LIM) VAL I) ARYA Local 1-85 has announced he will chal- lenge Jack Munro for regional president of the International Woodworkers. In a statement issued this week, the 37- year-old unionist said that there would also be a slate of candidates nominated to run against the current administration in the IWA but none would be nominated until the convention opens in Vancouver Sept. 24. Fleming, an executive board member of Port Alberni Local 1-85 and the camp chairman at Tahsis Logging at Zeballos, said he was opposing Munro “for various reasons.” - He cited Munro’s action in breaking up the common front of the Canadian Paperworkers Union, the [WA and the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers in the Willie Fleming, a first-aid attendant for _ Tahsis Logging and a camp chairman in | Munro challenged for IWA president midst of 1983 bargaining “which resulted - in inferior contracts for all three unions, animosity between rank and file members and the lockout of pulp workers.” He noted that the IWA membership had fallen from a high of 53,000 to some 32,000 “with many of our brothers and sisters laid off permanently and many hav- ing lost their 'WA membership. __ “Yet there has been little or no attempt by the present leadership to mount a cam- paign for full employment” he said, citing the failure to press the demand for a greater degree of manufacturing, a halt to log exports, a demand for more reforesta- tion and a reduction in the work week, “which could help get our members back to work.” : Fleming also pointed to Munro’s role in Operation Solidarity, a major point on contention throughout the labor move- ship referendum. ment. “Instead of joining the rest of the labor movément, he went to Kelowna which pulled the rug out from under Operation Solidarity and the fightback against the government attack,” he said. In the IWA itself, Fleming said, “the safety program is ina shambles which can © only be attributed to cuts in employer con- tributions and reductions in Workers Compensation Board staff as well as speed- up on the job in the forest industry. “A more aggressive leadership is required to prevent situations like this from happening again,” he said. Fleming and others on the opposition slate will face the first hurdle at the WA convention because of an unusual voting procedure in the union. A runoff ballot is held at the convention to reduce the number of contenders for any position to two before the vote is sent out to member- CUPW demo _ Members of the Canadian Union 0 Postal Workers, together with seve unemployed organizations demonstrate¢ — outside the main Vancouver post office Sept. 13 to publicize the union’s cross- Canada bargaining drive for reduced work time and an increase in pos services. Under the slogan “make cobs keep jobs and improve service,” CUPW has target the current round of bargaining to cam- paign fora reduction in work time with loss in pay and fora job creation program involving an expansion of Canada Post services to the public. The union has cited figures to showt a reduction in the work week from 40 to 39 hours in France created 28,000 jobs. Similarly the expansion of service tO include parcel wrapping and banking se vices as well as the conversion of sub-post offices to full service operations staffed by CUPW members would make new jobs available and would benefit the public. CUPW is urging people to write Cam ada Post president Michael Warren at Sit Alexander Campbell Building, Confed - ation Heights, Ottawa expressing supp) for union demands. Morris’ report ‘gave gov't what it wanted” Continued from page 1- The legislation also directs ICTU and Metro Transit to continue bargaining within 72 hours of the act coming into force and appoints a special mediator to intervene. But Section 8 of the legislation gives cabinet the authority “to direct that a collec- tive agreement is deemed to exist between the trade union and the employer and (to) specify any of its terms and conditions and in what manner any of its terms and condi- tions shall be determined.” Unlike earlier back-to-work legislation imposed on pulp workers the legislation does not specify penalties for defiance — but it was exactly that open-endedness that raised suspicions of what might be on the government’s agenda. ~ ICTU president Kelly told reporters last week: ‘“‘This is so much moré than.a con- tract dispute. This is the government against unions in this province.” That point was underscored in Labor Minister McClelland’s statement the same day, announcing a government commission to study the right to strike in the public sector. The statement followed weeks of government hints that public sector rights may be curtailed. Trade unionsits throughout the public sector have declared their intention to boy- cott any hearings by the commission which will undoubtedly be set up to give the appearance of public consultation and approval to policies which the government has already established. Amendments to the Labor Code