FROM JUDICIAL COUNCIL
Haynes resignation
—q warning signal

By MAURICE RUSH
The circumstances surrounding the resignation of B.C. Federation
of Labor secretary-treasurer Ray Haynes from the provincial
Judicial Council last week should not be passed over lightly by the
labor movement.

Soon after he was named by the NDP government, the big
business media opened a campaign charging that Haynes should
not be on the Council which acts as a watchdog over the B.C.
courts, because of a possible ‘‘conflict of interest.”’

They claimed that the position of Haynes and the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor in declaring the Shoppers Drug Mart “‘hot’’ despite a
recent injunction was a defiance of a court injunction and therefore
the law.

As a result of this campaign both Premier Dave Barrett and at-
torney general Alex Macdonald entered the picture and said they
would have discussions with Haynes which culminated last
Thursday with Haynes’ letter of resignation from the Judicial Coun-
cil. In his letter Haynes said:

“Unfortunately, in view of the fact that the objections relate to
the policy of our Federation, it appears impossible for the Federa-
tion, as the principal representative of the trade union movement
in B.C. to be represented on this potentially important body.”’

In announcing acceptance of Haynes’ resignation, the
attorney general implied strongly thathehad urged Haynes to
resign when he said ina public statement that laws and court
orders must be respected by all citizens and groups.

“It’s very important that court orders and laws be respected by
groups throughout the community, B.C. and Canada, from the
littlest corporation and the littlest citizen to the biggest corporation
and the biggest citizen.”

According to Macdonald, the law is equal for everyone and
therefore should be equally obeyed by everyone. Maybe he never
heard of the words of a great French author when he wrote that the
law in all its majesty allows the rich as well as the poor to sleep un-
der bridges. The only thing wrong with that is that the rich don’t
have to sleep under bridges and the poor do.

It’s the same with “labor” law in B.C. and Canada. The rich don’t
have hundreds of anti-labor injunctions taken out against them
because they don’t have to form unions to fight for a decent wage,
but the workers do. :

In B.C the NDP government has kept on the statute books anti-
labor laws which make it almost impossible for working people to
build their unions and meet the attacks. of the boss without running
afoul of some “labor” law or other.

If the reasons given for Haynes not being on the Judicial Council
are valid, then as long as we have one-sided class laws aimed
against working people, no trade unionist will ever be able to serve
on such an important public body. The fault lies not with Ray
Haynes and the trade unions, but with the kind of anti-labor laws
which compel working people to act the way they do to defend their
unions and standard of living. This fact is as old as the history of
trade unionism itself.

Working people don’t want bad laws which they have to defy.
They would rather have good laws they can obey. But when
government’s enact bad laws at the behest of privileged big
business, what are working people to do? The U.S. Constitution has
some pretty strong words about the duties of citizens when laws
become anti-popular and oppressive.

What it boils down to is that Haynes and other representatives of
labor cannot sit on the Judicial Council because the NDP govern-
~ ment continues to keep anti-union laws on the statute books.

In recent months these anti-labor laws have led to dozens of anti-
union injunctions in industry after industry. The unions have called
for an end to these unfair and oppressive laws without avail, so far.

The fact that the NDP government has backed up before big
business pressure and acceded to Haynes’ resignation is a danger
signal. Coming on the eve of a new legislative session where labor
legislation is supposed to receive top priority, the question arises:
Will the same spirit of retreat before the big monopolies show itself

in the new legislation?
Labor will have to keep a close watch.

ROLL BACK PRICES
STOP PROFITEERING

Communist Party Public Meeting

lron Workers Hall
Wednesday, September 26
8:00 PM

Speakers:

Maurice Rush — Pacific Tribune
Fred Wilson — Y.C.L.
Homer Stevens — Labor leader
Bruce Yorke'— Tenants rights leader

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1973 — PAGE 12. |

Tenants lobby to demand |
action on rents, housing |

Although all MLAs from the
greater Vancouver area were in-
vited to a press conference last
Friday night called by the B.C.
Tenants Organization only Rich-
mond MLA Harold Steves came.

But he left with no doubts as to
the anger and frustration of tenants
all over the lower mainland who
are facing increasing hardship in
finding and affording rental accom-
modation and at the same time are
seeing the NDP election promises
to bring in new tenant legislation
go up in smoke along with the stan-
dard of living of tenants.

The NDP government will also
be left with no doubts as to the
feelings of tenants later this month
when the B.C.T.O. plans a mass
lobby on the Legislature to present
demands for legislation
guaranteeing tenants’ rights and a
massive program of public
housing.

