_—_

_ Freeing

from old traditions

nursing

By NORA JARBEAU

Are nurses beginning to re-
ject the age-old idea of service
for small remuneration? Only a
few short years ago nurses ac-
cepted the idea of bargaining for
wages and better working condi-
tions. Many nurses even today,
are made to believe by manage-
ment that the right to strike in
a contract is unethical or un-
professional, that the patient
will suffer neglect during a
strike, never seeming to realize
that management has the _first
obligation to the patient by ac-
ceding to the just rights of bar-
gaining in good faith.

As is well known, nurses can-

not have a five-day week with .

every weekend off and must
work all shifts — days, even-
ings, and nights. Because of this,
nurses seem prone to settle for
the compressed work week in
some instances. Resorting to the
10-12 hour day, three or four
days a week is a_ retrograde
step. The struggle for the eight-
hour day was long and difficult.
How much better it would be to
have a shorter work week or a
shorter work day e.g., a 32-hour
week or a six or seven hour day,
with the same take home pay.
Nursing is at best an emer-
gent profession, still freeing it-
self from. the traditions and
practices of a dependent, auth-
ority-oriented occupation. As in
other occupations nurses are
seeking equality and identity.
In the nursing profession the
trend is to persuade nurses to
adopt the idea of a life-long
career and prepare for it, dis-
carding the old idea that wo-
men’s place is in the home. Such

BRITISH
COLUMBIA

The Royal Commission on the
Status of Women was set up in
February, 1967. Deep concerns
of women in respect to their
status in Canada was shown in
no uncertain terms by the 468
briefs and about 1,000 letters
which were received by the Com-
mission — more representations
than for any other Royal Com.
mission ever held in the history
of Royal Commissions in Canada.

Public Hearings by the Com-
mission began in April, 1968, and
after hearings were held in 14

cities and 10 provinces, the re-

port was submitted to the Gover-
nor General in Council on Sep-
tember 28, 1970. :
Unlike many Royal Commis-
sion reports which were tabled
and became, in the main, only
dust gatherers, the report on the
Status of Women was viewed: by
Canadian women as a serious
document, and that its’ recom-
mendations should be_ imple-

- mented. It served as an inspira-

tion to many women and gave

encouragement to women’s or-

ganizations to fight for equality.
Two Priorities

The two main priorities were

considered by Vancouver wom-

en, meeting shortly after the:

Royal Commission report was
published. No. 1, Equal Pay and
Equal Opportunity and No. 2,
Child Care. There have been
some small beginnings on these

trends are good — but what is
needed is a program for day,
evening and night care centres
for children, maternity leave
with pay, equal pay for equal
work, equal opportunities to at-
tain the top and executive posi-
tions, to help all women reach
their goals.

Is the right to strike for nurses
unethical and unprofessional?

two questions, e.g., amendments
to the Human Rights Act in
British Columbia; and also in
B.C., the extension of the school
system to include kindergartens.
However, governments, both fed-
erally and provincially fall far

short of implementing the rec-.

ommendations of the Royal Com-
mission on the Status of Women.

More than one third of the
work force in Canada are
women, one half of whom are
married women. This means, of

‘course, that the majority of ©

women are still the homemakers

and housewives who perform the
laundry,

family services of
cleaning, cooking and child care.

Discrimination against women
in the home, by marriage laws,
lack of child care facilities, pen-
sion laws, widows’ compensa-
tion, etc., is appalling, and no
less than destructive to family
life.

New Organizations

Organizations of women exist-
ed all across Canada, prior to the
tabling, of the report on The
Status of Women, but since the
report was tabled, many new or-

ganizations in respect to wom-

en’s rights have come into being,
including some very active ones,
especially the Status of Women
organizations. For example, The
Vancouver Status of Women in-
cludes women from all walks of
life who have been and are now,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1974—PAGE8 .

Farming—the good life?

By RAUHA STENBERG

Many studies have been made,
commissions, surveys, all have
shown that farm operating costs
have escalated continuously.
Now that the sharp increase in
living costs have been mainly
on food, its relationship to the
Canadian producers of food is
being questioned.

Are more and more farmers
spending winters in Florida or
other milder climates?—because
surely. the higher food prices
must make them prosperous.
Indeed, yes, the prices received
for most farm products are
higher — but the farmer, being
a consumer also buys most of
the same food and other items
at the supermarket or grocery
as do his city cousins. He also
pays the current high prices for
all other domestic needs, appli-.
ances, farm equipment, and
feeds.

If a farmer receives fifty cents
(average) for a dozen eggs, this
is now around the “break-even”
point, after all production .costs_
are considered. This also applies
to cattle, hogs, and at times to
grain producing.

The net income of the average
small farmer iis usually only
equivalent to, or less than that
which is considered the poverty
level. Therefore, although his
wife or children may contribute
directly or indirectly to this in-
come, it is only comparable to
the income of one person.

How do farm women react?
One hears the comment, “It’s
getting frightening’ ‘Where
will it end?” One woman said:
“Tll have to plant a larger gar-

den, have more produce in the

freezer and more preserves. We
will use less sweets — the sugar

engaged in the fight for child
care, women’s rights, equal pay
and equal opportunity.

