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THE FISHERMAN
Friday, August 16, 194«
The TIJherm&n
Representing The Organized Fishermen And Shoreivorkers of British Columbia
6700 Copies Printed This Issue Published Every Friday except the last Friday of each month by The Fisherman Publishing Society, 138 East Cordova St., Vancouver, B.C. Telephone MArine 1829 Advertising Rates on Application
Editor ............................. GEORGE NORTH
Subscription Rates: One Year, $1.50; Six Months, 80c. Make All Payments to THE FISHERMAN PUBLISHING SOCIETY
Authorized at Second Clan Mail. Postoffict Dep't. Ottawa
AFL Executive Policies Promote Labor Disunity
T) OLICIES of the American Federation of Labor, par-ticularly in the international field, have on a number of occasions been criticized by organized trade unions affiliated with the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada. In several instances, The Fisherman has expressed itself as being highly alarmed at some AFL policies, particularly on such matters as unity with other trade union bodies, both nationally and in the sphere of world labor.
The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada through its national organ, Trades and Labor Congress Journal, has found it necessary to condemn the efforts of AFL leaders to create disunity in the Canadian trade union movement.
In an editorial contained in the July issue, headed "Cooperation, Yes; Domination, No," the Trades and Labor Congress Journal states:
"For many years The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada and the Canadian membership of its affiliated international, national and directly chartered unions have taken pride in the close cooperation arid collaboration that has existed between this Congress and the American Federation of Labor. The ties between these two trade union centres, the one in the United States and the other in Canada, have been the ties of brotherhood and friendship.
"Some twelve months ago the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor went strongly on record that no trade union centre in a foreign country would ever be allowed to dictate policies to the American Federation of Labor. The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada has not taken similar action but has taken such things for granted. If the friendly relationship that has been built and maintained for so many years between the American Federation of Labor and The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada is to continue unimpaired, as undoubtedly most of our Canadian .membership desire, the present tendency of the American Federation of Labor to substitute domination for cooperation must cease. This Congress is not an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor. This Congress is not the same as a State Federation or a Central Labor Union in the United States. The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada is a / Canadian institution comprised of Canadian citizens. There are many unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor that do not pay per capita tax to The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada on their Canadian membership. This has always been considered our business and it can be likewise taken that whether an organization pays dues to The American Federation of Labor or not, or pays on one half its membership is a problem for the American Federation of Labor to solve. The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada has enough troubles of its own without continuously being automatically pitchforked into every dissension that comes up in the Executive Council of another trade union centre.
"This Congress is neither considered or consulted as to what effect the particular break up, or the make up, will have on the membership of the international unions and our general movement in Canada. To follow such a policy of blind obedience as some apparently expect, wbuld pull our movement down faster than we could possibly build. It is a continuous performance. Every few months another organization is slated for dissociation. The time has arrived to call a halt. The Canadian membership of affiliated international unions must now express their disapproval to their International Office of any further splits being created in the- Canadian labor movement and certainly against domination and instructions on how to vote at the conventions of The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada. Such tactics are repulsive to free citizens in a free country.
"The following letter has been sent to the head offices of International Unions with Locals in Canada "by the American Federation of Labor: "To the Officers of National and International Unions:
'"You will recall that the International Association of Machinists discontinued its affiliation with the American Federation of Labor by refusing to pay per capita tax to the American Federation of Labor as required by its laws for a period of more than one year. As a result of the dissociation of the machinists from membership in the American Federation of Labor, all State Federations of Labor, city central labor unions, and the Departments of the Federation were instructed to dissociate Local Unions chartered by the International Association of Machinists from affiliation with said organizations.
"The Executive Council at its recent meetings in this city instructed me to communicate with you requesting that you advise your Local Unions in the Dominion of Canada to instruct their delegates to the next Convention of The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada to vote for the dissociation of Local Unions of Machinists from affiliation with the Canadian Trades and Labor Congress. This action is necessary in order to have Local Unions of Machinists dissociated from membership in the Trades and Labor Congress, just the same as Central Labor Unions, State Federations of Labor and Departmental Organizations of the American Federation of Labor in the United States have dissociated Local Unions of Machinists from affiliation.
'"Please comply with the requests of the Executive Council at your earliest opportunity. I will be pleased if you will advise me you will do so in order that I may inform the Executive Council of such action as you and your associates may take in response to the call of the Executive Council as herein set forth.
•"(Sgd.) WILLIAM GREEN, ' '"President, American Federation of Labor..'" "The above letter is a direct attempt on the part of the American Federation of Labor to dominate our Congress in the hope that through the medium of the influence exerted by international unions over their Canadian membership that the American Federation of Labor can control our Congress. It is a most unwarranted case of interference in the affairs of our Congress and cannot be allowed if our Congress is to continue as a free trade union centre. This letter was sent out without any notification being given to The Trades and Labor Congress of Canada. It is for this reason that our affiliated membership is now informed on what is being done behind their backs so that with this knowledge they can now prevent themselves from being used to bring more disunity into the labor ranks on this side of the line by some of our friends on the other side of the line who are continually squabbling."
On The World Scene
Crisis Qrows In Palestine; British Playing Oil Politics
By AL PARKIN
Palestine is rapidly assuming the position of the world's chief trouble spot. World interest in the situation is high, and rightly so. Most people view the Holy Land crisis as something not only of immediate interest to Jews and Arabs, but as an indication of whether British foreign policy will change in a more progressive direction, or continue on the present ruinous course that leads to new wars. News coverage of the Palestine
problem is tending, however, to confuse rather than inform on the issues at stake. In addition, there is a subtle anti-Semitic flavor to many of the news stories that is highly dangerous. But if the situation is .fully ' examined, the following essential features are evident.
• That the British mandate over Palestine is at the root of the crisis.
• The fight for the Holy Land reflects Britain's conflict with the American oil companies, rapidly establishing themselves in what was formerly an exclusive British area of colonial domination.
• That the official Jewish Zionist demand for a Jewish national state in Palestine plays into the hands of the BriUsh rulers and creates further conflict between the Arab and Jewish peoples.
With these facts in mind, it becomes clear that Britain has no intention of surrendering her hold in Palestine. For the country has become the main military link between the Mediterranean and the oil-rich Arab states of Iraq, Trans-jordania and Saudi Arabia. Oil is the goal, and the British monopolists are desperate lest they lose control to the United States, now pouring millions of dollars into Saudi Arabia.
In this situation, the terrorist acts of the Jewish extremists are playing into British hands. They help Britain strengthen her military rule. As long as Britain can point to the state of unrest in Palestine, she can justify the need to keep armed forces there to "maintain order." Further, the British proposal to partition Palestine into four zones, over which they would still retain control, is strengthened by the Zionist demand for a Jewish national state, which is rightly opposed by the Arabs.
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1YNE of the worst features of the " Palestine crisis lies in the anti-Semitic nature of British policy.
British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin started things off some weeks ago with an astonishing anti-Semitic speech at the Bour-
AL PARKIN
nemouth Labor Party conference, in which he inferred that the United States wanted the Jews of Europe to emigrate to Palestine "because Americans have too many Jews in New York City already."
British officials in Palestine, encouraged by Bevin's remarks, followed this by numerous insulting references to the Jewish race.
Then Claude Cockburn, famous English foreign correspondent, made the startling disclosure that among the British police in Palestine are a considerable number of former members of Sir Oswald Moseley's British Union of Fascists, the most violent of anti-Semites.
Finally, this week's demonstrations at Haifa, and the internment of Jewish immigrants on the Island of Cyprus—the same people, incidentally, who have just been rescued from the horror of Germany's extermination camps—are proof that when it comes to playing the game of British oil imperialism, the so-called Socialists of the Labor government are no different than the Tories of Winston Churchill.
Yet the solution to the Pales-tins problem—advocated by important sections of the Palestine trade unions as well as labor leaders abroad—is essentially simple.
