acai ta

27m:

oe

_ 1974 convention of

“You-don’t hunt rabbits with a
machine gun!’’ This was the reac-
tion of a knowledgeable friend after
the announcement of a special ses-
sion of the legislature to deal with
the West Kootenay strike-lockout
situation involving members of the
Canadian Union of Public
Employees.

In short, the Socred government
was after much bigger game than a
relatively small number of non-
teaching school board employees.
While the declared purpose of the
special session was to end the West
Kootenay dispute, the main pur-
pose was to use to occasion to ex-
tend the power of the cabinet and
its labor relations board to deny the

right to strike to all public
employees under provincial
jurisdiction.

Some excerpts from the
legislative committee report to the
the BG.
Federation of Labor are most
revealing in placing the current
Situation in historical perspective.

° “The action of the government
(NDP) in enacting the Kamloops
Emergency Flood Control Act and
the Essential Services Continuation
Act encourages employers not to
negotiate because they feel they can
sit back and wait for government to
bail them out. Governments who
intervene in disputes of this nature
by saying ‘go back to work’ are in
one form or another accepting the
employer’s position.’’

. *® “Section 73 of the Labor Code
is amended by the Essential Services
Continuation Act to give the
minister the power to recommend
to the cabinet that a 21-day cooling-
off period be declared in an in-
dustsrial dispute involving fire
fighters, policemen and_ hospital
unions during which time no strike

could be allowed and any existing

strike would be suspended. Ob-
viously this section sets a very
dangerous precedent within the
labor movement in British Colum-
bia and could easily be extended to
include other unions.”’

The 1975 report of the executive
council to the convention of the

Federation contained the following
° e e e e
Solidarity in Unity

Season’s Greetings

paragraph: ‘‘On Tuesday, October
7, the Barrett government suddenly
and without warning introduced
Bill 146, the most massive piece of
strikebreaking legislation in B.C.
history, ordering more than 60,000
workers to work.”’

On that occasion (as in 1978
under the Socreds) a special session
of the legislature was called osten-
sibly to deal with one, relatively
small dispute on Vancouver Island
involving members of the
Teamsters’ Union employed as pro-
pane gas truck | drivers and

LABOR

COMMENT

BY JACK PHILLIPS

distributors. However, the bill that
was rammed through the house
covered woodworkers, pulp and
paper workers, railway workers and
food workers as well as propane gas
workers.

Bill Bennett, who was then leader’
of the opposition, described Bill 146
as “‘one of the government’s finest
moves in showing leadership.”’

Once the Socreds were back in of-
fice, they demonstrated more of the
same ‘‘leadership.”’

Section 73 of the Labor Code
dealing with a fire-fighters’ union, a
policemen’s union or hospital union
was revised. The cabinet was given
the authority to order a cooling off
period of 40 days during which no
strike could legally occur, in place
of the previous 21 days. This sec-
tion also gave the cabinet authority
to request the Labor Relations
Board to designate those facilities,
productions and services it con-
sidered necessary or essential in
order to prevent immediate: and
serious danger to life, health or
safety. The LRB was given the
authority to order workers con-
sidered essential not to strike nor
restrict or limit any facility, produc-
tion or service so designated.

In October 1977, the strike of

United Steelworkers of America

Local 480,

Trail, B.C.

provincial government ferry
workers was used by the Bennett
government to call a special session
of the legislature, in order to enact
Bill 92, the Essential Services
Dispute Act.

What was basically new in this act
was the broadening of the defini-
tion of essential services. Whereas
the labor code defines them as
essential to health, life or public
safety, the new bill extends the
definition to include any service
which, if withdrawn, would pose ‘‘a
threat to the economy and _ the
welfare of the province or its
citizens’’, a designation which
could refer to almost any dispute.

Included in the scope of this
legislation were civil servants and
the employees of eight crown cor-
porations and crown agencies.
Under this legislation the govern-
ment was given three options:

¢ Allow a ‘‘controlled’’ strike, in
which certain services designated as
“essential’’ must be kept going.

¢ Suspend any work stoppage for
up to 90 days.

e Allow a strike but appoint a
special mediator.

