7 © 8 Sense bene SEL AMET She NT Mt on, JR Oe nT pM epee Employers gang Vancouver Newspaper Guild President Phil Needham’s charge at Vancouver Labor Council this Week that Pacific Press is out to bust its unions has been given Substance by revelations of the role being played behind the scenes by the Employers Council of B.C. _Rikk Taylor, publisher of the Columbian, disclosed last weekend that Employers Council Spokesman Bill Hamilton had Made veiled threats of retaliation against the Columbian if it con- tinued to allow its presses to be used by the Vancouver Express, thrice weekly newspaper being published by the struck and locked out unions. As might be expected, Hamilton denied that: he had threatened Taylor with an advertising boycott, but Taylor, in refusing comment, considered Hamilton remarks made in a telephone conversation serious enough to refer them to his lawyers. In its November 8 edition, the Vancouver Express reported: “Striking and locked out em- ployees have been receiving letters from the publishers and Pacific Press general manager Dave. Stinson setting out the company sidé of the dispute. “Meanwhile, the Employers Council of B.C. — Pacific Press is not a member — is advising its members not to advertise in the Express, but will not take any further action against the newspaper put out by striking Pacific Press unions, council president. Bill Hamilton said Tuesday.” Outlining for Vancouver Labor Council delegates the issues un- derlying the dispute at Pacific Press, where the Newspaper Guild and Printing Pressmen struck the Vancouver Sun and Province November 1 and four other unions simultaneously were locked out, Needham declared, ‘“‘We are up against a monopoly — the Com- bines Branch notwithstanding.” He pointed out that FP Publications, publisher of the Vancouver Sun, controlled a munber of newspapers, among them the Globe and Mail and Montreal Star, which has been shut down since June “in a dispute The Province was part of the Southam chain embracing major cities across the country. Everything, he said, pointed to a deliberatedly provoked strike in a well prepared campign to bust the unions. “What Pacific Press really wants is a weakened, compliant union set-up subservient to management’s demands,’’ he charged. “As a monopoly, they could tell us, ‘‘We can shut down for one, three or six months, starve you out, and recover everything we lose because we’re the only game in town.’ ”’ Needham, who also is co- Former West German chancellor Willy Brandt opened the congress of the Socialist International in Van- . * : 1 | couver last weekend with a call for support for initiatives for disarmament and urged affiliates “to give continued review to what individual parties can do in the interest of detente and disarmament.” It was the first time the congress was held outside Europe. (See stories, pages 4, 5). —Sean Griffin photo Parrot will speak The labor movement in this province is rallying behind the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to defend the bargaining and stike rights abrogated by parliament last month and to demand drop- ping of charges against union leaders laid by the Trudeau government through justice “minister Otto Lang. Labor’s support will. find an immediate expression at a public rally to be held at 8 p.m: November 17 in the Sheraton Landmark Hotel, 1400 Robson Street, at which CUPW national president Jean- claude Parrot will speak. Other speakers at the rally reflect the breadth of support for the postal workers in the labor movement — Dave McIntyre, B.C. Federation of Labor secretary- treasurer; Syd Thompson, Van- Kinnaird, Mcintyre slate possibility for B.C. Fed B.C. Federation of Labor secretary. Dave McIntyre an- nounced Friday that he would be prepared to stand as a running mate with Jim Kinnaird in up- coming officers’ elections at Federation’s annual convention scheduled to open Nov. 20. Kinnaird, the former president of the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council, had earlier an- nounced his candidacy and is expected to run-for the new full- time position of president and main spokesman for the 230,000-member ’ federation. TWU president Bob Donnelly had been put forward as the candidate for president along with MciIntryre as secretary but there was strong pressure from within” the trade union movement to present a united slate in the elections. “The majority of the ad- -ministration full supports the ideal of unity,’ McIntyre said, adding that Kinnaird is a proven labor leader who supports a strong labor federation and advocates a con- tinuation of the past policies and direction of the Federation. “J have taken this decision because I respect the wishes of the administration and do not wish to see the unity of this federation split - when the labor movement faces