Cont'd from pg. 1 ship, starting with energy, natural resources, and processing in- dustries in Canada. The Communist leader said something is happening in the thinking of the working people of Canada and that new winds are blowing. He said there are three options before Canada today; The’ Liberals, who stand for the status quo; the Tories, who want a shift to the Right in politics; and unity of left and progressive forces to elect as large a progressive block as possible, prevent a Liberal or Tory majority, and keep the door open towards a new majority in the future. A series of successful meetings ~and press and radio interviews marked Kashtan’s tour of Van- couver Island last weekend. In Victoria he met with election workers and held a press con- ference Saturday morning. That evening he spoke with Ernie Knott, Nanaimo-Cowichan-Islands candidate, at a rally in the Credit Union Hall. The well-attended rally was chaired by Bert Ogden, Nanaimo trade unionist and civic leader. : Sunday Kashtan addressed a rally at the Hanson Hall in support of Comox-Alberni candidate Mark People's concert June 8 Surrey’s ‘Bargain at Half the Price”, Tom Hawken, classical guitarist Alan Rinehart and the band “‘Bluegrass’’ are the feature performers at an evening of people’s music and merriment, Saturday, June 8th at the Centennial Arts Centre, 88th Ave. and King George Hwy., Surrey. refreshments will be served. It all starts at 8 p.m. and continues to 1'a.m. Admission is $2; Proceeds go to SPACE, a newly formed progressive arts society to further community entertainment. Labor hits wage freeze Cont’d from pg. 1 “If an employee is not a member of a union the wage he or she earns is controlled by the employer who has the absolute power to limit wage increases. And if a person lives on a pension or other fixed income that too is controlled by some authority other than the individual. “The fact of the matter is that incomes are already tightly con- trolled while prices and profits are not. “To ask wage earners to accept an income freeze, halting freely negotiated and scheduled wage increases, is unacceptable. The result of a wage freeze would be to place all current wage negotiations in limbo and to negate all existing collective agreements. The trade union movement. in British Columbia “is prepared to take all measures necessary to oppose any such arbitrary action. : “Frankly, I predict that the imposition of a wage freeze would lead to spontaneous wildcat strikes, study sessions and PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JUNE 7 1974—PAGE 12 slowdowns __ throughout the province. An essentially sound economy would be thrown into chaos and‘ while such a situation would be undesirable from everyone’s point of view, it would also be an unavoidable and inevitable result of im- plementation of the Conservative proposal for income and_ price control. “In spite of all the evidence proving that a wage and price freeze is unworkable, undesirable and extremely dangerous, the Conservatives persist in cam- paigning on such a platform. I can only conclude that they are doing so in the vain hopes that a sim- plistic sounding solution to in- flation will win them the election. “For all these reasons the. British Columbia Federation of Labor urges trade unionists to play a more active role in this federal election campaign than ever before. The Tory proposal for wage and price controls, if implemented, would be an unmitigated disaster for all Canadians.” Mosher. He was introduced by Port Alberni alderman George McKnight. Chairman of the rally was Otto MacDonald, who is Mosher’s official agent. Beynon gives stand in Van. South campaign Jim Beynon, Vancouver South Communist candidate said this week that the monopolies and their political parties, the Tories, Liberals and Socreds, “are at- tacking Canadian families’ health and welfare.” “Inflation, which has been aided and abetted by the Liberal government, is seriously un- dermining the ability of workers to provide food, clothing and shelter for themselves and their families. Those living on a fixed income are being most severely victimized by big business which is leading to malnutrition and sickness.” Pointing to unemployment of 6 to - . 7 percent, and sharp increases in food prices, transportation, and housing, Beynon said “inflation and rising prices have cut real wages by over 5 percent and purchasing power is now back to 1970 as wage gains have been wiped out.”’ While the lot of working people has gone from bad to worse, the profits shown by major cor- porations have climbed to new heights. Beynon outlined a five-point program which he said would benefit the majority of Canadians and lead’ to a more equitable distribution of the wealth they are producing. The program calls for a prices roll back on basic foods, fuel, housing and rents to the Jan. 1, 1973 level; a new tax system based on ability to pay with heavy taxes on capital gains; make housing a public utility; reduced pension age to 60 with federal basic pension of $250 and other increments to meet the cost of living; immediate 15% minimum increase in wages anda cost of living clause in all union contracts, with a $3 per hour minimum wage adjusted quarterly to meet the cost of living. Protests from the UFAWU over the possible disenfranchisement of some 6000 commercial fishermen who will be out on the grounds on election day seems to have cut electoral red tape and opened the way for them to cast proxy ballots July 8. UFAWU president and Com- munist candidate for Burnaby- Richmond-Delta Homer Stevens raised the question last week when he was told by the returning officer in his riding that proxy application forms could not be distributed until Thursday of this week by which time most of the fishermen would have left for the grounds. “Fishermen will be leaving this weekend and early next week,”’’ Stevens said last week, ‘‘unable to complete their proxies and unaware that if they don’t get them completed before sailing, they will not be allowed to vote.’’ He urged all fishermen to ‘get to their district Returning Officers now, the sooner the better.” In carrying the protest to the Chief Electoral Officer in. Ottawa, Stevens learned that although the Burnaby-Richmond _ returning officer was ‘technically correct”, the rule could be broken in special circumstances. Arrangements were also made with the Fishermen’s Union to distribute proxy application forms to fishermen through the union. This is only the second time — the first was the 1972 federal election — that proxy voting has been allowed but the right is limited to fishermen, seamen, prospectors, the ill and han- dicapped and students studying away from home on election day. list is published, the ¢hl Those qualified to vole by must report to thelr sd returning officer who will! application form whic details of the reason for : proxy. Since each voter ie cannot be obtained until 8 ning officer pointed out applicant for proxy leave the number | plication form vie filled .in by ¢WUiia designates to cast hls ball him. d When the form has bee and approved by the i. officer, a certificate will for the proxy vote. Stevens also pro fishermen will have complying with the eas that proxy votes must b representative living iad ; polling district and ad ie most instances, constitu : even if they areavailab™ : do not always show the t pro of polling districts. ee, ju however, was not cle tested eric ] i( Construction prote Charging that the eae Labor Relations major bargaining for the igs struction companies; neh “stalling tactics a building trades talks, 4 the. Carpenters Unlol CLRA offices Tuesday: The protest, outside on Victoria Drive #9 centred on the refusal ; i to advance any kind ‘ier formula on the key : cost-of-living adjustme”™ -- CHART -- ee STAN Woodworkers on tread ) of The above cartoon appears on the front ea as negotiations bulletin dealing with inflation. It is 0 excellent bulletins outlining the woodworkers’ © jon. Stantial wage increase and protection against inflat inJ Inside the bulletin points out that the average i a pet was $4.62 per hour but due to the rise in retail pri¢ nad and June 1974 the actual real wage of woodworkers © $3.77. ! pro | “Don’t be taken in,” warns the bulletin. It 54YS* iv will try to tell you that the 36.5 cents per hour gto cost 9 1973 was a down payment on the increase in # : Nothing could be further from the truth! “The 36.5 cents did nothing for you when he : creasing prices during the first year of the co” : case, the 36.5 cents was originally design _ provement in the woodworker’s standard of livin’: on a treadmill!” Se EnInEREEREREeRies aaa ane )