THE WIN N IPEG CITIZEN

The O.B.U. and the Strike on July 1

the present strike settled by granting all unions all they demand-

ed, it would not prevent a repetition of the dictatorship which the

Strike Committee imposed on Winnipeg—and as proof we in-
stanced that the workers of the West, in particular, was moving for the
formation of “One Big Union," with a view to massed action such as
perpetrated in Winnipeg last week, on any demands of any craft. We
also stated that a vote was being taken on the question of a general
strike on July 1 for a six—hour working day, and that that vote was
overwhelmingly in favor both of the One Big Union and of the general
strike for July 1.

All citizens will agree that if that statement were true, it empha-
sized the need for defeating this system of throttling a whole com—
munity and starving the innocent—and for defeating it now and end-
ing the revolution which is masquerading under the name of a general
strike.

The statement in regard to the “O.B.U.” vote and the six-hour
day general strike vote is true, and The Citizen is in possession of the
proof, in the shape of a ballot and attached literature. handed to us by
a union man steadfastly opposed to the principle of the general strike.
The literature, after stating that all ballots must be in by May 20—the
Tuesday just passed, goes on to detail the proposed new industrial or-
ganization. Bear it in mind that the voting limit was on Tuesday, and
that even now the final ballots are probably being counted. Below is a
reproduction of the ballot sheet, right from the Labor Temple itself,
through a union man. Read it over:

REFERENDUM ON SIX-HOUR DAY

At the Inter-Provincial Labor Convention held recently at Cal-
gary, a resolution was carried without opposition, asking that a refer-
endum be taken by the members upon the establishment of a “8wa
HOUR WORKING DAY,” five-day week, to go into effect July lst.

REFERENDUM ON INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION

At the recent Inter-Provincial Labor Conference, held in Calgary,
consisting of 250 delegates. representing the trade union movement,
from Port Arthur, Ont, to Victoria, BC, the following resolution was
carried without one opposing vote:

“Resolved, that this convention recommend to organized labor in
this Dominion the severance of the present affiliation with the Interna-
tional organizations, and that steps be taken to form an industrial
organization of all workers.”

This was introduced by the chairman of the resolutions committee
as a substitute for the many resolutions presented to the conference
by delegates from various parts of the West, acting under instructions
from their local organizations.\

A policy committee was elected and brought in a report which was
adopted. The substance of it is as follows:

(1) Name of proposed organization to be “The One Big Union.”

(2) Central committee of five to supervise propaganda and take
referendum. -

(3) Provincial committee to handle affairs of each Province.

(4) In establishing new organization, central executive to work
through existing district boards and Trades and Labor Councils.

(5) After the vote is received, a conference of representatives of
Trades Councils and district boards will be held to draw up a plan of
organization.

I N the first issue of The Winnipeg Citizen we stated that even were

ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF A GENERAL STRIKE TO
ESTABLISH A SIX-HOUR WORKING DAY?

 

FOR

 

 

 

i AGAINST

 

If in favor mark X after “For.” If opposed mark X after “Against.”

ARE YOU IN FAVORING OF SEVERING YOUR AFFILI-
ATION WITH YOUR PRESENT INTERNATIONAL CRAFT
UNION AND BECOMING PART OF ONE BIG INDUSTRIAL
ORGANIZATION OF ALL WORKERS?

 

FOR

 

AGAINST

 

 

 

 

If in favor mark X after “For.” Ifopposed mark X after “Against.”

The “One Big Union” propagandists publish a frankly “Red” bul—
letin here periodically. It is unnecessary to elaborate upon the above
ballot form, so we pass on to what the “One Big Union Bulletin” said
about the vote in its issue of May 15—the day when the generakwalk-
out took place, viz. :—

We herewith print a report of the votes received up to the time of
of going to press which clearly sounds the death knell of Gomperism.

