WOODWORKERS NEED UNITY —See Page 12 °F war materials to the U.S. Disruptive actions ON PARLIAMENT HILL. Photo shows some of the estimated 1 ttawa by the McGill Moratorium Commitee last Saturday. S Sovernm i full withdrawal of U.S. troops and t L bul to preset ae a by a small group of Maoists enabled the media to draw FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1979 500 anti-Vietnam war protesters brought to peakers and banners called on the Canadian o impose an embargo on shipments Attention away from the main demands of the protesters. Step up Hydro hike Despite the fact that the Bennett government @S succeeded in blocking any debate in the Sislature on the current increases in Hydro “ectricity rates by delegating all authority to ydro chairman Gordon Shrum, the Vancouver and District Labor Council (VLC) session this ek unanimously agreed to step-up its mass Petitio : 5 ; Bae campaign opposing the Hydro price yn motion of delegate J. Phillips (CUPE), the Lae body decided “to take whatever steps it Se hecessary to accelerate the petition a Paign against the Hydro rate increase in the la ater Vancouver area, and to promote ckout demonstrations on a city-wide scale.” can Porting on the progress of the petition - Paign todate, VLC secretary E.P. Paddy ale stated he was unaware of the total &Natures now collected, other than that the ae must run into the thousands. Neale urged LC affiliate unions to get these petition Si forms filled up and returned as soon as possible. From petition forms carried in The Fisherman and the Pacific Tribune, Neale reported a lot of signatures had been turned in. “While our hands are now pretty well tied by this Bennett-Shrum set-up giving all authority to the latter on the vital issue of Hydro rates, stated Neale, ‘‘this VLC can still register a strong opposition to these arbitrary rate increases by pushing : the signature campaign to a higher tempo.” The VLC petition calls on the Provincial government: ‘To suspend the proposed increases pending the appointment and report of an all- party committee of the legislature empowered to conduct a public investigation of all aspects of B.C. Hydro operations.” Nigel Morgan, B.C. Communist leader, said: “The Socred government is playing a cruel April fools joke on the people. We have until April 1 to block the increase and I urge all to act without delay.” VOL. 31. NO. 10 E> 10¢ The tenants organization won a major victory this week when the B.C. government was forced to act on their demand that rents be frozen retroactive to February 25 to stop landlords from upping rents before the new law comes into force. The government announced its action in the House Wednesday night. An immediate freeze on rents until Bill 20, the new Landlord and Tenants Act -becomes law, was urged on the provincial government by the B.C. Tenants Organization in an emergency wire following reports that landlords across B.C. are attempting to raise rents in anticipation of the expected passage of the Bill. This action came from a meeting of the B.C. Tenants Organization last Monday at which representatives of the booming tenants movement analysed Bill 20 and laid plans to carry their fight for tenants rights across the province. Welcoming Bill 20, which has had first reading in the House, as ‘‘a very welcome change in the basic law governing residential tenancies,’’ Bruce Yorke, spokesman for the tenants, said “the Bill involves a major upgrading in the status of tenants, and begins the process of giving us some meaningful fight FISHERMEN’S PARLEY FACES BIG ISSUES —See pg. 10 legal rights, something which the old Act failed to do completely.”’ Pointing to the part played by the tenants movement to bring about changes in the legislation, and to the lobby staged by tenants in Victoria on February 17 at which the tenants demands were placed before the government and MLAs, Yorke said: “‘We are pleased that they have gone a good way towards meeting our demands.”’ He said the _ tenants organization has written Attorney General Leslie Peterson asking for a meeting, before second reading in the House, to consider six amendments or additions to the Bill as it now stands. While welcoming Bill 20 as a big step forward, Yorke said that “a major omission in the new Bill is its almost complete silence on the question of the level of rents. Considering all the current emphasis on combatting ‘inflation’ it would seem that the government, when it comes right down to it, would rather talk than act.”’ He said continued pressure on the authorities at all levels can result in come action being taken on the serious problem of runaway rents. The press statement issued from Monday’s meeting of the B.C. Tenants Organization said that it will use the improved status of tenants to ‘‘intensify efforts to organize tenants, to press for tenancy agreements where the question of rents is subject to collective negotiation, and to press both municipal and provincial authorities for laws requiring justification for rent increases.”