~ Labour Lost Rights To Strike-Woods Legislative action in labour relations in the past had made it possible for collective bargaining to develop, but labour has lost many of its rights to strike. "Indeed, generally in Canada a strike is legal only in negotiations for .A new agreement or the renewal of an expiring one, and in most jurisdictions, only after compulsory conci-ation," "Prof. ff*_). Woods said at the 26th annual conference of the Cahadiun Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation. ■ .. 7_ ■ —-Dean Woods mentioned'in an aside to the audience that, when management decides it would be preferable to "take".» strike than to give .in .to union demands, then the strike is as much a manage n*nt weapon as a labour weapon. "In other words, the strike -almost inevitably requires a .decision of bpth management and labour, not just labour alone," the dean said! IWA Set to Win Decent Standards The following are excerpts from a statement made to the Nov. 16, 1967 Kamloops & District Labour Council meeting by Bob Schlosser, president of Local 1-417 of the International Woodworkers of America, on the present IWA strike in the southern interior. Mr. Schlosser is. also his local union's member on the IWA southern interior negotiating committee. The simple cause of the strike "is that Interior IWA members are sick and tired of being treated as second class citizens in tliis province. They "are determined to win for themselves and their families a decent standard of living, equal to that of our members on the coast. Parity is our objective! We are not arguing parity because we feel there is a comparison to be made between the interior and the coast with regards to timber or market conditions. We're arguing for parity because we,, want one agreement with standard wages for all IWA members in this province. DOESN'T COMPETE The facts of the matter are that the interior does not compete with the coast, so, we could care less how many trees they have per acre as compared to the interior. They don't .sell their products on the same market as fhe interior does, so why compare rail shipping corts with water shipping costs? When the employers argue these issues- they are only trying to confuse matters. What we do say is: that the B.C. interior lumber operators see their products on the same markets as the mill operators in the north-western states. What kind of timber do they have in the U.S. north-west? What are the wages paid in the U.S. northwest? And what is the difference in rail shipping costs between the two areas? WAGES HIGHER Timber does not vary to any great extent between the two areas. Wages in the U.S. northwest (taking the dollar differential into consideration)... are substantially higher than B.C. interior wages and in most cases they are considerably higher than B.C. coast rates. Freight rate differences amount to next to nothing. All these .facts, and the fact that the cost of living in the interior is more than 10 per cent higher than at the coast, were presented in negotiations to substantiate our demand for parity. You can't win a wage increase by proving that tbe employer can afford to pay. Any such thought is only a myth! The only way for working people to win a decent wage increase is for them to show their solidarity and bring the employer to his knees, if necessary. Opposed to Lobour Thatcher Stands Pat FRANK HANSON REGINA (CPA) — Saskatchewan's Liberal Premier Ross Thatcher, who in the recent provincial election campaign boasted continuously that Liberalism had brought prosperity to Saskatchewan, has changed his tune just weeks after being re-elected. He has called for an austerity program, a cutback on provincial services, a freeze on civil service hiring and a tough opposition to bargaining demands of trade unions. His antagonism to labour has been buttressed by his success in the Oct. 11 election, and he is now declaring open war on Fishermen Waiting Two officials of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union are at present in jail awaiting a decision by the courts to grant them or deny them an appeal against one-year jail sentences'; 77' Homer Stevens, secretary- manager of the union, and Steve Stavenes, president, are not eligible for bail until they get leave to appeal the sentence imposed earlier this year by Mr. Justice Thomas Dohm. wage demands. Annual bargaining with the Saskatchewan civil service has just begun, but as far* as Mr. Thatcher is concerned it seems to have ended. He says, "the civil service can ask for anything it wants, but it won't get it." CCF spokesmen in the election campaign pointed out that the reason for calling the election in 1967 instead of 1938 was that Thatcher's policies had put the provi-ice in financial difficulties. He would be faced with the alternative of either slashing services or raising taxes. This analysis has now been confirmed. The $30 million surplus which the Liberals inherited from the CCF in 1964 has now vanished and the industrial boom which they also inherited has cooled off. The population of the province, which had been growing at the rate of about 10,000 a year when the CCF was in office, is now almost at a standstill because of the number of people leaving Saskatchewan. In 1944 Saskatchewan voters turned out the Liberals almost to a man because they were tired of austerity. In 1934 they again elected a Liberal government because they said it was time for a change. Now after just 3V_ years of Liberal administration they are back to aus- ' terity. Who Needs a Town Fool? No Vacancy Until 1968 PHYLLIS YOUN©~' A