earlier this year were intro- duced without any reference to the two labor-nominated representatives on the five-member advisory committee. Kelly also denounced as a “hoax” the title given to the legislation, emphasizing that it “was not designed to assist bargain- ing, but to crush the union and send a mes- sage to other workers.” The basis of the return to work — entirely on Metro Transit’s terms, with ‘shifts and routes assigned arbitrarily and thousands of hours of service eliminated — also made it clear that the legislation had little to do with assisting the resumption of transit service but a lot to do with hammering transit workers. Significantly, the back-to-work legisla- tion was brought down quickly following the ICTU membership’s overwhelming rejection Sept. 11 of the recommendations for settlement made by industrial inquiry commissioner Joe Morris. Throughout the shutdown, which began June 15, McClelland had resisted several demands for the appointment of an indus- trial inquiry commissioner acceptable to both sides as is the usual industrial relations practice. When McClelland finally moved on the commission, it was an arbitrary appoint- ment. Joe Morris’ hastily-prepared report was what the government wanted. Apparently unaware that public sector unions throughout the province have nego- tiated exemptions to Bill 3, the Public Sector Restraint Act, Morris recommended that the language of the Act be written into the collective agreement. He omitted a “working practices” clause — in transit workers’ agreements for 73 years — froma proposed contract,even . though his proposal was at odds with the premable in the report advocating manage- ment-labor consultation. The report suggested a study of the cen- tral issue of part-time drivers for 10 months, following which a binding settlement would be imposed by a government-appointed arbitraror, if no agreement had been reached. Morris did suggest wage increases of two, three, three and four per cent but tied them to an almost unprecedented four year contract. : Significantly, the report did not draw on the Cameron report into labor relations at Metro Transit — commissioned last year but since suppresed by B.C. Transit — even though the report with its acknowledged finding of heavy-handed management prac- - tices should have been vital to any inquiry into the Metro Transit dispute. Morris stated that he was “not surprised” by the ICTU vote and added that the “government had no choice” but to intro- duce legislation after it was rejected. More than 70 per cent of the ICTU membership turned out Sept. 11 to vote on the Morris report. Despite the difficulties created by the three-month-long dispute —union members receive no_ strike pay — the proposed contract ws rejected 12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 19, 1984 membership vote rejecting Morris report. by a massive 90 per cerft overall. Negotiations were initiated through pro- vincial mediator Clarke Gilmour — again appointed as the special mediator under Bill 34 — but Metro Transit, following the position of the government, made no attempt to resolve the outstanding issues. - ICTU had stated its willingness to go along with a modified Morris report provided it — included continuation of the working prac- tices clause, exemption from Bill 3 and a jointly-named arbitrator on __ part-time work, but made no headway in the talks late last week. There is little indication that the com- pany will alter its stance following passage of the legislation, waiting instead for the cabinet to impose terms. The Morris report could provide the basic framework for an imposed contract although the government could use Compensation Stabilization Commissioner Ed Peck as the means of RIBUNE Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 2. 0p le Eo. ee Se ss oe 6-81 0 8h ee so 10 G3. 9 6. & e. 8: 0.8 0 014 ie pl ere 2° pt pc ie he 6) 6.0) 8: W950 6 HF SO8 8 2 e Bill me later ICTU president Colin Kelly (r) and vice- -president Gerry Krantz talk to reporters follow fl Postal Code lam enclosing 1 yr. $140 2yrs. $250 6mo. $80 Foreign 1 yr. om READ THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOR frimming the ee with Transit arguing inability to pay. Whatever course the government the dispute is far from over — an -accompanying issues of public sector 4 gaining and transit service will likely ass uf even more prominence. The new schedules imposed by Transit involve significant service cu emphasizing the issue on which the. was triggered June 15. Solidarity Coalition co-chair Rei! Shearer charged last week that the le tion would reduce the amount of buss available to riders. Several community groups, includi Lower Mainland Solidarity Coalitio First United Church, Seniors Withou Transit and unemployment action 2 sent representatives to the legislature 5 13 backing the demand for a fair colle¢ agreement with no cuts in service. 1Z5. Phone 251-1186 oi: afie. 6o ble a cee Selb 39 wo ee 4 0 ene, 2 09 See ee Donation Ss. gre,