NPA—‘REAL ESTATE PROMOTERS’

Rankin. will contest
vote, issues program

Harry Rankin, well-known city lawyer, announced today he will again contest the civic
election as an independent candidate for City Council. Rankin has the backing of the Cen-
tral Council of Ratepayers, of which he is president.

Rankin’s program this year
Calls for a 20 Year Plan of pro-
8ressive civic reform, It in-
-Chides: ; :

* Cut taxes on homes by a
$2,000 tax exemption on all
homes, compelling big proper-
ties “to pay their fair share of
taxation.”

* A Ward system, and equal
Civic rights for tenants.

* Lower bus fares and better
Service, Free bus passes for
Senior citizens.

* Cut telephone rates in half
by making B.C. Telephone a
Publicly-owned utility.

* Defeat of Mayor Rathie’s
Scheme to permit City Council
to borrow large sums of money
Without a vote of residents.

* Making Chronic Hospitals a
Provincial responsibility under
'B.C.H.I.S.

* An urban renewal develop-

ment program for the entire
north-east section of the city.

* A tunnel under Burrard Inlet
instead of a bridge, to save
Brockton Point in Stanley Park.

“The NPA has no long-term
plan for civic improvement,” said
Rankin, “It is an agency of the
- real estate promoters, the CPR,
and other special interests.

HARRY RANKIN,

“The NPA Council did nothing
to oppose increased bus fares,
or about our excessive telephone
rates. They have shown favorit-
ism to the CPR and other big
properties so they pay lower
taxes than the rest of us. The
NPA has sabotaged slum clear-
ance and low cost housing pro-
jects.

“A look at the NPA record—
the abortive Webb & Knapp deal;
turning over 40 acres of Jericho
Beach to private promoters;
Block 42 which was turned over
to Toronto promoters; Rathie’s
freeway plan which would work
to the advantage of the CPR,
show a complete betrayal of the
interests of Vancouver citizens,”
said Rankin,

Mrs, Alice MacKenzie, former
Council candidate, said, “The
election of Bob Williams last
year can be followed up by the
election of Harry Rankin, this
year ...then ratepayers, tenants
and labor will have two strong
voices on City Council.”

Labor vote can be decisive
‘in civic election campaign

Caught between a federal elec-
tion and the possibility of a
two day general strike, civic
electioneering in Vancouver is

earlier promise by Alderman
Tom Campbell to organize a new
civic opposition to the NPA failed
to materialize,

having a tough time trying to get |

Off the ground,

Labor, which talked about a
big effort this year in the civic
field has found it difficult to bring
any attention to bear on the
‘December 8 contest. The Civic
Action Association, which made
its debut last year has. decided
to sit it out this year and an

On the eve of nomination day
10 candidates had filed for five
aldermanic seats; the five in-
cumbents: Banfield, Emery,
Campbell; Lipp and Wilson, plus
Alsbury, Atherton, Wainborne,
Lenko, and Harry Rankin. Frank
Fredrickson is expected to toss

‘his hat into the ring again this

year,

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eva QIne

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"= PACIFIC TRIBUNE

There could be an acclama-
tion for school board and there
are five contestants for three
parks board seats including
Dusty Greenwell who drew 29,-
000 votes last year.

In the labor movement the
main attention centres around

‘the possibility of electing Harry

Rankin, Rankin, who was just
1300 votes short of election last
year was nosed out by Bob Wil-
liams, a prominent NDP mem-
ber who has played a good role
on city council since his elec-
tion,

It is hoped in labor circles
that a strong enough campaign
can be mounted this year to add
Rankin to the council and lay the
basis for a major assault in
1966 when the entire council of
ten members, plus the full seven
member parks board comes up
for election,

Observers point out that al-
though there is no organized
opposition to the NPA, in the
form of-a slate or an associa-
tion, there will be ten strong
candidates with considerable vote
appeal running for five seats,
Under these circumstances they
calculate that if the east end
vote turns out the strong sup-
port Rankin demonstrated last
year could elect him this time,

A factor in the elections, they
say, could be the outcome of the

forty-eight hour strike called by”

the B.C, Federation of Labor,
This could have the effect in
their opinion of galvanizing the
workers into action on election
day to place progressive repre-
sentatives on City Council,

Vie Nuove (Rome)

“The descent will be easy!”

LABOR ROUNDUP:

UFAWU herring men
still out on strike

Negotiations between the
United Fishermen and Allied
Workers Union and the B,C,
Fisheries Association on herring
prices and fringe benefits are
still continuing,

The Association presented an
offer of $16,00-per ton, on Nov,
10, the first since negotiations
opened on Sept. 16, an increase
of $1.52 over 1964-65 rates,
UFAWU negotiating committee
informed the operators then that
their offer was too small to even
‘remotely’ approach a settle-
ment, A coastwise ballot of all
herring fishermen showed 88,4%
of the members rejecting the
Association offer of $16.00-per
ton, The men have declared their
intention of remaining on strike,

A later UFAWU press release
indicates some slight increase
from the Association’s previous
offer, but are still ‘‘refusing
Union requests’”’ covering a num-
ber of important fringe benefits,

On the November 24 general
strike ‘deadline’ in support of
the Oil workers, the UFAWU for-
warded the following telegram to
Premier Bennett, Friday of last
week,

‘General Executive Board and
Fraser River District Council
UFAWU strongly urge your im-
mediate action requiring major
oil companies to enter serious
negotiation providing job securi-
ty, advance notice and action
regarding further automation in
order settlement can be reached
in oil strike, before strike in-
volves entire trade union move-
ment and seriously affects pro-
vincial economy,

**Oil companies have stubborn-
ly refused recognition of their
responsibility not only towards
their employees but also to en-
tire population as automation
results in displacement of work-
ers and silent firings which add
greater burdens upon all tax-
payers, Oil companies and not
taxpayers must pay costs of auto-
mation, Oil industry based upon
natural resources adding em-
phasis that government must en-
sure security of oil workers and
protection of public interest, by
preventing greed for profit to dic-
tate automation policy, Decisive
action using your good offices
now urgently required,”’

* * +

The Vancouver Civic Employ-
ees Union (Outside Workers),
representing 1,500 manual and
trades workers employed by the
City of Vancouver, Parks Board

-and Exhibition Board, has served

notice on its employers for the
re-opening of collective agree-
ments, °

The demands of the Union for
contract changes have been
finalized and have already been
presented to City Council repre-
sentatives,

Top among the Union demands
is a 70-cents-an-hour wage in-
crease covering all categories,
and the possibility of negotiating
a new contract covering a period
longer than one year, The Union’s
present contract expires Dec,
31,

* OK O*

Mine-Mill locals in British
Columbia through their District
office are represented on the
strike Co-ordinating Committee
of the British Columbia Federa-
tion in support of the striking
Oil Workers Union, as are other
non-affiliated: unions in B,C, A
Mine-Mill Union bulletin urges
the entire Mine- Mill membership
to give all possible support to the
Oil workers and to ‘‘make their
own decisions as to their parti-

cipation in the 48-hour work
stoppage scheduled to go into
operation November 24 at mid-
night,

In the Sudbury certification
vote granted Mine-Mill, repre-
sentatives of Mine-Mill, INCO
and the Ontario Labor Relations
Board (OLRB) have already
stipulated the number of polls
to be established, the places and
voting hours, and the appoint-
ment of scrutineers. A meeting
of the parties concerned will be
held this week in Sudbury, at
which time it is expected the date
of the vote will be announced,

Archie Macdonald, president
of Mine- Mill Local 1307 announc-
ed last week the approval of a
new wage agreement covering
all miners engaged in develop-
ment work in B,C, A new base
rate of $2.75-per hour, plus ad-
ditional fringe benefits have been
won, Previous hourly rates were
a maximum of $2.35, The new
wage rates will cover miners
working on development projects
in B.C., the Yukon, Alberta and
Sask, -

November 26, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 3