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Abolish transit fares and stop
_ fare increases Metro labor says

TORONTO — Metro Labor
Council, Jan. 4, reaffirmed its
demand for the abolition of fares
on Metro transit and declared it-
self in opposition to any further
fare increases by the Toronto
Transit Commission. -

Delegates unanimously en-
dorsed a Municipal and Commun-
ity Action Committee report on
proposed fare increases which
also called for increased provin-
cial government subsidies and a
special levy on commercial and
industrial enterprises that gener-
ate and depend on heavy use of
the TTC.

- The council’s move was in re-
sponse to the perennial cry in To-
ronto for a fare increase to meet
the ever-growing operating deficit
of the TTC. In a later develop-
ment, Metro Council Chairman.
Paul Godfrey Jan. 9, called for the
formation of a joint Metro-TTC
committee which would have as
its first task to approach Tory On-
tario premier Bill Davis for a
larger TTC operating subsidy.”’

Faced with a minority govern-
ment situation in which both op-
position parties in the Legislature
ate opposed to further TTC fare
hikes, this committee has a strong
possibility for success in getting
financial relief from Ontario.

The labor council statement
Jan. 4 noted the relationship of
fare hikes to the corresponding
decline in ridership. It pointed out
that ‘‘the cash fare of 55 cents is

and that ridership had dropped

from 358 million 1975 to 348 mill-
ion in 1977.

‘‘Transit policies are all de-
signed to the end that the burden
is placed on the TTC user’, the
municipal committee charged.
“Increasing fares results in de-
clining rider use and in greater de-
ficits.””

Council president Sam Fox,
who was acclaimed to his post for
another term, responding to a
statement by Toronto Alderman
Dan Heap, a delegate from the
Canadian Paperworkers Union,
told delegates the council would
be represented at a Jan. 9 TTC
meeting where a fare increase was
expected to be recommended.-

“‘We can show there is wide-
spread public opposition to fare
increases’’, Heap said, as he
urged as many local union rep-
resentatives as possible to attend
the TTC meeting. He also called
on all delegates to return to their
locals and urge their members to
contact their elected municipal
representatives to let them know
they are opposed to a fare in-
crease.

The Jan. 4 labor council meet-
ing was also nomination night for
the annual council elections
slated for Jan. 18.

A slip of the tongue by presi-
dent Fox in referring to the ‘‘ritu-
al’’ of the nominations was a fairly
accurate description of the pro-
cess as all but one of the table
positions was contested. Re-

.-acclaimed to their jobs, in addi-

tion to Fox, were vice-president

Ken Signoretti (Steelworkers),
and Treasurer Bill Baker
(CUPE).

United Electrical Workers Na-
tional Director. of Organization
Art Jenkyn challenged Laborers
Union delegate Peter Hitchen for
the secretary’s position.

There will be elections to all
committees with the exception of
the membership and credentials
committee which saw the four de-.
legates acclaimed who were
nominated.

Also acclaimed to their posts
on the council executive -were
Seargent at Arms Jim Robertson
(Toronto Typographical Union),
and Tyler Arnold Gould (Cana-
dian Union of Postal Workers).

MILLION WORKERS
NEGOTIATE IN ’79

OTTAWA — Contracts for
some 1;019,500 Canadian work-
ers will expire in 1979, Labor
Canada announced Jan. 5. This
survey covers 332 bargaining
situations in non-contruction
industries employing more than
500 workers.

Some 33% of the agreements
monitored by the ministry, and
49% of the workers involved, will
be. entering contract talks this
year. There will be 13 major
agreements that will re-open for
specific clauses, usually wages;
and 47 major construction agree-
ments will expire in 1979.

DEMAND 12%

-new one-year agreement in 1

GLOBE PRESSME! ]

_ TORONTO — The Printing!
Graphic Communications Un
representing pressmen and p
handlers at the Globe and MW
and Star, are demanding a !
increase in wages and COLA fi

The union also wants more w4
ers on the presses, time-and-a+
for shift work on the Sunday paj
and a four consecutive day Wé
week. The current pact ended D
31. .\

Both papers’ agreements :
the Southern Ontario Newsp#
Guild expire June 30.

