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ea Fishermen and Allied
Steye § wel president Homer
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Carpent _Sean Griffin-photo
cee delegate Lorne Robson led off the lengthy debate on

last an trade union autonomy that dominated the CLC convention
- (See story inside).

In council business, delegates
unanimously adopted Steven’s
motion that the executive bring
recommendations to the next
council meeting aimed at
establishing a special council
committee to ensure “maximum
moral, financial and material
support’’ to the Chilean labor
movement, organized in the
Chilean Central Labor Federation
COU

The motion was in response to a
call from exiled CUT viee-
president Eduardo Rojas who
addressed the council meeting.
With him was Osvaldo Cortez, a
CUT member himself, and
chairman of the labor committee
of the Toronto Chilean Association,
made up of trade unionists af-
filiated to the Chilean labor
federation. (See story page 3.)

The motion occasioned some
initial controversy as council
secretary Jack Lawrence pointed
out that in previous discussions
with the B.C. Federation of Labor
on an earlier motion — calling for a
boycott of Chilean grapes ~~ the
Federation had referred the
matter to the CLC convention.
While the question of Chile came
up several times in the CLC con-
vention, any specific course of
action was left to the incoming
executive council. :

Nevertheless, council nese
Syd Thompson said the motion
cntirely in order and that the
executive would discuss it. Earlier
he had assured Rojas’ that “‘this
council supports the fight of the
Chilean people and will continue to
do all it can to carry out what you
have called for.” Delegates also
see LABOR pg. 12

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1974

Taking advantage of the green
light given them by the Trudeau
government in a recent directive
allowing oil companies to boost
prices on gasoline by 9.2 cents and
fuel oil by 8.6 cents a gallon, two
major oil companies ste Vs 8 OS
Shell and Gulf — this week defied a
B.C. government instruction
asking oil companies to limit their
increase to 8 cents.

Showing their usual arrogance

- as well as disdain for provincial

government curbs, Shell an-
nounced an increase in prices in
B.C. of 8.8 cents last Thursday and
was later followed by Gulf who
announced an 8.6 cent increase per
gallon. These increases are on the
wholesale price which will un-
doubtedly be passed on to con-
sumers. Indeed, some retail outlets
have already attempted to boost
prices by 10 cents a gallon.

The provincial government
responded to the challenge thrown
out by the major oil companies by
announcing that Shell and Gulf
have been asked to attend a public
hearing June 4 in Victoria before
the B.C. Energy Commission to
justify their increase beyond.the 8
cent limit set by the NDP govern-
ment. At press time there was no
indication whether the companies
will appear before the hearing.

While .the major blame for
escalating gas and oil prices lies at
the door of the Federal Liberal
government for its recent
agreement, the B.C. government
bears a major responsibility for
the present situation. E

Despite the fact that Premier
Barrett noted at the time of the
meeting of the Federal govern-
ment and premiers that the oil
industry had been making a rate of
return much higher than its
historic average as well as more
fhan the rate of return for other
industries, his government
practically invited the oil com-

scene in the Westbury

i h
This was t oe che Communist Part

convention 0 n
and to launch the Party's f

Tribune

-« 15°

VOL. 35, No.-21°

panies to raise prices by 8 cents
with its recent directive. Although
he said at the time his government
will take steps to see that this in-
crease is not passed on to con-
sumers, no such action has yet
been announced.

Apparently the oil companies
took the provincial government’s
action as a sign of weakness and
decided to challenge the govern-
ment’s 8 cent limit. B.C. con-
sumers face a new round of price
increases if the oil companies’
challenge goes unanswered.

The profit position of the major
oil companies makes any increase
in prices to consumers totally
unnecessary, and if allowed to go
through will constitute another
profit gouge of the consuming
public. Gulf Oil’s profits, as an
example, were 79 per cent higher
in the last year compared to the
previous -year’s booming profits.

In a statement jointly released
by the seven’ federal Communist
candidates in B.C. the agreement

between Ottawa and the provincial
premiers allowing a large increase
in prices was denounced as a
“profit bonanza for the oil com-
panies’’. It said the.people of B.C.
should demand the provincial
government take strong action to
stop the oil company gouge in B.C.

The statement urges the B.C.
government to. immediately
proclaim the legislation it now has
giving it power to control gasoline
and oil prices; that it order prices
be frozen at their previous level
pending a full probe of the oil
companies with a view to their
being placed under public
ownership.

The statement is signed by
Federal Communist candidates
Maurice Rush, Vancouver East;
Fred Wilson, Vancouver
Kingsway; Eric Waugh, Burnaby-

Seymour, James Beynon,
Kingsway; Rod Doran, New
Westminster; Mark Mosher,

Comox-Alberni; Ernie - Knott,
Cowichan-Malahat-Islands.

Carbonic firm listed unfair

The B.C. Federation of Labor, in
a letter sent to all affiliates, has
labelled Liquid Carbonic Canada
Ltd. “unfair” and has urged all
trade unionists to refuse to handle
their products.

Liquid Carbonic’s three
operations, in Vancouver, Rich-
mond and Nanaimo have been
struck by the Marine Workers and
Boilermakers Union since April 30.
The union is demanding higher
wages and a cost of living escalator
adjustment, thus far flatly rejected
by the company. The company’s
only offer is 50c per year for two
years with no COLA. It was
rejected by a 100% vote among the
22 employees.

Liquid Carbonic has called in

scab labor, so-called ‘‘personnel’’,
to continue production and
delivery of its products. The scabs
have been brought in from Ed-
monton, Toronto and Montreal.

Scab products emanating from
behind the Marine Workers picket
lines include a variety of industrial
gases such as oxygen, carbon
dioxide, liquid oxygen, acetylene,
and dry ice. Other hot products
produced at Liquid Carbonic are
Red Diamond, Weldco and Electo
welding rods, Westinghouse
Welders and Victor gauges.

The Marine Workers have
communicated their desire to
continue negotiations but the
company has refused another
meeting.

te:

Hotel in Toronto last weekend as more than 140 delegates to the 22nd

y of Canada came together to determine policies for the coming period

ederal election campaign. (See story inside).

—Rod Doran photo