LABOR SCENE: Peterson threatens woodworkers The IWA negotiating committee in the B.C. Southern Interior woodworkers strike, now going into its 7th month, have recommended to its 4,000 membership ‘‘non- acceptance’’ conciliation officer Jack Sherlock’s -proposals for settlement of the dispute. The Sherlock formula for settlement proposes a 68-cent hourly pay hike over a period of three years and little else. The IWA demands at the beginning of the dispute called for wage parity of Interior woodworkers with Coast wage levels, which called for a 50-cent an hour wage hike immediately in order to equalize contract standards in both lumber areas. This the operators, aided by government members, flatly refused, claiming the Interior industry would ‘‘be ruined by parity wages’’. On the Sherlock recommendations, apparently designed to fit government-lumber operator desires, the IWA in its recommendation to the Southern Interior membership for rejection, stated ‘“‘we estimate that upon expiration of the (Sherlock) proposed contract, August 31, 1970, the wages for Interior woodworkers will be as far below Coast = as ever.’ While Interior woodworkers will be voting by secret ballot during the coming week for rejection or otherwise of the Sherlock formula for settlement of the dispute, an unprecendented pressure — intimidations and ministerial threats — are being directed towards IWA members. Labor Minister Peterson thinks the Sherlock formula a fair settlement’’ and vents his ministerial spleen against the IWA because the latter feels it “repugnant to advise abject DRY CLEANING 8 Ibs. $2. -25¢ each additional Ib. Drapes, Blankets, clothing, etc. You leave it- Wedoit. © 2 HOUR SERVICE LAUNDRETTE 2633 Commercial Dr. Phone 879-9956 +: authaneat na tsetse se as | Workers Benevolent Assn. Of Canada Progressive Fraternal Society Caters to all your needs in the Life Insurance field LIFE INSURANCE ENDOWMENTS PENSION PLANS WEEKLY BENEFITS Apply to: B.C. office at 805 East Pender St. or National Office at 595 Pritchard Ave. Winnipeg 4, Mesiteha FP SS NS ED OE ee ee GD GS GD Ge eS ee eee GD ae ome cue aD of government | surrender at this stage to the dictates of the government and the corporations’. Labor Minister Peterson makes it clear, supported by an “‘inspired”’ article in the April 23 Province, entitled ‘‘Peterson warns IWA; Accept or else .. .’’ that the application of the compulsory arbitration clauses of Bill 33 in the Interior dispute is now being contemplated in government and reactionary circles, and that the Sherlock formula was specially designed to facilitate just such an initial ‘‘try-out”. That is precisely what Labor Minister Peterson means when he says ‘‘There is no other action that can be taken as far as I can see (in the area of collective bargaining, Ed.) if this settlement offer is not accepted’’. There is only Bill 33, implied if not openly stated by Peterson. Labor is not the only body in B.C. to become the periodic target of Socred ministerial wrath. Labor- cum-Education Minister Peterson took exception to the deliberations of the B.C. Federation of Teachers in DONT VISIT GREECE! Over 400 Greek-Canadians marched from Queen’s Park in Toronto to the Greek Consulate on April 21, the first anniversary of the fascist coupe in Greece. Dem- onstrators carried signs urging Canadians not to visit Greece, but see Canada instead. ‘Meany doesn’t speak for labor on Vietnam war’ By ERNIE CRIST “President Meany of the AFL-CIO is not speaking for the American labor movement when he claims that labor is behind Johnson’s war in Vietnam” an American labor leader said last week in Vancouver. Leonard Levy said that Meany, because of violation of trade union democracy and outright lying in the past, has been successful in lining up labor support for the war, but labor “isn’t taking it anymore’’. Levy, International Vice-President of the 400,000 strong Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America said We buy and sell e Used Furniture Sporting Goods We are Reasonable We are at 573 E. HASTINGS ST. Beaver Transfer MU 3-3942 DUNDAS B-A (WALL & DUNDAS ST.) Complete Auto Repair and Service for All Makes Government Certified Mechanic and SERVICE V. W. SPECIALIST Ph. 255-6828 f ~ Johnson of his peace moves.’ that, extremely worried to see American labor by and large being silent about the murder of three-quarters of a million children in Vietnam, and ‘“‘I was beginning to understand”’ how it had been possible that the Germans ““stood by’’ when the Nazis murdered million of people. Speaking about Johnson’s recent peace moves, Levy said that a real danger exists right now that Johnson’s ‘‘crafty peace moves’’ might put labor once more to sleep thinking that “everything is going to be all right’’ and that Johnsion will actually make peace. Levy, who is also Vice-President of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor and chairman of the Los Angeles Labor Peace Assembly, was addressing a peace meeting sponsored by the Co-ordinating Committee To End the War in Vietnam at the Labour Temple in Vancouver. He said that only 4% out of 80 million American workers are engaged in the arms industry and that 30 billion dollars a year spent on the war in Vietnam alone would provide more jobs for labor if this money were used for peaceful construction. ‘“‘That the war is bad for the American economy was amply demonstrated,’’ said Levy, “When the stock market jumped after the recent PuHouneEMent by until recently, he was” convention last week when that Body decided to do something about government cutbacks in school construction, class rooms, educational policies, etc. “That is politicial,’’ pontificated Peterson, ‘“‘and my government will not permit politicing by our teaching profession’’ or words to that effect. Then the ministerial punch-line threat; if the BCFT do not keep it all very ‘‘non-political ... we will deprive them of compulsory membership privileges’’, which in essence means that if the teachers step out of line ‘“‘we’’ will smash their Federation. ‘‘I could only think of a one word in reply to that,” a teacher told the Pacific Tribune, “Heil!” Conciliation officer Sherlock is also currently acting as mediator in the IWA Coast wage negotiations involving some 28,000 lumber workers.: The present Coast wage contract expires June 15. A 17-point IWA program of demands for 1968 is headed up a 50- cent per hour across-the-board wage hike, the minimum required to come anywhere close to meeting rising prices and living costs. Meantime the profits of the big lumber companies continue to soar t0 astronomical levels. ** * Stationary engineers at the University of British Columbia took strike action last Sunday midnight in support of their demand for the implementation of a conciliation -board majority report recommending substantial wage increases and changes in working conditions affecting various engineer and mechanic classifications. UBC refrigeration and heating facilities are mainly affected by the strike which involve some 18 engineer personnel. The conciliation board report recommended a $68 wage increase per month, payable in two hikes over a one year period. | ENDICOTT SAYS: Step up pressure on .S. for negotiations ' Production in North Vietnam is increasing, not decreasing, since the ~ United States stepped up its bombing, says Dr. James Endicott, Chairman of the Canadian Peace Congress. Speaking at a public meeting in the Peretz School Auditorium Thursday evening, Dr. Endicott told of his visit to Sweden to take part in an Emergency Consultative Conference on Vietnam. From the North Vietnamese and the representatives of the National _ Liberation Front he heard the account of the Khe Sahn offensive which, he was told, was not carried out by regular soldiers, but by the peoples’ militia and the guerilla fighters. Two million people were involved along a 350 mile front involving some 60 concentrationnpoints, yet no word of the attack leaked out, and the U.S. was taken completely by surprise. The Conference in Stockholm May Day rally off Jeff Power, chairman of the Vancouver Trade Union May Committee, told the PT this week that the May Day rally, which had been set for the Pender Auditorium on Wednesday, May Ist will not take place. “Because of the closeness of the April 27th peace demonstration and the fact that many leading trade unionists will be involved in preparations for the Canadian Labor Congress convention which opens the first week of May, it has not been possible to go ahead with plans for the rally. “We appeal to all supporters of May Day to mark this anniversary by joining in the Vancouver April 27th protest march and rally against the Vietnam war,” he said. DR. JAMES ENDICOTT issued an appeal to the people of the world, to bring every possible pressure to bear on the United States government to: e Stop the bombing of Vietnam e Get to the negotiating table on the basis of the Geneva Agreements. The atmosphere in Stockholm for this Conference, he said, was very different from any other international conference he had attended. One of the reasons for this was that at the same time as the Conference there was a huge demonstration againt the Vietnam war with thousands taking part and at the head marched the Swedish Minister of Education arm in arm with the Soviet Ambassador from Hanoi. Furthermore, the feeling against the war in Vietnam is so strong that Sweden is trying to line up the other Scandinavian countries in a diplomatic offensive against the war. Dr. Endicott concluded by : appealing to all people of goodwill to step up the pressure on the Canadian government to get the U.S. to negotiate an end to the Vietnam war.