Ee Bs ORS Continued from page 1 mobilization can elect the NDP. But in the meantime, he em- phasized the labor movement must demonstrate ‘“‘its capability for unfettered independent action.”’ The twin position papers outlin- ed in the Congress’ economic policies adopted in the day-long debate spoke of the “‘structural crisis in the Canadian economy.”’ Condemning the government for “fan irreverent game of Monopoly”’ that has created record profits and record unemployment, the CLC called for a job-creation § program based on a reduction in interest rates, a new budget, Man-- power training and ‘“‘study of crea- tion of a workers’ bank’’. The program is largely a reitera- tion of the 10-point program outlined by the CLC executive council earlier this year. The main follow-up to the historical November 21 rally against interest rates is to be a na- tional political action campaign which will culminate in a con- ference an economic recovery. One after another the presidents of some of Canada’s largest unions came to the microphones to pledge their support for McDermott’s stand against concessions. United Auto Workers Canadian director Bob White, whose union has voted not to accept wage con- cessions approved by the UAW in the U.S., said ‘tthe union move- ment wasn’t formed to come to conventions to talk, it was formed to fight on behalf of working peo- ple when times get tough. “Concessions spread like a. disease, pit worker against worker, union against union, community against eommunity. We don’t want to go down the concession road in Canada.”’ Jack Munro, president of the In- ternational Woodworkers, reaf- JEAN-CLAUDE PARROT...need action plan to fulfil CLC militance. FISHERMAN PHOTOS — GEOFF MEGGS CUPE PRESIDENT GRACE HARTMAN...”facing an organized campaign to blunt our contracts.” . firmed his union’s opposition to concessions, emphasizing that the IWA “‘sure as hell is not going in reverse’ on wages. “There is a combination of business and government forces Out to put public and private sector unions out of business,”’ said John Fryer, general secretary of the B.C. Government Employees Union and president of the National Union of Provincial Government Employees. ‘‘The threat of public sector con- trols is a reality in B.C.,”’ he said. “To hell with controls, to hell with concessions. We need controls on interest reates, controls on the capitalists, on money going out of the country.’ Grace Hartman, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, warned that if unionists give in, ‘‘the trickle of concessions will turn into a torrent.” “The bosses won’t give up until we are wiped out. There is an organized campaign to blunt our contracts.’ Speaking to industrial unionists, Hartman said, ‘‘Your fight against concessions will be our fight. When our members suffer from wage controls we know you will be stan- ding there with us. “We are not giving one inch and _ if we stand together there is no question we will win this fight,’ she said. “We know controls will not create a single job,’’ said Quebec Federation of Labor president Louis Laberge. “It takes more than No compromise on Special to the Tribune WINNIPEG - Seven delegates from the B.C. Provincial Council of Carpenters packed their bags and headed for home Wednesday after the CLC again rejected any compromise in its dispute with the Building Trades. Carpenters lob- bied convention delegates for two days, pressing their call for a change in the CLC position to allow Building Trades locals to af- filiate to the CLC without joining the Congress Building Trades Department, a move that would put them in confrontation with their internationals. Such a conflict, they argue, would result in victory for the inter- nationals which could put the Canadian locals under trusteeship and strip them of job and pension rights. But the CLC was inflexible, passing a resolution committing the Congress to its current course. Although B.C. delegates Jack Nichol of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union, Bill Clark of the Telecommunications Workers and Fred Trotter of the Office and Technical Employees all appealed for rejection of the resolution, CLC president Dennis McDermott jumped into the debate to show he would brook no dissent. “There is a naive viewp6int that people i in the (Carpenters) predica- ment can come back without con- fronting their own internationals,”’ McDermott said, ‘‘They had to take them on in Quebec and they’1l have to take them on in Ontario and B.C.”’ McDermott did not point out: that Quebec law gave the unions in that province the upper hand in fighting their internationals. “There’s no way you can be halfway in and halfway out,’’ he PACIFIC TRIBUNE— MAY 28, 1982— Page 12 resolutions, more’ than statements— it takes determina- ~ tion to do the job to defeat this at- tack. We must have a full commit- ment to stand together in an all-out fight if we are to defend the people we represent.”’ McDermott told delegates at the conclusion of debate, ‘‘our understanding is that each and every affiliate is obliged to carry out this policy to the bitter end. “Mr. Employer, Mr. Establish- ment, we think you have a clear answer from this labor movement.”’ Later, at a news conference following a closed meeting with 90 ranking officers representing unions across the country, McDer- mott confirmed that there was ‘‘a commitment in blood from: af- filiates to uphold the Congress’ unrelenting opposition to conces- sions. But although support for McDermott’s analysis was virtually unanimous, some unionists were critical of the lack of specifics in the action program. Charging that the profound structural crisis of the economy could not be ‘‘cured by the Con- gress’ mild economic measures,”’ they argued that concessions would not be defeated by militant rhetoric alone. They also noted that conces- sions had not been defined and that no systematic program had been developed to defend trade unionists in various parts of the country against the corporate at- tack. Trades said. “In this labor movement you’ re either all the way in or all the way out.” Indignant B.C. delegates shouted ‘‘that is a lockout’’, pounded their tables and waved white towels to protest McDer- mott’s arrogant intervention which was out of order because he was in the chair. The motion to refer the resolu- tion with instructions to delete the offending clause rejecting com- promise was however, easily defeated by McDermott’s sup- porters, who also carried the main motion by a huge margin. Bill Zander, president of the .Carpenters Council said his union would not give up. ‘‘The place to be is in the CLC,”’ he said, ‘‘but the narrow concept applied here makes it very difficult for us to do what we ‘want to do.”’ George Hewison, secretary- treasurer of the UFAWU, endors- ed McDermott’s assessment of the crisis, but criticized the Congress’ economic strategy and fightback program as ‘‘half-baked’’. ‘‘Tinkering with interest rates is not good enough,” he said. “‘The bosses are coming at us with everything but the kitchen sink. Concessions and wage controls are the same thing. Workers have to come up with the program that HEWISON...CLC economic policy half-baked. takes the corporate sector by the throat. “We need to take over the banks, not buy our own bank and use the billions in trust to create GEORGE 100,000 new jobs. We need a massive housing program.” Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, warned McDermott that without a detailed action program, “the heroic words of our resistance will remain a dead letter.”’ He challenged McDermott to back up his fightback pledge with concrete action to make the CLC an organizer of a co-ordinated na- tional program. Both Parrot and Hewison are members of the Action Caucus, a grouping of unions fighting to toughen the Congress’ economic policies and to wm a commitment to mobilize all locals to resist wage controls and concessions. ( Both unionists are running for CLC executive positions. — Local 480 won't lool at pay cui Steelworkers Local 480 ! Trail has stated that it will t eee an ‘‘emphat ’ to any request which Cou ne might make for wage ©! cessions from the 5,9 Steelworkers at the Trail a? Kimberley operations. Local 480 president Ke Georgietti stated his position! the local’s newspaper earlier th month following Cominco’s# nouncement that all its nO union employees would denied salary increases schedu ed to take effect July 1. Cominco chairman Norma Anderson announced the sala! freeze May 13, declaring at same time that the nearly 1, non-union employees woU have their vacation benefits and their work week increas¢ from 37% hours to 40 hours. The announcement renew rumors that Cominco wou press the Steelworkers : similar concessions. Aska organized workers might } asked for a rollback of the $1 : crease which took effect May! or for other concessions, Com inco spokesman Jim Camero said that he ‘‘couldn’t presuf pose.”’ The company’s latest mov comes just a little more than month before Cominco’s fiv! week shutdown of its Tra / smelter operations, scheduledt take effect June 30. The unprecedented shu! down, which will affect 3,30 Steelworkers, has been seen 4 an attempt .to put renewé pressure on the union for co? cessions and as an attempt tof tionalize the work force 1 preparation for planned mode! nization and automation. Th shutdown also coincides wit! other closures in the mining i? dustry. An editorial in Local 48 newspaper, Your Union em phasized: ‘“Cominco has mad millions of dollars in the pas but it seems recently they hav mismanaged their cash and af now attempting to have thei employees bear the brunt 0 their mismanagement. Thi ‘union will not be blackmaile into a position of rollbacks.”’ Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 51-1186 Read the paper that fights for labor Name..... a ee Address} oss a as City-ortoWinss 36% sas Postal: Code@nc. = lam enclosing: Tyr. $14 O 2 yrs. $25 [1 6 mo. $8 0 OldO New Foreign 1 year $15 1 Bill me later ( Donation$..........