| f - Ottawa rally cites human cost , of cutbacks in jobs, services By BERNADETTE O’MALLEY What better way to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day 1980, than by commemorating the St. Valen- ae 3 Day Massacre, and focus- tin a Contemporary light ... paying heed to the kind oF mas- sacte of basic social services, which is the direct result of the various government cutbacks w are occurring at all gov- ernment levels? The Ottawa Area Council of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) scheduled an evening in which the issue of gov- ernment cutbacks, which has be- come such a distressing and pre- valent problem, could be discus- sed by people from different af- fected areas, and’ possible solu- tions could be offered. For in 1980, as many of us realize, basic human rights such as the rights of children to a decent education, and the right of all to adequate health care, are continually de- nied to working people. On February 14, at 8:00 p.m., a public Rally Against Cutbacks took place in St. Anne’s Hall, and. various guest speakers addressed a crowd of about fifty people on the issue of cutbacks. The keyn- | ote speakers were Andy Stewart, al isin Sw wailpacaapetabennian president of PSAC, and Sean O’ Flynn, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), who has recently served a prison sentence for his union activities. Stewart spoke first of the two- way effect which cutbacks exert on public employees — as public employees; their job security be- ing threatened, and as concerned citizens, they suffer as do the rest of us from the inadequate provi- sion of basic social services. From August to December of 1979 alone, about 5,000 public service jobs were eliminated. Bargaining. Rights Advocating a three-pronged strategy towards fighting gov- ernment cutbacks, Stewart out- lined the necessity of fighting to maintain the ‘‘precious few bar- gaining rights’? which public ser- vants now. possess; secondly, persuading the government to broaden rights to the point. that the public and private sectors are oy par; and thirdly, striving to achieve political rights for public employees so that they may pos- sess a fundamental liberty which is presently denied to them. _ O’Flynn delivered a stirring speech, emphasizing the need for. all of us to protest the ideology and the strategies of the economic right, which are so deeply op- posed to working people’s rights and freedoms. The ‘‘focus of re- sistance’’ must be to oppose these policies of the right, policies which advocate leaving things up to the private sector, and impos- ing higher costs on working people. Stating that we ‘‘cannot . divorce our fight against cutbacks from the kind of economy that we live in’’, O’Flynn also pleaded that a clear understanding of hu- man cost of cutbacks be com- municated by those present to others. Also on the program was an in- teresting array of members from October 1978. CUPW leadership. Free Parrot, AFL tells Ottawa EDMONTON — The 24th Alberta Federation of Labor convention unanimously called on the federal government, Feb. 18, to release Jean Claude Parrot from his three month jail term for defending © postal workers’ right to strike and bargain collectively. The AFL issued a telegram to the federal justice minister in- forming the government that an appeal from the convention had been unanimously endorsed for the release of the president of the 23,000-member Canadian Union of Postal Workers, (CUPW). In addition the AFL requested the government “take the approp- riate action immediately to have all charges dropped against the executive and membership of the postal workers union resulting from the unjust law passed ordering postal workers back to work in “Justice is not served by prosecutions through unjust laws”, the AFL said. Copies of the message signed by AFL president Harry Kostiuk were sent to Prime Minister Trudeau and the national the Ottawa community, who served as first-had witnesses to the human costs, problems, and dangers of social service cut- backs. Jamie Kass, president of Cana- dian Union of Public Employees, Local 2204 of Daycare Workers, drew attention to the low priority . which daycare has always been given by all levels of government, because it is not seen as ‘‘a legiti- mate and essential social respon- sibility’’. The results, according to Kass, are long waiting lists for inferior child care situations, and poverty level wages for child care workers. Calling for alliances be- tween child care users and pro- viders to lend a ‘‘stronger voice”’ to the struggle, she ended on an encouraging note. Ignored by Government Rosemary Billings from the Ot- tawa Rape Crisis Centre served as a convincing witness of one spec- ific and essential social service which has been virtually ignored by all levels of government. Many centres across the province face immediate closure if the provin- cial government