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Special to the Tribune

WINNIPEG — ‘‘New problems, new solutions,’’ was
the essential theme of the president’s report, three
executive policy papers, 254 policy resolutions, and 55
constitutional amendments coming before the 10th bi-
ennial convention of Canada’s largest union, the Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees, in Winnipeg last week.

Union president Grace Hartman kicked the conven-
tion off with a report that faced into the mounting attack
of governments on the public sector, as well as govern-
ment economic and social policies. The president’s re-
port also squared off against the mounting wave of criti-
cism surfacing in the union, which she claimed, aimed at
Balkanizing the union and destroying its central impact.

The union continues to grow at the rate of 700 a

month, President Hartman revealed. This was a drop

Dofasco workers support strike

By BOB MANN

HAMILTON — Workers at the
city’s Dominion Foundaries and
Steel Company (Dofasco) may not
have a union but most are showing
strong support for the over 13,000
Stelco strikers. Through a plant gate
collection on Oct. 5 covering Dofas-
co’s 15 gates $19,608 was dropped in
the buckets — surpassing the
$19,000 collected a few weeks previ-

~ ous.

For many years’ Dofasco
management has played the game of

granting its workers a wage gain
similar to Stelco’s in order to play
down the importance of unionizing.
Until now this tactic has paid off, but
anyone observing collection day
would wonder how much longer
Dofasco would stay non-union.

As the Dofasco workers stuffed
cheques and bills, including $100
donations into the buckets, they en-
couraged the strikers not ‘‘to let
them nickel and dime you’’.

Workers in other plants in the area
are also donating to the steel strike

now in its 11th week — some
through plant gate collections,
others directly from their union’s
financial resources.
money is also coming from other
parts of the province including Ot-
tawa, Sudbury, Port Colborne and
Welland.

This sort of financial support
coupled with the moral support
exemplified by the recent women’s
rally in support of the strike goes a
- long way towards winning the strug-
gle for the three involved steel loc-
als.

Not enough people losing homes
to be concemed — Guelph MP

By ALAN PICKERSGILL

GUELPH — On September 24,
the members of United Electrical
Workers’ Locals 553 and 541
demonstrated their anger over high
interest rates in from of the city’s
major downtown banks.

The protest, organized by Jim
Robinson, president of Local 553
and Jim Scannell, president of Local
541, highlighted UE’s five-point pro-
gram. against inflation and also
gathered signatures in the Ontario
Federation of Labor’s postcard

ign against high interest rates.

Following the downtown protest,
executive board members of the two
locals met with Guelph’s Liberal
MP, Dr. Jim Schroder. They pre-
sented Schroder with a comprehen-
sive brief outlining the five-point

program.
The brief emphasized the effects
that unjust government policies are

GUELPH — Both the Guelph
and Kitchener-Waterloo and Dis-
trict labor councils recently en-
dorsed the ‘‘Peace is Every-
body’s Business’’ petition being
circulated by the Canadian Peace
Congress. Both councils acted on
recommendations from their
executive boards. _

The Guelph Labor Council at
their September meeting also
passed a resolution protesting the
production of the neutron bomb.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCT. 16, 1981—Page 6

having on working people. These
policies, the brief said, are causing
unnecessary hardship to workers

while giving unheard of profits to

corporations. Calling for a tax on ex-
cess bank profits the union leaders
said that such a tax ‘“‘would serve to
force the banks to live up to their
social responsibility to shoulder an
equal part of the economic burden
that we are all suffering under. Re-
quiring the banks to pay their fair
share would lighten the load on all of
us.”

In front of the banks, the workers
handed out over a thousand leaflets
protesting runaway interest rates
and collected over 1,100 signatures
for the OFL protest campaign.

Jim Robinson assessed the day as
“overall very successful.’’ He has,
however, somewhat less enthusias-
tic about the meeting with the local
MP.

Guelph, Kitchener labor
back peace petition

In the report of the Political Ac-
tion Sub-Committee, Jim Robin-
son, vice-president of the Labor
Council and the committee
chairman, said: ‘‘This inhuman
weapon is designed to kill people
with massive radiation while
doing minimal damage to build-
ings and military equipment. The
American government, by pro-
ducing this weapon, will hasten
the arms race and will increase
the possibility of a nuclear holo-

_and the New Democratic Party on

SEN re

Robinson did not feel that the MP
showed much sympathy for the

problems that workers are facing.

