THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER is An emai The executive council of the Canadian Labour Congress has approved a structure to direct the drive to organize the country’s bank workers: A national bank employees organizing committee has been formed, composed of leaders of 13 CLC-affiliated unions, Con- gress president Joe Morris stated. : The campaign will be co- ordinated by a national co-or- dinator with the help of co- ordinators backed by the ne- cessary research and collec- tive bargaining staff in each ‘of five regions in Canada. Bank workers will have the choice of joining either one of the 10 provincial local unions - directly chartered by the CLC or an existing affiliated union, Morris said. Arrangements are now underway for the issuing of a provincial charter to the new Canadian Union of Bank Em- ployees, which is already active in organizing bank workers in Ontario. When a sufficient number of bank workers have joined the union movement, a referen- dum will be held to let them de- cide whether to found a nation- al union of bank employees or join the ranks of an already- existing CLC-affiliated union. Still unaffiliated with the CLC’and not participating in the national drive is the Ser- vice, Office and Retail Workers Union of Canada (SORWUC), which has been organizing bank workers in British Columbia. Morris said discussions had been held with SORWUC, but that the union had decided not to join in the organizing drive. But the CLC president said the union would be accepted as part of the organization if it wished to join. In other business approved by the CLC executive council, the government was asked to increase its contribution to the International Labour Or- ganization, which is feeling the financial pinch following the pullout of the U.S. The loss of 30% of the ILO’s funds due to the U.S. with- drawal will mean some cut- backs in services, Morris told ‘reporters, but the other mem- bers are being asked to pitch in to help make up the difference. As to the U.S. decision to withdraw because the or- ganization was becoming too political, Morris said political discussions have been tailing off for the past two years in the ILO. “The principles on which the ILO was founded are just as viable today as they were in 1918,”’ Morris said. ‘‘Although we were aware of the ILO’s im- perfections, we are convinced that its existence and success are fundamental to the well being of workers across the world.” McDERMOTT MOOTED ‘TO SUCCEED MORRIS Dennis McDermott, the 54 year-old Canadian director and international vice-president of the United Auto Workers, appears to be the successor to Joe Morris as president of the Canadian Labour Congress, following his unanimous en- dorsation by the CLC executive council. The decision came as the 30- member council met in Ottawa in.mid-December. Don Mon- tgomery, CLC secretary-treas- urer, had announced he would run for the position, but with- drew from contention when McDermott’s candidacy was endorsed. The UAW Canadian director is opposed to the Congress’ current position on tripartism, but agrees with present CLC president Morris that the labour movement’s power must be concentrated further in a strong, central body. The CLC could become a “stronger, more viable and more effective labour centre,”’ he said. Since many of Canada’s problems are national in scope, so are their solutions, he said. McDermott said ‘“‘the vast majority of the CLC executive council members assembled insisted that we declare our choice of candidate for pre- sident of the CLC to replace Joe Morris, who retires in April. “My personal preference was to delay this selection until January or February,’ he said. “However, I: was com- pelled to abide by the decision of the majority.” He said he was persuaded by his colleagues to make the move in the best interests of the labour movement. Several trade union leaders have been working to persuade McDermott to run for some time. Bud Clark, Canadian dir- ector of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers, and Glenn Pattinson, Canadian district president of the Inter- national Union. of Electrial Workers, formed a Committee to Draft McDermott. A pamphlet distributed by the committee at the recent Ontario Federation of Labour convention said ‘‘the CLC needs a leader that the entire labour movement can rally behind. We believe Dennis McDermott is that man.” “McDermott as president, the CLC convention in Quebec City in April will probably map out a new policy on three-way consultations between business, labour and govern- ment. His experience with tripart- ite meetings had been ‘“miserable,’”’ McDermott said. “Maybe the whole thing (tri- partism) was premature. But abandonment of it would not mean we couldn’t increase our input into government policy.” transferred to Massachuse NOW BIG BUSINESS SAME OLD STORY Three years after receiving a $200,000 expansion optical lens manufacturing p grant from the federal lant in Belleville owned by the Canadian subsidiary of firm has announced it will close, laying off 100 employees. eaten “The management of AOCO Ltd. says the operation, which received federal monies to expand and create 20 jobs in the unemployment-ridden Belleville area in 1973, will be | tts because costs at the Canadian plantaretoohigh. aE PORTRAIT OF A “UNION BUSTER” — By DICK WILSON Alfred T. De Maria is tough and smart. He is an excellent speaker and an experienced organizer. His skilled trade is union-busting: a journeyman in anti-union campaigns, surface bargaining and de- certification elections. