Socred
Proposes
Ban
On Unions

Just before his death, B.C. Federation of
Labour President Jim Kinnaird received in
the mail a plain envelope enclosing the
fifth draft of a Bill prepared for Socred
Technology Minister Pat McGeer.

Section 3(1) of the Bill, to apply to “high-
tech” industries, reads as follows:

“Labour Code does not apply to
certain employees 3.(1) The Lieuten-
ant Governor in Council may, on the
recommendation of the trustees of the
foundation, order that any employer who
carries on a business of a type described
in the Schedule is exempt from the
provisions of the Labour Code,

R.S.B.C. 1979, c. 212 and where the

Lieutenant Governor in Council

makes such an order, the Labour

Code does not apply to that employer

or any of his employees.”

A lawyer specializing in representing
Employers in labour disputes was asked by
the Minister to review the Bill. One of his
comments:

“T have tried to anticipate some of the
political problems which may be inherent
in the proposed Bill. Generally, it is
entirely predictable that the accusation
will be made that the exclusions of the
rights provided by the Labour Code is a
denial of a fundamental right and that it
constitutes “Right to Work” legislation.”
A lawyer working for the Government

had this to say about the Labour Code
exemptions: :

“The second part of the new Bill willbe
to exempt certain industries from the
provisions of the Labour Code thereby
removing a concern that exists in the
minds of these industries over the state of
labour movement in the Province.”

The Socreds apparently feel that, without
banning unions, these “high tech” indus-
tries might have to pay higher wages than
their California competitors. Some Silicon
Valley employers are under attack for their
treatment of hourly production workers.
Assembling the circuit boards or inspecting
chips is a tedious dead-end job that has
attracted thousands of Mexicans, Filipinos
and Vietnamese immigrants. Many earn
wages of less than $5 an hour, low by
industry standards.

REAL UNEMPLOYMENT HITS 2 MILLION. While official gov-
emment figures last month put unemployment in Canada at 1.5
million Gust under 13%), the real number of unemployed was 2

milion, pointed out GVP Rygus in his special appeal later 4
locals. The increased number takes into account those who hav

run out of Unemployment Insurance benefits.

Lumber Worker/April, 1983/3