The lobby is planned for
September 25 and according to in-
dications from tenants’ councils in
Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey,
Coquitlam, Richmond and
elsewhere, it will be a big one in
order to bring a clear message to
the slow-moving government.

Of particular concern to tenants
is the referral to the Law Reform

- Commission for examination and

study, of any changes in the present
Landlord and Tenant Act. ‘‘We do
not think the Commission is the ap-

propriate authority or body,” .

B.C.T.O. president Bruce Yorke
said at Friday’s press conference,
“it is simply a stall.”’

Yorke said that attorney-general
Alex MacDonald committed
himself to a program of action for
tenants’ rights at the last lobby.
“Now the situation is becoming
explosive — the security of tenants
is dwindling rapidly. And the
provincial government has been
largely responsible for the situation
by reneging on its promise to es-
tablish rent review boards,” he
declared.

“Rent increases of $30 and $40 a
month are typical,”’ he said. “And
present legislation putting the rent
on the premises instead of on the
tenant is almost ineffective
because rents are not being posted.
Violations are rife.

&

“In some cases rent constitutes
50% to 60% of income,” Yorke told
the press conference.

Yorke said that the lobby will
emphasize to the Legislature the
urgency of action to bring down the
vastly-inflated level of rents and
the necessity of an immediate
government housing program.

B.C. Tenants Organization
secretary Frank Izzard also
stressed the need for government
housing and pointed out that “this
government has the ability and the
‘capability to carry out a housing
program from the resource level to
the finished product.”

Both Yorke and Izzard took par-
ticular note of the ‘growing aliena-
tion of the people who voted for
the NDP and are seeing the failure
of the government to live up to
promises.

“I’m a long-time supporter of
the CCF and the NDP, Izzard said,

: “but unless this‘ government doés"'

something people may be sleeping
out in the streets.”

Harold Steves told the press con-
erence that he himself was “very
disappointed with the program
enactment” and pointed out that
the matter of referring changes in
the Landlord and Tenant Act was
not brought before the caucus for
discussion.

Steves stated that ‘‘the stories I
hear every day from tenants make
me think that we cannot act quick-
ly enough to establish rent review
boards — regardless of what the
Law Reform Commission is
doing.”

He said that he intended to raise
several questions on legislation in-
cluding advisory bureaus with
power to act on rent increases,
legislation guaranteeing justcause
for eviction and a program of social
housing.

“I am also considering a private
members bill,” he added.

Responding to Yorke’s comment
that “‘private enterprise cannot
solve the problem of housing shor-
tages,’ Steves added that ‘‘private
enterprise has done much to create
the problem.”

Apartment construction has
come to a virtual standstill in Van-

_ agreed.

couver largely as a result of new
federal tax legislation which no
longer provides tax exemptions for
professional people who formerly
invested heavily in low-rise
apartments. And, many of the
exorbitant rent increases are at
tributable to the loss of tax exemp”
tions as owners seek to maintain
their margin of profit — at the
tenants’ expense. i

At the same time, major
developers have blamed the lack of
construction on tenant militancé
and impending tenant legislation.
but the fact is tha developers havé
everything to gain by the perilously
low vacancy rate.

Commenting on the failure of the
government to move in the face
such a shortage, Yorke said that
“the government knows that the
present landlord-tenant situation
means a major confrontation
between the large financial al

real estate interests — and they al@ —

not prepared to go down the roa
that will lead to confrontation.

“But if they take the step they
will get overwhelming public SUP”
port for it,”’ he said, ‘‘and will con-
tribute much to the social well
being of all people,’ Harold Steve

—

sf
Communists are active all across Canada in the fight aga
high prices and for government action to halt spiralling oval

Photo above shows a recent demonstration on Parliament

as well as slogans will be used.

Drive against high prices —
launched by Vancouver CP

Plans were announced this week for a major campaig® h
defence of living standards and against high prices and rents by
Vancouver City Committee of the Communist Party. :

Opening shot in the campaign will be a demonstration in
town Vancouver Friday, Sept. 21 at’7 p.m. in the viens :
Woodwards Store. The demonstration will demand governmen
tion from both Ottawa and Victoria on high prices and re

Plans for the demonstration include a colorful parade
“snake march” with accompanying music. Paper mache sy™

This demonstration will be followed up with a publi
the Ironworkers Hall, 2415 Columbia St., on Wednesday, Sept.
8 p.m. Speakers at the rally will include PT editor Maurice nists)
union leader Homer Stevens, Fred Wilson, Young Commu

vand. Bruce. Yorke, tenants leader: «|. 2s

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