LABOR SCENE: PROTEST BILL 33 ATTEND LABOR’S GIANT RALLY SUN. APRIL 7 - 2 P.M. FORUM-—PNE GROUNDS CORNER HASTINGS & RENFREW STREETS By a substantial majority the B.C. Government Employees Association (BCGEA) voted this week in favor of strike action to win collective bargaining rights. The vote was 4,690 for and 2,133 against. During the recent government Ferry strike which included only the Marine Branch of the BCGEA and the Canadian Merchant Service Guild, the entire BCGEA was urged to “hit the bricks”’ in support of full BCGEA in the province numbers approximately 24,000. After nearly two weeks of strike action in which all government ferry 000000 Sooo OOo Oooo aaron HERE'S PROOF Lumber baron drafted main parts of Bill 33 J. V. CLYNE, head of the province’s biggest monopoly, MacMillan and Bloedel Ltd. “fathered” Bill 33. In a speech in December, 1967 he outlined the points which became the main provisions of Bill 33. This week the Trade Union Research Bureau released the follow- ing comparsion of what Clyne said and how Bill 33 has translated them inte law. CLYNE BILL 33 at ee SECTION 28: ‘There is hereby estdblished a com- mission to be known as the ‘Mediation Commission’.”’ SECTION 38: “The Commission has exclusive juris- diction to inquire into . . . the matters in dispute or difference between parties.”’ “Canada now needs a mediation service of the first rank, one with qualified and well-paid mediators available to assist and advise both labor and management on request. We should eliminate all ad hoc conciliation boards and industrial inquiry commissions”. x * * KK * eR KK KK SECTION 39: “The Commission shall inquire into any matter referred to it by the Minister, including . . . matters relating to economic growth, labour-man- agement relations, productivity, problems of adjust- ment . . . and to promote conditions favourable to settlement of disputes.” “In addition to a mediation service, we need both federal and provincial fact-finding boards to serve in the . There is no independent body with the facilities to analyze the issues in dispute and to hand down a recommendation based on fact.” cases where collective bargaining breaks down . . * * * * * * * * * kK KX *K SECTION 11: ‘Where . . . either party makes a written request to the Commission to appoint a Med- iation Officer . . . the Commission may appoint a Mediation Officer.” SECTION 13: “The Commission may . . . conduct an inquiry, and . . . the Commission may proceed to a hearing...” “Either party to a labor dispute should have the right to apply such a federal or provincial fact-finding board for an investigation of the facts.” F * * * * * * ee. “Either party should have the right to strike or lockout before an application was made to the board.” SECTION 25: ‘‘No employee shall strike yntil the employer has been given written notice by the trade union... and 72 hours have elapsed.” x * ee KK * OK kK OK KOK = SECTION 25: ‘Where a Mediation Officer has been appointed (no employee shall strike), until the trade union has been advised by the Commission that the Officer has made his report.” “Such action should be forbidden while the investi- gation was in progress.” * * *€ * kK * * * * KK * “Either party should have the right to strike or lockout SECTION 16: ‘Where .. . the parties agree in writ- after the board had conducted its investigation.” ing to accept the (Commission’s) Decision . . . the parties are... bound by the Decision.” SECTION 17: “The parties may at-.any time resolve any dispute and conclude a collective agreement... .”’ ** * Ke * * * *K * KF “The government should have the right at any time, to order an investigation bythe board and where the public health or safety is threatened the board's decision should be final and binding.” “Further, whenever a work stoppage and it is of a type or is of such duration that the public interest is affected, the government have the power to order that the board’s SECTION 18: ‘Where a dispute . . . in the opinion of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, it is necessary in order to protect the public interest and welfare: that no employee shall strike . . strike shall immediately cease . . Governor may. . . sion . _ that an existing . the Lieutenant- refer the dispute to the Commis- . . and Order that the Decision . . . is tinal