BRITISH COLUMBIA

1987: a pretty ordinary year, right?
Consider what has preceded it, in this
decade alone. We had 1983, the year the
most ham-fisted government in post-war
history hammered British Columbians
with some of the most draconian anti-
labor, anti-people legislation ever to
emanate from a right-wing government
in Canada.

Following that, the Tribune had its
50th anniversary in 1985, an event which
set in bold relief the struggles of the
unemployed in both 1935, when we first
rolled off the presses, and in the Eighties.

Last year saw our province’s centen-
nial, with its super-hyped fair, Expo 86,
accompanied by the government's super-
anti-labor legislation against the Build-
ing Trades and its super-do-nothing
position regarding the evictions of
hundreds of Downtown Eastside tenants.

However, that year also marked 100
years of May Day, which the Tribune
celebrated, with others around the
world, marking the event with an extra
large May | issue.

But one would be wrong to write off
1987 as anti-climactic.

Barely three months into the year, and
we've already seen the real face of the
supposedly “new” Socreds, who have
dropped on the province a budget that
continues the essence of Bennett’s res-
traint program. We're expecting changes
to the Labor Code to render workers
rights, already been seriously eroded by
previous labor legislation amendments,
even less attainable. Meanwhile, we have
a worrisome absence of action programs
in response. Instead, we’re being given
joint business labor institutes at a time
when the B.C. Business Council and the

province’s top companies are seeking
court actions to overturn hard-won
labor rights in the collective agreement
process.

On the civic front, right-wing adminis-
trations are allowing land developers to
run amok with ruinous megamarkets
and similar schemes, while hitting poorer
people hard with phoney campaigns on
illegal suites. In Vancouver, the electoral
sweep by the Non-Partisan Association
has resulted in the abolition of such
landmarks as the fair wage bylaw and
elimination of city support for aid to
Nicaragua.

On the brighter side, a changing politi-
cal situation has seen the rapid fall from
popularity of both the Mulroney
government and the U.S. Reagan admin-
istration as these become mired in inepti-
tude and corruption.

An even brighter picture emerges
from the resumed peace talks on Euro-
pean armaments, with fresh Soviet initia-
tives for disarmament that have won
popular support from the world’s peace
forces.

The Tribune has responded to those
developments with ongoing coverage
and analysis, playing our indispensible
role to the labor and progressive move-
ments. When Irangate hit the news
stands, we were there with the analysis;
when Vancouver city council made
cheap headlines with its illegal suites

crackdown, the Tribune gave a different ©

perspective.
But, as with all the years preceding this
one, we can’t do it without your help.
In our drive to achieve $98,000 this

year, we count as usual on your financial :

support — raised from your own re-

Union alerted to Remple
bid for garbage service

Laidlaw, the private company that has
made a business out of urging municipal-
ities to privatize their garbage collection
systems, is taking aim again at Vancouv-
er’s lucrative trade, the Tribune has
learned.

Ina letter to Ald. George Puil, chair of
Vancouver city council’s finance and
priorities committee, Laidlaw president
Len Remple urges the committee and
council to open up the city’s sanitation
collection services for private bids.

Discussion of Laidlaw’s petition by
the finance committee has been tenta-
tively set for April 30.

Remple’s letter
does not consti-
tute the first time
the company,
which operates
Haulaway dispo-
sal services, has
made a bid for
Vancouver's gar-
bage collection.
Remple’s appeal
before council in
1982 to privatize LONG ;
the service was rejected by a strong
majority. Nor is it the first time the issue
of privatization has been raised at city
hall. Last year, then-alderman Gordon
Campbell of the Non-Partisan Associa-
tion introduced a motion calling for city
staff to study the feasibility of privatizing
city services, although he subsequently
amended it to exclude sanitation services.

The motion, deferred twice, was later
withdrawn after several groups, includ-
ing the Canadian Union of Public
Employees, and the Vancouver Munici-
pal and Regional Employees Union,
intervened at council. _

This year, however, Campbell is
mayor of a council that has seven NPA
colleagues and a sympathetic independ-
ent.

Private companies, including Rem-
ple’s Haulaway and Laidlaw, have suc-
ceeded in wresting the garbage collection
business away from unionized, city
employees in Coquitlam, Richmond,
Surrey and Delta.

