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Sask. labor

fights back |

SPECIAL conference of the

Saskatchewan Federation

of Labor which drew rep-
resentatives from farm, univer-
sity and cooperative organiza-
tions, has unanimously adopted
a plan of action to force the
repeal of the Essential Services
Emergency Act and amendments
to the province’s Trade Union
Act.

The emergency act .was
passed at a _ special session
of the Saskatchewan legis-

lature in order to break the
strike of workers against the
Saskatchewan Power Corpora-
tion. The amendments to the
Trade Union Act were passed
earlier in the year and contained
many restrictive features.

Speaking at the morning ses-
sion of the conference, Denis
Coupland said that the Thatcher
government’s action in passing
the emergency legislation put
the finishing touches on a coun-
try-wide pattern of repressive
legislation. —

Len Wallace of Regina, vice-
president of the SFL, told dele-
gates there was a grave danger
that repressive labor legislation
already passed by the legislature
will become even harsher.

“Mr. Thatcher has already
promised that the next election
will be decided on the issue of
government versus labor,” he
said.

Wallace said the government
can rationalize public danger
into almost any strike action
and. that there was no reason

to believe Bill No. 2 would not
be extended.

The government could event-
ually call for a wage freeze, he
said, and there was also the dan-
ger it will make unions legal
entities subject to law suits in
provincial courts.

He added that while the gov-
ernment has said it has no: such
intention, it has refused to spe-
cify its lack of intent with le-
gislation. ‘

The plan of action to repeal
the legislation was adopted in
the form of points developed in
a report presented to the con-
ference. These are:

(1) Every MLA be visited per-
sonally.

In areas where there are labor
councils, the initiative should be
taken by them. In areas where
there are no councils, the union
or unions in the area should
singly or jointly undertake this
work. :

Every union should go on re-
cord in writing a letter to the
MLA in its constituency with
copies going to Premier Thatcher
and the leader of the opposition.
The resolution stressed that this
part of the campaign be com-
pleted before the end of Febru-
ary. Individual letter from union
members should also be encour-
aged.

(2) The labor councils should
attempt to organize letters to
the editor in the case of all daily
newspapers in Saskatchewan —
and in some cases to weekly
papers.

(3) Postcards should be print-

ed or duplicated for circulation
and signature by union mem-
bers and then be sent to Premier
Thatcher.

(4) Labor councils should or-
ganize at least one five-minute
TV program opposing restrictive
labor laws, and five-minute
radio spots should also be con-
sidered.

I~ all communities
there are news media, union
members should ask for free
time to explain labor’s position.

(5)' No statement made, or
action ‘taken in the campaign
should go unreported to the
press, TV, and radio, unions
jointly or Singly should consi-
der the insertion of paid news-

‘where

paper advertising in local
papers.

(6) A one-day lobby of gov-
ernment MLA’s in Regina

should be organized during the
spring session and should be
adequately supported.

(7) Labor representatives on
the Saskatchewan Occupational
Group Council should be asked
to make the subject of repres-
sive laws an item of discussion
at a meeting in the near future.

In addition to meeting with
heads of provincial organiza-
tions such as farm, teacher, co-
operative bodies, attempts
should be made locally through
labor councils and other unions
to acquaint them with the facts
about Bill No. 2, and Biil No. 79.

The report said the Saska-
toon meeting would be used as
a springboard for a major cam-

paign.

Workers to Westinghouse:

‘Start talking’

SHARP demand that: the

Canadian Westinghouse
_ , Company commence nego-
tiations on a new contract has
been sent to the company on
the instructions of an overflow
meeting called by Local 504,
United Electrical Workers union.
The union representative of 3,-
800 employees at the company’s
three plants in Hamilton, called
the meeting to ratify proposals
for a new contract, noted that
since their last contract was
signed in April 1964, prices, pro-
fits and taxes have soared out
of all relationship to workers’
wages.

The present contract expires
on April 23, 1967 and the union
intends to make that a meaning-
ful date. Under a separate agree-
ment it presented proposals on
a new pension plan to the com-
pany last August but since that
date, the union said, “they have
Just sat on them and have made
no real effort to get into con-
structive talks.”

“Because of the volume and
complexity of the membership
needs for improved working and:
living conditions,” the union ex-
plains, “we are making it clear

to the company that they have
a responsibility to their employ-
ees and the community to get
right into talks in order to re-
solve all matters in dispute
before the contract expiration
date.”

‘The union’s negotiating com-
mittee, headed by UE’s national
president, C. S. Jackson, stands
ready to commence meaningful
discussions, a spokesman said.