One of the most important or-
ganizations, as far as the work-
ing class is concerned are the

Women’s Auxiliaries to the trade

union movement, Although rela-
tively small in number, they
have been and still are very ef-
fective organizations. Through
many years of struggle the

Women’s Auxiliaries have cam- °

paigned for women’s rights, for
child care, and for an improved
standard of living. They are also
active in the struggles that not
‘only affect women and family life
but are active on questions that
affect people generally, including
campaigns on issues that are in-
ternational in scope, such as aid
to the victims of the Vietnam

war. They have made financial '

contributions to this worthy
cause and many hours of time
and effort have gone into knit-
ting and sewing garments for the
children of this war-torn nation.
Two Examples

To illustrate the scope of
women’s auxiliary work, we will
cite two examples of Women’s
Auxiliaries that have been par-
ticularly effective in British Co-
lumbia — the Women’s Auxili-

aries to the United Fishermen:

and Allied Workers Union and
the Women’s Auxiliaries to the
International Longshoremen and

prices will make this necessary.”
This indicates a need to work
more than the “average” 63
hours weekly.

Money,is always a necessity.
More and more farm women
work outside their home, teach-
ing, in banks, hospitals, senior
citizens’ homes, local stores, etc.
The added time spent outside
ordinary daily chores in one
case is a part time school bus
driver. She also has four school
age children and one pre-school-
er. She lives 10 miles from’ town
and weekly trips are necessary.
There are many similar cases
where women who don’t have
outside jobs still have added
cost and time driving children

considerable distances to vari-_

ous outings.
When rural youth go to the

the Thorhild community.”

The results showed average age to be 46-50 years; average hows
per week — 63; average hours worked per day — nine (seven ae ;
a week). “The two most time-consuming jobs are cooking and be
ing, and washing dishes. Women spend an average of.20 hours P© —
week on the former and 10 hours per week on the latter. ie

“Children spend little time helping their mother. Most assist abov”
10 hours a week. During the busy months of July, August and ee
tember a woman’s day is usually 16 hours long. August is by fof
the woman's busiest month of the year. ae

“Monday is the busiest day of the week. One half the wome?
work the most hours on this day, with Friday and Saturday as clos?
seconds. Many farm women worked side by side with their husbands
in the field and served as a ‘handy man’ for him.

“Permit me to leave you with this thought: ‘Are farm women @M
titled to financial remuneration (perhaps in the form of salary of
wages) for their labor in the home and on the farm?’ ”

-Many-sided role of Auxiliaries

Warehouseman’s Union.

In the fight for an adequate
Coast Guard to safeguard the
lives of fishermen and seamen,
the Women’s Auxiliaries did out-
standing work and in fact, were
a dominant force in this struggle
with the result that new coast
guard vessels were built.

Presentations to the govern-
ments, municipal, provincial and
federal have been made by the
Auxiliaries on questions of the
environment, against the sell-out
of natural resources, taxation,
health and many other issues.
They have made many fine con-
tributions by presenting letters
and resolutions to the govern-
ment in respect to armaments,
the Viet Nam war, the middle
east crisis, the plight of the
Chilean refugees and many
others. Auxiliaries have partici-
pated in the campaign to aid the
farm workers in California. The
women are now active in the
struggle against inflation by aid-
ing in the campaign to roll back

prices. In fact, the fight against ©

high prices, as far as B.C. work-
ers are concerned, was initiated
by the Auxiliaries to the U.F.-
A.W.U. in 1973.

International Women’s Day

In addition to these many and
varied activities the women’s
Auxiliaries have joined in and
shared the activities in respect to
International Women’s Day cele-

skiing equipment this year?
AUUVCAUENOAUUEUOUEOAUOOOUEOUOUEEOOEEOUUEOOENOOUCOOUEREOUEAUUEOOUEOAEEOUEOUEEA OOO EOE AAEEETEEE i
In an article in the Thorhild, Alta., County Star of Jan. 12, Judi |
Wozniak, a fourth year education student, presents findings from a
survey of farm women in the area. Here are excerpts from her reper
"Eighty-seven questionnaires were sent out to wives of farmeé i |
who had no income from a full-time or part-time job. In completift
the questionnaire, the participants wrote down the number of hou
they spent on certain household activities. From the 50 replies,
averaged the results into an unpaid work week for farm women

_ are sharing in activities

city for higher education, the
travel cost added to the major
cost, board and room, is an im:
portant factor. They usually
come home on weekends, espe
cially the first year — depend:
ing on mother’s resourcefulness
to cut down on: their living
costs. Rush, mother, do a little
more preserving, raise more
chickens, have own sewing mé
chine in condition! How many”
ways can you be more efficient
to help these youngsters prepale
for the rat race?
May they have a good life —
partake in the affluence, Mean =
while, let’s all enjoy the beaut
ful sunsets, fresh air, weekends
at the lake. There’s that ski

slope in winter — can he buy

of

brations and have helped in send
ing a delegate to the World Co
gress of Women, in 1963 and
1968. ;
While many women’s orgal
izations are concerned W!,,
women’s rights questions, it }
the women of the workingme?” —
household that experience ~ i
worst features of discriminaU
and exploitation. The pio”
lems in relation to child cat’
health, housing, education, on
tural life and almost any quer
tion one can think of are SU”
fered by the working class f@ e
ily, and it is therefore partie
larly important that the wom a
of the. working class familie
should be organized in order 4
fight against discrimination ae
protect and guard family life:
According to government can
tistics, over 25% of the pop le
tion live below the poverty !¢ en
and it is almost unbelievabl'
that 50% of this group are “Wy ;
ployed. This means that fay f
life in Canada is threatened ™

eo

dire poverty of many of thos"
who work for a living. d8 id
As old attitudes towa ”

women slowly change, men, ie #
were once generally thought ye
as “women’s work”. We “at
eventually learning that by rae
and women working and figh¥le
together, a better standar
living for all can be achieved: