—Sean Griffin photo United Fishermen and Allied Workers union float headed the car cavalcade on May Day as it arrived at the Vancouver Technical School where the rally was held last Saturday. The cavalcade formed up at the PNE grounds. Banner reads: ‘New B.C. government — new increased costs — Fight back.” A number of unions entered cars in the cavalcade: Z Van. East byelection “The new Social Credit govern- ment is going to face its first critical test in the Vancouver East byelection. The June 3 byelection will provide an opportunity to deliver a resounding blow to the Socred cutbacks in services and increased taxes on people. It will be watched all across the province and beyond,” said Nigel Morgan, B.C. Communist Party leader this week. “Their action doubling ferry fares is the latest move in a series of attacks on people’s living standards and services which are imposing severe hardships on the people of this province. It has been estimated that the Social Credit government’s actions have cost every B.C. householder an ad- ditional $800 to $900.” Morgan said in the short period of three months the Bennett ad- ministration has raised the sales tax, personal income taxes, and local taxes. These have been heaped on top of higher costs for auto insurance, hospital care, and now ferry fares. The boost in school taxes alone for residents in Vancouver East will be 35 per cent RANKIN Cont'd from pg. 2 profession or by our city council or provincial government. That’s where citizens can and should step in to exert pressure for more preventive medicine. It’s not only good sense, it’s also good dollars and cents because in the long run it saves us a lot of money. May 8 —Peace petition day A second day of petitioning against the arms race has been scheduled for Saturday, May 8. All those interested in _par- ticipating are asked to meet at the B.C. Peace Council office, 207 W. Hastings at 12:30 p.m. The Fraser Valley Peace Council has also organized weekly petitioning covering the Surrey and White Rock areas. Supporters intend to seek signatures every Friday for the next several weeks. ; _ Further information on the Fraser Valley petitioning can be obtained from Rita Tanche PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 7, 1976—Page 12 this year as a result of Socred policies. Along with this, medical and hospital services are being cut back; Mincome is_ being emasculated; and the projected expansion of bus and transit ser- vice is being dropped. “In contrast with these cutbacks in services to people, massive concessions are being made to the big multinational corporations — eancellation of royalties on mineral and timber resources, and a 10 per cent overall reduction on licenses, special privileges and resource taxes paid by the com- panies for exploitation of the people’s natural resources. “On top of all this, the Socreds have now introduced Bill 16 with the aim of tying B.C. to the federal wage control program, placing grossly unfair restrictions on provincial, school and municipal employees as well as working people generally.” Morgan said people from all walks of life in B.C. want to stop the Socred cutbacks, escalating charges and taxes, and the massive concessions being made to big business. “‘Dissatisfaction with Social Credit policies are creating resentment and opposition.” Outlining his party’s position in the Vancouver East byelection, Morgan said: ‘The Communist Party is not nominating a can- didate in the particular cir- cumstances of this byelection — without prejudice to any decision in any future election or byelec- tion. Nevertheless, the Communist Party intends to conduct its in- dependent campaign on the issues in this election, stressing the need for unity of all democratic forces to defeat Socred policies. “While directing its main fire at Social Credit and while working for its defeat, we will at the same time place forward out points of dif- ference with some policies of the NDP which we consider not to be in the interests of working people. ‘Social Credit is the main enemy of the people. The most important question at this time is to ensure that Social Credit is given a resounding defeat. The Socred candidate, and those of the other big business parties, must be decisively defeated and the policies of Social Credit firmly rejected.” Morgan said,”The Communist Party fully supports the_trade- union movement inits opposition to Trudeau’s wage controls and the Socred Bill 16. While the NDP énacted some good lesiglation, the Communist Party cannot accept their support of Socred Bill 16, their retreat before the pressure of big business, and support for anti- labor legislation such as the back- to-work law and_ anti-union amendments to the Labor Code, which the Socreds are now taking advantage of. “The Communist Party urges Dave Barrett, and all NDP MLAs in the Legislature to recofisider their position on Bill 16; to:.vote with, instead of against, the labor movement; and to reject Bill 16. We must make sure that the policies