He was angered by the statements
by Schroder that not enough people
were losing their homes for it to be of
much concern. Schroder also stated
that he hoped the five-point program
would not be adopted as government
policy because it is based on a ‘‘dif-
ferent philosophy”’ than that shared
by him and his government.

In an interview following the con-
frontation Robinson noted this ‘‘dif-
ference of philosophy.’’ ‘‘Their
philosophy is helping the banks and
corporations,’’ he said. ‘‘Our
philosophy helps the workers and
homeowners. We should keep re-
minding people of this difference so
that they can choose between these
different philosophies at the next
election.”’

caust since they may not be as
reluctant to use this weapon as
they are. with other nuclear
weapons’.

In August, the Kitchener Labor
Council defeated a similar mo-
tion, declining to act until they
find out “‘what are the positions of
the Ontario Federation of Labor

this matter.”’

— AP.

Meanwhile .

‘Mobilize’ key word at CUPE meet

from 1,500 a month over the previous period. Its mem-
bership now stands at 270,000.

One;of the contentious issues facing the conclave was
the proposal for a 20% dues increase which has met with
some stiff resistance in the union.

Pressuring CUPE Leadership

There was some speculation that Hartman’s attack on
what she termed as ‘‘those who would reduce CUPE toa
collection of regions’’ was aimed mainly at defusing
opposition to the per capita increase. The opposition to
the increased tax, according to its advocates, was aimed
at forcing CUPE leadership to face up to the need for
restructuring the union to ensure better service, more
democratic input by the local unions, and more account-
ability by the leadership.

Mobilization was a key word at the convention, even
backed up by buttons in French and English, reading:
“Mobilization” and ‘‘Mobilizez’’.

These two terms, mobilization and accountability
seemed to sum up the criticism of the left and militants at
the convention who conceded the history of good poli-
cies in the union, but argued that they died on the paper.

Observers felt that the pre-convention activities of the
caucuses in Ontario, Saskatchewan and B.C. had helped
set the tone for the convention documents and reports,
most of which were militant in tone.

The convention had hardly started when it gave al-
most unanimous approval to resolutions condemning the
neutron bomb, calling for ratification of SALT I, and for

-actions by the Canadian Government for nuclear and
general disarmament.
: Backs Peace Petition

The union’s secretary-treasurer, Kealy Cummings
read the text of the Canadian Peace Congress petition
titled, Peace Is Everybody’s Business, sponsored by the
Canadian Peace Congress, into the record. He informed
the convention that the petition would be circulated
through the 1,400 delegates for their signatures, and
following the convention, would be sent out to all CUPE
unions for their endorsation and circulation among their
membership. ;

Cummings introduced the petition with the remark
that ‘‘it makes no sense for us to fight for our member-

_ ship at the bargaining table and then stand by while the

world is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust.”

Delegate Jack Kirkby, speaking to the peace resolu-
tion, said, there will be no more important issue come
before this convention, and it behooves CUPE to lead its
own members, the trade union movement, and the entire
Canadian community in a crusade for détente, disarma-
ment and a secure world at peace.”’

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Wardair picketers
attacked by goons

TORONTO — Picket-line violence reminiscent
of the 30s, replete with a hired gang of professional
strikebreakers, marks the lockout of 725 Wardair
flight attendants, now in the ninth week.

This was the urgent and alarming message
brought to the Oct. 1 meeting of the Metro Toronto
Labor Council by Merl Day, business representa-
tive of the Canadian Air Line Flight Attendants’
Association.

Day told of anti-union goon squads, surveillance
and crashing of picket lines, with picketing flight
attendants being punched and knocked to the
ground.

-From the opening day of negotiations, Day said,
Wardair head Max Ward has sought to undermine
the union, with demands to reduce already-won
gains (between-flight rest periods, sick leave). On
Aug. 6 the first of a series of walkouts by attendants
led to the company lockout. The company is
operating with 325 replacements for those locked
out.

While original bargaining issues are still on the
agenda, Day stressed that now the fight has be-
come one for the very survival of the union.

The picket-punching agency hired by Wardair to
do its dirty work is Securicor Investigation and

- Security, 3300 Yonge St., Toronto.

Day urged support for Wadair attendants by join-
ing their picket lines, not travelling Wardair and —
sending letters of protest to Wardair, MPs, etc.

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