| DR. cuclen' | Sk MATTER, C.Us25 S- 7: COULDN’T You OPEN THE TIN? Subsidies to forestry companies rapped-UE The 20,000 member United Elec- trical, Radio and Machine Workers Union (UE) has termed the federal government’s proposed subsidy of $235 million to the Canadian forest products industry as ‘‘one of the most criminal and scandalous political acts of this century’’, and has called on prime minister Trudeau to cancel the grants and bring the industry under public ownership. The government announced last week that it would provide $235 million to the forest companies over the next five years as an incentive to ““modernize.’” The federal govern- _ment has pledged to pay 25 percent of the cost of all new pulp and paper machinery. In a telegram: sent February 6, UE president C. S. Jackson pointed out that the profits of the forest product and pulp and paper in- dustry have risen to ‘‘astronomical heights.’’ Jackson cited 1978 profit increases over 1977 of 100 percent for Abitibi Paper; 66 percent for MacMillan Bloedel; 99 percent for B.C. Forest Products; 130 percent for Consolidated Bathurst; 560 per- cent for Celanese; and 46 percent for Crown Zellerbach. The forest industry are among “‘the worst polluters of the environ- ment, and are main beneficiaries of the discounted Canadian dollar, and are firms in which U.S. in- fluence is very strong,”’ he said. “These precious resources belong to the Canadian people and should be brought under public ownership and operated for their benefit,’’ he added, ‘‘Urge you immediately cancel grants to this industry and redirect the funds to the building of | an independent and viable electrical industry and a greatly expanded high job producing Canadian secondary industry.”’ The giveaways to the forest pro- ducts industry have sparked wide controversy in Canada because of the overwhelming profits and buoyant market conditions for the industry. ‘‘In sharp contrast to re- cent years, not a section of the in- dustry is faltering,’’ the February 10 Financial Post reported. The industry greatly benefited from the devalued dollar in 1978 — while consumers suffered its infla- tionary effect — and 1979 is ex- pected*to be another banner year for sales and profits. Sales are so strong for lumber companies that one B.C. lumber firm, Whonnock Industries, reports that it has already sold its entire overseas pro- duction until the end of June and it is now filling orders for third quarter production. Another B.C. firm, Seabord Lumber Sales, has sold one third of its anticipated pro- duction for 1979. Pulp and paper companies are receiving similar strong sales and they have raised the price of newsprint by $25 to $345 per ton effective the first quarter of this vear. MPs’ offices picketed Continued from pg. 1 through legislation in the past year,’’ Lloyd Ingram, president of the Vancouver local of CUPW said in a statement issued at the demonstration Wednesday. The national campaign set to begin on St. Valentine’s Day, had earlier been announced by CUPW leader Parrot at a press conference in Ottawa where his call was backed by the two main unions of public employees in the country. In the demonstrations across Canada, postal workers coupled their demand for the restoration of their collective bargaining rights with distribution of leaflets outlin- ing MP’s voting records. “Ingram said postal workers “are bringing to the attention of Canadian voters the manner in which their MPs have voted on crucial issues affecting working people.”’ “It’s clear that the members of Parliament in the Vancouver area, Liberal and Conservative, displayed in their voting records in the House of Commons an attitude of con- tempt for the living standards and democratic rights of the working - people in their constituencies,’’ he said. : The CUPW leaflet cited in its survey of MPs’ voting records eight pieces. of regressive legislation in- cluding the bills restricting unemployment insurance, imposing wage eontrols and ordering air traf- fic controllers and postal workers back to their jobs. It showed that the Liberal members had invariably voted for the pieces of legislation while the Tories had only recorded any op- position in the case of the wage con- trol legislation (which they had earlier called for) and Bill C-14, which added new restrictions to the unemployment insurance regula- tions. The NDP members, when they were in the house to cast their _ votes, were the only MPs to oppose the various bills consistently. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 16, 1979—Page 12 ‘ dominant No answers for Laborers with Kiniak or McClurg On=dily-2.26,. 19:77, the Washington headquarters of the Laborers’ International Union of North America placed Local 602, with its office in Vancouver, under trusteeship. Since then, this local, with 3,800 members, has been in constant turmoil. The fight to restore democracy in the local has been headline news from time to time, what with court cases, appeals to the provincial labor relations board and with dif- ferent groups advancing different solutions to the problems of the membership. We have even seen forceful seizure of the office in op- position to the trusteeship by a ‘group claiming a legitimate right to do so, a claim not recognized by other groups in the local. In the meantime, the local has been suspended from the British Columbia and Yukon Buildings Trades Council for non-payment of per capita tax, without a member- ship vote on the affiliation. As a result of a recent court case and a reference to the Labor Rela- tions Board, a committee of three has been placed in charge of the local, including one representative of the Labor Relations Board, namely Charles Stewart, formerly with the Amalgamated Transit Union. The committee is examining the possibilities of holding an early election in the local. Such an election would make it possible for the membership to run their own internal affairs in a democratic fashion and to take their rightful place in the Building Trades Council, the B.C. Federa- tion of Labor and local labor coun- cils. Although there are many conten- tious issues that need to be resolved in Local 602, the issue of the restoration of democracy is the one. Those members, however sincere, who would prefer to resolve a number of other con- tentious issues which divided the local prior