First Published: In Struggle! No. 179, November 6, 1979
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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We are publishing the news release to be sent shortly to all major newspapers across the country as well as many union federations, national unions and local unions including CUPE, the CLC, the Public Service Alliance, the Quebec Federatlon of Labour, the Ontario Federation of Labour, and the B.C. Federation of Labour.
Our intention is to make it clear to Mister McDermott of the CLC that the Marxist-Leninist Organization of Canada IN STRUGGLE! has no intention of letting itself be attacked by innuendo. Our reply will sat the facts straight.
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Thursday, October 25 1979 during a news conference broadcast on the CBC in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dennis McDermott president of the Canadian Labour Congress made a statement on the resolution of blame against him by the national convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees held in Quebec City from October 15 to 19.
He stated that the CUPE convention was influenced by a small group which he didn’t name, but which he identified by brandishing a pamphlet published by IN STRUGGLE! entitled Dump McDermott – Dump the bourgeois policy in trade unions!
This statement is only the newest episode in Mr. McDermott’s attacks on all workers who refuse to accept his policy of betraying the labour movement. In particular it is an attack on the 1,100 delegates to the CUPE convention who adopted almost unanimously a resolution moved by local 301 of Montreal demanding McDermott’s resignation.
Furthermore, the delegates adopted several resolutions that condemned the tripartism practised by the CLC leadership, its anti-democratic manoeuvres, and its policy of sabotaging working-class struggles, in particular the postal workers’struggle.
In an attempt to avoid losing face in front of the entire Canadian labour movement, McDermott is now trying to blame these democratic decisions on communists alone. The manoeuvre is blatant. And, if it were all the result of “manipulation” by communists, then why did McDermott stay away from the CUPE convention? Why didn’t he come and explain tripartism, the sabotage of the postal workers’ struggle and so forth?
The Marxist-Leninist Organization of Canada IN STRUGGLE! never hid its point of view at the convention. In particular, the manifesto Dump McDermott! – Dump the bourgeois policy in trade unions was openly distributed to over 300 delegates. This Manifesto gives the straight facts on the policy of class collaboration and the bourgeois interests of McDermott and his cronies in the labour movement. McDermott doesn’t like that and he has reason to be upset...