visitor, viewing the court house fountain in Vancouver, noted a strangely dressed man strolling around the plaza. He wore a multi-coloured suit and bells on his cap. And I don't mean Santa. "Who is that?" the visitor asked his host "That is our self-appointed town fool," replied the host, "he felt that the middle ages custom should be revived." A passer-by, admittedly eavesdropping, commented, "We don't need another town fool. We already have one in city hall." * • * It is indeed unfortunate that Joachim Foikis chose this year to pursue a career as a professional fool in Vancouver. Any other year would have been perfect, but competition from the mayor has proved to be overwhelming. Tom Campbell has the edge. In the mayoral election campaign Campaign alluded to all sorts of dark, Machiavellian deeds perpetrated by the incumbent, Bill Rat hie, who, frankly, couldn't be bothered to refute the charges. The surprise of the election was the nearly 7,000 votes cast for an alleged Trotskyist, a 21-year-old political unknown, Jean Rand. PROTEST VOTE Even Campbell had to admit during election night that he couldn't believe there were 7,000 Trotskyists in Vancouver and that this vote represented a protest against both him and Ratine. Having faced reality once, he has never troubled since. His first fiasco came in the wake of a hassle over a police commission report that had been suppressed. He promised, in ringing tones, to make every fact public and to stop the ,'c©vei>up.^~A-'"-sbW'_^^ coereed a copy of the report from the commission he decided, in turn, to suppress It. The public remained as much in the dark as before. LEADING CITIZENS - Some weeks later two of Vancouver's leading citizens, both recipients of the Freeman of the City awards (they don't have to pay parking tolls) organized a tag day for victims of the Vietnamese war. All civic, industrial and labour organizations in Vancouver were asked to participate in this humanitarian effort. Thirty of them appeared at the city council meeting to support a motion to allow the""tag day. City council voted 7 to 2 (the mayor among the two dissenting) for the tag day. However, he withheld his objections to the tag day until after the city council meeting; in a news conference he blasted the leaders of the tag day committee as communists. NAMED NAMES He even named names, among them a woman who had been a Social Credit candidate? in the last provincial election, fiater, on Conformity The encroachment of mass civilization can be seen in the enormous spread of the so-called mass media, with the result that people's attitude and outlook conform increasingly to a single pattern and they become incapable of using their brains. —Thomas the Cynic (From Ignazio Silone's The School of Dictators). -TT-V^pro^graff^wHere he was confronted by the accused, he called .her a dupe of the communists. Among the mayor's most memorable escapades was his Great Rat Ear Hunt. His answer to some* of the citizens — who said the rat population of the city was growing — was to proclaim a bounty of 15 cents for each pair of rat's ears, payable by him. The height of the war (and free publicity) was reached when the local press ran a five column front page picture, of the mayor stalking a rat through the tall grass with his Persian cat at his side. ■ ' _ , DROPPED HUNT After he realized he couldn't top that picture, he dropped the rat hunt and the bounty, unfortunately too soon for the family .that recently found a 10-inch rat cavorting about in their biffy. Aside from the Block 42 sche- mozzle, Mayor Campbell has proved a mental fly weight. He inspired the city's licencing^ officer to revoke the licence om the Georgia Straight, an abysmally poor imitation of a hippie underground newspaper, and thereby created an inordinate demand for the sheet. The paper, with its fake want ads, eye-straining type and tiresome stories, would have died a natural death had not the mayor made a federal case of it. CENSOR PICTURES His most recent questionable act was to ask the magazine dealers to censor certain pictures from the November issue of Playboy magazine. I for one, found the pictures in the October issue far more disturbing. At least the November issue was heterosexual. Yes, Joachim Foikis has picked a bad year to play the fool. The competition Is too tough. 16 THE LABOUR STATESMAN — DECEMBER, 1967 A lot of whiskies pretend to be rye. We don't pretend. Because we are rye. All Rye. Don _ let anyone kid you. All Canadian whiskies are nicknamed "rye". But most are made from corn, even when they say rye on the label. Alberta Distillers is the only Canadian distiller that doesn't keep a kernel of corn in the place, because we believe in the clean, g-e*n _'l-e taste of an all rye, like Alberta Premium. This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia, #
Title changes in chronological order: The Labor Statesman (1924-04-25 to 1965-03), The Labour Statesman (1965-05 to 1969-09). From 1924-04-25 to 1965-03 The Labour Statesman was owned and published by the Vancouver and District Labour Council. From 1965-05 to 1967-07 it was published jointly by the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Vancouver and District Labour Council. From 1967-08 to 1969-09 it was published by the B.C. Federation of Labour.
Newspapers
Vancouver (B.C.)
English
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Vancouver, B.C. : B.C. Federation of Labour
Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from the Digitization Centre: http://digitize.library.ubc.ca/
Original Format : UBC Library
The Labour Statesman
Text