U.S. agribusiness campaigns to undermine farmworkers union By STAN DALTON “We used to own our slaves, now we rent them’’, — a California grower. On the Nov. 2 congressional ballot in California there ap- peared, among other things, Proposition 14 the Farm Labor In- itiative Statute which if passed would set up and guarantee a pro- cedure for holding secret ballot elections for farm workers, would protect workers and growers from unfair labor practices and would provide for good faith col- lective bargaining in agriculture. It would allow workers to talk to union organizers on company property during non-working hours. Fearful of having their dictator- ship over the workers weakened, the growers organized a campaign to pursuade the public from vot- ing in favor of Proposition 14. They hired a certain Bill Roberts of the Dolphin Public Relations firm to handle the job. Roberts hired Haug Associates to conduct ° a public opinion survey on the farm labor issue. On the basis of that $12,500 survey, Roberts recommended that the anti-Proposition 14°cam- paign avoid attacking Cesar Chavez, the farm workers, collec- tive bargaining, elections, and the existing Agriculture Labor Rela- tions Authority (ALRA). Even though the growers had worked for months to shut down the ALRA in an attempt to force changes in the law. Peddling the Myth Roberts recommended a sim- pler campaign which was based on avoiding any talk about the substance of Proposition 14 and instead, using the access rule of the proposed law as a spring board for talking about ‘‘private property rights’. By using small farmers only in the radio and tele- vision advertisements, the grow- ers avoided being identified with agribusiness and could more eas- ily peddle the myth that somehow everybody’s property rights were at stake. All the stops were ead out in the radio and T.V. ads. One example had a small farmer say- ing “‘I’ve raised my family and my daughters on this farm and we feel threatened”’. Another commer- cial had a farmer saying ‘‘Proposi- tion 14 really frightens me. When strangers are allowed to enter my property without my permission I have no protection or privacy.”’ This multi-million dollar scare- the-public tactic paid off — Prop- osition 14 was defeated on Nov. 2: This lavish P.R. campaign however is only a small part of the overall effort by the growers to squeeze the farmworkers. In March 1976, the growers suc- ceeded in cutting off funding to the ALRA which handles unfair labor practices. After 10.months without funds the organization resumed its func- tion but its finances are scheduled to dry up again by June of this Builders and disrupters of labor unity May Day 1977 places before the trade union movement and the working class a challenge to struggle for the end of wage con- trols, for the restoration of collec- tive bargaining and for its exten- sion into areas hitherto consi- dered the sole prerogative of employers and their manage- ments. This May Day, more than ever in Canadian labor history, calls for united action of the working class, its trade unions and politi- cal parties, to chart a course for genuine equality between the workers in French and English speaking Canada by means of negotiation of a new confederal pact based upon a made-in- Céanada constitution. Finally, Canadian lasor on this May Day must signify its com- mitment to the international working class in its struggle to make détente irreversible, to win worldwide disarmament and permanent world peace. The outstanding example of labor unity in pursuit of these aims in English speaking Canada is the May Day celebrations plan- ned in Vancouver, B.C. There the former NDP municipal affairs minister James Lorimer, repre- senting the NDP caucus in the B.C. legislature, Nigel Morgan, B.C. leader of the Communist Party, and George Johnston, president of the B.C. Federation of Labor will be featured speakers of this year’s May Day rally or- ganized for Sunday May 1, at 2. p.m. in the Templeton Secondary School Auditorium in Vancouver. Other prominent labor and. progressive speakers will join th- ese two, along with a concert program with Tom Hawken, George Hewison and the fabulous Bargain at Half the Price. The group will be remembered by de- legates to the 23rd Convention of the Communist Party in Toronto last October, where they received tumultuous acclaim. Of no small significance is the fact — signifying international solidarity — that the proceeds from the Vancouver May Day rally is to go to the Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians campaign to equip a 100-bed hospital in Vie- tnam. Toronto May Day In sharp contrast to the above, is the May Day rally planned by the Metropolitan Toronto and District Labor Council. Here the right-wing social reformist lead- ers of the Toronto Labor Council have put a ban on political parties based on working class and left support, including both the NDP and the Communist Party. As a tongue-in-cheek gesture in the di- rection of the international labor solidarity, selected ethnic groups will be allowed to participate. ~ The fact that the Labor Council as the central body of organized labor has been forced by the de- velopments of our times — in- cluding the CLC Convention de- cision to demand that Ottawa de- clare May Day a national holiday — to recognize May Day and to sponsor a meeting, is in itself a significant fact to be welcomed. It shows the growing strength and power of the working class both intemationally' and in Canada. From this viewpoint all friends of labor will unquestionably rally to make the Labor Council- sponsored meeting as much of a success as possible in ‘the cir- cumstances. On the other hand, this year’s May Day celebration in Toronto will bear the hallmark of the split in the ranks of labor, instead of the all-inclusive unity that the present crisis of the capitalist sys- tem and its efforts to keep labor divided calls for. The blame for this