JL mai 1 ih ol teil telat Calvin Sandborn, staff counsel Farmworkers’ Legal Services, Writes: In a cynical backroom deal Cabinet ministers have bartered Way the health and safety of farm- Workers — and of the public that popumies B.C. produce. The Tollowing facts should be noted: ® The farm industry has the third highest accident rate of all in- pj dustries; @ Farming has the highest rate: of occupational disease of all in- ustries; ® A recent study shows that ae farmers have higher-than- 4 vel rates of cancer of the liver, fl ol mach, prostate, and lymph 4 eands, and of leukemia — quite Donald Murphy, Qualicum to ch, writes: I am a regular reader 5 your paper and have been for a umber of years. I want to bring to | Your attention something that is ering at my work place. I ork for MacMillan Bloedel at Albe 1 Pulp and paper, in Port Ss Tl as an electrician. I have Br Namember of the International a Otherhood of Electrical Workers ABI 26 years. Local 2354 of the BEW represents me as a union Epa miber at Alberni. Pulp and Faber. Mouting the past several months, ™tBhas taken steps to decertify my | Carmela. | Allevato ; Barrister and Solicitor F | 414 - 1200 Burrard St., G | Vancouver, B.C. ‘a -V6C 2C7 abe" (604) 685-6235 : @ J | Preferred areas of practice: Divorce and family law Wills and estates General litigation — -® Divorce and Family Law RANKIN & COMPANY Barristers & Solicitors 4th Floor, 195 Alexander Stz Vancouver, B.C. V6A_1N8 682-2781 Offers a broad range of legal services including: ® Personal Injury and {nsurance Claims ® Real Estate and Conveyancing IBUNE possibly because of pesticide ex- posure. Consumers should be aware that excess pesticide residues exist in our food supply because of the im- proper use of pesticides on B.C. farms (See the Royal Commission Report on Pesticides, 1975). Con- ‘sumers should also be aware that farmworkers are struggling for the simple right to not harvest your dinner until after spraying is com- pleted. Consumers should also be concerned about the Deol inquest testimony which showed pesticide levels in harvested cauliflower at approximately three times the levels which killed a flock of geese in Delta in 1979. For the above reasons, the B.C. Branch of the Consumers’ union and also Local 15 of the Of- fice and Technical Employees Union. Our case is before the Labor Relations Board at the pre- sent time. The company recently finished presenting its case. But the labor movement has been very quiet. I have heard nothing from the B.C. Federation of Labor and the Canadian Labor Congress nor from our free press. I suppose they are all too busy defen- ding Solidarity in Poland. I would appreciate it if you would give the case some publicity in the Tribune. * * * |___ The case referred to is indeed of importance to the labor move- ment, involving an application by MacMillan Bloedel to the Labor Relations Board, asking the board to amalgamate the IBEW and the OTEU at Alberni Pulp and Paper with the two locals of the Canadian Paperworkers. M-B has claimed that the two smaller unions have made it “difficult. . . to maintain industrial peace’’ and have asked that the board rule them no longer appropriate as bargaining units and place their members in the CPU. Last Sept. 21, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Harry McKay paved the way for hearings into M-B’sap- plication, ruling that the LRB does have jurisdiction to consider the @ Labour Law @ Criminal Law @ Estates and Wills —— en Association of Canada and the B.C. Medical Association have supported farmworker calls for mandatory training of pesticide ap- plicators, and the institution of minimum re-entry times between spraying and harvest. The proposed Farm Safety Association is a sham. Under a similar scheme in Ontario there were 50 farm deaths in 1980 alone. WCB has already given the Federa- tion of Agriculture 68 years to ‘educate’? its members, and nothing has been done. The Federation of Agriculture has made much of the fact that, after 68 years of exclusion, farm- workers will now get WCB benefits. Why, says the Federation, should farmworkers complain _ Forced merger’ case before LRB case and rejecting a challenge of that jurisdictional authority from the IBEW and the OTEU. He stated that, under Section 36 of the labor code, the board has the authority to consider whether a bargaining unit is appropriate and, if it deems it inappropriate, to ‘cancel the certification. The board can then hold a representation vote or