President Dave Long of CUPE Local
1004, which represents Vancouver’s out-
side workers, said the local is preparing a
brief to counter Remple’s petition. He
said the union will show that the city-run
service is far more cost-efficient that a
privatized collection.

Meanwhile, private companies have
also made inquiries about the city’s soon
to be established newspaper recycling
service, assistant city engineer Dave
Rudberg confirmed.

The service was established by a vote
in council last year, and council also
voted that the work would be performed
by city crews. The new council could,
however, change that decision.

Rudberg said the service would be
introduced in three phases, beginning in
the east end later this year.

2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 1, 1987

1987 is no ordinary year

sources, and from those of your friends
and co-workers — to put us over the
top. And, as usual, we’re counting on our
top fundraisers — the press builders,
honor press builders, the 500 Club and
the $1,000 achievers in the First Century
Club — to set the pace.

We're off to a good start, with the first
$1,000 already in. We have some fresh
initiatives, with the Seamen’s press Club
challenging the Fishermen’s press club to
meet or beat the Seamen’s quota. And

Bill Bennett
Burnaby
Coquitlam
CURE.
Effie Jones
Kingsway
New West.
Nigel Morgan
North Van.
Richmond
Seamen ©
Van. East
Van. Fishermen
' West Side

FRASER VALLEY

Delta

Fraser Valley _
Maple Ridge

Surrey

White Rock

Penticton

- Mictotia

there are several events — including
talks on the glasnost process in the Soviet
Union by Val Carey in Kamloops on
April 3, and Jack Phillips in North Van-
couver on April 5 — to help raise funds
for the drive.

In short, its business as usual, but
that’s never “ordinary.” For the effort
put into the drive each year by our read-
ers and supporters — effort that has
always put us over the top — is always
extraordinary.

“Kamloops 00

_ Vernon 1 600

_N. COAST/INTERIOR |

Correspondence 2,100
Creston — 400
Fernie 200
Powell River 600
Prince George 200°
Prince Rupert 350
Sunshine Coast 800
Terrace 100
Trail 800 /
VANCOUVER ISLAND _

Campbell River 2,200
Comox Valley
Nanaimo

North Island

Port Alberni

Miscellaneous |
TOTAL:

ao

Seniors launch petition

over Pharmacare charges

continued from page 1

“The pharmacists say they’re really
behind us in this,” Arland, who met with
Pharmasave management March 30, told
the Tribune. :

Arland noted that her organization,
along with the umbrella group, the B.C.
Council of Senior Citizens Organizations,
has scored impressive victories in the past,
including the successful campaign against
de-indexing for inflation of federal pensions
and the broad movement which succeeded
in forcing the Greater Vancouver Regional
District and the provincial government to
= back the hike in the B.C. Hydro transit
levy.

The social Credit government’s 1987-88
budget, introduced in the legislature March
19, levies dispensing fees against seniors
who are members of the province’s Phar-
macare plan. Under the scheme, seniors pay
the pharmacist, who remits the money to

the province, which then reimburses the

Pharmacare user all monies paid beyond

* $125 annually.

: Exceptions to the rule are a small minor-
ity of seniors who receive GAIN benefits
and who are reimbursed by the province
with a special $125 grant.

But these really constitute a small percen-
tage of the old age pensioners in the pro-
vince, said Arland.

Statistics show that 341,550 draw pen- —
sions in the province, and that of these,
144,000 have incomes modest enough to
qualify them for the federal government.
Guaranteed Income Supplement. 4

These are the marginally poor who will
be hit hardest by the province’s new usef
fees, Arland charged.

“Only 42,600
people receive GAIN.
All the rest who are
marginally on the
other side of the
GAIN cheque will
be forced to pay the
fees, probably out
of food or rent
money.

“If nothing else,
the administrative
costs of this plan are
considerable,” Arland said.

Arland said her organization has als
been in touch with the B.C. Federation of
Labor concerning joint action, and seniofs _
leaders and members of End ‘Legislated
Poverty have discussed co-ordinated activi-
ties.

“What we're really concerned about i$ —
that this, if unchallenged, could lead tO”
further user fees — perhaps levied for visits _
to general practitioners,” Arland warned. —