Labour Activism History: Textual Records ➔ [Excerpt from the proceedings of the IWA 8th Constitutional Convention in Vancouver, B.C.]
Item
Identifier:
2023_07_02_004
Repository
Kaatza Station Museum and Archives
Repository Web Site
https://www.kaatzastationmuseum.ca/
Repository Identifier
004 a,b,c,d
Date
October 24 1944;Date(s) of creation
Extent
4 p. of textual records
Format
textual record
Description
An excerpt of the 1944 IWA publication Proceedings of the Eighth Constitutional Convention, including the cover and pages 56, 57 and 58. Over these pages, an uniedentified union member raises his concern regarding members of the Communist Party who also hold union membership, whom he believes are out to subvert the union and use their meetings as covert recruitment venues. In response, a Union member identified as Brother Singh (likely Darshan Singh) calls for the broad tolerance of communists in their midst, explaining that they have his sympathy even though he once feared that he would be persecuted for his religion under communism. Alluding to Martin Niemöller's famous poem "Zuerst kamen sie ...", Singh argues that the persecution of communists almost always opens the door for further persecution of ethnic and cultural minorities, himself included. The meeting is then briefly suspended for a group photo-op, before Union member Brother Alsbury argues that if the Union makes concessions for the communists, then they will end up making concessions for every special interest group and that the integrity of the IWA as a trade union will be compromised as a result.
Language
English
Notes
Volume cover reads:
"International Woodworkers of America
Affiliated with
The Congress of Industrial Organizations
And Canadian Congress of Labour
I.W.ofA
Proceedings of the
Eighth Constitutional Convention
Vancouver, B.C., October 24 1944".
Note: Date listed refers to date of convention documented in text, not creation of text itself.
Rights Statement
In copyright
Subject Headings - SACDA
South Asian Canadian men;South Asian Canadian sawmill workers;Sikh men
Subject Headings - Library of Congress
Labor unions [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85136516];Labor unions--Canada [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2008106524];Labor unions--Canada--History [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2009128451];Timber [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85135386];Labor union meetings [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85136515];Timber [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85135386];Lumber trade [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85078814];Sawmill workers [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85117788];Sawmills [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85117790];Communist parties [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85029180];Racism against Asians [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2021003012]
![[Excerpt from the proceedings of the IWA 8th Constitutional Convention in Vancouver, B.C.]](https://sacda.ca/media/collectiveaccess/images/1/2/4/27066_ca_object_representations_media_12484_mediumlarge.jpg)