Labour

ongress militancy pressed

Continued from page 1

The paper, entitled, Taking hold of our
future: fighting the political platform of the
Tories and big business, promises much.

“We must,” its authors argue, “‘streng-
then and broaden our activist base by
developing the widest possible consensus on
a clear set of policies for the future so that
we can act more effectively on our own, in
conjunction with our coalition partners,
and in support of the New Democratic
Party.

. We must also act now in the bar-
gaining arena, in the extra-parliamentary
political arena, and in the parliamentary
political arena. In each of these spheres of
activity, we must wage a common fight for
the kind of society we want to create and the
defeat of the big business philosophy and
the Tory government.

The report pledged the congress to
organizing “national days of action against
specific parts of the Tory/big business
agenda between now and the 1992 CLC
conyention when these efforts will be evalu-
ated with a view to determining our future
actions.

“These days of action will be designed to
allow our members and the community at
large to show their anger and frustration
toward Tory policies and their support for
our alternatives through demonstrations,
public forums, sit-ins and other forms of
mass mobilization.”

Each action will focus on a specific Tory
policy, like the GST or cuts to unemploy-
ment insurance.

The document notes that the congress
“will work in the closest possible collabora-
tion” with popular movements, “particu-
larly those that represent the disadvantaged
in our society.”

If the paper’s strengths were generally
appreciated, the policy didn’t generate
complete satisfaction, Many. speakers
charged it lacked a timetable and specific,
defined projects “up to an including a gen-
eral strike,” in the words of several.

But a motion to have the document
referred for amendment was narrowly
defeated.

Prior to the vote on referral, some dele-
gates hoisted a “general strike” banner up at
the front of the hall, and gave Carr an

Labour central approves
Quebec independence

MONTREAL — More than 1,600 dele-
gates ensured that the 55th convention of
the Confederation of National Trade
Unions May 5-11 was no ordinary one.
They approved several bold new strategies,
including a call from the leadership to place
the union in front and centre in the quest for
Quebec independence.

In addition to endorsing the project for a
new Quebec state, delegates embraced crea-
tive proposals for a new strategy of collec-
tive bargaining contained in a block of
resolutions entitled “Changing our work-
places,” which aim to win more control for
unions over working conditions.

On. all fronts, president Gerald Larose
and the executive impressed upon the con-
vention that new times for workers and
Quebeckers demand new approaches to
trade unionism.

Participants were almost unanimous in
their support for a sovereign Quebec. In
fact, a resolution noting that “the moment
has come for Quebec to choose its future, to
exercise its full autonomy and its independ-
ence ... “ was considered insufficient. The
convention added “ ... and that the CSN
engage immediately in promoting that pro--
cess.”

The case advanced by the executive for
independence was chiefly economic.

Larose argued that the Free Trade
Agreement has cemented the process of
continentalism in North America. Ottawa
has ceased to be a “wealth re-distributor”
and become an “economic weight.”

The Bank of Canada’s monetarist poli-
cies serve Toronto by fighting inflation, but
only undermine sorely needed economic
development in Quebec. Statehood might
give Quebec control over some key eco-
nomic levers necessary for growth and the
promotion of desired social programs, he
argued.

A sovereign Quebec would have to rene-
gotiate a trade and investment arrangement
with both Canada and the United States,
Larose said.

Opposition to independence came exclu-
sively from the English-speaking workshop.
(The CNTU is partial to democracy, and
delegates retire to smaller groups to discuss
propositions before they return to the
floor.) While anglo delegates supported
Quebec’s right to self-determination, they
questioned whether the national. project
isn’t ill-planned and unformed at the pres-
“ent time.

8 « Pacific Tribune, May 21, 1990

In fact, the executive went to some length
to discuss the sort of Quebec it does and
doesn’t want.

“An independent Quebec,”: reads the

, executive report, “autonomous and French,

will have to built with respect for the rights
of workers, with respect for the rights of the
anglophone minority, and .aboriginals, with
respect for ethnic minorities, and with
respect for the right of women to equality.

“Quebec independence is a project of
society that will have to be elaborated and
realized collectively.”

The leadership stressed it is not prepared
to leave the national project to either a
government, a political party, or the fran-
cophone bourgeoisie.

The union intends to organize a “vast
forum” where representatives of workers
and people’s movements will develop the
proposal.