Miners’ camps heard from in District No. 18: Corbin. 47 for the,
O.B.U. and 0 against; Yellowhead Mine, 22 for the O.B.U. and 0
against; Bellevue, 276 for the O.B.U. and 14 against; Fernie, 583 for
the O.B.U. and 33 against; Canmore, 193 for the O.B.U and 5 against;
Star Mine Drumhellar, 37 for the O.B.U. and 0 against; Michel Mine.
322 for the O.B.U. and 12 against; Wayne, 69 for the O.B.U. and 1
against; Brule, 259 for the O.B.U. and 6 against; Cardiff. 89 for the
O.B.U. and 0 against; Hillcrest, 313 for the O.B.U. 'and 11 against;
Pocahontas, 92 for the O.B.U. and 1 against; Commerce, 11 for the
O.B.U. and 3 against; Firebosses Fernie, 18 for the O.B.U. and 1
against; and still there are 27 more to be heard from.

Winnipeg reports as follows to date: Blacksmiths No. 147. 124
for the O.B.U. and 21 against; Machinists No. 484, 281 for O.B.U. and
39 against; Machinists No. 189, not complete, 237 for O.B.U. and 34
against; Painters No. 739, 199 for O.B.U. and 4 against; Carpenters
No. 2655, 40 for O.B.U. and 9 against; Sheet Metal Workers No. 31,
33 for O.B.U. and 2 against: Machinists No. 457,237 for O.B.U. and 11
against: Asylum Attendants, Selkirk, 21 for O.B.U. and ‘2 against.

From Toronto the first vote we have heard of is the Machinists
No. 371, which reports 147 for the O.B.U. and 11 against.

So that our second statement that the votes are overwhelmingly
favorable to both the organization plan and to the general strike, is
amply confirmed. If it were not, and if any doubts linger, look at
this. from an attack in the editorial columns of the Labor News of
April 15th, on Tom Moore and P. M. Draper, of the Trades Congress
of Canada: .

“We have the belated task of informing them that four
weeks ago a conference was held at Calgary and that confer-
ence demanded the six—hour day—that the question be put to
a vote of all the unions of Canada—that a general strike for
June lst would be called if the vote so ordered—and that the
vote so far taken shows 96 per cent of the workers favorable
both to the six-hour day and the strike.”

(The reference to June lst is probably an error for July lst, the
date named in the ballot paper.)

Now let us take a look at what the “One Big Union” stands for——
as embodied in the preamble to the Melbourne conference which start-
ed the “One Big Union” idea in Australia, and which was also adopted
at Calgary. We quote again from the Labor News of April 25, page 6

“Between these two classes (capital and labor) the
struggle must continue until capitalism is abolished. Capi-
talism can only be abolishd by the workers uniting in one
class, conscious economic organization to take and hold the
means of production by REVOLUTIONARY INDUS-
TRIAL AND POLITICAL ACTION. “REVOLUTION-
ARY ACTION” MEANS ACTION TO SECURE A COM—
PLETE CHANGE, NAMELY, THE ABOLITION OF
CAPITALIST OWNERSHIP OF THE MEANS OF
PRODUCTION, WHETHER P R I V A T E L Y OR
THROUGH THE STATE—~AND THE ESTABLISH-
MENT IN ITS PLACE OF SOCIAL OWNERSHIP BY .
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.”

The Melbourne preamble is included in the Labor News, in an
article defining the “One Big Union”—and here is what the Labor
News writer says about the paragraph we have quoted above—taken
from the Same issue of April 25:—

Great capital is .being made out of the fact that the O.B.U.
stands for ”revolutionary action” on the industrial and political
fields and an attempt is being made in certain quarters to stam-
pede the workers on the question, by misinterpretation of the
words. No apology will be made for the use of the words in tht
words. No apoogy will be made for the use of the words in thr—
preamble The attack from these quarters on the terms use
was foreseen and a definition of “revolutionary action” is include
in the preamble, and this certainly makes very clear what is mean‘
The fact that,the O.B.U. is revolutionary implies that it is calcr
lated to make great changes in the present order of society, an
unless it makes those changes it will not have succeeded in tr
object which its inauguration is hoped to achieve. Its eilicac
must be measured by the amount of revolutionary action in th:~
direction that it is capable of committing.

The ballot and the whole set of quotations from the Labor Nev
proves that there is a revolutionary movement on, and that the present
strike is in line with the last sentence of the above quotation, a meas-
ure of the eflicacy of the movement, being a demonstration of “the
amount of revolutionary action it is capable of committing.”

It all goes to show that unless Winnipeg throttles the general '

strike idea right here and now, Winnipeg herself will be throttled
again on July lst. '