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Tories step up attack on labor

Liquor Board unit cut

REGINA — Ninety-five
Liquor Board employees have

been removed from the Sask-

atchewan Government Em-
ployees Union (SGEU) by a Sept.
7 decision of the province’s Labor

Relations Board. The move is

seen by the labor movement here
as yet another Tory attack on

union rights.

Many of the employees, who
hold positions as store managers
and head office personnel, have
worked for 10, 20, or even 30

- years in the same job. Their ex-

clusion reduces the Sask-
atchewan Liquor Board unit by
about 15 per cent.

Having gone without acontract
since April, 1983, and without a
raise since. April 1982, the work-

-ers were hit last spring by a

management offer which included
a demand for removal of 39
employ positions from the union.
That offer was rejected by a vote
of 90 per cent.

Management responded by tak-
ing advantage of last year’s
changes to the Trade Union Act,
Bill 104, in what SGEU described
as “‘the first major test of the
government’s amendment which
enlarged the definition
management.’’ Bill 104’s Section
2(f) defines management as ‘‘any
person who is an integral part of
his employer's management.”
The Act had previously described

of:

From Regina mited the union's bargaining

Kimball Cariou

those ‘‘whose primary responsi-
bility is. to actually exercise
authority and perform functions
of a managerial character’? as
being out of scope of bargaining
units. The LRB agreed with the
Liquor Board claim that the Act
now permits re-definition of the
95 employees.

As the SGEU points out,
“there is now one _ so-called
management person for every full
time union member. This makes it
obvious that the government’s
real intent was to undercut unions
and deny union protection to em-
ployees who clearly want it.’’ The
union fears that the liquor store
system will now be wide open for
political patronage. Without
union protection, store managers
could easily be replaced, as hap-
pens in some Maritime provinces
when governments change.

The union bargaining com-

_mittee, in agreeing to resume

negotiations, pledged to defend
the interests of the excluded
members, and to fight for better
pay, retroactivity, and for job
security for part-timers. But it
fears the Labor Relations Board
decision may have severely li-

power, especially its ability to
shut down smaller liquor stores.

The Saskatchewan Federation

of Labor also condemned the rul-

ing, saying ‘‘it is now painfully
obvious that the Grant Devine
government fully intends to con-
tinue undermining the rights of all
workers in Saskatchewan ... the
purpose of the particular amend-
ments to broaden the definition of
management in the Trade Union
Act was solely to weaken unions
and give management a powerful
edge at the bargaining table.”’

The amendments were part of a
package of changes demanded by
the Saskatchewan Chamber of
Commerce, Federated Co-ops,
and other business interests
following the Tory victory in
April 1982. They followed several
regressive moves in the area of
labor legislation by the previous
Blakeney administration, such as
Bill 45 and Section 11(2) (d),
which limit the right to strike.

SFL President Nadine Hunt
says labor will continue its cam-
paign againt Bill 104 until it ‘‘is
repealed and fairness and justice
are returned in the workplace.”
The SGEU and SFL will be meet-

-ing soon to consider possible ac-

tions to meet this new govern-
ment threat to the labor
movement.

IN THE TURBULENT
HISTORY OF THE COAL
MINES AND STEEL MILLS
OF CAPE BRETON THE COM-
PANIES EMPLOYED EVERY .
FORM OF INTIMIDATION TO
SUPPRESS WORKERS.
COMPANY STORES WERE
CLOSED AND EVICTIONS
FROM COMPANY HOUSES
BECAME COMMONPLACE.

Mal ha Voda
ONE FAMILY REMEMBERED

WHEN THE COMPANY POLICE BEGAN
MOVING THE FURNITURE . -—

THE FAMILY CALMLY PROCEEDED 10
FINISU THE MEAL OUTSIDE IN
THE BACKYARD. v

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Cy Aeze/s Fey ws

UK dockworkers end strike

British dockworkers ended their 25-day strike which had halted
shipping for almost half of the country’s seaborne trade. In an
emergency meeting, the Transport and General Workers’ Union rep-
resenting 35,000 port workers, voted overwhelmingly to end the strike
— the second work stoppage of the summer.

Contrary to press reports, support for the strike had been solid, with
the majority of dockers on the job servicing British holidaymakers in
their annual trek to the continent.

The union reported it was satisfied that non-union labor would no
longer be used to unload coal destined for British steel plants affected
by the miners’ strike. It also received guarantees for job security at
Scotland’s Clyde port which was to have been hit by layoffs.

Musical chairs determines OFL top post

The question on the tips of many minds in the Ontario
trade union movement these days is: What happened to
Sean O'Flynn?

