UFAWU calls to reconsider Following its meeting last Fri- day, the General- Executive Board of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union announced that it ‘does not accept or support the decision of its president, Homer Stevens, . to seek the presidency of the Canadian Labor Congress which meets in conven- tion next May.” In a statement released last week, Stevens announced that he was going to contest the position of CLC president, a post presently held by Donald MacDonald who is ing down. as Sevens himself said in his press statement, his decision to on Stevens flecision contest the presidency was taken independently and without con- sultation with the General . Ex- ecutive Board and other elected union officers,’ the Board said. “Nonetheless, his decision was misleading to the extent that it was issued on UFAWU stationery.”’ The Board said that it could not accept his personal decision as it would seriously affect the new uni- ty and purpose of the labor move- ment which is striving now to over- come the divisions that have weakened it. “We believe that Stevens should reconsider his decision, both in the See UFAWU, pg. 8 CP issues statement on Stevens announcement - “The announcement by Homer Stevens, well known member of the Communist Party of Canada, that he intends to run for President of the Canadian Labor Congress came as complete surprise to all of us’, Nigel Morgan provincial leader of the party stated Monday. “We have no part in Steven's” decision,” he declared. “The attitude of Communists towards leadership is at all times governed by a program and policy and the best means of achieving labor’s needs,’ Morgan said. “The Communist Party has publicly stated many times that its members work for unity on the basis on progressive policies, and for an independent sovereign and united Canadian trade movement within that framework of unity. Members of our party will continue to give priority to achievement of this goal,’ Morgan declared. “At all tmes we seek to work with other progressive forces to ad- vance such a program.” “The general executive board of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union was absolutely cor- rect in the emphasis it placed in its statement on advancing the con- cept of unity within the central labor bodies. After all, it was only by consulting and working with other progressive forces and by See CP STATEMENT, pg. 8 ~Second class mail registration number 1560. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1973 Dailly criticized for budget threats Education minister Eileen Dailly’s warning to school boards to cut projected increases in their 1974 provisional budgets of $82 million has met with sharp criticism from both boards and teachers. With B.C. facing the worst class size situation in Canada, the kindergarten services having to be instituted in every dis- trict as requested by the minister, with massive increases in costs as the result of inflation, and with a huge backlog of maintenance and repair work awaiting completion, Dailly’s statement has stunned the educational community. Pat Walsh, president of the B.C. School Trustees Association said boards had merely followed NDP policies that money needed to be spent on service to people. Walsh will go to Victoria with Jim MacFarlan president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation Friday, to seek an explanation for her state- ment. At a general meeting Tuesday, Burnaby teachers unanimously agreed to send the following state- ment to the minister: “We, the Burnaby Teachers’ Association, protest most vigorous- ly your recent stand on the school board provisional budgets. We believe the minister of education should be applying pressure on local school boards to reduce class size to at least the national average rather than criticizing those boards which have instituted minimal reductions.” Executive council members of the Burnaby teachers met later with Hileen Dailly, Gordon Dow- ding and James Lorimer, the three Burnaby MLA’s. “The BCTF has submitted to the department eight comprehensive briefs on all aspects of education,” said Betty Griffin, Burnaby Teachers’ Association president. “Decisive and comprehensive plans for a complete overhaul are long overdue. Twelve years ago only 60 per cent of students entered grade twelve. Today we have 97 per cent entering their final year. The cost of elementary and secondary education in 1972 was four times as much as in 1960, and in the same period, post secon- dary costs increased 18% times.” “Costs should not have to be borne by home owners. Revenue from sales tax climbed to $245 million dollars last year, and will climb far over the quarter billion mark next year because of inflated prices. From individual income taxes the government collected $266 million, and again, because of inflation, will collect far more than this next year. “Yet the rate of increases from revenue from natural resources has steadily declined as a source of in- come. Of the one anda half billion dollar budget last year, revenue from natural resources represented See TEACHERS, pg. 8 Carabanchel In a move clearly aimed at frustrating the efforts of the inter- national protest movement, Fran- co's fascist Tribunal of Public Order (TOP) last week announced its intention to proceed immediate- ly with the trial of the Carabanchel Ten. The trial of the Ten, whose only crime has been to organize a trade union — a guaranteed con- stitutional right in most countries — was originally scheduled for January 8 but was suddenly moved up to December 20 as the pressure of world protest mounted. The Ten have been in prison since June, 1972. Several organizations throughout the world have demanded the right to attend the trial- including representatives of the Trades Union Congress in Britain and the Ten protest British Labor Party. C.P. Neale, Vancouver East MP, also said some months ago that he would at- tend but it was not known at Tribune press time whether he would go in view of the new date. The Canadian Committee for a Democratic Spain and veterans of the MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion in Vancouver have asked that organizations and individuals voice their protest-to the Franco govern- ment and demand the immediate release of the Carabanchel Ten. Telegrams should be sent to: President, Tribunal of Public Order, Palace of Justice, Madrid. Copies should also be sent to the lawyers for the defence at the same address. Monday, Dec. 17 a wire was sent with more than 100 names of prominent B.C. citizens. Burnaby Teachers’ Association president Betty Griffin (right) speaks to provincial education minister Eileen Dailly at teachers’ meeting with Burnaby MLAs Tuesday night. (See story this page).