simply place IBEW and OTEU members in the CPU. Alternative- ly, it can order the various unions into a council of unions, replacing the separate bargaining unions. The attitude of the CPU to the application was outlined by John Vezina, president of Local 592, the largest of the two CPU locals in Port Alberni. He told the Tribune that, at the outset, the union sent a letter to the LRB stating that it was “not in favor of any union or local being forced into another union. B.C. Federation of Labor publicity director Tom Fawkes declined comment on the case, referring us instead to legislative director David Rice who has apparently not beén available. However, the B.C. Fed has traditionally opposed any crea- tion of unions or councils by legal compulsion. Hearings on the case are scheduled to resume before the _ _LRB Apr. 18 — Ed. _ LETTERS LEE ss We all have a stake in farm safety * about a lack of regulations? What the BCFA ignores is that farm- workers, like all workers, give up the right to sue their employers when they come under WCB. Thus, under the proposed scheme: @ Farmers will have dirt cheap insurance (at a rate approximately half of what WCB used to charge farms taking voluntary insurance); _ @ Farmworkers will lose the legal right to sue the employer; @ Farmworkers, unlike all other workers, will not have the compensating benefit of regula- tions to prevent accidents , To protect our food supply, and to protect the lives of farmers and farmworkers, WCB safety regula- tions must be restored. Gov't move ‘inhuman’ A.C.L. Hughes, Van- couver, writes: I should think that every person who respects life should raise his or her hands in horror and protest at the Social Credit government’s callous disregard for the safety of farm workers in the Fraser Valley. It is high time that every voter who possesses a sense of fair play exercise his or her franchise when the elec- tion is called to replace this irresponsible government with another whose ap- preciation for safety for all and employment for many will be reflected in their legislation. The trend of the Socreds seems to be to reduce all people except the wealthy to third-class status. Surely even their supporters cannot agree with this latest insult* to. humanity. | JOIN THE GREAT ET My a For any of your travel needs, big or small. Let Globe Tours find the best way for you! Classified Advertising COMING EVENTS APR. 8 — Film and pub night, 8 p.m., Eastburn Community Centre, 7435 Edmonds St., Bby. Food, refreshments. Everyone welcome. Adm. $2. Proceeds to Tribune. AOR eS Solidari fe 8:30 p.m., E. Perde L&Xcip launch the Trib: CANCE drive and sup- pot --«v Horizons. APR. 9 — FRANCE — slides and commentary by Paul and Geoff, 8 p.m., 3074: Charles: St: Refreshments and good food. Spons. by West Side Press Club. APR. 16 — Annual Oolichan Feed at the Person’s, 599 Chapman Ave., Coquitlam. Clam chowders, salmon, Dinner - $6.00. Children - % price. 5 p.m. - ? For . directions, 936-7308. Proceeds to Tribune. APR. 16 — Almandina in concert. Andean folkloric group from Seat- tle. Robson Sq. Theatre, 8 p.m. Tickets $5 (advance), $6 (door). Benefit for Guatemalan and Chilean people. Tickets at Co-op Books or ph. 873-6971. APR. 17 — Annual Burnaby pan- cake breakfast, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3310 Cardinal Dr., Bby. Proceeds to Tribune. MAY 7 — Third annual May Day Chicken Feed at the Beynon’s, 21972 Cliff Place, Maple Ridge, 4 p.m. on. For directions, 467-2888. Dinner $6. Proceeds to Tribune. COMMERCIAL Jewellery Repairs Reasonable Charge 254-7678 GRAMMA PUBLICATIONS. Complete printing services. Bro- chures, menus, leaflets, etc. Spe- cial rates for the progressive move- ment. A union shop. 1595 W. 3rd Ave., Van. 733-6822. ROOF REPAIRS — New roofs. Reasonable. Ph. 277-3352. 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For. reserva- 4 tions phone 254-3430. se a WEBSTERS CORWERS HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or 462-7783. UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL- a TURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pen- der St., Vancouver. Available for banquets,.weddings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436. ee GLOBE TOURS 2679 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K1Z5 | am enclosing: Tyr. $14 0 2yrs. $25 0 6mo. $8 0 Old O New [i Foreign 1 year $16 Bill me later LJ Donation$...-.----- s E War ae sy a a a PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 1, 1983—Page "