Since rumors of retirement by Cliff Pilkey began al-
most two years ago, O'Flynn appeared to be the front
runner to become his successor. He made little secret of
his intention to run for the post when Pilkey let go.

It seemed for some time that he had the approval of the
decision-makers in the Ontario Federation of Labor to
such an extent, in fact, that he announced his own inten-
tion not to run for re-election as president of the Ontario
Public Service Employees Union this November just
prior to the OFL Convention.

Earlier this year when the illness of OFL Secretary-
Treasurer Terry Meagher led to his decision to step
down at the 1984 convention, it was decided by the
kingmakers to delay Pilkey’s departure and concentrate
their attention on the post of secretary treasurer. Apply-
ing tactics common to those who consider leadership to
be a matter for their own decision, it was decided to bring
into the secretary treasurer's position the ‘‘heir appa-
rent”’ for the next president, then have Pilkey step down
shortly after his re-election at the November convention
and appoint the new secretary treasurer to fill the post
until the 1986 election.

The leadership choice for this position was Wally

_Majesky, president of the Metro Toronto Labor Council.

Clearly the reasoning behind the maneuvering by the
top leadership was designed to head off a run by Sean
O'Flynn for the presidency, by sneaking in a new presi-
dent via the post of secretary treasurer. O'Flynn, of
course, smelled out the situation and announced his
intention to run for the secretary treasurer's post.

Gordon Wilson also put his hat in the ring which came
as no surprise as he had been clearly pushing his creden-
tials for the president’s post for some time..

Both Wilson and Majesky campaigned very hard for
the support of the 23-man OFL executive while O’Flynn
took the position that he was in the race no matter what

the executive decided and concentrated his attention on

Labor in action

ys William Stewart

building up support for his election at the convention. In
the end this tactic was not very successful. In the execu-
tive voting Wilson picked up 12 votes, Majesky 9 and
O'Flynn only 4. Most of Wilson’s backers were from the
right wing of the executive and O'Flynn, who is to the
left, decided to throw his support to Majesky to head off
the right forces (although it would be wrong to charac-
terize Wilson himself as a right winger).
Still Unanswered

There are some rumors that the kingmakers have
promised O'Flynn, who will be jobless following his
union’s November convention, the appointment as sec-
retary treasurer when Pilkey retires and Majesky is ap-
pointed to fill his place.

But still unanswered is why the OFL top leadership
apparently changed its mind about O’Flynn, or in any
case rejected his bid for the presidency of the OFL.

O'Flynn is president ofa very large and growing public
service union, he has a record of militancy and courage
ineconomic and social battles, his positions on such ques-
tions as peace and national liberation struggles is good
and his profile generally as a labor leader is very high.
Further, it could be argued strongly that the public ser-
vice deserves a go at the top office in the Ontario trade
union scene. All these arguments were considered ini-
tially as strong medicine giving him a pretty clear run at
the title. 3

Behind-the-scenes rumors say he was rejected for
three reasons — two of them major, the third more an
excuse than a reason. The first reason was a fear by top
OFL leaders that as president O’Flynn would lead On-

tario labor into strong struggles against the Davis
government as compared to a first names, behind-the-
scenes relationship which now exists between the OFL
and much of the Ontario Tory hierarchy. This was consi-
dered a threat by the leadership who seem to pride
themselves in avoiding the kind of open antagonism
which exists between labor and the Socred government
in B.C.

The second reason seems to centre around the ques-
tion of his political credentials. Not that O’Flynn is not a
strong supporter of the New Democratic Party, nobody
would deny this. What is required however by the power
brokers is someone who is first an NDPer and then a
trade unionist. O’Flynn is regarded as first a trade
unionist and only second an NDPer. This question goes
back to the Archer period as president and the election of
the present president, Cliff Pilkey, who was much more
acceptable to the NDP as a ‘‘party man’’ compared to
Archer.

The third reason, which is really the only one argued
openly was concerned with O’Flynn’s administrative
ability. '

Any of the three candidates would have made a good
secretary treasurer. Majesky has a pretty good record as
president of Metro Labor Council and likes to consider
himself a left winger.

New Forces Needed

In the end however one has to question seriously the
back room methodology for selecting top officers of the
Federation, as well as ask why a person of O’Flynn’s
credentials was treated in such a shabby fashion.

We are reminded of what happened a couple of years
back in Alberta when the leadership tried to play musical
chairs with the top posts in the Alberta Federation of
Labor convention and wound up being defeated and a
new president was elected. We are not suggesting that a
rerun is necessarily in the offing at the upcoming OFL
convention but it is clear that some new forces are
needed on the OFL executive who will see that such
matters are dealt with on the table, rather than under it.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984 5