CANADA

Fighting corporate attack tops SFL meet

SASKATOON — The intensi-
fied corporate atack on working
people, and a move to restructure
executive elections, were the domi-
Nant issues at the Saskatchewan
Federation of Labor’s 30th annual
convention, Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

It was the restructuring proposal
which led to the sharpest clash

“among delegates. Last year’s con-

vention called for a review of the
election of SFL officers, and other
aspects of the Federation’s struc-
ture, to address charges of inade-
quate representation of the large
public sector unions at the leader-
Ship level.

The review committee’s report
Was passed after extensive debate.
It provides for the election of only
three officers at large: president,
Tecording secretary, and treasurer.
Sixteen others are elected by union
Caucuses at the convention, and
then ratified, as are five represena-
tives of labor councils, The Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees
and the Saskatchewan Govern-
ment Employees (SGEU), the two
largest organizations in the SFL,
8et two vice-presidents each. Other
Unions with 1,000-8,000 members
8et one each, and smaller unions
Caucus to elect a total of two from
among them.

Opposition to the proposal was
led by the Steelworkers’ caucus,
traditionally a major force in exec-
utive elections. Their argument
that the change would limit the
night of delegates to run for office
Were answered by speakers from
SGEU, Retail-Wholesale, and the

Tain Services Union, who said
the federation leadership should
Teflect the full range of views
among unions in the province.

In Other constitutional change,
the infamous “anti-Communist
Clause” was deleted as “antiquated,
unnecessary and offensive”. Only
One delegate opposed the deletion.

© major changes resulted from
the new election procedure. Nadine

Unt and Dave Maki were both
Te-elected as president and treas-
urer, respectively. Duane Siemens
Of the Energy and Chemical

orkers won the post of recording
Secretary.

From Saskatchewan

Kimball Cariou

The expanded new executive is
not expected to steer a course dif-
fering from its predecessors. But it
does include several figures who
have pressed for a more militant
approach, such as Len Wallace of
Retail, Wholesale and Department
Store Workers Union, Barb Byers,
president of the SGEU, and Bon-
nie Pearson of the Grain Services
Union.

A number of invited speakers
hammered away at the anti-labor
policies of the Mulroney govern-
ment and its provincial counter-
parts. UA W’s Bob White drew the
most attention, for his spirited
condemnation of “free trade”,
which he called “‘one of the greatest
economic and political issues ever
faced by Canadian labor”. He
warned working people “‘not to be
fooled by Mulroney verbiage”
about the benefits of free trade, and
outlined the potential damage to
social programs, jobs, public own-
ership and cultural sovereignty.
Decisions on Canada’s future, he
said, ought to be made on the basis
of wide public consultation not by
the premier visiting Washington.

White’s views were shared by
National Farmers Union represen-
tative Norm McFarlane, who
emphasized the danger of negotiat-
ing away stabilization programs
and marketing boards if agricul-
ture is part of free trade talks. The
convention adopted a plan for a
major educational campaign on
the issue.

For the first time in two years,
the province’s labor minister,
Lorne McLaren, spoke to the con-
vention. McLaren drew jeers dur-
ing his lengthy appeal for co-
operation between business and
labor, and laughter for claiming

that “everyone in Saskatchewan is
a worker, from the person on the
shop floor to the company presi-
dent”.

But the mood grew serious when
he answered questions. His claims
about the Tory record on health
and safety issues were blasted by
delegates angry over the slow
action to clean up asbestos con-
tamination at the Prince Albert
Pulp mill, and over deteriorating
mine safety inspections.

His invitation to union leaders
to meet him at his office to discuss
isses was exposed as useless when
he admitted to SGEU questioners
that he did not intend to involve
himself in settling their 13-month
contract dispute.

Provincial New Democratic Party
leader Alan Blakeney received a
warmer reception, and predicted
his party will defeat the Tories next
spring. He said the NDP intends to
step up public investments and to
restore some benefits to working
people cut by the Grant Devine
Tory government. But Blakeney
failed to promise the repeal of the
Tory anti-labor Bill 104, or other
restrictive labor legislation passed
by his last administration. —

Labor legislation and enforce-
ment was a major topic of resolu-
tions. Bill 104 has become a
particular concern for SGEU, said
its executive officer, Larry Brown.
The bill allows the provincial
government to “bleed us to death
case by case”, taking hundreds of
employees out of union protection
and increasing the scope for cor-
ruption and patronage. Steelworker
Peter Susa, of Regina’s IPSCO
steel mill, was one of many speak-
ers who described the worsening
safety record and compensation

Petition Caravan Campaign ana
ave worked to have Quebec re-
J€ct involvement in F-18 fighter
Plane contracts.

Igneux feels that the estab-

_ lishment of the Alliance will be a

18 boost, particularly for smaller

Peace groups like the Conseil.

€ will have better contacts and
tter exchange of information.

ee fore, when we took our cam-
_ Paign to our local municipal rep-

yecntatives, we were always told
: © Were too small, that we had to
‘Ow we had more support. Now
N-we go to our representa-

tives we will have whole Peace
Alliance behind us’’.

