Steel local fights

@ Continued from page 5
changes in the strike benefit
clauses at the upcoming Steel-
workers National Policy Confer-
ence being held in Montreal,
May 30 to June 1. But the local
union has encountered another
snag with their international.
The local has asked that the
Steelworkers boycott all ITT
operations for the duration of
the strike. The call by the local
went largely unheeded by the
national Steelworker officials.
Now the local is faced with go-
ing to Montreal for a policy
conference that is being held in
an ITT-owned Sheraton Hotel.

“If. the strike isn’t over by
May 30, we are going to Mon-
treal,” one of the strikers told
the Tribune, “and we are going
to. picket the conference.”

Debate Strike Benefits

All of the strikers agreed with
the sentiment that requires the
picketing of the hotel, and this
leaves the organizers of the
conference with the next move
of “what to-do?”. Local 1500 is
not alone in its demand for a

reappraisal of the strike ben-
efits and the question will ‘prob-
ably be debated at the confer-
ence. : 2

But the organizers of the con-
ference must face the issue of
ITF for what it is. The struggle
against ITT is an anti-monopoly
struggle. It has been fought by
the working class in Chile and
the Chilean workers have suc-

_ ceeded in nationalizing the firm.

And now a small Canadian Steel-
workers local kas joined the
fray. If a larger Steelworkers
local had made the call for the
boycott of ITT operations, the
national office of Steel would
have had great difficulty in
ignoring the demand.

The call has gone out from
a small local, and the rights of
a local, no matter how small,
should be recognized. The or-
ganizers of the Montreal con-
ference should begin to do
everything possible to see that
conference is moved to a loca-
tion where all of the delegates
will be able to discuss their
proposals.

Brezhnev’s visit to FRG

@ Continued from page 5

ed in August 1970, became an
outstanding milestone on the
Road to detente in Europe.

The freaty was of great sig-
nificance not only for the bi-
lateral relations between the two
countries, but was also one of
the most important events in the
history of post-war international
relations as a whole.

The USSR-FRG Treaty deci-
sively confirmed the principles
of inviolability of the post-war
borders and the non-use of force
or threat of force in relations
between the two countries. This
removed serious obStacles on the
road to an effective system of
security and cooperation on the
continent.

The Quadripartite Agreement
on West Berlin, signed on Sep-
tember 3; 1971 was also an im-
portant ‘step towards detente in
Europe. This document recog-
nized the necessity to avoid any
actions in West Berlin which
could cause tension.

The signing of the: GDR-FRG
Treaty on the principles of rela-
tions between the two sovereign
German states, which has creat-
ed the basis for normalizing
these relations and the prerequi-
sites for the entry of both states
into United Nations, was an-
other important step that im-
proved the entire political -cli-

mate in Europe. The treaty was-

ratified by the Bundestag a few
days ago.

In recent years diplomatic
practice has confirmed that meet-
ings and negotiations between
leaders of nations at the highest
level are very conducive to the
establishment of mutual trust
and cooperation between these
Nations. The Crimea Meeting
between L. Brezhnev and W.
Brandt, and the far-reaching re-

sults of that meeting during.

which problems of mutual ad-
vantageous cooperation in many
fields were discussed, is a case in
point.

The Crimea Meeting stimulat-
ed the efforts of both countries
directed towards achieving a de-
tente in Europe, as well as their
efforts to facilitate the convoca-
tion of an All-European Security
Conference as soon as possible.

After the meeting a number

of agreements on trade and eco- -

nomic cooperation between the
two countries were signed, as
well as a number of advan-
tageous deals on industrial co-
operation. In 1972 Soviet-West

German trade increased in com-

parison with 1970 by 50% reach-
ing the sum of 3,000 million
West German Marks.

There can be no doubt that
the forthcoming visit of the gen-
eral secretary of the CPSU Cen-
tral Committee to the FRG will

lead to further improvement -of

_ the entire political climate in

Europe and will promote an ir-
reversible improvement in the
world situation.

Canadian policy untenable

@ Continued from page 5
trade relations with a peaceful,
stable Europe.

“The position of the govern-
ment on ‘the dangerous Middle
East situation is characterized

as,a “non position.” On the one .

side the government pays lip
service to the 1967 UN security
council resolution demanding
Israeli withdrawal from occupi-
ed territories, but does nothing
to implement that resolution,
objectively assisting the Israeli
government whose..policies en-
danger peace,
Monopoly Profits

Another instance of the Cana-
dian. government’s retreat from
a position of independence is its-
decision to renew the NORAD
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 18

RAT ENS j Cinl-

agreement, the document points
out. Why this is done is stated
clearly: “The war in Vietnam
netted Canadian monopoly huge
profits through the sale of vari-
ous types of armaments to the
Pentagon. Monopoly wants this
military cooperation to continue
in. the post Vietnam period
through NORAD at the expense
of Canada’s. independence’ and
sovereignty.”

The. document calls for an in-
dependent foreign policy based
on genuine Canadian indepen-
dence, won by the Canadian
people. “. . . An end to the cold
war is not automatic,” it says.
“Peace therefore needs to: be
fought for every day of the
year.”

, 1973 —PAGE 10

Hii!

Education cutbacks

e@. Continued from page 5

are uniting in a common action.
This indicates a joint opposition.
to the education policy in this

. city.

“We have cause to be very
angry,” she said, and pointed
out that 1,145 teaching positions
in Metro Toronto will be elimin-
ated in the wake of the cut-
backs. “On the one hand, the
province has demanded quality
education, more flexibility, more
care for the students . . . on the
other, they have slashed our
budget . ... This march indicates
the beginning of the battle. It’s
more than time. we went into
battle together,” she concluded.

