First Published: Progressive Worker, Vol 1. No. 6, February 1965.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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The Pacific Tribune, organ of the Communist party, has come out with the sensational story that the Progressive Workers, through the Canadian General Workers Union are splitting the trade union movement.
That the trade union movement is split, we do not disagree. However, who are the real splitters of labour? The answer to that is that is so-called labour statesmen, from, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and C.L.C down. These miss leaders of labour who are more interested in serving the wishes of the U.S. state department than the workers. They are the ones who use the bosses tactic of red baiting, imposing trusteeships over militant unions, expelling some of the most dedicated and sincere trade unionists, imposing bureaucracies taking control away from the workers. They are the ones responsible for raiding in the labour movement.
One could list dozens of other examples of how these fakers have split about, including sweetheart deals with the boss and class collaboration.
Does the Pacific Tribune charge these people with splitting? No, instead this publication acts as if they were the paid Madison Avenue hucksters for these people, including the ones that lined up with U.S. secretary of labour on the side of the steelworkers during their raid on the Mine Mill at Sudbury.
The Pacific Tribune tries to peddle their actions in this matter as labour unity. What a farce! What a betrayal! No doubt this is just the bosses tactic of red baiting and used it to expel some of the most militant union from the C.L.C. thus to a large degree kicking the spirit of the labour movement.
Add to this their policy of raiding, sweetheart deals and collaboration with the bosses plus the stiffling of real political action. There are dozens of other examples that could be given, however, let us be clear on this fact that it is these miss-leaders of labour who have split, divided and emasculated our labour movement and not any group of rank-and -file workers.
The Pacific Tribune, rather than pointing out these facts to workers have chosen to prettify these people in the false belief that they can either be persuaded or pushed into the position of serving the interests of the working class.
That the P.T. would peddle such tripe is understandable when one remembers their sickening attempt to pass off the election of Johnston as a victory for peace.
The rank-and-file must unite on militant working-class principles. Unity must be built from the bottom. This will be done and once it has the phony trade union leadership will be exposed for what they are, so to will the present editorial policy of the Pacific Tribune.