and binding on the parties.” decision should become binding on the parties involved.” APRIL 5S, 1968—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 12 collective bargaining rights. Total: ships were tied up, and backed by the entire B.C. labor movement, the Ferry workers won important concessions in the area of partial collective bargaining rights. The BCGEA leadership meantime refused to join in the strike but decided instead on a referendum vote to determine rank-and-file sentiment on the issue. The 2-to-1 results are now available. The problem now facing the BCGEA is what to do with this majority vote against continuing compulsory arbitration, since the organization is bound tightly by the arbitrary decisions of a Civil Service Commission which determines wages, salaries, conditions of employment, etc. To date the Commission’s findings have been mandatory upon the BCGEA, with no avenues of appeal. Added: to this there is now the “mediation commission’’ appointed by the government under Bill 33 to further block the rights of civil servants and others to collective bargaining. Section 50 of Bill 33 specifically forbids strike action by civil servants. ‘“‘We missed a_— golden opportunity,’’ a BCGEA spokesman told the Pacific Tribune, ‘‘when we failed to join with the Ferry workers’ strike for a full-scale showdown with this Socred dog-collar government’’. ** * With Bill 33 all but through its third - and final reading, this week’s ses- sion of the Vancouver and District Labor Council was probably one of the shortest on record. Aside from distribution of a folder outlin- ing the nature of Bill 33 and urging it “be defeated,” plus an urgent ap- peal by’ VLC secretary Paddy Neale to all affiliated unions to attend Sunday’s mass rally at the Exhibition Forum, Bill 33 got scant attention from the VLC delegate body. A telegram to the VLC was read from the B.C.-Yukon Territory Building and Construction Council, pledging full support in labor’s campaign against Bill 33. The VLC also approved a message of thanks to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association for the recent statement (see last week’s PT) of that body, and its offer to ‘‘testify’’ against the undemocratic character of Bill 33, should it come before any legislative committee for revamping. CUPE delegate E. Apps stated ‘‘it is now obvious labor has been much too slow in organizing opposition, just as the Civil Liberties Assoc., has been too slow with its state- ment, and our Sunday BCFL meeting is also too slow, coming after the Bill, will in all likelihood - be passed.” i After an absence of 18-years delegates’ from the old Vancouver Civic Employees Union (Outside Workers) now a member local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) was welcomed back into the VLC at this session. CUPE delegate Jack Phillips told the VLC “we waited 18-years to have something to say in this Council. Now we are happy to be back and the suspension lifted. We ask no special privileges and expect none, and will Strike vote challenges compulsory arbitration continue as we have always done to fight for the unity of the labor movement’’. Phillips is now a staff member of CUPE. : ** * A noon hour meeting of some 250 workers at Burrard Drydock last Wednesday at which some eight or nine shipyard unions were represented, unanimously condemned Bill 33, and called for a much stiffer fight against the Bill than is now being conducted by organized.labor in B.C. A similar action was taken by a recent session of the Advisory Board of Divisions 101, 109 and 134, Amalgamated Transit Union. The Transit Board also issued a 12-point question-and-answers leaflet headed “Bill 33 Is Not For Me’’. This leaflet has received wide popular support among all union members, transit and others. Speaks in city - Sunday night fa William Kashtan, national leader, Communist Party of Canada, speaks in Vancouver’s Stry Hall, 125 E. 8th Ave., this Sunday at 8 p.m. His subject will be: ‘‘The Crumbling Dollar — Are We Head- ing for a Crash?’’ Sunday after-. noon he speaks at the Dell Hotel in Surrey at 2 p.m. Monday, April 8 Kashtan speaks in the Plaza Hotel at Kamloops, 8 p.m. and in Vernon’s Elks Hall on Tuesday, April 9 at 8 p.m. CK W X 10:10P.M. 1130k.c, SUNDAYS COMMUNIST PARTY'S WEEKLY RADIO COMMENTARY by NIGEL MORGAN