For Solidarity
Unity among teachers was not

‘just restricted to Toronto. Tele-

grams from Teachers’ federa-
tions greeting the demonstra-
tion poured in from across. the
province. And a_ busload of
teachers from London and’ Ha-
milton came in to participate as
a gesture of support and solid-
arity.

A representative of supply
(part-time) teachers told the de-
monstrators that Ontario teach-

ers “must take the same road as~

the Quebec Teachers’ Federa-
tion—to line up with other em-
ployees against harmful govern-
ment policies.”’ He said to cheers.
that teacher's unionism must
come, and that anything short
of a positive action like today’s
demonstration will not do the
job. “We can accept no other
solution,” he reiterated, “than
the full withdrawal of the cut-
backs.”
‘No’ to Cutbacks

At Queen’s Park, while teach-
ers chanted ‘We want Wells,”
a delegation of 10 went in to see
the minister. They presented
him with a list of four ques-
tions:

—will Metro be permitted to
rehire the 1,145 teachers that it
is slated to drop? °

—what long term planning
can you give to teachers in
Metro? —

Party building

shows progress

THUNDER BAY — The North-
west Ontario Committee of the
Communist Party delved into all

aspects of its regional work for

the past year in a three-day con-
vention, which noted progress in
Party and press building and in
recruiting to the Young Com-
munist League.

The Party’s public participa-
tion in the area is growing
among’ the increasing numbers
of people demonstrating and
struggling against monopoly and
the inroads made into the Cana-
dian economy by the USA: There
was agreement that continued
work in this manner can help to
strengthen and develop the cur-
rents of. left unity based in the
labor and democratic move-

“ments of the people. :

The -convention rededicated
the Party to the fight for a steel
mill to .process the rich iron ore
deposits of this area. Locally,
too,, enlarged day-care facilities
will be requested to serve work-
ing-class families in the city.

HIGHEST ARMS SPENDING

Israel spends more money per

citizen. on defense than.
other-country in the world —
$477 for every man, woman and
child in Israel in 1970.

—what services prior to the
education ‘ceiling were, in his
opinion, unnecessary?

—how can quality education
be maintained with cutbacks?

Here the chairwoman asked,
“Well, can it?” And Queen’s
Park shook with a resounding
“No!”

Before introducing the MPP’s
who spoke to the demonstrators,
Ms. Barclay illustrated to them
the many teachers’ federations
who were present. “The size and
determination of our movement
is starting to show,” she said.
“Together we must try to save
our schools.” '

Bigger Classes

NDP education critic James
Foulds revealed that Metro ad-
ministrators have decided that
there would be 9,000 fewer ele-
mentary students enrolled next
year, and that teachers were be-
ing cut at the rate of one. for
every 12 students, making class
sizes bigger. He demanded that
if cuts should be made,. they
should begin with the bureau-
cracy. “We should cut the hard-
ware, but that won’t be done,
because the very same adminis-
trators are doing the cutting.”

John Eleen, OFL research dir-
ector, was introduced as “the
most important person here, be-
cause he represents over 700,000
workers.” “In an OFL brief to
the government,” he said, “we
spoke in no uncertain terms of
our displeasure in cutbacks. In
effect, that is speedup . . . If
you want to be listened to, you
have to shout.”

Advice from Lewis

Stephen Lewis told the de-
monstrators that the best educa-
tional cutbacks ‘would be the
$35,000 we would save on
the retirement of Mr. Wells.”
And typically, he added that you
can’t change the policy of the
government this way (through
demonstrations), but by politi-
cal changes.

. “We can’t wait ‘till 1975,” said
the chairwoman to thunderous

_ applause. “By then the school

system will be destroyed. Wé
have to fight now.”

“Better schools, not cutbacks
—Shift the cost to big: business
was the slogan projected by the
Communist Party in initiating 4
campaign against provincial cut
backs in a host of areas — educ-
ation, health and welfare — %
far back as December..

The Party has called for 4”
expansion of these services 1
meet the needs of the people ©
Ontario. This can be done ®
taxing the sources of wealth
the province: the mineral am
raw materials industry, and thé
financial institutions. ®

The Communist Party oe
called for a massive fightbac
by the people of the province !
by the labor movement, if t
Tories continue their attack 0
education and living standards
of the people. ,

The sTorontG Labor Counell
spokesman said that he wae
“surprised that the crowd we
‘this big; it surprises me that y®
waited this long.” he

During the course of
speeches the chants change
from “We want Wells’ to g
want Wells out,” to “Wells is ©
dundant.” Neither, Wells nor 407
othér spokesman from the C0?
servative caucus manage
come out of the Legislature 4”
address the protesting teacher

Many. school trustees, inclu
ing York Board chairman ° an
Kogan (the only board chal
present) and North York trus a4
Vern Copeland were introdue
as ‘supporters of the rally.

f

A conference on problems Be
rural areas was tcid in Wim

peg recently that about one i

of the farm labor force have

most reached retirement a8& ~

The Soviet sunflower seed PI”
duction target for this yeat
been announced as 6.94 m™} ute
tons, compared to last yeay 3

ut of 5.03 million tons. =,
foaee seed is onc of the USSRS
«most important oil crops.

[liot

Lines, do: eas

“OF course there's a lot of scare buying. Prices are enovg

Ns
—_ \
4
=—
te

frighten anyone.”

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