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, like De Maria. They are high-priced consultants, most of them lawyers, who _give advice and run campaigns to get rid of unions. Anti-union consultants, like De Maria, are no longer contractors for thugs. Today, in new environments, they use a variety of psychological weapons. They still trade in fear, but the now come with briefcases instead of clubs. Usually De Maria works on the front lines directing anti- union assaults, either for a single corporation or for an industry association. On this day, however, when I was there, he was acting as a teacher. The subject was titled ‘Winning Organizational Campaigns.” It was the first day of a seminar on How to Maintain Non-union Status, run by Executive Enterprises, Inc. The class was made up of over 40 corporate officials with titles like project admini- strator, president, personnel manager, vice president, plant manager, assistant treasurer, general manager, and a host of others. The ‘‘students”’ repre- sented a great variety of firms — from electrical and steel companies to nationwide fast food chains, down to medium- sized local companies. We met in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It was one of many seminars put on by Executive Enterprises, Inc. throughout the country. De Maria takes it step by step..Even before a union ar- rives on the scene, he warns the students to have “No Tres- passing”’ signs posted. You are then ready when an organizer comes around to have him physically thrown out of the building or off the parking lot. Further, establish plant rules right now that prohibit employees from returning to work after they have gone home or from staying after the shift is over. With this rule, you plant the land mines for union activists. “If he violates a known and published rule — you can fire him,”’ says De Maria. ‘‘That way, you not only cut off access for the union, you get rid of one of their prime movers and frighten others.” De Maria points out — “‘it’s the organizer who is going to make the union come to life in your particular plant; not the union as an abstract insti- tution, but an individual.” It’s the organizer whom people come to like and trust. So it is important to discredit him or her as soon as possible. The basic strategy outlined in class is an aggressive anti- union campaign as soon as the employer gets a hint of a union organizer on the scene. The first step is discrediting what the organizer says. And since the organizer depends on au- thorization cards as a neces- sary element in getting an election, De Maria maps out campaign literature that will frighten people off from sign- ing cards. The employees will be more afraid to sign cards if you tell Retirement and advancing age put a heavy burden on the finances of people in most western nations. Sweden is the only country in a list of 10 industrial nations where the elderly enjoy a higher standard of living than when they were young and em- ployed, thanks to lighter taxa- tion among other things. The following list, prepared by thé Union Bank of Switzer- land, shows the income of a re- tired couple as a percentage of their last earned wage after taxes and deductions: Sweden — 131.6%; Switzerland — 95.6%; Finland — 95.6%; Austria — 90.57; West Ger- many — 84.3%; Great Britain — 81.6%; Netherlands — 80.47% ; = af Pt 2 oe Se USA — 71.4%; Canada — 62.1%; Belgium — 60.6%. MUNRO NOW “CHAIRPERSON” Grins became chortles at a double entendre exchange between IWA’s Jack Munro and BCGEU’s Laraine Singler at the B.C. Fed. Convention. Ms. Singler insisted on re- ferring to Brother Munro as a “chairperson” in line with BCGEU’s non-sexist ter- minology. Munro however pre- ferred ‘‘chairman.” “I’m a man,” he emphasized, but sheepishly backed down at Ms. ager invitation to “‘prove i Gad them not to. ‘It’s legal to urge — people not to sign cards,” he stresses. The early anti-union — literature should also discredit the union’s claim that the © cards are kept confidential: — strike two in the campaign to — frighten people. An employee © who feels that the employer | will find out at the supervisory — level and at higher levels — — will hesitate to sign, De Maria points out. He ignores the truth that the cards are kept con- — fidential. The company propaganda campaign before the election petition is filed will not be the basis for setting aside an elec- tion later on. So almost any- thing goes during this period. For example, De Maria suggests — “‘put out the word that the plant is going to move down South if the union comes ~ in.” There is little the union can do to counter. All it can do — is get an order making ‘‘you — say ‘you won’t do _ it anymore...we will stop’.” After the petition is in, De Maria warns, you may want to be more careful because it could mean the union could have the election set aside. However, if an election is scheduled and it doesn’t look good for the company, he advises ‘‘pull out all the stops ... take the risk.” Time and again, De Maria points to the importance of maintaining exclusive access to the employees on the job through one-on -one contact — and group meetings. Mean-— while, the union organizer is shut out from speaking to the employees. “Delay is crucial to your strategy’’ was the constant theme of our teacher. He suggested working closely with the company’s attorney in setting up a series of stalls: “Delay in setting up the first conference. ... Dig up issues on appropriate unit, super- visors, confidential employees, part-time workers. ... Don’t consent (to an election) until allissues are resolved .. . then delay hearings... . Delay briefs with excuses...” and so on. All of this to dishearten the employees and give time for management to put on the pressure. And from there — where? Why to decertification, of course; and you can find out how to do that next month in his class in Atlanta. Dick Wilson is director of the Labor Division, Midwest. Academy. He _ formerly - directed organizing campaigns in Illinois for the State, County & Municipal Employees and served as national education director for the union. He at- tended the seminar described above as a s executive.”