Civic talks are resumed as MLRB bows to public demand Leaders for Lower Mainland civic unions welcomed the announcement Tuesday that the Municipal Labor Relations Bureau (MLRB) had bowed to public pressure and agreed to resume negotiations with no conditions. Jack Phillips, chief negotiator for CUPE said his committee was prepared to meet as long as necessary to get an agreement. A firm stand in favor of unity and for labor solidarity was evident as civic workers currently on strike placed their case before a public meeting last Sunday demanding that the Municipal Labor Relations Bureau return to the bargaining table and negotiate. This was the message that rang out clear for the audience of 500 working men and women in support of the strikers, as they listened to trade union leaders call for a speedy end to the impasse provoked by the MLRB. Jack Phillips, CUPE national representative and spokesman for 3,500 of the 5,000 workers involved, recapped develop- ments in the civic strike in Van- couver, Burnaby, and New West- minster. Phillips called for a resumption of negotiations at the bargaining table and condemned the take-it-or-leave- it ultimatum of the MLRB of a 7.5 percent wage increase as being unacceptable. “Our percentage wage increases are the lowest of any civic employees amounting to 14% over the past few years as compared to policemen 23.4%, firemen 24%, and the electrical workers 25%. That is why we cannot accept this ultimatum of the MLRB. But we are prepared to meet and discuss at the bargaining table any reason- able proposal,’’ Phillips said. Efforts had been made to split the common front of civic workers with the bait of a mini- mum wage increase tied to a two year agreement, the joker being a form of wage control to counter union demands for a sub- stantial wage hike within the terms of a one year contract. Warning of attempts made by Mayor Tom Campbell and some municipal councils to play one union against another, Phillips nailed these moves as part of the strategy led by the MLRB to drive a wedge between the civic workers. He cautioned that any action taken by the MLRB “to sell a_ bad bill of goods will only continue and provoke further strikes.’’ In line with the position adopted by the majority of the organized trade union move- ment, ‘“‘we are opposed to any wage freeze or wage controls,” Phillips stated. Condemning the use of students as strike-breakers in collecting garbage, Phillips labelled this anti-labor act as being immoral and despicable, which did not represent the majority of responsible students who oppose such strike- breaking activities. Ray Haynes, _ secretary- treasurer B.C. Federation of Labor, congratulated the civic workers on the high level of unity they had built and maintained in their struggle. He commended the North Vancouver workers refusal of the offer of a two year contract as being a defeat for efforts to break unity amongst civic workers. Reminding his audience of labor’s struggle against Bill 33 and Bill 88 legis- lation aimed to shackle the working man, Haynes called for the building of a strong labor movement to defeat the Bennett government at the next provin- cial election. Pledging the support of the B.C. Federation of Labor for the civic workers, “JT have every condidence that the strike will be won,” Haynes said. A message of support from the Vancouver Labor Council was given by Paddy Neale, secre- tary, who pointed out that only by solidarity can labor win. In the fight to oppose wage guide- lines, ‘tthe civic workers are in the firing line and are not prepared to accept it,” Neale stated. Bob Ross of the Vancouver Municipal Employees Union (Inside Workers) pointed out that it was the first time for 50 years his union had taken trade union action. ‘‘Unity has been forged on the picket line. We are going to win because there is no way in which we can be divided,’ Ross said. Telegrams of support were read to the meeting by chair- man Eddie Apps Metroplitan Board CUPE, from B.C. Division CUPE Executive Board, B.C. Teachers Federa- tion, United Steel Workers, New Westminster Labor Council, Union of Operating Engineers, I.W.A. New Westminster, Marine Workers Union, B.C. Gov- ernment Employees Union, U.F.A.W.U., Canadian Postal Workers Vancouver Local. The meeting concluded with the unanimous endorsation of a resolution calling for the immed- iate start by the MLRB on bargaining with the civic workers. In the event that the MLRB refuses to open nego- tiations, the resolution demanded that this body be dis banded. Lift lockout on schools, hospitals demand unions The construction bosses represented by the CLRA have shut down all school and hospi- tal projects where smaller con- tractors are involved and allowed the major commercial buildings to continue. This was the charge made by Lorne Robson, provincial secretary of the Carpenters Union, at a