of the Socreds, which have been endorsed by the Liberals and Tories, are repudiated on June 3. “The fight to defeat the Socred government’s anti-people policies and to oust the Socred government from office will not end June 3. That struggle will go on after the byelection, which could be an important turning point in B.C. The Communist Party will work for unity of all labor and democratic forces inside and outside the Legislature to defeat the Social Credit government and put a people’s government in Victoria,”’ concluded Morgan. Synchronizing their action with the opening of the extradition hearing, more than 150 Native Indians ff both sides of the border gathered outside the Vancouver courthouse Monday to demand political asylum Leonard Peltier. The hearing for the Oglala Sioux who faces almost certain death if he is returned to the is expected to last 15 days. Cont'd from pg. 1 mass layoff of ferry workers,” said Knott. In Victoria, representatives of labor and business told a press conference they would take action to oppose the higher fares. Larry Ryan, Victoria Labor Council secretary, told the press con- ference that the announcement had caused consternation in labor ranks. He said that the higher cost of living for Islanders would mean that workers would be looking for wages to compensate. Ina TV interview Monday night, Ryan demanded that Ottawa should assume some responsibility for the cost of the ferry system. He maintained that the ferry system was a link in the national highway system and should be subsidized by the federal government. The four Vancouver Island labor councils will be meeting in Nanaimo Saturday to discuss the issue and decide on a course of action. Commenting on the ferry boost, Len Guy, B.C. Federation of Labor secretary-treasurer, charged in a press statement that ‘“‘the provincial government is once again showing its lack of concern for ordinary working British Columbians, in particular those living on Vancouver Island.” Guy-said that the harsh manner in which the rates were increased is all too familiar. ‘‘As with ICBC premium rates and hospital and medical care costs, the govern- ment has failed to recognize that steep increases hit the hardest those who can least afford them. Those who live and work on Vancouver Island in particular are going tobe faced with a substantial and unfair increase in.their trans- portation costs. “The provincial government’s decision to increase ferry fares by 100 per cent to 300 per cent while, at the same time, promoting Bill 16 to opt into the federal Liberals’ wage control program is complete and utter hypocrisy. “They want to limit wage in- creases to 8 per cent to 12 per cent so that they can supposedly control inflation — and almost in the same breath they increase ferry fares by these ridiculous amounts. Now more than ever, it is time for working British Columbians to demand from all levels of govern- ment answers to the question, ‘What ever happened to price controls?’ ’’ concluded Guy. Meanwhile, all three opposition | party leaders in the Legislature — denounced the ferry fare boost. NDP opposition leader Bill King said the increased fares were | “extremely punitive’ at a time | when other consumer costs were | rising and “fly in the face’’ of the Socred government’s promises 1 | fight inflation. —$—$—— HOSPITALS Cont'd from pg. 1 staff, including nurses, paramedics, doctors, interns; student nurses, and about 400 members of the VGH auxiliary. AS well, the Labor Relations Boaré | has ruled that there are 100) members of the union who perform | “essential services’ and they mus? | remain on the job. All but the | volunteers have been allowed cross the’ picket lines by the uni On the first day of the striké about 300 members of the uni0 ringed VGH in a picket line a expressed their determination ©) stay on the line until they win! favorable settlement. j One striking worker told Tribune that some cleaning S receive less than $750 per mon and that ‘if you add an eight cent increase to that you still h nothing.” Picketers said that one problem they will be facing, in addition ¥ winning the wage increase, will the fact that the media will attempting to turn public opiniohy away from the union. They note that already, in the first day of strike, Vancouver newspapers ha zeroed in on the fact that a num of seriously ill patients remain ? the hospital. ‘ Picketers expressed fears that critically ill patient will die, @ the media will mount a h campaign against the union whl the patient would not have liv) under any circumstances. “It have nothing to do with the stri or with us, but they’ll try to make#) big thing out of it,” one pickel said. Union spokesman Jack Gero said that the HLR is entirely © blame for the VGH strike, the f strike in the 31-year history of union. He said that since the HLE was formed there had been “0 confrontation after another, 2 they’ve finally given us no oth® resource than to go on strike for ™ first time in our 31 years * bargaining.” 3 _—Mike Gidora P'