Th MULL LL NW labor protests strikebreaking act The New Westminster and District Labor Council has branded the West Coast Operations Act, the federal legislation ordering B.C. longshoremen back to work, as “strikebreaking legislation” which “endangers the collective bargaining rights of all trade unions.” - Delegates to the council’s regular meeting Wednesday evening _gave unanimous support to an executive resolution, the first official response to the back to work orders from the labor movement ~ outside of the ILWU. The resolution condemned the federal cabinet for introducing the legislation and issued a sharp criticism of ‘“‘every member of parliament who voted in favor of the act.” Se Speaking to the resolution, council secretary Tom Baker said the legislations signalled ‘ta sad day for the labor movement.” He termed the legislation ‘‘one step towards a police state and a dic- tatorship.” CUPE delegate Dave Janzen ‘expressed the concern of “numerous delegates who spoke to the resolution when he said, “‘the behaviour of the NDP in this affair has to be criticized.” He _ reminded the council that this was not the first time that the NDP had voted for strike-breaking legislation and called on the council to put NDP: MP for New -seat”’ at the first opportunity. Westminster, Stu Leggatt, on "the hot in other council businessthe RCMP came under fire for their interference in CUPE’s strike against Surrey municipality. Reg Forbes, president of CUPE Local 402, told delegates that Tuesday morning a detachment of RCMP officers appeared at the Surrey municipal dump to escort scab garbage trucks through picket lines. — _ Council Gerry Stoney warned the RCMP to “keep their noses out of labor disputes”’ and called on provincial attorney general Alex MacDonald to “exercise control” over the actions of the RCMP in B.C. On a recommendation from the political action committee the council agreed to sponsor a mass public rally in Surrey within the next two weeks to gather support for the striking CUPE members. Other resolutions passed by delegates called on the federal "government to get out of NORAD rather than renew the agreement _ this May and condemned the racist attacks against East Indian Canadians, particularly in Surrey. : Best news out of Victoria this week — if not this session — is the announcement by Premier, Dave Barrett that further consideration may be given the grave financial plight of B.C. municipalities. His promise that the Union of B.C: Municipalities will be in- formed immediately after his return from the federal-provincial energy conference in Ottawa April 8-9 what financial assistance they can expect, means municipal tax bills could be reduced before the May 15 deadline. Take a look at what school tax bills could be for 1975: B.C. Teachers Federation ‘‘Local Association Reports” and the B.C. School Trustees Association “Analysis of School District Budgets” indicate the following percentage increases in mill rates for 1975 over last year: Surrey, 64%; Abbotsford, 47%; Cranbrook, 44%; Nechako, 40%; Central Okanagan, 34% ; Kamloops, 30%; West Vancouver, 29%: Chilliwack, 28%; North Vancouver, 27%; Saanich, 27%; Powell River, 25%; Cowichan, 25%; Prince George, 23%; Rich- mond, 22%; New Westminster, 18%; Vancouver, 18%; Win- dermere, 18%; Trail, 17%; Delta, 15%; Courtenay, 13%; Campbell River, 12%; Kettle Valley, 12%; and Merritt, 11%. On top of school tax hikes, most cities and municipalities face heavy tax hikes for ‘general USSR film nites Films from the Soviet Union dealing with sports, industry, travel and education have just arrived in Vancouver will be shown at the New Westminster Public Library, 716—6th Ave., Thursday, April 3 at 8 p.m., and the Hastings ~ East Community Centre hall, 3096 E. Hastings Street, Sunday, April 6 at 7 p.m. INGUHIER RE GISNAU RE “By NIGEL MORGAN purposes” as a result of inflation and rapidly rising costs. Until this week little help seemed to be in sight since Premier Barrett’s per capita grant from the provincial treasury. UBCM President, Mayor Grouhel, had announced that “unless supplementary aid is forthcoming, either through an increase in the price of natural gas exports, or from some other source, B.C. homeowners can expect increases from 25 to 30% on local property taxes.” An ab- solutely impossible situation, in- deed! Premier Barrett is going to the » Ottawa conference to try to con- vince federal authorities to in- crease the price of natural gas exports from the present $1 per thousand cubic feet to $1.61 or $1.90 — one third of which has been promised the municipalities. Even the $1.61 figure would provide municipalities with more than $20 million. Distributed ona per capital basis this would provide approximately $13 per person additional revenue to cut taxes in each municipal budget. However, there remains still considerable doubt that Ot- tawa will change its earlier position of rejecting the increase. Something has to be done. And, unless the federal government acts immediately, Premier Barrett clearly has a responsibility to prevent such ruinous increases. With a- mammoth $716 million revenue, and an estimated $73 million surplus, what better way of using it than to reduce the huge boost in municipal taxes that is otherwise coming? There should be no delay in urging Premier Barrett and your local MLA to move before it is too late. Either the present financial crisis of B.C. municipalities is going to be resolved, or the NDP government will face the wrath of of local ratepayers all over the province. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1975—Page 12 MEETS APRIL 1-6 Nuclear free Pacific aim of Fiji conference The Conference for a Nuclear Free Pacific, which meets in Suva, Fiji, April 1-6, is expected to bring together representatives from most Pacific Rim countries, ‘in- cluding delegates from BCs The U.S. sub base at Bangor Washington is certain to be an issue because of the threat it poses to Pacific countries and the fact that the establishment of this major strategic missile base on the U.S. Pacific Coast threatens to bring about a major escalation of nuclear weapons in the Pacific. Delegates from B.C. will be attending the parley, although at press time it is not known how many will be there. The B.C. government showed an interest in the conference with an an- nouncement by Premier Dave Barrett that the NDP government will match money raised by public organizations to send delegates. Jim Douglass of the Pacific Life Community organizatior has raised $1,000 with aid from labor - and peace groups, and is expected to leave this weekend. It is not known at press time whether he will be accompanied by a representative of the provincial government. In a resolution introduced in the Legislature by Dewdney MLA Peter Rolston, still to be voted on, support for the Fiji conference and its aim of a nuclear free Pacific is pledged. The Fiji conference, which has an extensive agenda, will centre to a very great extent, according to information received by the Tribune, on whether to press for a treaty declaring the Pacific a nuclear free zone. A sample treaty is being drafted by organizers of the conference which will be put before delegates. In 1967 the Latin American countries signed a treaty for prohibition of nuclear weapons 1n | Latin America. The Fiji con- ference will discuss a similar treaty, and whether all countries in . the Pacific should be asked to sign it and then submit it to the United Nations for ratification. Among the groups taking part in sponsoring the Fiji conference are | trade union, church, youth, om vironmental, disarmament, peace and student organizations as well | as the Fiji YWGA and Soroptomist club., The Student Christian Movements of Fiji, Australia, New Zealand are taking part in] organizing the conference. Repressive a Cont'd from pg. 1 | to force us back to work,” Garcia’ commented. He also emphasized the contrast between the speed with which the government moved on the present legislation — passed immediately after union rejection of the first proposed contract — with the slowness of the same government in moving against grain companies during the lockout last summer. The government allowed the lockout to continue for several weeks although the grainworkers had accepted the terms of the Perry conciliation report. Of primary concern with the new legislation, however, are the compulsory features which ef- fectively force an agreement on the longshoremen and pose a further danger that similar legislation could be imposed on other workers. “This clearly brings out the bogeyman of compulsory ar- bitration,’’ Garcia told the Tribune. “If they can move against \: sad Striking longshoremen . . . forced back by new legislation. ct condemne - workers — supposedly having the Fs us they can move against any 4 union; they’re chipping away at | the freedoms of all of us.” The imminent danger of com- | pulsory arbitration was also emphasized by the Communist. Party in a statement issued | Monday following the passage of the repressive legislation. “The Communist Party con- demns the passage in Ottawa of strikebreaking legislation,” Communist Party provincial leader Nigel Morgan declared. “Tt is outrageous to force right to free collective bargaining — to continue working on the employers’ terms after a govern- ment mediator has recommend a $1.15 an hour increase and | particularly after the stevedoring | companies have upped their tariffs by 20 percent,” he said. Morgan emphasized the obvious bias of the federal government i? tavor of the employers and wal: | . ned: “If strikebreaking legislatio? canbe used against the waterfront | workers of Vancouver, no unio? | can feel secure.” ’ He also noted that it was ‘pal | ticularly disturbing” to see NDP MPs ‘‘going along with thé government in support of such dictatorial decrees: Ss “Ottawa’s action should be seen , as a warning of what lies ahead, he stated, “unless labor close ranks and firmly opposes all ab | tempts to substitute compulsory | arbitration for free collective} bargaining.”’ a Civic talks resume with mediato} Cont'd from pg. 1 industrial wages,” he said, ‘“‘We want parity with other public employees.”’ : The CUPE spokesman called on the municipalities to ‘‘come to the bargaining table in good faith.” He said that the latest offer was worse than the initial one, a confrontation tactic on the part of the municipalities. Referring to a rumoured lockout planned by the GVRD, Burton warned: “‘If there is a cessation of municipal services it will be the total responsibility of the civic officials. We are prepared to bargain. The decision is theirs.” He added that the municipalities - were using the negotiations’ with civic employees as a “‘pawn” in a political game with the NDP government. “IT accuse the civic officials, dominated by big business in- terests, of using these negotiations as a pawn in their attempt to blackmail the provincial govern- ment into granting them more money,” he charged, ‘‘I accuse the civic officials of using our AUBREY BURTON “— a combined approach of si negotiations as pawns for the bie | business interests to block ov! brothers in industry from securil decent wage increases.”’ This week should tell whether th? | municipalities will proceed w! their plans to provoke a co™ frontation, be it a lockout oF y strike. With the union’s positio? clearly elaborated that they af prepared to bargain and avoi LA costly strike, the municipalitie® may rethink their position. : For the present ‘the union will : stick with its tactic of “job actio? downs, surprise study sessions @ rallies. As Dave Werlin placed it the rally, “‘They want us to str so that we can pay for increase. We can apply effectiV’ pressure right on the job vil stepping up job action. And we continue to draw pay.”