rally in the Exhibition Gardens last Thursday. As the lockout approaches the end of its second week it becomes increasingly clear that the CLRA is using the lockout as a weapon against the public by shutting down work on schools and hospitals, while big profit- making projects are allowed to go ahead. In this way the big con- tractors hope to mount public pressure against. the building trades unions. But the Building Trades unions are taking the offensive in a campaign to demand the lifting of the lockout on school and hospi- tal construction. Last Friday more than 300 building trades workers demon- strated outside the unfinished extended care centre at Van- couver General. Hospital demanding the urgently needed hospital, which is less than one month from completion, be proceeded with. On Tuesday of this week hundreds of building trades workers demonstrated outside the CLRA headquarters in Vancouver demanding the lockout be lifted on schools and hospitals. Robson told the Gardens rally the CLRA is split, and that the dispute was provoked by the CLRA. He said the only place the lockout is effective has been on schools and hospitals. Jim Kinnaird, president of the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council, told the rally that if the employers had wanted to reach a settlement there would have been no lockout. Instead they decided on the lockout because they are attempting to weaken the unions with the collusion of the Bennett ~ government. Kinnaird said the building trades unions with the support of the B.C. Federation of Labor are prepared to defy a compulsory back to work order. Ray Haynes, ‘secretary- treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labor, charged that the Socred government and employers have entered into ‘blatant collusion’’ to keep wages down. He said: *‘We must achieve unity. we must speak PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1972—PAGE 12 with one voice and carry out one co-ordinated strategy if we're going to resist the attack on our rights and on our living stand- ards being waged by the employers in this province, in collusion with the government of this province.” Pledging support to building trades workers, Haynes called for a “long range strategy” to “establish once and for all that labor’s rights have to be recog- nized and respected and the right of every working man and woman in this province to decent working conditions and living conditions has to be guar- anteed.” He said the long range strategy has “to include a political action program in which we all participate. It has to include improved _ co- ordination of industrial action and an even more effective use of picket lines and hot cargo policies. Jack Phillips, CUPE rep- resentative, brought greetings” from the striking civic workers and stressed the need for unity in the common struggle facing all trade unionists. END THE LOCKOUT ON SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS. Last Friday oY building trades workers demonstrated at the incompleted ext® . care centre at Vancouver General Hospital demanding the construe company allow school and hospital construction to go ahead. shows two of the demonstrators. —Carey Robs? City union parley hits jail terms for Quebec union leadet The Seamen’s section of Local 400 of the Canadian Brother- hood of Railway, Transport and General Workers meeting in Van- couver this week, has forwarded a strong protest to Federal Minister of Justice Jerome Choquette regarding the stiff sentences meted out to three top Quebec labor leaders. The three are: Marcel Pepin, Louis Laberge and Yvon Char- bonneau, who are leaders of the Quebec Federation of Labor (QFL), the National Confedera- tion of Trade Unions (CNTU), and the Quebec Teachers Federa- tion. The CBRT protest to Minister Choquette states that, ‘‘sen- tences and fines of this nature are uncommon in democratic societies, and we suggest that your department intervene. Criminal elements in this country at times receive lesser amounts for more serious offences, yet working class leaders carrying out the dictates of its members are being tried as criminals in Quebec today.”’ “Don't touch that one. He works fer us.” -stipulating that all P These Quebec labor le@ are alleged to have “yiolat court injunction order ine, “back to work’? decre€ ~ 75 the recent large scale © dispute in Quebec. = * KOK ; “ IWA and Forest Indust Relations (FIR) resum tiations early this We@™” a little headway is expec the faller’s dispute is é The position of FIR’s top }92% | | baron is that the fallets = jgy return to work before — “progress” can be made ing Court injunctions agail® ine fallers however have “pail opposite effect, with te il that instead of some 4006 cit tools for a coast-wide agree formula in their work (gil ment, now some 800 av twa! work. and intend to stay net! : until a satisfactory set