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, wae 8 eva QIne i ‘ "= 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