situation must be placed squarely upon the right wing social democratic ele- ments, whose anti-Soviet and anti-communist prejudices help to PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 29, 1977—Page 6 wiVorrte “ti Si Gs tet ta-a Vasa keep labor divided in the interest of monopoly and its governments and politicians. Stephenson Speaker Solid evidence of this fact is contained in the political action committee’s report to the To- ronto Labor Council on April 7. Its proposal for a speaker at the Council’s education night on May 19 is none other than the Hon. Bette Stephenson, Ontario Tory Labor Minister. Since a provin- cial election may be called before that time, the committee suggests that labor spokesmen from both the NDP and the Liberals be also invited. But nothing is said about inviting the fourth registered par- ty, the Communist Party. The class collaborationist orientation is also evidenced in tri-partite so-called consultations at the Ontario government level, involving Tory Premier Davis, big business leaders and labor. A first meeting on Saturday April 16th, included Premier Davis, six labor leaders, including Cliff Pil- key, President of the Ontario Federation of Labor, plus ban- kers, industrialist, businessmen, lawyers, educators and profes- sionals, thus going even beyond tri-partite to make labor the last wheel on a tandem vehicle for consultation which according to the Premier is to meet on a con- tinuing basis. The right-wing elements within the Toronto Labor Council are also promoting their capitalist ideology in the human rights field by enlisting the help of such well known ‘‘champion of human rights in the socialist countries”’ as J.B. Salsberg. All of which indicates the need to strengthen working class ideol- ogy and the struggle for a new direction towards labor unity, be- fore the Toronto Labor Council can become the instrument in cur- rent anti-monopoly and anti- imperialist struggle that it can and should be. York. year. This falls completely in line with what the growers want, In 1976 there were 540 unresolved unfair labor practices cases, in January of 1977 there were still 460 unresolved cases. Coachella Valley The union is still facing serious problems at the bargaining table. An example are the Coachella Growers, the largest citrus ranch in California’s Coackell Valley. The UFW won certification there in January 1976, and ever since then the company has stepped up its harassment of the workers, ending company transportation, doubling their rent in the labor camps and lowering wages. The union has been negotiating’ since May 1976 but management has refused to make any conces- sions on such key issues as ac- cepting the hiring hall and grie- vance procedures. Working conditions in the Coachella Valley are intolerable as demonstrated by a recent state labor department. inspection which showed among other things: the lack of any protective clothing, goggles, hard hats etc., for the workers in the thorny le- mon trees, no first aid, no drinking - water, no separate toilet facilities _ _ ~for men and women, unsafe load- ers and fork lifts. The investigation also noted that workers were exposed to. rattlesnake bites and this is not covered by any state regulations. Insurance Company-owned Desert Valley Citrus controls the Coachella Growers, and Con- necticut Mutual Life Insurance Farmworkers demonstrating outside the Mutual Lite pulidiog in New | Company in tum owns the whole © operation. A vigorous letter cam- paign has been waged in Canada by UFW supporters to,the presi- _ dent of the insurance company urging the immediate com- mencement of serious nego- tiations. Other solidarity campaigns on the Canadian Front have included — a ‘‘Fast For Justice” Feb. 25-27 ara students, parliamenta- rians, the clergy, and other UFW supporters who didn’t eat for 48 — hours and were able to collect © $2100 in pledges. A 10th anniversary Canadian | solidarity dinner is planned for April 30 in Toronto, where Mar- shall Ganz and Jessica Govea will come from California to joinin thé celebration. The proceeds from these fund raisers go to fueling the organizing drive in California. The boycott of — non-UFW grapes and lettuce is, | still in force until the workers win! union representation. Without it, there can never be any guarantee that decent living and working conditions can prevail. All UFW supporters in Canada who want to join in the letter campaign to protest Con- necticut Mutual’s refusal to start negotiations with the union should address their letters to: Mr. Edward Bates, President, Connecticut Mutual Life Insur- ance Co., 140 Gardon Street Hartford Connecticut, USA 06115 Three light bulb firms charged with price fixing TORONTO — Canada’s three largest manufacturers of electric bulbs, Canadian General Electric, Westinghouse Canada and GTE Sylvania Ltd., were convicted April 13 of conspiring to lessen competition between 1959 and 1967. Although the prosecution demanded a $2-million fine, the court levied a total of $550,000 in fines against the three giants. CGE was given three months to pay its share of $300,000 for its® role in leading the conspiracy. The companies shared a total of $238,506,000 in sales during the period in question and controlled 95% of the sales to public bodies, commercial and industrial enter- prises. Evidence showed that the three were virtually the sole source of supply of large lamps throughout Canada. However, Mr. Justice Lawr- ence Pennell of the Ontario Sup- reme Court is quoted in the press as saying, ‘‘I am prepared to ac- cept that this is not a case where the public has been held to ran- som by the charging of exorbitant prices.’ The judge also issued an order prohibiting any repetition of the offense by the three companies. Such an order had been sought by the Crown but spposed by lawyers for the firms. Maximum penalties for corpo- rations under the current com- bines act is a fine of $1-million.