Vigneux also predicts that the
establishment of the Alliance will
bring better unity to the local
peace groups operating in his
area. ‘‘There are four groups,
ours is the only Francophone one,
the others are Anglophone. Some
have been operating longer than
ours and have more experience. I
feel now we can approach them
for resource people, or to under-
take joint campaigns.”

Cathy Plowman, Winnipeg Co-
ordinating Committee for Disar-
mament Youth.

Plowman attended the large
caucus of women activists at the
convention. Two issues dom-
inated the discussion: the War
Toys Campaign was seen as an
important means of helping to
raise children in a non-violent
environment. The caucus also
expressed a concern for af-
firmative action for women within

the Alliance.

delegates predict

‘Women were very much in
evidence at this convention,”
says Plowman. ‘“‘There were
many high profile women with
leading positions in the peace
movement and there were always
women involved in the debates in
the workshops and on the
convention floor. While there was
aconcern that it was important to
make the links between violence
in society in general and the vio-
lence of war, the caucus agreed
that this should not overshadow
our ultimate goal to ensure peace.

“Tt was unfortunate,” she said,
‘that more emphasis was not
placed on the economic links be-
tween arms spending and wom-
en’s equality. Military spending
robs woman of the social services
and job opportunities they need.

‘But now that we have the Al-
liance we should see more women
from the labor movement come
into the peace struggle and un-
doubtedly those economic links
will become clearer’.

policies of the jobsite.

Poverty and unemployment
issues were highlighted by the
address of Wendy Holman, a
member of the Moose Jaw 13, a
group of welfare recipients fighting
for improved education upgrad-
ing. Holman spoke for Co-
ordination Against Poverty, a
coalition of four Saskatchewan
welfare and unemployed organiza-
tions, for which $570 was collected
in response to her appeal for unity
of the unemployed with labor.

Delegates spent a good deal of
time discussing resolutions on
unemployment, calling for a shor-
ter work week with no cut in pay,
and for a 15 per cent limit on part-
time employment in any estab-
lishment.

Two contentious issues which
hit the floor involved raiding and
unemployed action centres. With
the news that federal funding for
the province’s three unemployed
centres has dried up, the executive
proposed to continue their opera-
tion until May 1986. Several dele-
gates felt that this use of federation
funds represented an inadequate

“services” approach to the issue.
Lorraine Moulding of SGEU was
among these, pointing out that
“the unemployed would be far bet-
ter served by providing funds to
their own organizations”. The
executive proposal passed with
some 60 per cent in favor.

Last year’s convention con-
demned raids by SFL affiliates, as
a result of Retail-Wholesale charges
that the United Food and Com-
mercial Workers (UFCW) were
raiding its Regina Safeway local.
UFCW promptly ignored the reso-
lution after the convention, though
its raid was unsuccessful. Delegates
this year voted to “censure the cur-
rent executive for its failure and/or
refusal” to act against the raid.

A drawback to the large number
of guest speakers was the reduced
time available for discussion of
resolutions particularly on interna-

‘tional issuess. A large number of

resolutions on disarmament and
Nicaragua never hit the floor,

:-although one on boycotting South

African wine did pass.

The mood of delegates at the
1985 SFL convention was one of
determination to resist the growing
Tory attack on labor. Most were
hopeful that the Saskatchewan
PCs will soon be out of office; but
few seemed to feel that re-electing
the NDP here will be enough to
turn the situation around. It is
hoped that the convention’s poli-
cies and the new SFL structure will
help Saskatchewan trade unionists
meet the challenges facing the year
ahead.

Quebec.

1,142.

rejection.

increase would take effect.

wage increase.”

the same day.

Across Canada
ES

CLRB grants injunction

QUEBEC — The Canada Labor Relations Board has granted
Canada Post Corp., an injunction effective till Dec. 31, ending a
walkout by 600 inside postal workers at the main post office here.
Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the 23,000-member Canadian
Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said that breaches of the
contract by management made the strike legal, and had warned it
could spread if the dispute was not settled quickly. The strikers
were protesting management plans to cut 800 jobs, 600 of them in

Solid ‘No’ from miners

THOMPSON, Man. — By a powerful 93 per cent majority,
mine workers and tradesmen at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelt-
ing turned down a final company offer Nov. 7.

Steve Hamon, United Steelworkers of America represen-
tative, said 880 steelworkers out of 943 in the two communities of
Flin Flon and Snow Lake rejected the offer. Total membership is

Flin Flon Trades Council president Barry Lawrie said the 550
tradesmen in both communities also voted 93 per cent for

The company offered a $2.50 a month per year in pensions
during the first year of a three-year contract. Increases in wages
are tied to the combined price of copper and zinc. In the first year
of the contract, the combined price, now at $1.30a pound, would
have to average $1.50 a pound for three months before a wage

Hamon said the membership could not foresee price increases
in the current state of the industry sufficient to trigger the wage
boost. The fact remains, Hamon said, ‘‘We need an adequate

Both unions are seeking conciliation by Labor Canada. They
would be in a strike position after conciliation.

‘‘We’re not thinking strike at this point,” Hamon said. ‘‘We
are going to give one hell of a shot at reaching a settlement.”

Dale Powell, the company’s industrial relations official, re-
ported 40 staff employees were given transfer or layoff notices on

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 20, 1985 ¢ 7

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