Delegates tackled new strategies for bar-
gaining to democratize workplaces and
extend worker input and. control. In the
words of the convention document, “the
collective agreement must develop mecha-
nisms to define new union rights linked to
the management of the enterprise.”

Resolutions included proposals to make
access to information on employer projects
a priority in the coming rounds of collective
bargaining, and demands that all unions
press for the right to negotiate new technol-
ogy introduction.

Lively debate was sparked by discussions
on union approaches to non-hierarchical,
non-traditional forms of work organiza-
tion. But there was general agreement that
unions must, rather than resisting changes
in workplace organization, advance the
forms they prefer.

Catherine Loumede, president of the
Federation des affaires sociales, spoke
strongly in favour of the struggle for less
hierarchy. She noted that “the valorization
of individuals is one of the greatest chal-
lenges” in the workplace. It’s important to

tell people that no matter what one’s posi-. -

tion in the enterprise, ‘“tyou have a word to
say,” she said.

On the environment, delegates called for
two funds to be bankrolled by government
and industry. One would pay for the con-
version. of industry forced to. close for,

among other reasons, polluting activities.

The other would fund environmental clean-
up and employers would pay into this fund
proportionately to their role as polluters.

uncomplimentary salute when she asked
that it be removed.

Economic policy for the 1990s was
offered in some detail. The congress re-
affirmed its commitment to full employ-
ment and reiterated the call to scrap the
Free Trade Agreement.

Greater democratic control over the
investment process was cited, and an inves-
tigation of extended use of public invest-
ment funds, including pensions, was urged.
Subjecting workplaces to greater demo-
cratic control, “to make worklife more ful-
filling, and to make our economy more
productive,” was another idea advanced.

Other issues caused acrimony between
convention participants.

The convention threatened to degenerate
into chaos due to the dispute between Uni-
ted Food and Commercial Workers and the
Canadian Autoworkers around raiding and
east coast fishermen. But furious negotia-
tions between the two unions, in which B.C.
Federation of Labour president Ken Geor-
getti and [WA-Canada leader Jack Munro
were involved, smoothed the issue over —
temporarily at least.

On Wednesday, UFCW Canadian direc-
tor Cliff Evans announced that a resolution
calling on the CLC to “return” thousands
of workers, mainly fish workers, who joined
CAW in the Richard Cashin-led Atlantic
exodus in 1987, would be withdrawn.

In return, penalties for raiding were
strengthened, and there was agreement that
the congress would give a hearing to the
UFCW case in September. The union indi-
cated it was satisfied with the settlement,
ending a threat made before the convention
that the UFCW might pull out of the con-
gress.

On the Meech Lake front, the congress
agreed, at the urging of Quebec delegates,
not to talk about the Constitution. Laberge
dismissed the accord as a ‘“‘politicians’
issue,” and not a “political” one. He main-
tained that differences between anglophone
and francophone delegates on the faults of
Meech Lake would only cause unpleasant
discord and division if the question came up
on the convention floor.

SHIRLEY CARR

DAVE WERLIN

He repeated QFL opposition to the}
accord on the grounds it fails to give real |
powers to Quebec to protect its culture and _
language. b

The accord was, he said, a gift from Mul- |
roney to Bourassa for the latter’s support of |
free trade. ;

On the issue of independence, Laberge —
argued that whatever future Canadian con _
stitutional developments arise, workers in |
Quebec and the rest of the country will)
maintain organizational forms for co-
operation.

goal of $82,000.

towards an alternative.

We need $60,000 by June 23]

The figures speak for themselves. Our drive has reached the critical stage.
With only four weeks left, we are only one-quarter of the way to reaching our

We know what may lie ahead if the Tories are successful in ramming
through their GST. We know. what is at stake for Canada under “‘free trade.”
It all means more money out of:our pockets, more poverty, more
unemployment, and a victory for the Tory agenda.

We think that all of that'‘can be beaten back. But it needs a forum in which
like-minded progressive people can: voice their fightback spirit and build

The response from our'readers is encouraging. For example, several
supporters got together. on Texada Island, near Powell River, and sent us close
to $600. They know the importance of the Pacific Tribune: But we need more

help. A lot more help if this drive is to succeed and end on a victorious note

The urgency for funds has never been greater. Keep us strong and dig deep.

Published weekly-at 2681 East Hastings)Street
Vancouver, B.C, V5K 1Z5. Phone 251-1186

on June 23
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