so -many important challenges and struggles,”’ he said. at rally couver Labor Council president; Bob Donnelly, Telecom- munications Workers Union president; Jack Nichol, United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union president; Emil Lehingrat, Letter Carriers Union president; and Frank Walden, CUPW regional director, against whom charges were laid this week. While justice minister Lang was announcing that charges had been laid against four CUPW regional directors in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Lloyd Ingram, CUPW Vancouver Local president, was reporting to Van- couver Labor Council Tuesday that “the main attack now is against, our national union leadership in an attempt to destroy its credibility.” Although charges against 31 Vancouver postal workers have been dropped, he said, postal workers were being subjected to harassment and humiliation, with punitive action being taken against selected key union members. As examples, Ingram cited the cases of the Halifax Local president, who has been recom- mended for release, and Brian Nelson, chief shop steward for part-time mail handlers in Van- ‘couver, who also is threatened with dismissal. “That’s why this rally is so important. In effect, it’s in defence of the rights of all employees in the public sector.” Mayor sold out in UTA says Yorke “Private citizen’? Jack Volrich should immediately resign his provincial government ap- pointment. as chairman of the Urban Transit Authority, COPE mayoralty candidate Bruce Yorke demanded Tuesday, charging that Volrich’s leadership of the UTA is in direct conflict with the policies of Vancouver city and of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The UTA is a ‘“‘rape of municipal taxpayers,” Yorke declared and Volrich should resign from it and join with the GVRD to demand the suspension of all the UTA’s operations in an attempt to force the provincial government to bring new transit legislation forward at the next session of the legislature. To differentiate Volrich from the position of Vancouver city council and the GVRD — both of which officially oppose the UTA — Yorke continually referred to the mayor as “private citizen Jack Volrich” in his speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade. The UTA was set up by the provincial government to dump the costs of the transportation onto municipal taxpayers and to frustrate the improvement of the transit system and the building of a light rapid transit system in the Lower Mainland, he said. Volrich has played right along with it, he charged, and without city approval accepted the top job in the Authority, even though every municipality in the region is op- posed to the scheme. “Volrich is involved in a glaring conflict of interest and should ‘resign immediately from the chairmanship of the ITA,”’ Yorke said. “Mayor MacDonald of White Rock, a mere member of the Board resigned a few days ago, because he supports the general position of the GVRD. If he sees the obvious conflict of interest involved in the entire UTA fiasco, then surely it applies to Jack Volrich with even greater force, for he is the head spokesman for the cabinet con- trolled UTA, and he is opposed to the GVRD position.” See VOLRICH page 3 up on press unions involving many of the same issues in our own dispute.” chairman of the six-union joint press council, emphasized that not one of the demands which precipitated the strike-lockout had been advanced by. the unions. Enlarging on Pacific Press’ demand for exclusion of some Newspaper Guild members from the union, he said that under amendments to the _ provincial labor code made by the Socred government last Year, Pacific Press could have applied at any time in the past year for the ex- clusions it is demanding. “‘Why did it wait until now?” he asked. ‘“‘And why does it want the exclusions? “‘Our conclusion is that it wants a potential scab force with which See PRESSMAN page 16 @ CIVIC ELECTIONS: Alder- man Harry Rankin takes a final swipe at the NPA before election day and calls for full support for COPE as the _ only alterative to an NPA revival, page 3. More on elections, pages 2, 13. man in the country is the | Shah, but his tottering | regime has the backing of | the CIA and the U.S. | government. In_ fact, was the CIA installed the Shah the first place, page 8. it the Socialist International pledged support to African liberation movements, Vancouver based SAAC | SOUTH AFRICA: While | that | in | t questioned the role of the | German investment to regimes, page 5. LABOR: Jack Phillips examines the recent con- vention of the’ Hospital Employees Union and its neve tion to the house of labor, page 16. eas a Nt aueg at SO Eee A Re Te a racist | and British | governments in providing | ' H career sae ee tentative search for affilia- |