‘Let us know you’re with us’

Gould asks Metro labor council

By MIKE PHILLIPS

TORONTO — ‘‘Our members
must know that the labor move-
ment is with us’’, Arnold Gould,
president of the Toronto local of
the Canadian Union of Postal
Workers (CUPW) said Jan. 4.

He was urging delegates to the
Metro labor council to make the
union’s Mass Rally and Demon-
stration, planned for Jan. 27, an
overwhelming success. The rally
will include CUPW president
Jean Claude Parrot and a
spokesman from the Metro labor
council,

Gould reminded delegates of a
planning meeting for the rally and
demonstration which is planned
for Jan. 17 and urged all delegates
to ensure their locals were rep-
resented at that meeting at the
CUPW Toronto union hall.

Letters have been sent to all
union locals across Metro urging
them to come to the planning
meeting and to get a full mobiliza-
tion out for the rally and demonst-
ration. The rally will take place at
the University of Toronto at 1:00
p.m., Jan. 27.

The letters note, ‘‘the postal
workers’ struggle could be yours

next, and we are asking you
support us now with a show
strength ...”’

Gould reviewed the recent?
velopments in the CUPW’s fil
to get a decent contract from
federal government, as well aS
union’s tireless efforts to reg
their collective bargaining |
strike rights. The report of six :
ronto CUPW members fired?
taking partin the recent strike’
corrected to five, as manageml
couldn’t find anything negative
one member’s work record.

The CUPW president ad@)
that none of the other five C BY
members fired had anything
their record to justify such acti)
by management. The sil)
member, whose dismissal W

7
>

The great private pension rip-off

Are private pensions another rip-off? This question has been
widely discussed by organized labor for the past few years and,
more particularly since Canada’s biggest insurance companies
under the guise of a National Citizens’ Coalition mounted an
attack on public pension plans, those covering public employees
in particular.

In the fall of 1977, the Ontario Federation of Labor’s bi-
monthly bulletin ‘Labor Review’ pointed out that about 60% of
all Canadians retire with no more than old age security benefits. It
stated that the way that pension plans are handled in Canada is a
national disgrace. It stated that out of the 40% of Canadian
workers covered by pension plans other than Canada pension,
more than half are employees of federal, provincial and municipal
governments. Also that ‘‘Only about 20% of those workers who
have paid into a plan collect any benefits . .. it is estimated that

only 4% to 10% of those pension funds are ever collected by those
who contributed.”’ ee

Canada’s largest union has claimed that “‘we can buy back the

cancelled, was given a 10-
suspension. :

_CUPW president Jean.
Parrot announced in Ottawa J
5, the union was withdraw
from talks with the governmé
on its proposed crown corpa
tion, Canada Post Corp., ace
ing Postmaster-General Gill
Lamontagne of double-talk: ~

Citing Lamontagne’s Jan. 4
Statement promising ‘“‘no furth
harassment or intimidation
postal workers was to tah
place”, the CUPW leader nol
the recent firings. 4

Parrot said the Postmast
General was starting 1979 off of
note of war and that the pé

Zhe need: It’s greater than you think!

R to an Adequate Pension and a Secure Old Age
Bhs Rie an exp Segui and imp d public pension system by increasing Canada! Quebec
Pension Plan benefits, combined with Old Age Security, up to 75 per cent of the average
industrial wage. -

go Right to have Pension Fund Assets used for the social ;
‘To buy back the Canadian economy and to pursue an industrial aeateny to enerate new jobs
by having the government and public employee pension funds buy back the interests of
foreign owned and controlled corporations and to directly invest in the manufacturing
sector through government Crown Corporations.

g™ Right to Co-Management of Pension Plans and Funds by Workers
Through joint board of trustees or admi ative i to protect their interests
and retirement income.

