LABOR COMMENT
The 1972 convention of the B.C.
Federation of Labor came close to
an explosion over the issue of the
Teadmittance of the United
F ishermen and Allied Workers’
ion. The delegates were in no

_ Mood for evasions and platitudes.

hey wanted the Fishermen in the
anadian Labor Congress and the
BC. Federation of Labor. They
Wanted an end to disunity which
gan as an unjustified expulsion
during the cold war period.
A strong statement was adopted,
_ “xpressing the determination of
€ convention not to accept “no”
4S'an answer from the leadership
of the CLC. William Dodge,
Cretary-Treasurer of the CLC,
clearly on the defensive, said “I got
the Message." He also intimated
at British Columbia could expect
4 favorable response. A few
Months later, the Fishermen, along
n the United Electrical, Radio
2 Machine Workers Union (UE)
fre readmitted into the Congress.
re new generation of trade un-
hists had come into the move-
Ment after these two unions, along
N others, were expelled for op-
ane cold war policies originating
ion the top leadership of the un-
A Movement in the U.S. To this
: meet generation, these
_ Pulsions made no sense. The vin-
ge pers who still clung to
ar policies and slogans were
® the defensive. ‘
ee older leaders who had con-
€ntly opposed cold war policies
With; who were able to remain
Ait, N.the main stream of the
io were being listened to
ne Increasing tolerance and
ae This tolerance and respect
ively reflected in a
Wher er of unions and labor bodies
Office left-wingers were elected to

The 1973 Federation convention
ina the first delegation
Ther € Fishermen in many years.
i, COUuld also be a large delega-
Tom the B.C. Government

P’oyees’ Union, who recently

tion ¢

0
ai, to end their self-imposed
Ment. from the labor move-

went Many active trade union
new He the key issue will be the
ttody abor legislation to be in-

Ced by the provincial govern-

en :
legis uring the fall session of the

Onvent;
€ntion which opens in Van-

Co
hint 3 n October 29. A possible
been ge nat is to come may have
Dem, el by Karen Sanford, New
legig} mee Party member of the
ature and chairman of the
Day aes Addressing a Labor
OR eae at Parksville she said,
mas Won't get everything it
gover Could be a hint that ‘the
from Ment, under heavy pressure
Yomina € big monopolies who
Dovinece Ue economic life of this
from 4: 'S Preparing to retreat
labor —<2™mitments to organized
Dlayeg he F ederation, which
this Bo €y role in the election of
implemen nent must insist on full
Ney) lab nation of its proposals on
ae on th T legislation, based as they
ih Manits labor legislation in effect
Oba and Saskatchewan.
z Every 5 eek Lae |
less than €ndency to quietly accept
“Scan, What would:constitute a

Pras
ete ee ee oe a

€, prior to the Federation .

————

democratic and progressive labor
code, because ‘“‘we shouldn’t em-
barrass our government,” must be
combatted. Such a retreat would
mean giving in to right wing social
democracy, which in turn, had
given in to monopoly capital. The
struggle between labor and capital
is much sharper in B.C. than in
Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Hence the hesitation of the govern-
ment to introduce legislation that
would be welcomed by the trade
union movement. Hence the
evasions and the talk about a new
era of understanding between
labor and capital and new
techniques to eliminate conflict.

There are those within the
government and the leadership of
the trade unions who seek accom-
modation with monopoly, instead
of moving forward to curb its
powers. In a recent commentary
on Sweden, a journalist quoted the
Social Democatic premier as
saying that after 40 years of
Social Democratic rule, the
Social Democrats had the poli-
tical power while the mono-
polies had greater economic
power than ever before. The
writer went on to point to the
possibility of a return to poli-
tical power by the parties of big
business.

In short, the trade union move-
ment cannot afford to be satisfied

with a Social Democratic govern- |

ment which administers the
economic system on behalf of the
monopolies. It must advance and
fight for its own ‘anti-monopoly
program. :

In B.C. it should press for im-
plementation of policies that will
keep B.C. moving left. The basic
aim of the working class should be
to mount broad, public pressure
that will move the NDP govern-
ment beyond a few reforms to

modify the harshness of monopoly
rule, beyond the so-called welfare
state. The government must move
in the direction of seriously under-
cutting the economic power of the
monoplies. Organized labor must
seize the opportunity to become
the rallying point and the mass
base for a broad, anti-monopoly
coalition that would eliminate the
possibility of another 40 years of
monopoly power.

The October convention of the
Federation should demand action
to bring the natural resources of
our province under public control,
to halt the foreign rip-off of natural
gas, coal, minerals, wood and
waterpower, and to obtain a better

ee te

ee
| *

a

Coming B.C. labor parley must —
press for anti-monopoly policy

return for the treasury. Firm ac-
tion must be taken to impose con-
trols over the export of raw
materials and to regain control of
timber resources and the Colum-
bia’s water power.

The convention should
demand:

o Public ownership of West
Coast Transmission and the Brit-
ish .Columbia Telephone, two
vital utilities which are sub-
sidiaries of giant U.S. mono-
polies. :

@ Removal of the education
tax from homes and family
farms.

e Improvements in education
and its financing; municipal

B.C. FEDERATION OF LABOR in convention session last
year. This year labor faces new tasks and challenges.

