#tripartism

[proudlyhopelesslyoptimistic]

it’s clear that when these gentlemen (politicians) speak of a national interest, they’re speaking for the people who own the nation, not for those who work and produce its wealth. No, it’s clear that in this country there are two nations – labour and capital – each with interests diametrically opposed to each other. Tri-partism will do nothing to  change this fact

Davidson, Ottawa 1977.

[proudlyhopelesslyoptimistic]

I think you have to be a bit of a dreamer to suggest that ‘big business’ and the government are going to voluntarily give up any power to labour. In any arrangement with  ‘big business’ and government, labour is certain to be a very junior partner. Why else would ‘big business’ have anything to do with tri-partism? They have all the power now and what could they possibly gain from treating labour as an equal? . . . “I’ve often been called an old-fashioned trade unionist and I know that at certain times I am an embarrassment to certain so-called responsible trade union leaders, but I fail to see what is old-fashioned about understanding the very basic fact that no employer is going to give away anything unless he is absolutely forced to do so or unless he expects to receive more in return.

Speech by Joe Davidson, Ottawa, April 15, 1977, file 19 CUPW campaign, box 1, AFL records, 1996.00153, Provincial Archives of Alberta.