ai. ‘and the process that -union toward Can- LABOR UAW vote launches independent course By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — Canadian autoworkers ’ wrote a new chapter in this country’s labor history, Dec. 15»when they voted to launch the process that will give birth to an inde- pendent Canadian union. In a near-unanimous vote, some 400 UAW members at a joint session of the Canadian and Quebec UAW councils ‘ endorsed the International Executive Board’s Dec. 10 decision to set up two separate structures in Canada and-the U.S., thus _ ending a 49-year connection with the inter- national. The Canadian council also decided to undertake and in-depth information cam- paign throughout every local detailing the shape and implications of the union’s his- toric decision. Letters, leaflets and local union meetings where members will be able to endorse the council’s actions will give the union a vehicle to express its unity around the historic development. _ In announcing the outcome of the Dec. 15 Canadian Council meeting, Canadian director Bob White said he had no regrets -over the outcome of the process that gave the international an option of either recog- nizing complete autonomy for the Canadi- ans within the international structure, or recognizing their declaration of independ- ence. : > “I woke up Tuesday morning (Dec. 11) to a new day for our union and feeling good about the exciting time ahead to move for- ward with a new organization,” White said. He described, the Mu Dec. 15 decision > S| led to it as a coming of age for the UAW membership in Can- ada and a necessary step in- the -natural evolution of the adians taking res- ponsibility for the ~ decisions they make BOB WHITE as a union and exercising full control over their destiny. Significantly,the decision to create anew Canadian autoworkers union coincided with Tory Prime Minister Brian Muironey’s New York love-in with the top executives of the U.S. corporate and government elite. As © Mulroney hung a “For Sale” sign on Can- ada, the Canadian UAW leadership was announcing a decision that was partially rooted in the Canadian membership’s rejec- tion of a continentalist drive by the auto corporations to lower wages and living standards in the industry through conces- sions. White and the Canadian leadership emerged from the recent General Motors . talks determined never again to be subjected to interference from the international lead- ership in contract talks with the auto corpo- rations in Canada. Since the break from the international on the issue of concessions which began with Chrysler negotiations in 1979, the Canadian union’s growing independence on the bargaining front was matched by efforts of the interna- tional to keep the Canadians in line with the USS. pattern. This year the union signed an agreement that set a completely independent Canadian pattern, but not without repeated interfer- ence in bargaining and heavy pressure on the Canadian leadership by international president Owen Bieber to conform with the’ USS. pattern. That pressure and interference extended all the way to a threat to cut Canadians from strike fund benefits unless they backed away from their no-concessions demands and submitted to the U.S. contract model which would have introduced lump sum payments instead of annual wage increases into the Canadian collective bargaining environment. Now that the decision on autonomy has — been made, it will have a profound impact not only in swinging the balance of forces inside the Canadian trade union movement - toward greater autonomy leading to com- plete independence, but ‘it could play a broader role in bringing labor into the cen- tre of the swiftly-developing fight for Cana- dian economic’and political independence from U.S. domination in general. The move should also help the process of unity within the labor movement that - White has tried to:promote both through his proposed metal workers federation and through mergers of smaller industrial and other unions into larger and more effective While the union is already negotiating a merger with the 4,500-member Canadian Airline Employees Association, discussions have also taken place between the union and such organizations as the Moulders and the Rubberworkers. White told reporters Dec. 15 that earlier in the morning he’d been contacted by a top officer of an un-named’ industrial union with about 20,000 members to explore’the possibility of joining forces. As the UAW takes its information cam- __ paign to its Canadian members, an interna- tional committee including White and other top officers will be drafting the terms of reorganization of the union into two separ- ate bodies which will be formalized in a . constitutional convention some time next year. ~ os White’ stressed that both sides. have committed themselves to as amicable and speedy a process of separation as possible. The Canadians, who constitute about: 10 _ - per cent of the international membership are expecting a proper share of the $550- million international strike fund in order to ensure, as White put it, the Canadian union gets a healthy start on a sound footing. He has repeatedly stressed that it is in the interests of both Canadian and American UAW members that both unions be as strong and secure as possible, and that the Canadians go into the negotiations assum- ing that the international funds are the joint property of both memberships. _ Other matters that will have to be ironed out include the structuring of a Canadian payroll system for Canadian staff, staff pen- sions and the transfer to the Canadian sec- tion of internationally-held property in Canada including the Canadian headquar- ters and Windsor offices. The UAW move has rattled the corpo- rate establishment, throughout the auto industry and beyond. Representatives of the big three auto corporations have “worried” in the media about the impact of this devel- opment on the current auto boom in Can- ada and some have even threatened a re-appraisal of current long-term invest- ment decisions in this country. White’s reply to the debate that has fol- lowed the UAW decision is that corporate investment or any other decisions in the past weren’t based primarily on the structure of the UAW or any other union in Canada or elsewhere. Secbebriaes He pointed out that profits are the main factor and the auto companies in particular are still in a strong position to extract large profits out of Canada. The change in struc- ture won’t affect that. The corporations he said are perfectly capable of understanding the changes that have taken place in Canada and they will learn to live with the Canadians making their own decisions and bargaining on their own demands. 24 « PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 19, 1984 4 TROUESUSUUDCESUREEERESSLSRESEOEE HENLACUEAGDUUUUDUDUNERESEOOESUGELACOSEAROULEGESOOHEESEADERSSSSUEECECOOESREDESOEQLEEODEEOEUECOASELOUOESEROESECOLOEEREONE We hope this season brings renewed spirit and conviction in the fight for the rights of all for a better life. 2 Decent jobs, decent incomes — A world of peace Merry Christmas to al Vancouver Unemployed Action Centre 138 E. Cordova St. Vancouver. V6A 1K9. 688-9001. | ENUUELEULAEREGUSESEEAEGEGESOUDEDEAUSUDEDESUUTOAOUSUESUSGUSASESUCOEDUDOUOAAUSEOURESDESEDESSSECOEERUUOUAAEEEOUGESEREOEREGEOELEUECECTEREGEOUUEOEOEEDUEECGED t BCUCUC LOCC LULUC LLCO LULL CULL LLLLLLLLLLL LL Season’s Greetings to the labor, peace, and solidarity movements. May you grow in your endeavors in 19885. ; Trade Union Research Bureau #170, 111 Victoria Drive - Vancouver, V5L 4C4. 255-7346. | -Season’s Greetings from the brothers and sisters of th Carpenters Union Local 452 May our quest for friendship, co-operation, world peace and goodwill toward all mankind continue undaunted. from the % HOSPITAL — x) EMPLOYEES’ UNION tao