to the imposition of the trusteeship, as a precondition for an election, are impeding the process whereby those issues could even- tually be resolved. It is against this background that we should evaluate three articles. in the January issue of On The Level, published by the B.C.: Provincial Council of Carpenters. One article reveals that a new union has been set up, known as the Canadian Construction and In- dustrial Union (CCIU) which is in- volved in a raid against the Carpenters in Duncan. Another article on page five gives the following information on the officers of the splinter union: “We understand the CCIU’s of- ficers are as follows: “President — Nick Kiniak — former president and appointed business agent of Laborers’ Union Local 602. “Vice-president — Al Herd — former business manger of Laborers’ Local 602. “‘Secretary-treasurer — Ron Mc- Clurg — former secretary-treasurer of Laborers’ Local 602. “Organizer — Al Campbell — formerly a business agent of Carpenters Union Local 452 until his defeat in the local election in September 1977.” The article then goes on to make this comment: “The Level has a policy not to comment on the internal affairs of other unions. However, those in- _ volved in the Laborers’ Local 602 situation have, through CCIU, a direct effect on our union. Further, our members are demanding an ex- planation of the apparent con- tradiction of Kiniak and McClurg SS Soe ON being officers of the CCIU and at the same time demanding their reinstatement as officers of Local 602.”’ The article further charges that Kiniak and McClurg, as responsible officers of Local 602, in 1977, failed to call the elections that should have been held in June of that year. It alleges that this failure to hold elec- tions was motivated by a desire to change the election procedures to guarantee a more favorable out- come for the incumbent executive. A direct quotation follows: LABOR COMMENT BY JACK PHILLIPS “A former officer and leading contender for office (this refers to Charlie Shane—J.P.) was charged for the purpose, as was revealed later, ‘of preventing his running for office.’ Not a very democratic pro- cedure in our opinion. “After several months without the elections being held and the trial of the opponent, the international put the local under trusteeship. Statements were made on behalf of the international that the trusteeship could last as little as two weeks. At date of writing it is now over 16 months, and no elections have been conducted. Neither have there been union meetings for some time.”’ While the Level bluntly states that there is no justification for the actions of the international officers in refusing to conduct elections, it couples this with a very forceful comment on some of the maneuvers in Local 602: ‘‘What the hell is go- ing on with Kiniak and McClurg operating as the officers of the CCIU, a dual union to Laborers’ Local 602 (and our union) and at the same time taking court action to be reinstated as officers of Local 602?”’ Another article on page one of the Level further charges that the Independent Contractors and Businessmens’ Association, a so- called right-to-work organization seeking to undermine the trade union movement, along with the United Right to Work Association, ‘supports this new union by pass- ing out information on how to make contact with them.’ This is tantamount to labelling the CCIU as a company union. If you look up the B.C. Labor Directory for 1978, published by the provincial ministry of. labor, you will find, the following item on page 25: Canadian Construction and In- dustrial Union-Independent, Local 1978 (Greater Vancouver) Ron Mc- Clurg, National Secretary- Treasurer, 63—14584 - 108th Avenue, Surrey, B.C. V3R 1V7. This is the same McClurg who, PACIFIC RiBUNE together with his pals, nam earlier, claims to be the legitimat officer of Local 602. They doubt hope to win the key seats ané a majority in the expected elections However, the membership shoulé have something to say about that. Like some other would-be labo leaders with great ambitions ant poor qualifications, this crew wave the Canadian flag and claims tol be fighting for Canadian unionisn We support the concept of a full independent and sovereign tra unionmovement in Canada, but ¥ must examine the credentials ant motivation of such people as th Kiniak-McClurg crowd. Frankl ‘ly. our opinion is similar to that @ pressed in the Level. This crowd! using the Canadian flag to furth their own, partisan interests. would appear that they will gi down any road that is open to thei if, in their opinion, that road leat to paid office in the labor mo ment. However, we have enou faith in the intelligence of ¢ membership of Local 602, and th integrity of the trade union moye ment as a whole, to believe democracy will be restored in Le 602. PEACE MEET. Continued from pg. 1 they agreed that pressing social pr blems required a stable peace ai the reduction of military spendir The conference demanded — early signing of the US-USS agreement on nuclear arms lin tion (SALT) and called for a ban deployment of the neutron bom The issue of the neutron bomb w raised -most strongly by ft delegates from Europe, where ff weapon would be initially deploye Dr. Johannes Virolainen, dep prime minister of Finland, spoket ‘the positive influence a new SA agreement would have, not onl US-USSR relations, but { ‘deepening detente, which wot benefit all countries.’”” A SA agreement, he said, would preps the path fora total ban on test nuclear weapons and a ban ( chemical warfare. a A high point of the four-day ceedings was the appearance of f delegates from the newly-victorio revolutionary government of Kar puchea (Cambodia). Ros Samay, general secretary the National United Front for th — National Salvation of Kampuchel told the cheering audience thi from now on his,country ‘‘would} a factor for peace and stability # Southeast Asia.’’ He described tl . horrors inflicted on the puchean people by the overthrov Pol Pot regime. He also appealed for inte tional aid to help rebuild the cou try and for immediate emerg shipment of food, clothing medicine. fmf Name... City OrtoWnie ss. ss. > ose Postal Code ........ Read the paper that fights for labor AdGlr6SS 2500. se ea | am enclosing: “ 1 year $10[] 2 years $18[ ] 6 months $6[ ] Old[ ] New[ ] rou, 1 gat $12 [ ] Donation aoe :