er CONCERN OVER CANADA’S CONSTITUTION. Hundreds of people packed sessions in Vancouver last week of the parliamentary committee hearings on the Canadian constitution. Photo shows one of the sessions in Vancouver, with many participants sitting on the floor. Legislature must act on B.C.’s vital issues By NIGEL MORGAN | Premier Bennett’s Socred administration is expected to face one of the toughest sessions of its eighteen years in office when the Legislature convenes in Victoria Jan. 21st. The second session of B.C.’s 29th Legislature meets in a setting in which the country is in the worst crisis of the post-war period; with unemployment rising sharply and B.C.’s admitted 90,000 among the worst in the country; with widespread dissatisfaction among the people and industrial relations at an all-time low. And to top it all off, the corporate establishment and its representatives in government — faced with an acceleration of all factors making for economic, social and political debacle — appears to be determined to take new drastic measures in an attempt to resolve its diffi- culties at the expense of the working people and their living standards. Among major questions expected to be before the Lesgis- lature are the following: 1) Unemployment and the associated problems of welfare and the Socred resources policy. 2) New taxes, and if you take Premier Bennett seriously, tax increases that may be “unpopular with the people’. Speculation out of the capital centres around the likelihood of a hoist in the sales tax, or some new provision that will hit the low and middle income groups hardest. 3) The crisis of municipal- provincial fiscal relations, assessment equalization and controls, and the acute financial requirements for welfare and hundreds of local school and hospital administrations. 4) The threat of a sharp rise in compulsory auto insurance rates — with the highest premiums and poorest coverage anywhere in the country already angering thousands of drivers. 5) A projected application for a hefty hike in phone rates with an anticipated demand for government-takeover of the U.S.-owned “‘B.C. Tel’’, accused of manipulating its share structure and the prices it PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 1971—PAGE 12 charges itself for supplies to “‘justify”’ the hoist. 6) The crisis in management- labor relations, and inability of the Bennett government to hold the line by imposing compulsory arbitration and forced labor. After a year in which more man-days of work have been lost by employer-lockouts and result- ing disputes between manage- ment and labor than in the whole of the last ten years, three facts seem to stand out. a) Compulsory arbitration has further inflamed and worsened labor-management relations rather than help resolve problems; b) Labor is in no frame of mind to accept government compul- sion, and there simply aren’t enough jail cells to accommo- date those who refuse to accept “forced labor’’; And c) The Mediation Commission has proven itself to be not only a costly, but completely inept and ineffective medium. Contention of Communist Party spokesmen and trade unionists at the time of passage of the Mediation Act would only result in greater time losses is fully borne out by statistics. In spite of the Socred’s overwhelming majority, a stormy session can be expected. Already indications are that more delegations, lobbies, labor and citizen’s initiatives are preparing to converge on the Legislature that ever before in British Columbia’s first hundred years in Confederation — an event that will be marked this year. A mass trade union lobby on unemployment is already being organized; NDP MLAs have been meeting deputations in a series of ‘‘Public Caucuses’’ in the main centres of the province; and delegations from the Union of B.C. Munici- palities, teachers, school boards, various unions, farmers, the Communist Party, tenants, pollution and many other groups are planning to press their demands in Victoria. Oil exploration After months of ignoring the public’s demand that oil explora- tion in George Strait be halted and that permits granted to oil companies be cancelled, Ottawa this week announced that no further exploration for oil or gas will be allowed. The announcement also cancelled permits granted six years ago to Gulf Oil to carry on exploration over 675,000 acres in the Strait. This latest action covers only the Georgia Strait. Huge oil exploration permits granted around the Queen Charlotte Islands and off the West Coast of Vancouver Island are not affected. Nor are permits granted in the Boundary Bay area which aroused a con- siderable storm recently among anti-pollution groups in the Fraser Valley. For some time the issue of oil exploration in Georgia Strait was a political football tossed between Ottawa and Victoria, both of whom claimed juris- diction over coastal waters. Ottawa’s claim based itself on a 1967 Supreme Court ruling which declared that minerals lying off Canada’s coastline belong to the Federal government. The B.C. government has refused to _accept that ruling. In Victoria, Socred Recrea- tion Minister Kierans_ said Tuesday that oil leases granted to a number of companies have not been cancelled. Nor did he give any indication that the Socred government intended to cancel them. There is a strong possibility that the big oil monopolies, mostly U.S.