QE PLAYHOUSE, SEPT. 21° Benefit rally to ke Vietnam reconstruction © The Vancouver-based Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians (CAVC) announced this week that Mr. Truong Tan, representative of the ministry of information and culture of the Provisional Revolutionary | Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, will head a two-man delegation that will tour Canada for two weeks between September 19 - October 1. They will give a first-hand report on ee conditions and the great need for aid in rebuilding their country at a Vietnam Benefit Rally in Vancouver’s Queen oo Playhouse, Sunday, Sept. 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. The rally sponsored by CAVCi is being held to raise funds to aid in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-ravaged South Vietnam. There will be a concert program with folk song groups and choir. Tickets will be $1.00 at the door. A press release issued by CAVC this week said that a summary of damage done to South Vietnam in 30 years of continuous war has - resulted in 3,500,000 acres, or an area the equivalent of Northern Ireland, being sprayed and destroyed with defoliants. The total casualties, dead and wounded from January, 1961 to January, 1975 was" 5,773,190 — more than 10 per cent of the population. It said that 55 per cent of the population, about 10 million people in South ica were refugees, and orphans numbered 900,000. The South Vietnamese delegation will be in B.C. hewear September 19-21 and are expected to make a number of ees SS during their stay on the — Cont - ‘Blatant lie’ charge hurled at Seagram's Keith Sheedy of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, has labelled the claim of Seagram’s Distillery that they have been forced to close their B.C. Distillery because the union refused to return to the bargaining table ‘‘a blatant lie.” In a press release, the RWSDU said that they had sent a telegram to Seagram’s on August 28, “specifically requesting a meeting to resume bargaining. The reply from the company, which the union received five days later was that “acceptance of a company proposal (which includes a wage offer) is a necessity for collective bargaining to take place.’’ Seagram’s further stated that unless this proposal is accepted, ‘‘a meeting is of no significance.” When the union refused to accept Seagram’s ultimatum that it ignore the collective bargaining process and take what was offered, they announced the permanent closure of the 73-year-old distillery. The closure means a loss of 140 The workers at Seagram’s were initially locked out, and then have been on strike since the first of June in an effort to win a new contract. Seagram’s record in labor relations is one of the worst in B.C. industry, having forced numerous closures of their New Westminster plant in the last two years, the Labor women’s parley to meet Shirley Carr, executive vice- president of the Canadian Labor Congress will be the keynote speaker at this weekend’s B.C. Federation of Labor conference on - women’s rights. This year’s conference will focus on women in the trade union movement and will feature workshops of particular relevance to the subject. The conference will utilize a wide variety of resource personnel, including representa- tives from the B.C. Human Rights Commission and provincial status of women groups. The B.C. Federation of Labor announced this week that there has been a 100 per cent increase in registration for this annual gathering, Sessions will be held at the Woodward Instructional Resources Centre at UBC. latest coming as a result of the ‘illegal dismissal of 80 employees last February. Sheedy said in his’ statement that the union has the full support of both the B.C. Federation of Labor and the Canadian Labor Congress, and ... that it is ‘increasingly ‘obvious that an international boycott (of Seagram’s products) is necessary before this company will return to the bargaining table.”’ Sheedy stated that picketing will continue at the New Westminster site until an agreement is reached. | IWA members demand union leaders act now’ As still more men received layoff notices this week, and others had their plants shut down by pulp union pickets, IWA woodworkers called on their union leadership to exercise the will of the majority and bring the union into united strike action with the CPU and PPWC. A petition by 48 members of the IWA’s Port Alberni local offered their signatures in support of an open letter to regional president Jack Munro from IWA member and Alberni alderman George McKnight. McKnight’s open letter ad- dressed to Munro, Vancouver president Syd Thompson and to other unnamed regional and local leaders ‘‘who have capitulated to the employers” has caused a stir among union ranks. The letter was printed in full in the . Alberni newspaper, The Times. “Call the strike you are authorized to call,’ the letter demanded, ‘‘meet the other unions to form a common front against the employers. Approach our problem with all the woodworkers united. Repudiate your present position and go out to win.” McKnight, a member of the IWA for 30 years, said he was “‘alarmed and disgusted’’ with the _per- formance of the union leadership for throwing away ‘“‘the chance of a lifetime,’’ the opportunity of building a common front es the other wood unions. Terming the Hutcheon ehP a “sellout,’’ the letter cried, “‘shame, shame!’’ at union leaders for having the ‘‘gall to recommend that such a deal be accepted. “You say that improvement to the settlement is virtually im- possible,” it continued. ‘““By saying this you reveal that you have been taken in by the employers ... singing the same tune in perfect harmony. “You say that if the pulp unions picket our mills we will respect the picket line; but you also say that we should tell them to go away and leave us alone. By this you are deliberately provoking trouble on the picket line. You fail to point out that those unions have the right to picket all of their employers’ operations, the legal right under provincial law. “I could go on but the essence of the problem is your capitulation and I call on you to stand up and lead... The problem now is nothing other than yourselves.” McKnight’s call unheeded, the entire industry was falling into stagnation as pulp union pickets closed down Weldwood operations on the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland and still more layoffs hit those mills still operating. More than 83 per cent of IWA members are now off the job — but still not ~on strike. Wednesday, the IWA negotiating committee called for meetings with FIR to work out a deal for amendments to the Hutcheon report that would make it ‘“‘ac- ceptable to IWA members.” Almost simultaneously, sensing the upper hand was theirs, com- pany spokesmen announced that the interior bosses have voted to accept the Hutcheon report. The companies have made it clear that - they are not prepared to make any significant concessions on the terms of the settlement. The dilemma for the IWA leadersis that having backed away from strike action in favor of bargaining they at once threw their ‘and his plaud you or condemn you a lead the union to a better deal.” bargaining power out the window: | The open letter from McKnight fellow Alberni woot workers urged, ‘call a_ strike There is no other way out of this mess. “This is your choice and yout responsibility. History will a cording to the choice you make 4 this time. I urge you, stand up and PLUMPTRE © Cont'd from pg. 1 government intervene in the} dispute. Commenting on the lockout ) the food chains, and Mrs. Plum tre’s attack on the food uni0 Nigel Morgan, B.C. Commie i Party leader, said Tuesday th Mrs. Plumptre and her Boal ‘should be tackling ‘thell responsibility to stop profiteet by the big food monopolies ins of attacking and underminl efforts of the trade unions to © with galloping inflation and own inaction.”’ : He charged that Mrs. Plumptt : attack against the unions is but #) thinly disguised attempt to De introduce big business’s MUU) sought after wage controls to b corporate profits. “Obviously she doesn’t nave ! sy clue about free collect) bargaining anymore than what shy should be doing about skyrocketil prices resulting from the dou li of food profits by the giant st Sugar Refinery and Kelly Dougl@ the Weston subsidiary. The fede government should bring -under control as well as ridiculously high prices and. cot porate profits she seeks to just Morgan concluded. Weekly cost of living for family of 4, Van., 1975 smokes, drinks ee ee ClOLNING s27-ccs yo transportation ........ 30 medical care... ... ss: 14 recreation... =... : -. 14 a In the hole by $56 per wee *According to food prices review board estimate, fall 1974 (+12%). **According to Greater Van. Real Estate Board for two bedroom apartment in fall, 1974 (+10.6%). - ***According to Statistics Canada, March 1975. : All other figures from the 1969 family expenditures survey, Statistics Canada. These up to date figures were prepared by David Fairey of the Trade Union Research Bureau for a class in labor economics. Fairey used these figures to prove that labor is paid only that share of the wealth it produces as it takes to subsist on. In fact, the figures show that for a family of four the pveregs wage just isn’t enough. Tell us again about the ““good life.” Average weekly income %%% PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 12, 1975—Page 12