— page 5

| Groups gearing up to take on Tories

October 3, 1988
SOS

Vol. SI, No. 36

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Present more timely coverage of mid- —

oe = une agenda
bargaining
By JOHN RADOSEVIC

The BCGEU Strikers and their wage
demands were on the cutting edge of
the labour movement’s efforts to bust
out of the wage controlled restraint era
of the past 10 years, and their struggle
was supported throughout the labour
movement.

After a week on the picket line, the
29,000 BCGEU members were success-
ful in winning a wage package that,
according to union officers will give
them a 20 per cent increase over three
years, including new wage increments
for lower paid workers.

Ironically, the placards carried by
the strikers were a little off the mark by
the time members shut down govern-
ment work sites. “Fighting for our jobs
and your services,” the signs read in
expectation of a public sector strike
against privatization. However, both
the union and the government made it
known that an agreement was reached
on the issue of privatization which
allows government employees whose
jobs are privatized to bid on other jobs
in the government sector.

That raises an obvious question,
which affects both the labour move-
ment and the community organizations

that have formed several broadly based
coalitions in the province:

“Where now, can labour and the
public rally to fight privatization? Can
the Socred’s extreme right, neo-
conservative agenda be stopped?”

The summer is over and the BCGEU

oS

Demilitarize Arctic, says Jewett

— by promoting the United Nations and by ridding itself of its own
at End the Arms Race press conference last week. Jewett, pictured
h annual peace conference sponsored by EAR at the University of

Can in ensuring world peace :

ey ita eee says NDP defence critic contract settlement brings almost to a

With EAR president Frank Kennedy, opened the fourt ? con he ar a se oa

B. ett’s comments page <. Sees hi haope be
C. on the weekend. Story on Jew ny wre

But there wasn’t a shot fired in the
expected battle over the government’s
extreme right program.

eS

Organized labour did win significant
economic gains this summer, led by the |
see BILL 19 page 12 mn: