LABOR

- Rally protests UI changes

- The enactment of a section of the Unem-
ployment Insurance Act that will reduce UI
benefits for the Lower Mainland’s jobless
and make it more difficult for repeat clai-
mants to claim benefits drew an angry
response outside the Unemployment Insu-
rance Commission’s regional offices April

9.
A crowd of some 100 jobless workers,
unemployed activists and trade unionists hit
the commission’s decision to raise the work
time eligiblity period to as much as 16 weeks
from the current 10 weeks, at a demonstra-
tion organized by the Vancouver and ‘Dis-
trict Labor Council’s unemployment action
committee.

The commission’s reasoning is - that

unemployment in the area has fallen,
according to a Statistics Canada survey,
below 11.5 per cent. But jobless activists
told the rally, and later regional UIC offi-
cials inside, that the federal agency uses a
highly questionable definition of an unem-
ployed person to arrive at its jobless statis-
tics.
- The move will affect hundreds of the
area’s seasonal workers, representatives of
the United Fishermen and Allied Workers
Union, the Canadian Farmworkers Union
and the B.C. Council of Carpenters told the
rally. :

“You have to raise this issue loudly,”
B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council

president Roy Gautier declared, asking,

“How many building trades people these
days get 16 weeks work?”

Jim Young, head of the recently-formed
Dandelions — unemployed construction

workers whose organization takes the name

of an Alberta group — told the rally that,
“it’s time we got out of our situation of
feeling frustrated, and started to take action
ourselves.” :

UFAWU business agent John Rad-
osevic, whose union is composed of season-
ally employed fishermen, tendermen and
shoreworkers, said the fight was not just

- over unemployment insurance, but over the
entire range of cutbacks to social services

Rally outside regional UIC office protests recent benefit cuts to seasonal workers.

proposed or enacted by the federal soyeths
ment.

Reminding the demonstrators of thes suc-
cess seniors scored in forcing the govern-
ment to back off pension cutbacks, he said:
“That’s a lesson we have to take to heart.

“Despite the misinformation campaign
the government waged regarding unem-
ployment, they have absolutely no idea
what to do about it. Now they’re reducing
their responsibility to the unemployed by
reducing avenues to unemployment insu-
rance,” he charged.

President Sarwan Boal of the Canadian
Farmworkers Union said: “‘ With the help of
everyone here, we'll beat this goddamn
government.”

Boal later told UIC regional officials Al
Kirkley and Al Morris that the Act
amounted to “an institutionalized exploita-
tion of farmworkers.”

Section 17(5) of the UI Act exempts from

IWA 1-424 hit by trusteeship

International Woodworkers of America
president Keith Johnson has imposed an
administration on the Prince George Local
1-424 of the union. :

Johnson informed local officers of the
move March 21 and appointed interna-

tional vice-president Fernie Vialla, a former ,

official of the Duncan local as administra-
tor.

The administration is opposed by a
majority of the 1-424 executive board who
_ view it as a political action to help restore to
_ power in the local. former president Larry

__ Dockendorf, a close ally of regional presi-

dent Jack Munro defeated three years ago.
The local has been divided since, although
the reform majority has strengthened its
leadership position and has proposed mea-
~ sures to democratize the local. One prop-
osal about to be implemented would
increase the local executive board to 40
members with representation from each
mill which has more than 50 workers.

The events leading to the administration
began three months ago when it was learned
that a business agent for the local, Shiv
Garcha, was also a small contractor seeking
contracted-out business from [TWA mills.
Garcha was subsequently charged under
the union’s constitution and the local execu-
tive board established a trial committee to
deal with the matter.

Soon after, the 1-424 executive board
voted to fill a business agent vacancy. by
_hiringa union militant from Fort St. James,
Sucha Deepak. He was picked in a vote
over Dockendorf.
Information was then filed with TWA
international president Keith Johnson alleg-
_ing that pres was a business ea of

Garcha, and an application for a business
licence bearing both men’s names was pro-
vided as evidence. However Deepak denied
any connection with Garcha or his com-
pany and demonstrated to the 1-424 execu-
tive board that he was in the Lower
Mainland at the time he was supposed to
have signed the business licence application.

IWA regional president Jack Munro also
became involved and attempted to have the
local cease the disciplinary actions against
Garcha and instead impose a one-month
suspension. “The public stigma associated
with a union trying one of our members
does not sit well and is an exercise that we
are not interested in,” Munro told the local
in a letter.

