FARM WORKERS MAKE EIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS The British Columbia Farm Workers Organizing Committee, which is receiving strong support from Local 1-857 IWA, New Westminster, met with the Labour Stand- ards Branch of the Department of Labour February 22, to deliver recommendations on proposed farm labour legislation. The Farm Workers Organizing Commit- tee met with Mr. Colin Kay, Manager, Labour Standards Branch of the Depart- ment of Labour, and delivered their recom- mendations on proposed farm labour legis- lation. In a detailed legal brief, which was meant to be presented to Honourable Jack Heinrich, B.C. Minister of Labour, the FWOC pointed out numerous examples of discrimination against farmworkers. The brief pointed out that farmworkers are consistently singled out for exclusion from the most basic labour standards legislation. LIST OF LAWS The following is a partial list of laws that specifically exclude farmworkers from coverage: 1. minimum wage laws d 2. laws that guarantee payment of wages ue 3. laws that govern maximum hours of work 4. Workers Compensation laws 5. Child labour laws 6. laws governing statutory vacation and holiday pay 7. the Maternity Protection Act In addition, the FWOC points out that although farm work is the third most dangerous of all occupations — indeed, it has the highest rate of occupational disease of all occupations — there are virtually no health and safety laws to protect farm- workers. Although it’s hard to believe in the 1980’s, supposedly an era far distant from the Hungry Thirties, a group of workers is petitioning the government for a legal guarantee of access to toilets, drinking water and handwashing facilities. The brief points out that farmwork, the arduous work of stooping all day, sweating in the sun, and shivering in the rain, is the lowest paid of all occupations. In a call for simple economic justice, the brief recom- mends that minimum wage protection be extended to farmworkers. The Committee points out that since farm labour represents only 5 to 7% of the retail cost of food, that such a move would not significantly raise the price of food. The brief cites an official estimate that the doubling of farm wages would add only 2/3 of a cent per pound to the cost of tomatoes. In answer to those who fear that raising farm wages would hurt small farmers, the brief cites a statement from the U.S. National Farmers Organization to the effect that family farms could compete more effectively with corporate farms if the large farms weren’t able to take advantage of cheap labour. The brief calls for the complete abolition of the farm contracting system. It points out that farm contractors, the middlemen who provide transportation to farmworkers, take at least 33% of the farmworker’s wages, and often much more. As a result, many farm- workers are left with as little as $1.00 per hour of work. Often farmworkers are unable to get even those low wages from unscrupu- lous contractors who simply refuse payment. As an alternative to contractors, the FWOC recommends that the function of farm contractors be replaced by a govern- ment or farmer-run employment and trans- portation scheme. If the government refuses to act on this recommendation, the Commit- tee calls for stringent regulation and bond- ing of contractors. The brief also calls for strict government regulation of transporta- tion of farmworkers, predicting a major tragedy if the government continues to allow contractors to transport farmworkers in overcrowded and dangerous vans. Pointing out that the disability rate for farmworkers is twice that of manufacturing workers, and that the death rate is seven times as high, the FWOC claims “There is no excuse for continuing the present exclu- sion of farmworkers from normal Workers’ Compensation coverage.” Also, the brief recommends adoption of California farm safety laws that protect farmworkers who must work around pesticides. A major provision of the proposed law would be the establishment of minimum time periods that would have to elapse before farm workers could re-enter sprayed fields. 1. That records of hours worked and piece-work done be standardized and regu- lated, so that workers can’t be cheated by negligent or dishonest employers. 2. That the Payment of Wages Act be extended to cover farmworkers. Presently farmworkers can’t get government assist- ance, provided to other workers by this Act, to recover wages due to them. 3. That strict housing standards be estab- lished to protect the health and lives of farmworkers. The report declares that farm labour housing should be subject to the same kinds of standards and enforcement that miners and loggers presently enjoy. 