Labor council protests B.C. Tel rate increase The Vancouver Labor Council went on record this week in opposing the proposed 15 per cent rate increase for B.C. Telephone and served notice that it intends to present its case to the CRTC hearings on the rate increases that will open soon in Vancouver. The resolution which urged every VLC affiliate to join with the council in opposing the rate increase before the CRTC was submitted to the council by the Marine and Boilermakers Union. Marine and Boilermaker secretary Walt Jacobs pointed out to the VLC delegates that if the new increases are allowed to go into effect it would mean an increase in Vancouver residential phone rates from $8.05 per month to $9.25 and would carry with it increased service charges of 25 and 50 per cent. Jacobs said that the increases show the sham of the AIB which has been “quick to control workers’ wages but turns a deaf ear when prices are increased.” Telephone service on the prairies, he added, is not only superior in service but as well enjoys substantially lower rates, notably in Saskatchewan and Manitoba where the telephone systems have been brought under public ownership. The VLC also threw its weight behind coffee consumers with an executive resolution declaring support for the coffee boycott and _ urging the B.C. Federation of Labor to join the boycott as well. The resolution called on the Canadian Labor Congress to consider a national boycott until such time as coffee prices are brought down. Another resolution on price increases had delegates voice their opposition to the recently announced B.C. Hydro gas and electricity rate increases and called on the B.C. Federation of Labor to do the same. Newsroom searches called ‘vindictive’ Cont'd from pg. 1 Sun managing editor Bruce Larsen called the search ‘an obvious intrusion into our operation” but, after a telephone call between the paper’s lawyer and the deputy minister of con- sumer and corporate affairs, he agreed to cooperate ‘‘as long as they stick to the letter of this (the warrant involving the inquiry into the fishermen.” Don Hunter, president of the Guild local, was considerably more critical, calling the search “dangerous”’ and “‘posing a threat to the freedom of the press. “These. investigators were allegedly searching for specific documentation dealing with a specific news story but in doing so they gained access to every item in the reporters’ files,” he said. He also suggested that the management could have ‘‘adopted a stronger position.” The issue also rose on the floor of Tuesday’s Vancouver and District Labor Council meeting ~and delegates again demanded that the investigation into the UFAWU be halted. They added that if further hearings were to be held they should be held in public. UFAWU | delegate Homer Stevens told the meeting that the inability of the Restrictive Trade Practices Commission to hold the hearings in secret had prompted the unexpected adjournment. “But now they’re getting vin- dictive,’”’ he said, ‘‘and they’re trying to get information or statements from reporters to suggest that the fishermen im- peded the hearings.” Stevens reiterated the union’s demand that the Commission carry out its intended role ‘‘and go after the monopolies for putting the price of fish way above the point where people can reach it.” Canada urged to back arms embargo in UN Cont'd from pg. 1 movement,” the executive board statement noted. -The ICFTU outlined various ways in which affiliated national trade union centres could highlight the protest week, including “‘large- scale rallies, press, radio, and TV interviews with African per- sonalities from South Africa; distribution of material and in- dustrial action as a token protest against the apartheid regime.” It stated that such action should include ‘‘the grounding of South ‘African aircraft and ships, as well as a boycott on the loading and unloading of good destined for, or coming from, South Africa.”’ People were so urged to consider Slide showing The B.C. Peace Council is spon- soring a slide showing of a recent trip to the Soviet Union by the council’s chairman John Beeching, which took him to seven cities and four republics. The event will be held Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. at the home of Karl Zuker, 2809 Wall St. ; PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 14, 1977—Page 12 a total consumer boycott of South African goods. The World Confederation of Labor — the Catholic federation — also pledged to ‘‘undertake vigorous solidarity action against the South African apartheid regime, particularly during the week of January 17.’’ The statement was adopted at the meeting of the WCL’s Confederal Committee in Caracas October 18 to:.22, “This should not be a symbolic action for one week only,” the statement declared, ‘‘but a sustained effort which will affect the economic and strategic in- terests of South Africa.” The World Federation of Trade Unions, the largest of the three world centres, also hailed the week of protest and declared: ‘‘A diverse and extensive activity should be launched during that week. Everywhere workers should unite to help their brothers and sisters in Africa. “Let the whole world hear the powerful voice of universal labor that demands that South Africa be freed forever from colonialism and be able to live in accordance with the wishes of its people.” Imposed union councils pose threat to labor When the Vancouver Province and the Vancouver Sun editorially support the compulsory establish- ment of councils of trade unions as exclusive bargaining agencies for all affiliates, it is time to sit up and take notice. Referring to the decision of the Labor Relations Board to establish a council for the eight unions representing the 2,300 employees of B.C. Rail, the Sun voiced this opinion in an editorial January 10: ‘All things considered, the Board’s action seems reasonable. Certainly anything that might bring order out of the chaos of the last few years is worth a try.” The editorial in the Vancouver Province January 6 commended the Labor Relations Board for “ordering the several unions representing workers in B.C. Rail to form a joint council.” A sentence in the second paragraph merits some attention: “Union solidarity is fine when it comes from a verse in a trade union song. But unions are often as much in competition with each other as with the bosses.”’ The editorial added that it would be better if unions would set up councils on a voluntary basis. Everyresponsible labor leader can agree with that concept. However, the trade union movement cannot accept the following projection: “But until they do, they must be led. That’s what the L.R.B. has done in the case of the B.C. Rail.” Nor can it accept the editorial callfor the LRB to use its authority to impose a council of unions on the 15 international unions in the construction industry. The following paragraph deserves serious study because it is a call by a major organ of big business for government action: “In today’s complex industrial society, where men of various trades and crafts are working in the same industry and often for the same employer, it’s nonsense to allowa multiplicity of unions to put production at a risk.” The objective of those for whom the Province speaks is to minimize work stoppages and thus create more favorable conditions to in- crease the exploitation of the working class. Under existing provincial legislation, the minister of labor may direct the Labor Relations Board to consider “‘whether or not in a particular case a council of trade unions would be an ap- propriate bargaining agent for a unit.’’ Should the Board decide to ‘establish such a council, it could then make such orders as it may in its discretion consider necessary or advisable respecting the for- mation of the council and the basis of representation. The bargaining rights held separately by the constituent unions would then be consolidated and the council would become the sole and exclusive bargaining agency. The process of restricting the normal functions of trade unions was greatly accelerated under the. former NDP government. The overall objective was and is to lessen the autonomy of the trade union movement in relation to government and to reduce its ef- fectiveness in struggle with the corporations who dominate the economy. Immediately prior to the con- clusion of the last round of their negotiations, 14 of the 15 unions in construction voluntarily agreed to establish a Common Front In- dustry Bargaining Structure to act _as the bargaining agency in 1977. A circular letter to all members of the Carpenters’ Union in B.C. made the following appeal: “Joint bargaining on an_ in- dustry-wide basis is the only sensible way to negotiate a fair settlement and avoid unnecessary strikes and lockouts. LABOR COMMENT BY JACK PHILLIPS “Those union officers who try to justify their divisive role by shouting autonomy are misleading their members by playing on their craft prejudices and promising them a few pennies more .. .” The more responsible labor - leaders in the construction in- dustry are seeking to establish a council that will unite the mem- bership in one group for collective bargaining, based on rules established by the membership, instead of waiting till the provincial government moves in to impose a council with rules laid down by the LRB. Once the government is allowed to set up councils of unions and lay down the rules, the door will be open for government regulation of all internal processes in the trade union movement. Living as we are under the capitalist system that could mean utilization of govern- ment machinery to make the trade union movement an appendage of the state, a state which has as one of its main functions the preser- vation of the system under which the workers are an exploited class. When we refer to ‘“‘responsible labor leaders,’ we mean responsible to their class. In this period of crisis for the capitalist system, new and bold policies of struggle are the order of the day, not capitulation. To struggle most effectively there must be unity instead of disunity. That unity must be based on sound policy, membership involvement and the extension of trade union democracy. If joint councils are needed, they should be established on a voluntary basis. “PUBLIC _ SOLIDARITY MEETING SUN. JAN. 23—2 p.m. 805 East Pender St. SPEAKER: MAURICE RUSH Editor Pacific Tribune Auspices: Vancouver City Ctte., Communist Party of Canada = With every passing day it becomes more obvious that the criticism directed against the — former NDP government by the — labor movement in respect to labor — legislation was very sound. It is — equally obvious that the labor movement must unite its ranks” against the threat of more anti- — labor legislation by the Socred - government in the coming session of the legislature. UNEMPLOYED — Cont'd from pg. 1 ’ In almost every instance, what — few vacancies are listed — most of — them are taken from newspaper ~ advertisements are overag@ whelmed by the* number of © claimants in the same category. — For the occupation listed as i “stock clerks and related oc- cupations,’’ for example, eight vacancies from the newspaper are — listed along with 14 vacancies from ~ Canada Manpower Centre files. But for the same occupation, the — survey lists 772 claimants — more — } H than 35 people for each possible — opening. Not taken into account, 0 course, are scores of others who for one reason or another, are no eligible for unemployment in-— surance benefits. i Even for a highly skilled trade” such as cabinetmaking, . ; bulletin lists only three vacancies” —one from the newspaper and two from the Canada Manpower Centre. Yet 120 tradesmen are listed as claiming benefits. There are at least 40 cabinetmakers for ™ every available opening, by the™ Commission’s own survey. 4 The letters to claimants and the | contrived survey are typical of the approach to the unemployed taken by the federal government which has sought wherever possible to” cut eligible claimants off benefits.” ‘That same approach was reflected in amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act which-the Trudeau government” introduced at the end of last year and which, if approved will deprive © some 50,000 eligible workers of UIC benefits. FREEDOM FOR SOUTH AFRICA! them