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CLC takes aim at free trade

By CLAUDE DEMERS
MONTREAL — Surrounded by pos-
} S illustrating the stakes for Canadian

pYorkers — “Our Canada or Theirs” —
© Canadian Labor Congress leadership
Nched a major campaign against the
Oney government’s free trade policy
Ontreal on Sept. 16.
) _*tS main objective is to defeat govern-
Ment designs for free trade, deregulation
and privatization. CLC president Shirley
CL charged that in the opinion of the
“LC the government is “going in the

Wong direction.” The policy of free trade

will attack not only the jobs and living
standards of working people, she said, but
will strike deep at the foundations of all
social-services in this country.

“We are addressing ourselves to
workers, youth, churches, to all sections of
the population,” she said. “We are inviting
them, and all Canadians, to participate in
our campaign.”

The CLC has adopted a $1.5-million
budget for the effort. Carr said the CLC’s
intention is to link the fight against free
trade with the struggle to prevent deregu-
lation and privatization in the Canadian

:

3

ERCIR 3p

economy.

An excellent film, outlining the dangers
of free trade to Canada, was screened at
the press conference. The CLC will dis-
tribute this, and two other films currently
in production, to all interested groups
across the country.

Responding to questions from repor-
ters, CLC leaders pointed out that the free
trade negotiations are being held at a time
when the United States is facing its largest
trade deficit in history. The real negotia-
tions, they said, are taking place under the

see END page 11

September 24,
1986

40°

Vol. 49, No. 34

CAIMAW fights
mine shutdown
— page 3

Municipal
jobs plan

tops COPE
initiatives

A commitment from the Commit-
tee of Progressive Electors’ mayoral
candidate Harry Rankin’ to initiate
public works projects providing 7,500
construction jobs at union pay rates
topped the list of policy statements at
the civic alliance’s Community Direc-
tions conference Saturday.

In elaborating on their policies of
jobs, services, housing, civic demo-
cracy and disarmament, COPE’s
mayoral candidate, seven city council
candidates, nine school board con-
tenders and seven parks board hope-
fuls detailed how those policies would
be implemented following the election
of COPE majorities to the three levels
of local government.

“We need
political lead-
ership for eco-
nomic recov-
ery, and that’s
why we're pro-
jecting this
economic pro-
gram for this
election cam-
paign,” Rankin
said in_ his
speech open-
ing the conference.

Rankin, a founder of the labor-
supported civic group and an alder-
man for 18 years, told the audience of
community activists and COPE
members that the two years following
the Nov. 15 civic election will either
see Vancouver prosper with new jobs,
“or more unemployment and food
bank lineups.”

COPE’s Community Directions
conference was designed to air policy
hammered out by the alliance’s can-
didates and receive feedback and sug-
gestions from homeowners, local
planning organizations, parent repre-
sentatives and others involved in citi-
zen actions.

COPE’s slates will mull over the
suggestions received at workshops
during the afternoon sessions, and
produce final versions of their plat-
forms in the near future. But it was
clear from the preliminary plans pres-
ented Saturday that as it stands, the
alliance’s policy is in marked contrast
to that of its electoral rivals, the Civic
Non-Partisan Association.

see ROADWORK page 2

LIBBY
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