Since the Arab and Jewish population of Palestine both desire the defeat of British colonial rule, which is at the root of the problem, they must unite to liberate their country together.
Britain's mandate over Palestine must be taken away and the whole question transferred to the United Nations security council for settlement.
Finally, an independent and democratic Arab - Jewish state should be established, organized so as to recognize the existence of both Arabs and Jews, and giving equality of civil and national rights to both peoples.
Any other "solution" along the lines suggested by Britain would only serve and perpetuate the present exploitation of the country, and would preserve the artificial conflict between Arab and Jew now being deliberately fostered by British policy.
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w
TH all this talk about the so-called iron curtain hiding the facts about Eastern Europe, it is worth noting that Joseph Goeb-bels, the late and unlamented head of Hitler's lie factory, was actually the first to coin the phrase, and to use it in the same manner as our own Canadian newspaper editors.
Goebbels first spoke of the "iron curtain" in those final series of speeches he made only a few months before the Nazi collapse.
In those speeches he indicated the plans of Naziism for after the military collapse. He described how Europe and Germany would be divided between the Anglo-American victors and the Soviet Union, and how this would give rise to the new World War III between Britain and the U.S. and the USSR. And it was on this basis he declared that Naziism would thrive and perhaps regain its positions.
If this planned strategy of Naziism is borne in mind, it is easy to see how actively that plan is being pursued today with the willing help of all the reactionaries in Britain, the U.S. and Canada.
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| Building Our Union
( By HOMER STEVENS
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ONCE again the fishing companies nonchalantly slash the fishermen's earnings. Again those fishermen who are not covered by a Union agreement feel the heavy hand of the profit-seeking operators reaching into their pockets for more shekels. Of course, the spokesmen for the companies are very concerned about the necessity of such price cutting, and have even considered such drastic unorthodox measures as not buying ling cod livers at all. They are only buying them to help the fishermen out, because they really have their welfare at heart. Perhaps the fact that the Co-op is in the field may influence their judgment.
Seriously speaking, there must be some action taken by the fishermen, through the Union, to protect themselves against further cuts. The operators' main argument in defence of their position is that the reduction in price was necessary in view of the rapidly declining vitamin content of liver. When asked to submit evidence of the trend in potency, they refused, on the excuse that the Co-op figures were not available for the production of a composite chart or statement.
It must be pointed out right here that the Co-op doesn't have to justify any price cuts, because it doesn't cut prices. The fishermen who sell cooperatively know they are receiving full value for their livers and will be paid off in full at the end of the season.
How different Is the lot of those who were paid $1.25 for their liver landed in Vancouver
at a time when Co-op members received $2.65, oi» those Gulf men who received $1.30 when Co-op members received $1.90 per pound. Is it any wonder that they doubt the veracity of the spokesmen for the private companies who claim that the price slash was unavoidable ?
The companies maintain that they are paying all the liver is worth. Well, what do they consider to be a fair margin of profit on a pound of liver? Is it 40c, 95c, $1.40, or do they have a standard? No one knows for sure, but here's one who is convinced that as far as their "desire" for profit is concerned "the sky is the limit."
There is no earthly use condemning the operators for cutting prices and reaping huge profits unless we plan to do something about it. After all, they have never made any concessions without a struggle and criticism is no substitute for fighting. The question is, "What can be done?"
Well, we should lay plans for a Union agreement covering the sale of ling cod livers similar to those we have for salmon, pilchard, herring, etc. Since liver values vary greatly, we will have to demand independent lestfhg stations for the determination of potency. No doubt the companies will object, but where didn't they? We must establish a sliding scale of prices based on the number of units of Vitamin A per pound. The packing charges, price differentials for different areas, methods of determining potency of livers at out-of-town camps, must all be set down in black and white.
Only then will those fishermen who sell their livers to private companies be protected from merciless exploitation. The whole question of basic price agreements for fresh fish, ling cod, red cod, black cod, sole, brill, grey cod, bass, and even troll-caught salmon also should.be dealt with at the same time. The cuts which have been made in the prices for these species show the need for their inclusion.