does not see fit to provide financial I Another example of the ‘‘illogical and unfair’’ nature of government cutbacks was given by Georgina Hancocke of OPSEU Local 415, who lamented the fact that as stu- dent demand for Community Col- lege services is increasing, gov- ernment funds are being cut back or eliminated, and current, much less future needs can’t be met. Also on hand was a representa- tive of a local theatre company, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Arthur Milner, who spoke of the devastating effect of government cutbacks on artists and artistic or cultural organiza- tions; mentioning that the small companies and artists are the first — to be hit, and that their lot is really no different from the lot of various social services. Two other PSAC members also acted as witnesses, detailing specific stories of gov- ernment layoff policies in their re- spective departments. The evening’s event proved worthwhile and the speeches thought-provoking, although many were left with the harsh realization of the difficult strug- gles which lie ahead. ; STRIKE BELL CANADA Bia ot TRIBUNE PHOTO — MIKE PHILLIPS PELL CANADA Help crack Bell — Support STRIKE BELL CANADA “ sages, requests for buttons the strikers! Money and support are pour- ing into Communications Workers of Canada locals in Ontario and Quebec. In St. Catharines the local labor council unanimously decided at its last regular meeting not to pay their telephone bill until the strike has been won by the 7,400 striking operators and cafeteria workers. Like all strikes through, money is al- ways needed to sustain the fight to success. Local unions should send support mes- and posters, and invitations to plant gate collections to their local CWC offices. In Toronto support should be sent to CWC Local 50 Strike Headquarters, 33. Cecil St., telephone 977- 9892. : support. REPUDIATE CARTER UFAWU TELLS FEDS VANCOUVER — In its recent convention, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union unani- mously called on the federal government to ‘‘repudiate the Car- ter doctrine’’ and develop an inde- pendent foreign policy ‘‘based on the needs of its people.”’ The resolution also called for: support of the demanded UN disarmament conference; pressure on the U.S. to ratify SALT I; can- celling the $4.3 billion fighter plane acquisition program; a 50% cut in the war budget and allocation of funds to socially useful projects; and, condemning the building of the Trident nuclear submarine base at Bangor, Washington. TEACHERS’ RIGHTS ATTACKED NORTH YORK — Ina vicious attack on teachers’ collective bargaining rights, the Board of Education lobbied the provincial government Feb. 21 for changes to Bill 100 the law regulating teacher-board contract talks. Among the changes the North York Board demands are: the right to hire scabs during a strike; banning of teachers’ work to rule; the right of the board to lock teachers out before they go on strike; and the right to selective lockouts of teachers. GAS WORKERS ON STRIKE MONTREAL — Some 550 maintenance workers, members of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU) walked off the job, Feb. 20, at Gaz Metro- politain to back demands for a new contract. : The workers haven’t had con- tract protection since Sept. 30, 1979 when their last one year pact expired. MORE LAYOFFS AT BUDD KITCHENER — With 100 more jobs set to be cut next month, Budd Canada Inc. an- nounced Feb. 19 it was chopping 115 workers from the payroll as the drop in car sales continues in the U.S. The latest layoff has LABOR '« BRIEF United Auto Workers. In De- cember the company dropped 80 workers from their jobs and fol- lowed through with another 121 in January. STEELWORKERS STRIKE CIL NOBEL, Ont. — Money was one of the issues as 140 members of the United Steelworkers struck the CIL plant here, Feb. 19. The strik- ers turned down CIL’s proposed two year pact and inadequate wage offer to back their demands for protection against the rampant in- flation rate. ALBERTA OPERATORS REJECT OFFER CALGARY — Alberta Gov- ernment Telephone operators, Feb. 20, rejected a conciliator’s proposed two-year contract, pre- ferring to stick to their demand for a one-year pact and a 10.25% wage hike. The 1,400 operators are mem- bers of Local 348 International Brotherhood of Electrical Work- ers. The IBEW has 14 days to return to contract talks or ask for a strike vote. INJURY TO ONE INJURY TO ALL OTTAWA — Workers wishing to drop Canadian Union of Postal Workers president Jean-Claude Parrot a line of encouragement during his three month jail term can now do so. Letters to the militant postal worker can be sent to: - Brother Jean-Claude Parrot, C/O Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre brought the Budd workforce 2244 Innes Road, down to 1,050 members of the Ottawa, Ont. - Supermoney PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 29, 1980—Page 5 ’