_grants to cut taxes on homes. Im-
proved health and welfare ser-
vices, urban transportation and
environmental protection.

e Increased corporation
taxes. Elimination of the sales
tax.

e Additional protection for
tenants, consumers and the
disadvantaged people (pen-
sioners, recipients of social wel-
fare, etc.)

***

The convention coincides with
period in which monopoly is sad-
dling the working class with in-
creasing inflation and unem-
ployment. The effects of these
two evils of monopoly capital
on the living standards of the
people, in the absence of a
clear perspective of the leader-
ship of the working classiin the
anti-monopoly struggle, cause
impatience and frustration. It
is this which often gives rise to
expressions of pseudo-leftism
and reformism, particularly
among those who have recently
entered the labor movement
and the younger elements in the
work force.

At this convention in October,
and bearing in mind that the
national convention of the CLC
will be held in Vancouver in
May of next year, the following
trade union and_ popular
demands should be advanced:

e@ Higher wages and the 32-
hour week.

e The prices and review
board to be empowered to stop
price increases and to roll back
prices.

e Aroll-back of rents and rent
control.

e Increased pensions and vol-
untary early retirement with no

See B.C. LAB OR, pg. 11

COWICHANS DEMAND:

‘Salmon for survival, survival for salmon’

By SEAN GRIFFIN
Down the flat sweep of the
Cowichan River just south of Dun-
can a weir, contrived of sticks and
poles stretched across the gravel
bed of the river has captured the
attention of hundreds of people,

not the least of whom are officials *

of the federal department of
fisheries.

Not because the weir has been
overly effective catching fish — it
hasn't — but because it symbolizes
the defiance by the Cowichan band
of fishing regulations but more im-
portant because it dramatizes the
Indians’ demand for food — and
survival.

That attention is focussed on the
illegality of weir fishing is ironic
for while the government has stood
by with its gaze averted as major
fish companies engaged recently in
hoarding of canned salmon and
resale of already-packed fish, the
food-fishing methods of the
Cowichan have been under the con-
stant surveillance of federal of-
ficials.

The construction of the weir in
defiance of fishing regulations was
prompted, in fact, by RCMP
harassment of members of the

Cowichan band and alleged -

Pe kad eh Be Aa a EOE EE REE Te SEEM OTE RR EE A a a ae ge

wean Say We Tee Et a OF

searches of homes and _ storage
facilities by officers looking for
illegally-caught fish.

And the issue goes back even
further into the long history of en-
croachment on Indian fishing
rights. ;

Before a local anglers’ associa-
tion complained in 1913 of a
reduced supply of fish, there were
some 15 to 20 weirs on the
Cowichan River and Indians used
several traditional methods of
fishing including spears, dipnets
and larger nets. The Royal Com-
mission on Indian Affairs
recommended a meeting to resolve
the dispute.

At the 1914 meeting the
Cowichans argued that their weirs
were not responsible for the
reduced. number of fish and E.B.
McKay agreed, pointing out that
weirs did not and never had in-
jured the fishery. Logging cuts and
the consequent diversion in the
river were, in his opinion, the
cause.

Nevertheless, an agreement was

* yeached whereby there would be

three weirs on the river with
various specifications stipulated
for their constructions.

The ensuing: years saw the

federal department of fisheries
conduct various meetings all aimed
at getting the weirs off the river
and restricting the means by which
the Cowichans could catch their
food fish. Requests in 1936 for the
restoration of weir fishing and the
use of the other traditional
methods were dismised by the
department as “‘unreasonable.”’

Today, all Indians fishing for
food must have permits issued by
the local fisheries officer and can
fish only with spears, gaffs or
dipnets. Fishing is restricted to five
days a week only. While fisheries
officials conducted the earlier cam-
paign against the weirs on the basis
of trading nets for weirs, now the
Indians have neither, except in
very special cases where the old or
infirm are allowed to use nets.

But the slogan of the Cowichans’
demonstrative action is significant
— salmon for survival, survival for
salmon. Fish is a basic protein food
for the people, not only a
traditional food but ever more
necessary because of the soaring
cost of meat.

At the same time, the Cowichans

have outlined demands for the con-

struction of a fish hatchery on -the

Cowichan River to be operated by
the Cowichan Indians. ‘‘We
recognize the need for respect for
the salmon and as such are
prepared to enter into serious
negotiations with the fisheries
department over the establishment
of fish hatchery systems so that the
depletion of the salmon will not
continue to be a threat,”’ they said.

UFAWU president Homer
Stevens visited the site of the weir
last week and commented that the
Cowichan River has not been
developed to its fullest extent as a
salmon river. He welcomed the de-
mand for the establishment of
hatchery systems.

Federal environment minister
Jack Davis’ refusal to discuss the
issue with the Indians indicates a
continuing attitude on the part of
the federal government towards
the rights and demands of the In-
dian people.

For the Cowichans want policies
that will guarantee that ‘‘salmon
will continue to play an important
role in all Canadian people’s lives.”
The large fish companies after
whose interests Jack Davis more
often looks, are more concerned
withthe. profit... cere |

ee eas

PACIRIE TRIBUNE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14-1978 > PAGE