4. That the Hours of Work Act apply to farmworkers. 5. That farmworkers have the same min- imum rights to overtime, vacation, and holiday pay that other workers have. 6. That farmworkers be entitled to notice of termination of employment or pay in lieu of notice. 7. That farmworkers be covered by the Maternity Protection Act. 8. That domestic workers, the other group traditionally excluded from labour stand- ards legislation, be given equal status also. The Committee is also urging the Provin- cial government to lobby Ottawa to drop sections of the Unemployment Insurance Act that discriminate against farmworkers. BECOME LAW Throughout the brief, the FWOC cites jurisdictions where the above recommenda- tions have already become law. Today the Committee urged the B.C. government to take action to catch up with those jurisdic- tions that have begun to offer economic justice and equality before the law to farmworkers. The FWOC President, Raj Chouhan, stated that he is hopeful that the B.C. government will introduce legislation in the next session of the legislature incorporating all of the Committee’s recommendations. PARROT SENTENCE TERMED UNJUST Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ presi- dent Jean-Claude Parrot is currently serv- ing what has been termed an ‘unjust’ month sentence in the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. : Parrot appeared at the Detention Centre at the end of Jan. to begin serving his sentence after the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its decision to not hear his appeal of the charge. The CUPW leader, along with other members of the National Executive Board was charged by the Crown under the Crimi- nal code of Canada for not immediately complying with back-to-work legislation passed in Oct. 1978. Andre Beauchamp, CUPW’s first nation- al vice-president, criticized the Court’s decision saying “by their actions, the courts have sentenced a man to jail whose only crime was that he refused to advocate workers surrender their rights and submit to unjust and repressive legislation.” Echoing Beauchamp’s sentiments, Al- berta Federation of Labour president Harry Kostiuk condemned the court’s decision. He said “it is obvious that the action taken by the Supreme Court is an endorsation of the unfair action of the Liberal government who after giving postal workers the right-to- strike, took the easy way out by enacting undue and discriminatory legislation on the post? workers of this country in the fall of “Injustices such as this cannot be toler- ated. The action of sending Mr. Parrot to jail sees no justice being done. Aggrieved postal workers still are standing on the outside bearing the brunt of an insensitive federal government,” Kostiuk said. Currently CUPW is waiting for terms to be established for a conciliation board. The union applied for conciliation in the fall after attempts to negotiate a settlement with the Post Office failed. MANITOBA MEMBERS RATIFY AGREEMENT IWA members of Local 1-324, The Pas, Manitoba, ratified a new two-year agree- ment with the Manitoba Forestry Resources Ltd., January 19, which provides ninety cents an hour increase in the first year and an additional ninety cents an hour increase or nine and one half percent (which ever is the greater) in the second year. The package also provides revisions of thirty cents an hour for tradesmen and filing room categories plus an increase in the shift differential of eight cents an hour in the second year. Improvements were gained on annual vacations effective September 1, 1980 and include: © Two weeks after one year’s continuous service at five percent of vacation pay. Up half a percent from four and one half. e Three weeks after two year’s continuous service at seven percent. Up half a percent from six and one half. e Four weeks after ten year’s continous service at nine percent. Up half a percent from eight and one half percent. Improvements were also madein the piece rate formula for loggers. The Company also agreed to implement the pension benefits won by IWA members in British Columbia. Regional 3rd Vice-President Ernie Clarke headed up the negotiations for the Union with the assistance of Local 1-324 President Bill Benson; Jim Anderson, Local Financial Secretary; and Committee Members Gilbert Pfund; Curtis Johnson; Rene Richards; Dennis Cain. One week after the contract was ratified the Company’s office personel, certified to the Canadian Pulpworkers Union, struck the complex in a contract dispute. Because the pulp mill and the sawmill are reached by the same Company road, the IWA honoured the pulp picket lines. After two weeks off the job the Company settled with the pulp office workers and the complex has now resumed normal opera- tions.