—evienaweresomenaey tm O00 OOONTA TON OTT THIN YY ON Oa OT Representatives of 16 unions covering 150,000 members set up the country’s first trade union peace committee with the backing of central labor bodies at a con- ference in Vancouver Saturday. The committee has set out im- mediately to mobilize the trade union movement to participate in the Apr. 23 walk for peace and to undertake an education program throughout the labor movement to demonstrate the economic ravages of the arms race. Last year’s walk for peace drew some 40,000 people and _ this year’s event is expected to bring out at least as many with the tur- nout by trade unionists seen as a crucial determining factor. “The trade union movement has always been a strong sup- porter of the fight for peace and disarmament,”’ Frank Kennedy, newly-elected chairman of the unionists’ peace committee, said Tuesday. ‘‘By setting up this committee we hope to draw many more trade unionists into what is the most important issue facing us all — the fight for survival.”’ Both the Vancouver and District Labor Council and the New Westminster and District Labor Council as well as the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council were represented at the conference in addition to several unions including the Interna- tional Longshoremen, the Telecommunications Workers, the United Fishermen, the Cana- dian Union of Public Employees, the International Union of Machinists, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Carpenters. The conference also had the backing of the B.C. Federation of Labor. Namedas secretary of thecom- mittee was Dunc Shields who heads up a peace committee in his own union, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union. Ken- First-ever union peace committee set up nedy, as chairman, is also presi- dent of the VDLC -and co- chairman of End the Arms Race. Kennedy told a préés con- ference Tuesday that the commit- tee attempting to ‘‘show the rela- tionship between the arms race and the mass unemployment in the country. “We’vé got to beam in on the vast amount of money being wasted on the arms buildup —. and specifically on the money. spent in Canada,’’ he said. He added that one of the first actions of the committee would be to demand that the umbrella agreement signed by Canada as ‘the Canadian Labor Congress 10° the first step towards crulse missile testing should be Put before parliament and before the Canadian people. Bs In future, it would be as take up peace issués in Ottawa. But immediately, the mobiliz# tion of trade unionists across 4% province would be the committee’s emphasis, he said “The trade union movement! can’t take second place in the peace movement,” he said. “It has to be front and centre and its members have to be seen and active.”’ Right to action on safety upheld Ina major decision Tuesday, the Labor Relations Board reversed the ruling of an earlier LRB panel and declared that workers can col- lectively refuse to carry out what they hold to be unsafe work — and cannot be accused of conducting an illegal strike for doing so. The decision, brought down bya _ three-member panel. headed by LRB chairman Stephen Kelleher, is of considerable significance to unionists since it upholds what unionists contend was the original intention of Section 83(3) of the labor code, introduced by the NDP government in 1975, _ That section states: ‘‘An act of - omission by a trade union or by the employees shall not constitute a strike where it is required for the safety or health of those employees.”’ _ The ruling stems from a case in 1980 involving several electricians, all members of the Canadian Paperworkers Union, who refused to install 108 electrical capacitors at Northwood Pulp and Timber’s pulp mill at Prince George because they feared contamination by the toxic chemical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs, which have been linkedto ~ cancer as well as skin eruptions and other ailments, have frequently been used in electrical transformers and other equipment as an in- sulating material. They are now be- ing phased out. Pointing out that there were strong indications of PCB leaks in the capacitors, the electricians refused to install them in the mill and also sought their complete removal from the plant area. The union also called for examination of the electricians for possible con- tamination. Northwood refused the demands and, in November, 1980, after the electicians again stated that they would not work on the capacitors, it filed a complaint with the LRB, charging that the union was engaged in an “illegal strike.” Last April, the first LRB panel, in a split decision, agreed with the company and ruled that the action of the CPU electricians was not within the provisions of the Section 83(3) of the labor code therefore constituted an illegal strike. Ironically, the workers involved could individually have resorted to action under a provision of the Workers Compensation Board Regulations Regulation 8.24(1) which allows them to refuse to carry out unsafe work. But because they acted collectively, together with their union, the LRB ruled that they were striking. The apparent contradiction pro- mpted union lawyer John Baigent to comment: ‘‘The ruling has set up a curious-situation where workers an’ individual can refuse to carry out what he thinks to .be a union or workers collectively do not have the same right.”’ Moreover, said Baigent, an individual can refuse to carry out what he thinks to be unsafe work and not fear retribution from the employer even if later evidence proves him to be wrong. But, ac- cording to the first LRB ruling, ifa union or group of workers does the same, they can be held liable for damages if late evidence shows the work to have been safe. In fact, it was that contradiction which the LRB this week resolved by overturning the earlier decision which the CPU had appealed. The board ruled that since workers must make decisions sub- jectively, based on what they think to be unsafe conditions, the law cannot later impose objective, scientific conditions to determine whether the work really was un- safe. “In our view, the sensible inter- pretation of Section 83(3) is based on a consideration of whether the employees at the time had a good faith and reasonably held belief that the refusal was necessary for their health or safety,’’ the panel stated. It added, later: ‘‘There is no doubt that the employees honestly believed that they were exposed to danger that their refusal to carry out the employers’ instructions was based on that belief.’’ The panel also rejected sugges- tions made by Northwood that by upholding the union’s case, the LRB would create a great potential for disruption. **Section 83(3) has been the law of the province for nearly eight years,”’ is stated, ‘‘(yet) this is the first case where there has been a serious consideration of its mean- ing. In short we have not seen the _constant use of Section 83(3) (or for that matter, Regulation 8.24) asa pretence for unlawful collective ac- tion.” The significance of the ruling to both employers and unions was seen in the intervention made dur- ing hearings last September. In ad- dition to the CPU and Northwood Pulp, the B.C. and Yukon Trades Council, the Confederation of Canadian Unions, the Interna- tional Woodworkers, and the Pro- vincial Council of Carpenters as well as the Employers’ Council and Pulp and Paper Industrial Rela- tions were represented. GVRD trying ‘divide and rule’ game | The Greater Vancouver Regional District’s labor relations bureau is continuing to block GVRD-wide bargaining, forcing union negotiators in each municipality “to go through the same performance 17 or 18 times,”’ ’Canadian Union of Public Employees delegate Harry Greene told unionists Tuesday. “And the name of the gameis to clobber the worker — there’s no other purpose to it,’’ charged Address City or town Postal Code RIBUNE Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186. Read the paper that fights for labor at, 21955 tam enclosing: lyr. $14 0 2yrs.$25 0 6mo. $8 0 Greene, speaking to the Vancouver and District Labor Council. Contracts for some 10,000 Lower Mainland municipal workers, members of the CUPE and the independent Vancouver Municipal and _ Regional Employees Union expired Dec. 31, 1982 but there has been no progress towards a new agreement since that time. The unions have traditionally bargained jointly with the GVRD OldO New(L) Foreign 1 year $15 0 Bill me fater D) Donation $ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 18, 1983—Page 12 ER: x, labor relations committee, chaired by Graham Leslie, but following the three-month strike in 1981, the GVRD refused to conduct joint bargaining. Instead, it has sought to meet with union committees in each municipalities in the hope of get- ting one local to sign a trend-setting agreement that provides for no wage increase at all. Even before negotiations were to begin, the GVRD hinted that it would seek zero wage increase con- tracts and although no demands have been officially stated, that is widely regarded as the employers’ position. é In addition to moving to local- by-local negotiations, Leslie has also appointed hfmself the chief spokesman for the GVRD © municipalities and wants to make - sure that no municipal council reaches an agreement without his: consent, Greene charged. “‘The councils are hand-tied — they can’t do anything without first getting the OK from Graham Leslie,”’ he said. : Greene also emphasized tha union locals throughout the GVRD faced renewed pressure as a result of contracting out of municipal services which has forc- ed layoffs of municipal staff. Earlier this year, North Van- couver city contracted out its gar- bage collection and Richmond has put its collection out for private tender although CUPE Local 394, backed by substantial public sup- port, hopes to turn council around at a meeting Feb. 28. A Local 394 member warned the unionists Tuesday of a further danger posed by extensive contrac- ting out of garbage collection systems — the possibility of a multinational corporation such as Waste Management Systems mov- ing into the province and taking over all garbage collection and disposal. Residents in Akron, Ohio » faced just such a problem he said, and were forced to go to court to block it. “The whole system could be controlled by one company,” he warned, ‘‘and you’ll end up paying the moon for your garbage collec- tion.” Continued from page! % restraint measures of B.C:* Social Credit government. “The parallels with B.C. con: tained in that legislation have not been lost on a numbet ©" people here, since it attack salaries and conditions of w® ‘4 and learning,” Kuehn sa Wednesday. Fe He noted that the BCTF nad supported the teacher represented by member union of the Centrale de |’Enseign®” ment du Quebec, since befor the strikeaction. A BCTF rept sentative attended a specie” CEQ congress prior to 4 strike, and the federation s¢ two telegrams of support sin® then, he said. -- On Feb. 4 Kuehn telegram ed BCTF support in French 10) CEQ president Yvon Charbom neau, president Denis Ratchell of the Provincial Association 0” Catholic Teachers and Protes” tant teachers association pres! dent Harvey Weiner. = “The representative assembly of the BCTF sends you our expressions of solidal™ ty for success of your strike defense of the rights and salaries of your members,”’ Keuhn tol the Quebec leaders. “We recognize that you! struggle is our struggle and you! victory will be our victory,”’ thé message stated. a Telegrams condemning thé Quebec government’s actions were sent to premier René Levesque from the B.C. Federa tion of Labor, several affiliate and the Vancouver and District _| Labor Council. “Your unwarranted attack brings your government into disrepute with every working person across the country. Wé demand you cease youl discrimination against publit sector workers and find a mor¢ intelligent method of solving tht | economic problems created b} your government,” said tht telegram signed by B.C. Fet president Jim Kinnaird. The VDLC resolved at it Feb. 1 meeting to send % telegram to Levesque, condem ning his ‘‘union-bustin! tactics.””