The bill covered police, firemen
and health workers (already
restricted under the Labor Code),
all provincial civil servants and
employees of the B.C. Building
Corporation, B.C. Ferry Corpora-
tion, B.C. Hydro, B.C. Railway,
B.C. Systems Corporation,
Emergency Health Services Com-
mission, Insurance Corporation of
B.C. and the Workers’ SOMpED sas
tion Board.

Now, the scope of the Besciial
Services Disputes Act has been

widened to include employees of | }

colleges, school boards, univer-
sities, institutes, municipalities,
regional districts and improvement
district corporations under the
Water Act.

Jim Kinnaird, the new president
of the B.C. Federation of Labor,
was quoted in the Victoria Colonist
December 9 as stating he had been
betrayed by the government which
had requested his assistance in
resolving the West Kootenay.
dispute by persuading the Canadian
Union of Public Employees to lift

; their strike. Both the union and the
; school board trustees agreed to a
® cessation of the strike — lockout
# (opposition leader Dave Barrett was
yw involved
} trustees quickly reversed their posi-
} tion. My guess is that some one
§ from the government reached them
@ and persuaded them to hang tough
# because of the pending legislation
w which went far beyond the West
Kootenay dispute.

in this deal) but the

If we study the pattern of the par

&# few years, a certain continuity
¥ emerges.

As the crisis of capitalism

} deepens and the monopoly offen-
; sive against living standards and
; trade union rights is intensified, the

provincial government tends to

wa move as far as it is politically expe-

For 1979: eos

End Combines attack on UFAWU

Full employment

Stop the sellout of our fisheries

_ Season’s Greetings from
officers and membership

_ United Fishermen & Allied Workers Union

“Paci TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 20, 1978-—Page 16

ee

“Action program best reply to Bill 4

dient in imposing restrictions on the
right to strike. That is equally true
of a Socred government or an NDP
government dominated by alge
tunists.

This similarity flows Boe the
fact that both, -types of government
are, in the last analysis, ad-
ministrators of the capitalist
system. While it is true that the Bar-
rett NDP government enacted some
good reform legislation and was
more susceptible to public pressure
in that direction, it must also be
said that it was neither a labor nora
pro-labor government. As a matter
of fact, it refused to discuss propos-
ed changes to the Labor Code with
the officers of the B.C. Federation
of Labor.

When the Socreds are in office,
and they bring in anti-labor legisla-
tion, they are sharply criticized by
the NDP opposition who, with an
eye to the support of the unions in
the next election, vote against the
government. When: an NDP
government led by opportunists in-
troduces anti-labor legislation, the
Socred leader of the opposition,
with an eye to its main areas of sup-
port, (real and potential) con-
gratulates the government. Two dif-
ferent styles in playing the same
game!

The lesson for the trade union
movement is that it

prepared to fight to protect its
rights no matter which party is in
office. _

must be.

Pauls ate. Prosperity
for all
in the New Year

The current situation calls
full commitment that any uni
fying the Essential Se:
Disputes Act will receive th
backing of the Federation. |
calls for a thorough educa
program to demonstrate to j
filiates that the loss of trade
rights by public employees is
threat to trade union rights
private sector.

Immediately, in my opini
should undertake the bre
possible mobilization to bor
the government with the de
that the latest amendment t
Essential Services Disputes A‘
be proclaimed and that it be r
ed at the next session o!
legislature. An emergency co
tion of the Federation could f¢
major role in advancing such ¢
tion program.

Those labor leaders who |
drop all active opposition t
legislation and work only on
up support for the NDP in thi
provincial election are very |
sighted. What is needed nov
vigorous campaign against
legislation and a demand to e1
fundamental bill of rights for |
Such a mobilization could p
big role in uniting all labor, le!
progressive forces inclu

members of the NDP, in ord
ensure the defeat of the Socre
gon next kprovncial Sleuon:

Nanaimo, Duncan and District
babor Council =

Season’s Greetings

to all friends

of the

_ labor movement

CAMPBELL RIVER.
COURTENAY AND DISTRICT
_ LABOR COUNCIL

—

~

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