LABOR SCENE Woodworkers put forward demands for contract IWA locals in the coast region are now formulating their demands for the wage and contract conference to be held the first week in February. At the last general meeting of Local 1-217 delegates were elected to the conference, and a group of concerned members circulated a list of contract demands which included: A dollar-an-hour increase or 25 percent, whichever is the high- est; a portable pension plan administered by the union and paid for by the employer; rejec- tion of the continuous work week and the winning of a shorter work day; a new approach to job evaluation that will put the workers interests first; one day per month sick leave with sick leave pay. The resolutions committee of Local 1-71 (coast loggers) have also included in their recom- mendations the following: Board and lodging to be supplied free of charge; the company to pay transportation costs from home to job and full return fares every three months; health and welfare fully paid for by the em- ployer and the plan to include dental care and prescription glasses, also extended benefits. The. loggers also are de- manding a six-hour day to improve the employment picture. According to the mili- tants within the locals, it is felt that in order to promote unity, demands put before the com- panies should be applicable to the whole industry as distinct from sectional interests. ** * Some unemployment _in- surance regulations react as unfairly against loggers as they do against construction workers, Local 1-71 said in a brief to Labor Minister Mackasey this week. They state the annual vacation pay periods and an arbitrary cut- Whither Bill 33? As the PT went to press the Employers Council of B.C., through its president F.G. Peskett, came out publicly for some changes in Media- tion Commission Act, popu- larly known as Bill 33. Labor has been against the Act and the Mediation Commission since its incep- tion. The employers wanted the Act. They fathered it because they wanted a “tough” policy towards labor. But labor refused to knuckle down under the act and boycotted the Mediation Com- mission. Peskett’s statement. is an admission by the employers that they failed with Bill 33. Labor has proven that its boycott has been effective. But where does labor go from here? And what are the bosses after? They haven’t suddenly seen the light. It’s clear that they still want compulsion against labor — but compul- sion that can be made to work. These and other questions will be the theme of a special article in next week’s issue of the PT. Watch for it. off date for the calculation of vacation pay discriminates against loggers who are sea- sonal workers. They say that nearly every applicant for UIC benefits amongst their 5,000 members have been discrim- inated against under the regu- lations. This week also Local 1-217 president Syd Thompson pro- tested the continued shipment of logs from B.C., maintaining that it will lead to a shortage of work in the wood processing industries. No figures are available for the amount of new logs shipped out of B.C. in 1971, but in 1970 the export figures showed a three- fold leap in the first nine months. By October of that year more than 247 million board feet of logs were exported to the U.S. and Japan. * KK The 1972 session of the Labor College of Canada will take place April 30th to June 23 in Montreal. The B.C. Federation of Labor is offering a $1,500 scholarship to the college plus return air fare. Applicants should write a brief summary of their qualifications and the reason they wish to attend the college, and should be sent to the Federation office. The scholarship is open to any member of a local union affiliated to the B.C. Federa- tion. * OK OK In line with the decision made by delegates to the last annual convention of the B.C. Federa- tion of Labor, an unemployed committee has been set up by Wage negotiations. the Campbell River, Courtenay and District Labor Council. The Committee will staff the council office to assist and organize the unemployed. * OK OK On the contract negotiation front, CUPE will apply for a mediator following the break- down of talks with municipal employers in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Rich- mond, New Westminster and Delta, B.C. Hospital Employees have taken strike votes in two hospitals and more are sched- uled for other hospitals. The employees are fighting Ben- nett’s 6.5 percent on wages, and are determined to get an independent arbitrator into the picture. Vancouver school janitors have taken a strike vote and as soon as mediator Ed Sims hands in his report will be free to take strike action if it is necessary. RANKIN Cont'd from pg. 1 to do something that accords with the wishes of the people. We should insist that he act accord- ingly and order Vancouver City Council to hold a plebiscite on a ward system. It might help Dan Campbell to make up his mind to do.so if a strong delegation of Vancouver citizens called on him in Victoria! “But we don’t want a pleb- iscite some time in the future. That means it would become just a political football in the next election campaign. And that’s just what the NPA wants. If we get a ward system now, it knows it will be on the outside looking in. “‘We need action now. The plebiscite should be held within the next month or so. To estab- lish a ward system requires an amendment to the city charter and that can only be done by the legislature. The legislature con- ' venes in Victoria before the end of this month and may carry on until Easter. The plebiscite should be held now, and when it. carries, Dan Campbell can prepare the necessary legis- lation to be passed at this session. Then we can have a ward system for the 1972 civic elections.” YCL leader to speak at city universities _John Bizzell, chairman of the Young Communist League of Canada, starts a cross-Canada speaking and organization tour in Vancouver this week. He will take part in a number of meetings and public speaking engagements at universities and schools on several topics. Bizzell, who was a former organizer of the African National Congress in Canada, and before coming to Canada from South Africa was arrested under South Africa’s ‘‘90 days’’ law, recently returned from a conference in Chile sponsored by the World Federation of Democratic Youth. The Chile parley was called to launch a world- wide campaign for the Van Troi Children’s Hospital being undertaken by the world youth body. He will speak at Vancouver City College, Thursday, Jan. 13 at 12:30 noon on Chile. On Monday, Jan. 17 he will speak at the Student Union Building, Room 205, at the University of B.C. His subject will be Chile. On Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 12:30 he will speak at Simon Fraser University, Room 3005, on the struggle in Africa for freedom, with special emphasis on the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa. For further information phone Mu 4-1451. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1972—PAGE 12 MAURICE RUSH RODERICK DORAN Communists nominate in 3 Federal ridings Indicating intentions to mou a major effort around t Federal election expected th spring, the Communist Party B.C. held nominating convel® tions last Sunday in three Federal ridings: Vancouvel East, Vancouver Kingsway @ New Westminster. 4 In Vancouver East 4 nominating meeting namet Maurice Rush, Pacific Tribune editor and provincial chairmal of the Party, to contest this important working class riding. Rush was raised and educate@ in Vancouver East and has com tested the riding in previ0Ue” federal and provincial elections: In accepting nomination Rus? said his party will urge a Mi direction in Canadian nation@ policies: away from dominate by the U.S. and towards inde pendent national policies. The. Vancouver Kingswa nominating meeting named William Turner as candidate Turner is secretary of the Van couver Party and was an activ trade unionist prior to taking U his present post. . “The fight for new policies 10” halt unemployment and provide ™ jobs requires the election of candidates pledged to cart through a program to end U.S” domination by nationalizing the basic industries,”’ said Turner. He also called for financlé assistance to Vancouver an specifically urged Federa grants for rapid transit rathe than towards a third crossing. Named to contest the Ne Westminster riding wa Roderick Doran, Fraser Valley regional secretary of the Party and active trade unionist. Doral — is a longshoreman and forme!” president of the Prince Rupert Labor Council. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Doran came to B.C. as a young man and worked in the ship- yards and on the waterfront for many years. He was Communist candidate in the last provincial ” election. @ Speaking at the New West minster nominating meeting, Nigel Morgan, B.C. party leader said the party will put forward 4— maximum effort in the coming — election and will run in at least” seven ridings. : | — Socreds, Liberals out fo scuttle public power A call to the Provincial Government to uphold B.C. Hydro’s right to distribute natural gas on Vancouver Island was contained in a wire sent to Premier Bennett this week by the B.C. Provincial Committee of the Communist Party. The wire, sent by Nigel Mor- gan, the Party’s B.C. leader, urged the government ‘‘to take immediate steps to remove any ambiguity on the issue, and to reaffirm the publicly-owned B.C. Hydro’s right to distri- bution of natural gas on Van- couver Island. “Despite many justified criti- cisms of certain current policies and rate structures of B.C. Hydro, the reversal of long- standing policy of a publie-owned distribution system could only result in considerably higher 7 rates for natural gas users on the Island, ‘Dr. McGeer’s and the Liberal Party’s proposal to enact al order-in-council to open the door to privately-owned developers would provide a bonanza for the gas monopolies. But it would begin the dismemberment of B.C.’s publicly-owned utility system and have disastrous effects for gas and electricity users. “Gas and light are vitally important utilities to the people of this province. Rates are already too high. What’s needed is the strengthening of the publicly-owned system, not its undermining; and the provison of gas and light at cost,’’ the wire concluded.