Miners ask Diefenbaker gov't to curtail U.S. coal imports - ‘ To combat ‘ . . . . a state of emergency” in Western Canada’s coal industry United Mine Workers of America, District 18 will ask Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to cut U.S. coal imports into Canada by two million tons annually. A UMWA delegation plans to meet with the provincial government to request action on the recent coal mine lay- offs at Fernie, where the closing of the American- owned Elk River Colliery has destroyed the city as a coal- mining centre. (A Fernie delegation which included UMWA_ members met with the cabinet two weeks ago and pleaded for action to save Fernie from becoming a “ghost town.’’) The labor committee of the legislature, which is now dis- cussing the _ situation, has tabled a resolution that an immediate program of public works be started to alleviate hardships. LPP provincial leader Nigel Morgan, in a letter to Prem- ier W. A. C. Bennett, pointed cut that “in areas like the Crow’s Nest Pass plans should be established that could put our coal to use, transforming it into the hundred of pro- ducts that coal can make — ranging from edible food- stuffs to chemicals.” Morgan said the Labor-Pro- gressive party supports the government policy of develop- ing a B.C. steel industry, and urged action be taken “to bring together Fernie coal and Kimberley iron ore stock- piles for an early start on a new industry in the region.” Veteran MLA Tom Uphill, Labor member for Fernie, speaking in the House, termed the situation which has brought disaster to Fernie ‘an indict- ment of capitalism.” SALARY - FIXING PROTESTED BCTF places 24 districts in province on ‘closed’ list Attempts of school boards in many districts (notably in the Okanagan, on Vancouver Island and in the Kamloops area) to “fix” teachers’ ‘sal- aries under Section 47 of the Public Schools Act led B.C. Teachers’ Federation to de- clare a “closure” of 24 of the province’s 82 school districts last week. ' This “closure” means that some 500 teachers’ posts will remain unfilled in Septem- ber. Teachers already em- ployed in the “closed” dis- tricts will not be affected, but no teachers will apply “to fill vacancies, or staff new classrooms and schools. Education Minister Les Peterson warned the Teach- er’ Federation against putting eertain districts in dispute “out of bounds” but declined to state what government policy was on the issue. C. D. Ovans, general secre- tary of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, explained the dis- pute in a letter to the mem- bership. He said: “Section 47 (2) of the Pub- lic Schools Act is merely an empowering section author- izing school boards to expend {ax monies on salaries just as they must have authority for every other type of expendi- ture they make. The schooi boards are reading into this section the proposition that. they need not negotiate over teachers’ salaries unless they wish to do so out of kindness and goodwill. “In the process some school boards are attempting to deny teachers the right of collective bargaining thereby attempting to treat teachers as inferior citizens not entitled to equal rights and privileges accorded other wage earners under. Finnish-Canadians plan activities for Centennial A. year-long program of drama, music and folk dancing is planned by the recently formed Finnish-Canadian Centennial Committee to illustrate the contribution to British Columbia’s development made by the Finnish community, it was an- nounced this week. To accomplish its purpose of presenting “authentic pic- ture of the life and culture of cone section of British Colum- pia’s pioneers — the Finnish- Canadians,” the committee is seeking the assistance of old- timers and newcomers alike. The committee meets every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Clinton Hall, 2605 Hast Pender. Information about activities may be obtained by calling HAstings 3277. law. They must by law under the Labor Relations Act nego- tiate with their employees other than teachers — bus drivers, maintenance staff, janitors—wherever these em- ployees are organized. Can we permit them to refuse to negotiate with us just because there is no specific .provision in the Schools Act for nego- tiation of salaries? “If we let them get away with fixing salaries at a high- er level this year, what is to prevent them from fixing them at a lower level another year? The answer of the teachers to this threat must be to refuse to apply for or accept positions in those dis- tricts where the salaries in effect are not acceptable to the local teachers’ association concerned. There is no other effective answer short of a strike.” “Closure” affects the fol- lowing districts: Alert Bay, Armstrong, Bar- riere, Birch Island, Burns Lake, Cowichan, Enderby, Kamloops, Kelowna, Kere- meos, Kootenay Lake, Lady- smith, Lake Cowichan, Lil- looet, Penticton, Princeton, Revelstoke, Saanich, Sechelt, Sooke, Vernon, Victoria, West Vancouver and Williams Lake. This week: Nanaimo’s 194 teachers received a 12.7 percent wage increase through arbi- tration, after. salary negotia- tions had broken down. Six other school districts, including Vancouver, have now gone to arbitration pro- ceedings. ‘ About 35 B.C. districts have - settled by negotiation. _ an B.C. ghost towns Fernie is threatened with the fate that has already "4 taken these towns, both coal and metal mining cen” TOP: A derelict building in the once prosperous coal mit town of Granby, south of Nanaimo. CENTRE: the 4% gold mining community at Hedley in the Similka™ Valley. BOTTOM: Phoenix as it was in 1919. Nothing #5 of this now. February 14, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—P*”