The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-10-20
Labor In Cnnuda
Marches Forwdrd
Delegate Russell Tolls AL
Convention SO. 900 Now
In Movement ;-sNa -

Houston, exas.-Despite national
economic conditions and international
complications organized labor in Can
ada is marching steadily forward
both in membership and in legislative
protection for the workers, William ].
Russell, fraternal delegate from the
Trades and Labor Congress, told the
annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor here.
"The paid-ups membership of the
Canadian Trades and Labor Congress
at the present time is 15O,378, an in
crease of 29,273 over last year." Mr..
Russell said. "Sixty-two international
unions and four national unions are
affiliated to the Congress and nine
charters were issued during the past
year for the setting up of District
Trades Councils or Central Labor
Bodies" ""
Rights of Labor Gained
In tracing the development of the
right Of labor to organize in Canada
and carry on activities for the protec-
ton of the workers, Mr.. Russell said:
"Trade unionism was born out of
economic necessity. In its early years,
under the Combination Acts in Great
Britain, as from 1899 to 1924, it was
an outlaw organization, and it's mem
bers could be imprisoned and trans
ported, to the British colonies for
daring to organize to better their
economic position and to create the
right to bargain collectively.
"In the City of Toronto, in Ontario,
Canada in the year 1871, The Toronto
Trades Assembly, that had just then
been recently formed, advocated a
nine-hour working day. And because
of this the Executives of my Local
Union, Typographical Union No. 81,
were arrested, for interfering in a
conspiracy to reduce hours and in
crease wages, by one of the local news
paper owners. When the case came
before the courts it was found, that
while the Combination Acts had been
repealed in Great Britain, as of. 1924,
in Canada the rights of labor were
governed by Acts passed in the reign
of Queen Anne. 3. r
However, today we have within the
law certain rights and privileges as
Trade unionists in the Dominion of
Canada whereby we can negotiate
with employers, and can also strike
and picket within the law; neverthe-
less legally, not being; Incorporated or
registered bodies, we are not recog-
nized as legal entities and cannot
sue or be sued as trade unions, but
only in our individual, capacity as
trade unionists. si.f. :~set
Canada Has Complete Sovereignty
"My reason for introducing these OBJ
servations is that many of the MEN,
bers affiliated to the Trades and La
Dor Congress of Canada are members
of International Trade Unions with
headquarters in the U. S. A.. and di-
rectly represented on the floor of this
1t is we'll to remember
that we in Canada. are part of the
British Commonwealth of Nations, and
have complete economic and political
entity, making our own laws, maintain
ing our own defense forces and ne
gotiating our own Trade Treaties"
With regard to the, controversy be-,
tween the American Federation of
Labor and the Committee for Indus
trial Organization, Mr.. Russell report
ed that the 1887 and 1888 convention Of
the Canadian Trades and Labor Con-
gress decided to take no action either
for or against the C. l. o. Consequent
ly locals of national and international
unions whose charters have been re-
voked by the American Federation of
Labor are still affiliated with the
Trades and Labor Congress. So.