| } VREDERICK G. PESKETT President & Chief Executive Officer BOARD OF GOVERNORS 1969-1970 Chairman — THE HONOURABLE W. M. HAMILTON Vice-Chairman — E. G. SHORTER MacMillan Bloedel Limited lonorary Secretary-Treasurer — G. B. McLEAN Standard Oil Company of B.C. Limited —. BENSON Pacific Press Limited J. V. CHRISTENSEN Tahsis Company Limited THE HONOURABLE J. V. CLYNE MacMillan Bloedel Limited G. R. DAWSON Dawson Construction Company Limited G. H. D. HOBBS Western Canada Steel Limited T. H. McCLELLAND Placer Development Limited J. S. MacKENZIE Aluminum Company of Canada Limited J. E. RICHARDSON British Columbia Telephone Company J. H. SALTER Cominco Limited H. E. WOLFE FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1970 DECLARATION of PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES EMPLOYERS’ COUNCIL OF ERITISH COLUMBIA 0th Floor, 1177 West ‘Hastings S-reet “7ancouver 110 BG. The Employers’ Council of British Columbia represents, and is supported by, many of the employers in the province —-in some cases indi- vidually and in others, through associations _of employers. The Council was formed in 1966 to help develop, through liaison and research, a broader and better understanding of the role, objectives and responsibilities of business, both in the immediate community and in the sound develcpment of the provincial economy as a whols, While the Council’s area of activity includes industrial relations, it does not participate in col- Dillingham Corporation of Canada Limited ective baraainina, nor does it in any way_in- frinoe. Lpon organizations which perform this function. it dces, however, co-operate with such grganizations, So that broad policy guidelines of a constructive character will tesu i. GS - ENERAL STAFF OF BIG BUSINESS IN B.C. The above is taken from a folder of the Employers’ Council of B.C. aa Board of Governors (on the left) lists the top figures eral Staff of the present monopoly offensive against la es from their Declaration of Principles and Objectives: w Artic] in the big business world. They are in fact the bor and people. On the right are reproduced two hich show how big business combines in the m ’ SERRE Ployers’ Council and how the Council lays down “broad policy guidelines.” Candlelight march hits war aan orderly, friendly fashion, ya 900 people almost equally single and old, lined up behind a ae Euabner reading Vietna- light M eacé Now! in a candle- night oath for Peace on Friday the y addy Neale, secretary of on aed Labor Council, house Proceedings at the court So With th brightly in March ir candles flickering a s a mild breeze, the S left the square four Te Sain and walked to the least a Theatre where at In. Participated in a Teach Cc as Pronating the session was Ssor Robin Harger of UBC, who in his introductory remarks said there was something symbolic in ‘‘sharing the light”’ as the marchers had done when their candles blew out. Panellist Alex MacDonald, MLA, blasted the insipid policy of the Canadian government, calling it the role of a cipher. With USA B-52’s_ carrying nuclear warheads flying over our prairie provinces, with ABM anti- missile missiles along our southern border, and with the Amchitka tests threatening the west coast, MacDonald said the federal government made no comment other than External Affairs Minister Sharpe's innocuous statement that the U.S.A. had decided to do these things ‘‘on their own.” Consultation with Canada, he said, was not considered necessary, no matter what dangers were presented to Canada by the U.S. military. Ray Haynes of the B.C. Federation of Labor said that while the peace groups today were a minority, it was far better to be an aware minority than a silent majority. ‘‘After all,’ he reminded, ‘‘Hitler had a silent majority too.” Professor Wm Wilmot of UBC outlined the recent history of See MARCH, Pg. 12 VOL. 31 No. 17 10¢ By MAURICE RUSH The speech last week by the head of the Employers’ Council of B.C. leaves no doubt that big business is bent on waging a war against the unions in this year’s negotiations. They are bent on creating a crisis in the province in order to beat down the attempts by workers to win needed wage gains, and to smash the unions in the process. The Employers’ Council and the “big lions” it represents don’t give a damn what happens to the economy of the province or to the public — so long as their profits are maintained and their union busting aim achieved. Speaking last Thursday to the Financial Executive Institute— a gathering of the financial elite — F.G. Peskett, president and top officer of the Employers’ Council called on them to resist labor’s demands ‘“‘with utmost strength and determination.” He admitted that “‘management is taking a hard stand. . . but not without an exhaustive struggle and often closure of its operations.” Admitting that the Employers’ Council is acting as ‘‘a solid front’’ against the unions, Peskett made the following revealing statement of aims: “We (the Employers’ Council) have come more and more to believe that while encouraging a strong united management stand against the irresponsibility and militancy of some union leaders, we must all the same time encourage the development of better communications with employees.”’ Here is revealed the true aims of the Employers’ Council: to force a crisis on the province by encouraging ‘‘a strong united management stand” which would bring the economy to a halt, while at the same time appealing over the heads of the unions to their employees in the hope of smashing the unions and causing divisions and dissent among rank-and-file unionists. This irresponsible policy of the Employers’ Council i i carried out by the Construction Labor Relations ReeNETS aS and Forest Industrial Relations (FIR) as well as by other large monopolies in contract negotiations in B.C. industries. ? In construction, the bosses have refused to bargain in good faith and have deliberately imposed a lockout on the industry. Their spokesman C.J. Connaghan publicly declares their aim is to shut down the entire industry by making the lockout 100 percent effective : They have already locked out eight unions, the latest being the plumbers. If they succeed they will idle some 35,000 workers and bring to a halt over $200 million worth of construction in the province In the forest industry, the big monopolies are following the same policy. They adamantly refuse to bargain with the IWA, except on their terms. There is widespread expectation that ‘the reer monopolies are plotting a general shutdown of the industry. coe war of the ears against the unions is at the same ime a war against the general publi i ae g public and the best interests of the Now is the time when unions must close r intai strongest united front to defeat this big ni eae 2 get Labor should lose no time in uniting with all sections of the community to stop the monopolies in their war against the unions and the public for their own greater profits. -