Soe niutys SANDS Unsatisfactory settlements recommen Ive of 6 construction unions, One-cent increase to its. 34,000 employees, is rapidly moving management- REJECTED SHOWDOWN SHAPING JU By NIGEL MORGAN FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1970 ded by Deputy Labor Minister Sands to continued rejection by pulp and paper companies of any Wage increase above 5%, and refusal of B.C.’s giant lumber industry to concede even a relations in the direction of another confrontation. Negotiations are deadlocked again, and after four months of €mployer-stalling and fruitless bargaining tempers are becom- ing frayed. While negotiations are continuing, unless €mployers abandon their arro- gant stance, it is hard to see how a showdown can be avoided for More than another week. And, While government spokesmen are obviously staying clear of any suggestion of reapplying Bill 33 compulsion, it is widely: Tecognized that such an attempt Would provide the catalyst that Could trigger another major Crisis. Among the week’s devel- opments were :-— 1. Five thousand Canadian Pulp and Paper workers — already on strike at Harmac (Nanaimo, Crofton, Gold River, Prince George, Castelegar and Skookumchuck — walked out of Mediation sessions with govern- ment-appointed Gus Leonidis. 2. While International Pulp and Sulphite, and two Paper- makers unions, continued discus- Slons, little if any headway was recorded despite the fact that the pulp industry is booming and Companies recently took a $10-a- ton increase in pulp prices. * . Before the lumber indus- YS Nemetz Industrial _En- quiry Commission, FIR. Tepresenting 116 companies, flatly rejected any wage Increase for 27,000 coast wood- Workers and countered with demands for inclusion in any hew agreement of severe Penalties against work stoppages regardless of cause, Included were loss of Seniority, statutory holiday pay, fare allowances and bonuses. Meanwhile, Kootenay IWA Members in the interior, voted 79.2 percent in favor of strike action to back their contract demands. 4. B.C. Yukon Building Trades Council called the B.C. Federa- tion of Labor back in, and announced a meeting of all affiliates to decide what to do -how that construction settle- Ments recommended by Deputy Labor Minister William Sands have been rejected by most unions involved. labor The Carpenters Union, which got a recommendation of $1.38 (18¢ above the previous offer of $1.20 an hour, and a 27.8 percent increase spread over two years) is the only union expected to vote acceptance, although no announcement of their ballet is likely to come until results of the CLRA secret ballot are made known probably Wednesday. Laborer’s Union which got only 70¢, and Rock and Tunnell Workers have overwhelmingly rejected Sands settlement offer. Heat and Frost Insulators voted rejection of Sands recom- mendation, which was the same as that rejected last April when the lockout was ordered by the C.L.R.A. Sands recommendation for Plumbers, Bricklayers and Operating Engineers are known to be completely unacceptable, and rejection by the membership is anticipated. Plumbers and Laborers are believed to hold the key to the general settlement because of their large member- ships, and the C.L.R.A.’s repeated insistance they ‘‘will only sign simultaneously with all unions on a common expiry date.” The possibility of further negotiations to break the contin- uing impasse were raised by Larry Anderson, Vice President of the Building Trades Council. Anderson said, ‘‘The avenues for free collective bargaining are still open in all respects. It is not necessary for a recommenda- tion to be accepted. That being so, if there are rejections of recommendations, it obviously means there has to be further bargaining to finalize an agreement.” Unions haven’t. forgotten the fact that B.C. MLAs helped them- selves to a whopping $2000 increase at the Legislative Session last spring, of the fantas- tically high incomes being snatched by lawyers, doctors, dentists, architects, manage- ment personal, banks and financial institutions. Dissatis- faction over the distribution of the fruits of production is deep in labor’s ranks, and deter- mination and unity to win just and reasonable settlements is at an all-time high. DRV grows despite war MOSCOW — The economy of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam did not weaken under the strain of the U.S. air war, 1964-68, and is now “‘a stronger revolutionary base for the whole country than ever before,”’ writes Vo Nhan Tri, prominent DRV economist. Tri’s findings are contained in the latest issue of ‘‘Peoples of Asia and Africa”’ magazine, published by the Soviet Institute of Oriental ‘Studies. In 1964-68, Tri states, indus- trial output grew by 39 percent. “This means that despite vicious bombings, the DRV’s industrial potential not only was not wiped out, but it was strengthened.”’ The 1968-69 rate of growth of the DRV economy was six percent. Electricity output was increased 34 percent. Rationing has been lifted on most com- modities. UOC AMAT, Tek Tee et eee eT Us —S° Vol. 31, No. 32 @ NDP Council scuttles Vancouver civic unity Hopes of progressive voters in Vancouver for a united slate of candidates of NDP Committee of Progressive Electors and Vancouver Labor Council in the December 9 civic elections were scuttled last weekend when the Provincial Council of the NDP ruled against any alliance of NDP with COPE. . g Meeting in Vancouver August 2, the Provincial Council decided that ‘‘the proposal of the Vancouver Area Council to run candidates be approved subject to its running a separate campaign without agreement or alliance with any other group.” Previously the NDP and COPE had reached agreement that each group would nominate half a slate and that the two groups would then merge forces for a joint campaign around one united slate with one head- quarters, a joint election campaign and with equal representation from both groups 0 allrooo/ttees. The action of the Vancouver NDP was subject, however, to ratification by its provincial council, since the 1967 con- affiliates vention of the NDP ruled that participation in civic politics by any local NDP group must first have approval of the party’s pro- vincial council. COPE was formed two years ago on the initiative of the Van- couver Labor Council to unite all groups and individuals around a common civic platform. Its constitution allows for both and individual membership. Affiliates include trade unions and ratepayers groups. COPE had planned to run a full slate this year but when the Van- couver NDP decided to go into civic politics, COPE agreed to a joint slate of the two groups so that unity of all progressive forces would be maintained. The decision of the Provincial Council stunned and dissapointed all those who had hoped and worked for a united progressive slate to contest all civic offices. One of the first reactions came August 4 at a meeting of the Van- couver Area Council of the NDP when Paddy Neale, secretary- treasurer of the Vancouver See NDP SCUTTLES P. 8 An annual event. Canadian Embassy staff members, Canadian visitors to Moscow, together with their Russian friends, gather annually to celebrate and strengthen the bonds of Canadian-Soviet Friendship. The above picture illustrates a recent get-together in Moscow between the representatives and people of both countries. Cultural exchanges, artists, musicians, scientist, medical, and sundry literati of both countries add a great deal to better understanding and mutual good relations. The above meeting took place in the assembly hall of the Moscow Friendship House to mark Canada’s Confederation Day.