Local 1-424 executive board members
say there is no justification for the adminis-
tration and that the local was able to handle
its internal difficulties by using its constitu-
tion and bylaws. They are urging other
IWA locals to protest the international’s
action and to press to have the administra-
tion lifted. :

Johnson cited a letter feat local presi-
dent Frank Everitt requesting an adminis-
tration as the basis of his actions. However
Everitt’s request for “voluntary administra-
tion” was not first endorsed by the executive
board.

Everitt, two other full time officials, and
the business agents are continuing, for the
moment to work under Vialla. The length
of the administration or the role of the
elected local officers was to be clarified in
meetings last week. Also in question is the
local’s annual meeting scheduled for next

weekend in Prince George.

the usual provisions benefit applicants liv-
ing in a region where unemployment
exceeds 11.5 per cent, meaning Lower
Mainland residents could collect up to 32
weeks of exterided benefits following one
year on Unemployment Insurance.

The Act also reduces the qualifying
period to 10 weeks of insurable employ-
ment for regions exceeding the 11.5 per cent
unemployment figure.

According to a recent Statistics Canada
survey carried out in some 53,000 house-
holds nationally, the unemployment rate
for Greater Vancouver and the Lower
Fraser Valley dropped to 11.5 per cent in
March. That meant the maximum extended
benefits period dropped to 30 weeks, while
the maximum insurable weeks “repeater”
claimants must work was raised to a maxi-
mum of 16.

Vancouver unemployed action centre co-
ordinator Kim Zander told UI officials
Kirkley and Morris that trade unionists
object to the method by which Statistics
Canada determines employed workers.

The agency considers “employed” as
anyone who performed “any work at all”
during the survey period, while it strikes
from the “unemployed” definition people
who face no job prospects, and who have
not “actively looked for work.” These
people do not constitute the “labor force” in
Stats Can’s terms and are not used to
calculate the degree of unemployment.

“Do you think that’s a fair way to deter-
mine the level of unemployment?” Zander
asked the officials. Kirkley replied that he
could offer no comment on the question,
but promised to refer the complaint to
Ottawa.

Back outside, Zander told the rally: “The
reality is that they’re trying to force us down
to the poverty level while we work,” and
pledged the action committee’s continued
fight against the latest = to benefits
eligibility.

In a press release the committee advises
all claimants with 10 qualifying weeks to
apply for benefits, and appeal rejections
through the Burnaby, New Westminster or
Vancouver unemployed action centres.

Teamster slé
Scores victor

A rank and file slate of Teams
Local 213 members whose cam
literature was first held up and #!
censored by union officials befor
was sent out to the membership, W
a major victory Friday, taking eight
11 spots for delegates to the unio!

* international convention and
-all three alternate’s positions.

And Teamsters Canadian diret!
Senator Ed Lawson — whose na!
has come to epitomize corrupt bl
ness unionism — lost ignominiov
in the first union election he has:
to face in a decade.

Topping the poll in the election’
Diana Kilmury, a 12-year veteran ©
the union and the secretary-trea re
of the °86 Rank and File Ele
Committee which ran an oppositi@!
slate on a program of rank and fi!
democracy and the establishment ™ ”
an autonomous Canadian conferer
in the union. :

Also elected were the three
chairs of the committee, Jack V
hovic, Norm Wilkinson and Ge0!
Fennell. Significantly, even the 1",
slate members who did not get elec
still got more votes than Lawson
ran 17th in a field of 31 candi

“We're just overwhelmed 0;
mandate we've been given,”
told the Tribune following the ©
tion. “It shows how the membets
feels about Lawson’s flying aboul
his private jet) while our mem®
suffering with 50 per cent unem|
ment.”

Kilmury said that three fa
were present in the election: the
unemployment in the local am
failure of the local leadership t0™
up a campaign aginst it, partic
in fighting non-union contracto
active involvement of former me
of Local 351 many of whom
unhappy with the recent merget
Local 213; and particularly, the
and File Committee’s call for
dian autonomy.

“During the election 1 hae
number of calls from people 84
that they hadn’t planned on V?
because they didn’t know the
dates but they liked our policy
Canadian conference and were £
to vote this time round,” she sa!

The ’86 Rank and. File Elect
Committee will also be runningas!
in the local elections schedule¢
September and if the support @ ;
over, “we could win a majority” |
executive board,” she said.

RSE RAD GARG OED ATES SNH SOREL MME GENTE GORTE GREE Nw EAR CTD POT SSS PO, ES IRE ON OO OG HE 7 ee ee eee ce

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