-owned, may act through the Socred government to challenge the Federal action in the hope that they could upset Ottawa’s action and reopen potential oil-rich coastal waters to their explora- tion. Over the last year the Pacific Tribune has devoted a number of front page headline stories to the ‘Impartial The B.C. Hydro bus strike, now nearing the end of its second week, continues to remain solid with wide labor and public support. The union has made it clear that it is seeking fair wages and conditions and wants direct bargaining with Hydro or an independent mediator to attempt a settlement. Continuing to boycott the hearings of Bill 33’s Mediation Commission, which concluded last Monday, 300 bus drivers staged a demonstration outside the Commission’s headquarters Friday, January 8. While the Comission was holding hearings in its lush head- quarters in the Board of Trade building with only B.C. Hydro representatives present, bus drivers made it clear by slogans on signs carried by them what_ they thought of the three-man Mediation Commission. One sign said: ‘‘B.C. Hydro, provincial government, media- tion commission one and the same.’’ This was a reference to the fact that both B.C. Hydro and the Mediation Commission have been set up by the provincial government, and that two cabinet members— Ken Kiernan and Ray Williston — serve as directors of B.C. Hydro. The cabinet, including these two, could make a decision that the Board’s finding be made com- pulsory under Section 18 of Bill 33. While Hydro has two of its officers on the cabinet, the union is in no such position — which points up the stacked deck which the transit union faces and why they want a third party to mediate their dispute. Other slogans carried by the bus drivers said: ‘‘We want an impartial mediator,’’ Free collective bargaining in ‘jeopardy,’ ‘“‘The government gave IWA a mediator— why dis- criminate against transit employees?”’ ‘‘We’re fighting for decent wages and working condi- halted campaign to have the permits cancelled. We are glad to have’ played a role in this partial demand of bus unid mediator tions — commission fighting $40,000 salaries.”’ The last slogan was a re ence to slaries paid the th commissioners, who ha seven year contract with! Socred government. Theil are now in danger because complete loss of confiden the Board by the public, and even the provill Department of Labor, whid passed them on all mé disputes in 1970. The Mediation Commi concluded its hearings 4 now expected to bring dov findings late this week. The vincial government, could order-in-council under Bil make the findings binding” thereby impose compulsory tration on the union. The Federation of Labor has its full support to the 4 gamated Transit Union # fight. The B.C. Fed’s policy back any local union W comes under attack unde 33. ; A particularly vicious 1@ the present dispute has played by the Vancouver which is closely tied up wit Employers Council — and W incidentally, has its offic? the same building a5 Mediation Commission. ~ The Sun at first slante? news to exaggerate the halt the strike will impose 0 public. Then it turned to Wy editorials attacking thé union and B.C. Federatié Labor, charging that i® “politics” to discredit Bill 4 the Mediation Commission But these tactics have fa The bus workers continue u despite the extraord weather conditions. The union spokesmen made it clear that they, fighting for decent wage d working conditions. They 1% to appear before the Medié Commission because they” its record and Bill 33 and a prepared to accept that nO their fight for a decent cont ATU spokesmen John Hatt and Frank Collins havé it made it clear that this dF can be resolved by both Pp meeting over a bargaining with an independent medial” victory for the people of B.C. 4 «ngtO RANKIN ACTS FOR RAYMUR MOTHERS. Ald. Rankin is shown rai mothers of the Raymur housing development at last week’s sgt meeting. The mothers have put up a militant fight to stop the da? th their children from the railway crossing which runs betwee” 4 homes and school. Rankin’s motion instructing the city eng! department to take action on an overpass and to devise a sch ensure that it will be used won council approval. ]