he Right to have the Legal Responsibility of Pension Plan Sponsors Clearly Outlined
Phi bodied in pension legi fatio so orkers now who A eaally Pescorisibis for the
. prudent management, investment and security of their pension fund assets.
gg Right to Full Pension Plan Disclosure and Information
For pension plan members and unions, on request, including information on plan texts
and amendments, annual information returns, actuarial valuations, portfolio composition
and rate of return, employer contributions, financial statements and deficit or surplus

: : ; me : ai ‘office would continue to be a¢
Canadian economy in five years by using the billions now being Gre Right to a Mandatory Pension Benefit Grievance Proced ossal failure unless the hara\
contributed to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and various public To settle any ding dispute b a pension plan member and the plan sponsor

or trustees.

Ze Right to Improved Vesting Requirements

In order to protect an employee’s earned pension credits and guarantee a deferred pension
based on the employers contributions made on his/her behalf after age 30 or five (5) years
service.

Zr Right to a Portable Pension between Employers
By creating a Central Pension Agency to pecorderranifer and pay pension benefits.

gr Right of Unions to Negotiate Post-Retirement Improvements
for pensioners and retired members under the Labour Relations Act.

gr Right to an Indexed Pension and to Post-Retirement Adjustment:
For all workers in the private and public sectors to offset inflation and guarantee the real
purchasing power of those on fixed retirement incomes.

gx Right to Continue Work at the Individual’s Discretion
‘And the elimination of mandatory retirement, in recognition of the fact that work is central
to a person's social existence.

he Right to Voluntary Early Retirement
Moshe the CanadalQuebec Pension Plan.
Zs: Right to Pre and Post Retirement Counselling ;

In order to help prepare workers for a secure, happy and socially useful retirement.
gx Right to the Elimination of Discrimination in Pension Plans

And making the elimi i

d \ mination of discriminatory practices a condition of pension plar.
registration with the pension authorities.

gre Right of Women and Housewives to the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan Benefits
During periods away from the work force.

he Right of Part-Time Employees to Mandatory Pension Plan Covera:
After a rhinimum of 1,000 ae anda aximur qualifying period of ene year for entrance
into a pension plan for all other workers.
he Right to have Temporary Layoffs and Labour Disputes
The Fish continuous service for the purpose of Serdoniiating pension credits.
he Right to Mandatory Survivor Benefits
The Right through Pension Plans toa deceased pensioner’s spouse, or if the employee qualified

ment and intimidation of wor
ceases. ; :
Turning down Lamontagnf\
offer of a free lunch at the t
payer’s expense, the C
executive left the meeting to.
test the firings and suspension
“Does: he really expect us
wine and dine with him wh\
more than 7,500 postal worke\
are being dismissed or ff
primanded?”’ Parrot asked. 4
In Toronto, United Electra
workers delegate Al Rees toldf\
labor council, “‘other unid\
should let Arnold Gould _kni
that the CUPW fight is endors\
by the labor movement of Met!
Toronto and across Canada.
A flop on Jan. 27 Rees

employee pension plans’’.

In a brief submitted to the Ontario Royal Commission on the
Status of Pensions in February, 1978, the Canadian Union of
Public Employees stated ‘‘that instead of pension money going to
finance investment requirements of the private corporate sector it
should be used to acquire control of foreign-controlled com-
panies.

CUPE suggests that only through direct state intervention can
the Canadian economy be repatriated and an industrial strategy
pursued in order to generate jobs.

In attacking the private pension system, CUPE says that it is
the “‘single largest unregulated industry in the country.”

In addition, CUPE says the private pension industry has not
served the interests of Canadian émployees, because of the lack
of universal coverage; poor vesting requirements; lack of porta-
bility; lack of indexed post-retirement benefits and the low level
of normal requirement benefits.

bn brief charged that private
workers, not served them.”’

To summarize the position of the largest union in the country ns to *§ ,
on this issue, the Canadian Tribune has received permission to 5 = sii eee Ba EN nee ‘icaiiuanae oa
ag publish its Pension Bill of Rights. S : # urged a large turn out to the Ji
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 19, 1979—Page 4 Rachael

La
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pension industry has “‘lived off