Negotiations for such an all-embracing agreement should be opened as soon as is practical. Since a large part of the fleet of longliners, handliners, and trawlers are at present engaged in the salmon fishery, it is probably best to wait until the fall. In any case, these negotiations should be undertaken for a coastwise agreement covering all classification of gear. This is the only remaining section of our industry which has no minimum price agreement and it's high time we had one.
The writer is firmly convinced that no such agreement will be signed without a pitched battle. We'll get nothing on a silver platter. Nevertheless, if we plan well and are prepared to struggle, we can win. The planning for such a campaign must be done by many heads, and here's where we ask for suggestions, for criticisms of the above statement and aid in the mapping out of strategy. Let's hear from all those who are affected by the slashes in fresh fish and liver prices, either in open letters such as this, or directly to Union officials.
Log of the Mistral
By TOM PARKIN
DEPORE leaving Vancouver I assured George North, editor of The Fisherman, that I would keep in regular contact with him. This is much easier said than done as I have discovered in the past few days. When in port we are busy contacting members and holding meetings and while travelling to our next port of call the good ship Mistral has a habit of going through all the gyrations of the Giant Dipper at Happyland with the result that my writing, which is none too good at the best of times, becomes completely illegible.
My trip to River's Inlet to meet Fred Olsen was made, on the Queen Charlotte Fishing Co. packer, Carolina Maria. Her skipper, Ed Prince, has been a union man in this industry since 1912 continuously, having held a card in the old International Fisherman's Union, the PCFU, the Prince Rupert Deep Sea Fishermen's Union, the UFFU, and is today a paid-up member in the UFAWU. Prior to coming to this coast, Ed was on the Atlantic coast out of Newfoundland and is one of the real old-timers in the game.
On the trip north we saw hundreds of gillnetters and troll-ers heading south for the Fraser. It makes me shudder to think of the river this year. There will be some frayed tempers (and nets) before the run is over.
Monday, Aug. 5.—-Arrived at Rivers today to find the Inlet almost barren of fishermen. Reports from some of the local boys would indicate that the fishing here this year has been very poor. No sign of the Mistral today so I spent another night aboard the Carolina Maria at the risk of wearing out my welcome.
Tuesday, Aug. 6. — Located Brother Olsen at Wadham's Cannery today. Fred was sitting consoling Al Pritchard on a lousy season to date and I was jumped on by both for all- the latest dope from home. Before leaving River's Inlet for Namu we called in at Dawson's Landing where we received a most hearty welcome and (editor, please note) we sold a 2-year subscription to The Fisherman to Jimmy Dawson who wants to get the advertising rates of the paper.
Arriving in Namu in the late afternoon we were just in time to clean up and attend a meeting of the Namu local. Much of the meeting time was taken up by a discussion on the work of the recreation committee which is doing a good job providing dances, shows and other affairs. There has been a large scale building program at Namu this year and we were interested to see that the living quarters for the workers are second to none. The union has consistently campaigned for good housing at the canneries and I believe in giving credit where credit is due: B.C. Packers have done a fine job here with new bunkhouses for women, men and the Chinese workers.
Wednesday, Aug. 7.—Bill Rigby and Alex Gordon arrived this morning looking pretty worn out after a tough session in Rupert and more recently in Butedale where agreements have been negotiated for fresh fish and cold storage workers. A fine job has been done this year in Rupert and I believe the most important factor in the negotiations has been the fact that the basis has been established for a master agreement next year for all fresh fish workers on the coast.
Brother Olsen and myself held a meeting of the women workers with the result that all joined the union. Namu has always had a fine record for organization and this year is no exception. A meeting was held the same evening with the fresh fish, and powerhouse crews to draft an agreement. Negotiations were opened the same night with the Company, although Fred and I left early the next day and could not sit in on the balance of the negotiations. The preliminary dis-
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