‘Main emphasis at the meeting
centered around the employees’
need to catch up with runaway

_ prices and taxes. An across-the-

board wage demand of 60 cents
an hour with additional amounts
to cover inequities and sagging
skilled trades rates, will be de-
manded of the company in a
firm two-year contract. A cost
of living clause based on one
cent an hour increase for every
5 ‘percent increase in the con-
sumers price index will also be

a matter for negotiations. “With .

present big business price goug-
ing, we intend having protection
for the future,” the UE said.
The union has many other
proposals aimed at restoring and
improving the working and liv-
ing conditions of Westinghouse

employees and their families.
A key plank in these propos-
als is a demand for a job pro-
tection clause in the event of
substantial change resulting

from the introduction of auto- .

mation or technological change.
The union’s demand is in line
with the recommendations put
forth by Mr. Justice Samuel
Freedman in connection with
his study -on
throughs.”

“We are well aware, that of .
necessity, our demands on the .

company contain volume and

costs,” says the UE statement. .

“We also recognize that many

matters are very complex and .

that the outcome of these nego-
tiations can have a _ profound

effect on the community as well .

as our members, by greatly con-
tributing to the increased stan-
dard of living of our members
and to the community.

“We believe the company has
an equal responsibility to its
employees and the community
to start negotiations as suggest-
ed by the union, in order to
achieve the type of results that
will create the least possible
interruption to community life.”

il

“| HAVE A GRIEVANCE: THIS BEARD SMEUS
OF GARLIC... * a

‘enunciated by

“railroad run —~

nionist challeng
eany war policy

Following are excerpts from
speech of Joel Jacobson, New
Jersey AFL-CIO leader of the

‘trade union division of SANE at

Madison Square Gardens Dec. 8.

ESPONSIBLE leaders of re-
sponsible unions have or-
“ganized the trade union

division of SANE to: register
our firm dissent with the con-

duct of our nation’s foreign °

policy, and in so doing, to
make it known that there are

those within the AFL-CIO who.

hold different, and frequently,

‘divergent views of American

policy, than _ those
the Executive
Council of the AFL-CIO...

Next Saturday, 400 union
leaders from Illinois, Ohio, In-
diana and Wisconsin will meet

foreign

_in Chicago to establish a Mid-
‘west Chapter.

On Jan. 19, hundreds of
union leaders will meet in Los
Angeles to launch a West Coast
Chapter.

Such labor luminaries as
Emil Mazey, Frank Rosenblum
and Pat Gorman will be’ the
heralded speakers at these
meetings.

And we are confident that
still other chapters will be
formed in other industrial areas
of our nation.

Three weeks ago last Monday,
the executive council of the
AFL-CIO reviewed its positions
on 19 different aspects of Ame-
rican foreign policy. At the con-
clusion of the all-day meeting,
the executive council decided
unanimously that, in every in-
stance, its prior decision had
been the right one, and that on
all 19 issues, not a single mis-
take had been made.

If you will pardon this un-
characteristic display of organ-

izational modesty, the AFL-CIO

members in the trade union di-
vision of SANE do not share in
this optimism.

One of the 19 policy state-

of a free labor movement

supports the right to dissen

_ billions to put a flying man

_ Spend more dollars to put
_ unemployed man on his feé

ments reviewed, for exa
was the AFL-CIO’s suppo
the United States invasion
the Dominican Republic. Ini
much as today, even Pres
Johnson doesn’t regard tha
cursion as one of his more
tinguished moments’ in
White House, the AFLC
executive council could ha
been overly-generous in fa
ing itself perfect on that ont

Similarly, the AFL-CIO’
solution on Vietnam has @
had its critics. When Wali
Reuther read the resolution ~
the press, he offered his Ca
judgement that the’ AFL-Clt
views were “hysterical, inte
porate, jingoistic and unwor!

Over the years, we
heard the Johnson Adm
tion’s rhetoric of freedom,
as words go, the sentiment
noble. It is easy to say tha
believes in equality, that
demands justice, rejects tyr
ny, abhors poverty, that |

And, if it is wise for
space scientists to spend

the moon, then it is even
for our social scientists

Yes, we differ with our
tion’s foreign policy. We q
tion the wisdom of a pt
which aligns us — at diffe
times of the day or week
with such devoted believe
Democracy as Madame }
Marshal Ky, General Tr
General Wessin, and other
horn would-be dictators. —

We in the trade union
sion of SANE regard oursé
as patriots. We take se
place to no one in our devol
to democracy and our defé
of freedom. We are proud
our country and proud of €
unions, but we are not so pr
of everything which has bi
done in the name of our co
try or our unions. . §