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PAGE B4, THE HERALD, Wednesday, November 6, 1974

Alex Fraser

Government refuses ¢

to avert economic disaster

British Columbia Social
Credit MLA, Alex Fraser
(Cariboo) has challenged the
Barrett government to explain
why it is ignoring “suggestions
and pleas from the Opposition
and ihe industry to take im-
mediate action to avert an
economic disaster within the
inierior forest industry.”

Speaking 10 100 members al

. the Omineea Constituency

Associalion annual meeting,
Fraser charged thal ‘the
government's handling of the
situation to date is nothing shart
of calculated neglect barn of
ignorance.”

Fraser lold the meeting -

‘government revenues.

“Look at (he figures we have
now. 14,000 men oul of work:
9000 in the interior and 5000 on
the coast. Thal’s seventeen
percent of the normal forest
work force. Unforlunately, we
know that things are going to
get worse before they get
belter. We hear many factual
stories about sawmills in the
interior which are financially
hanging by their thumbs. And
what we have nol heard is what
this situalion is doing to
When
you consider the impact thal the
industry has on provincial
revenues, you can bel the
siluation is not odd—for the

government treasury either.”

Fraser said he is convinced
that the government is being
negligent about this crisis, “It
is nol a case of the Minister
(The Hon. Bob Williams) being
faken by surprise on the
siluation, We discussed this in
the House last May for a week.
Several of our Members warned
the Minister of the cyclical
nature of the industry, and we
told the government that then,
in May, was the lime to take
positive action. They ignored
every suggestion then, and they
are still doing the same thing
loday,”" .

“The whole problem,

”

¢con-

Private Health Institutions
Sweatshops - H.E.U.

Privaie health care in-
slitutions across British
Columbia are being organized
into the Hospital Employees"
Union in a bid to eliminate poor
wages and working conditions
and the denial of legal rights.
The appalling condilions
endured by the work force in
these institulions are con-
lribuling (o poor care of
_ palients and elderly residents,
HLE.U, organizers have found.

Three lypes of facilities are

being covered by the campaign:
~ private hospitals, personal care
homes. and relirement
residences. ©. :

There are differences among
them, but from: investigations
and interviews by the head of
H:E.U.'s- private hospitals
division, Sharon. Yandle, a
composite picture of swealshop
working conditions faced by
employees has emerged.

“They are usually paid the
minimum wage of $2.50 an
hour," Yandle says.

“They gel the minimum paid
holidays, no paid sick leave,
shift and job changes without
notice, no compassionate
leave, and they are paid very
litle overtime.”

Most of them, she adds, are
“women and a high percentage
are ‘Immigrants, particulariy
East- Indians, Ugandan Asians

_ and Fijians.

These conditions, which’ in-
+ clade gross understaffing and in

some cases denial of labour
code righls, are present even in
insilulions which charge
patients as much as $1,000 a
month.

“When I started Lhis jab I had
a general impression that
conditions were bad, but now
I'm speechless," Yandle says.

“One woman told us she has
just finshed a six-day shift and
was told tostlart another six-day
shift right away, without an
intervening day off. She
refused lo do it ‘and was fired on
the spat.” .

In one Vancouver personal
care home with 60 residents,
Yandle has learned in her in-
vestigations," the night staff
consists of one worman, a nur-
se’s aide who was just recently
iranferred from the cleaning
slaff.

In another hospital, she says,
a night staff of four is respon-
sible for 75 patients in three
wings. The four have no meal
breaks because they can’t leave
the floor and have to "chomp on
a sandwich as they walk down
the hall.”

Yandle talked (o one woman
who ended her night shift in
lears bevause there had been a
run of illness and she had to
spend hours lifling bed-ridden
patients by herself and
. changing sheets. :

“She was’ just” physically
exhausted,” Yandie says.

Credit cards boost
food prices - Smith

Wayne Smith, First Vice-
President of The Canadian
Grocery Distributors’ Institute
gays that widespread use of
credit cards in grocery slores
will have an inflationary effect
on food prices.

The Instilule is the largesl
and most comprehensive
association of its kind and in-
cludes within ils membership,
broadly based representation
from all levels of the Canadian
grocery industry.

_ Some Canadian banks and
credil card companies have

_ Dollars &
Good Sense

ha William f. Martin
Dipsacen Connie to

Wi =| = ee

Used furniture can be a good
buy if you're willing too roll
up your sleeves and yo ta work.

In recent cofunins Te dis-
wissed a principle of personal
economies - self-reliance — sind
how it cin’ help ous) outsmart
inflatiun, One way to save big
mancy on furnishings is to de-
sote time and energy to the

; repair of used furniture.

Sametimes no goo eleaning
aod buffing can make un ald
Piece of furniture come alive,
Other times. wo few simple re-
pairs. a stip.
vover or some
refinishing
might be nee (Og
essary. -@¢ * ¢

Kither way, 7
the burguins
are every:
where, And offen, the quality
of used furniture is equal to
that_of new furniture.

But examine closely before
you buy. Check the picce of
furnluire thoroughly, [t should
he firm und solid. If repairs are
necessury, be certain, you can
make them,

‘The government has printed
whelpful booklet entitled “Used
Furniture Can Be A Good
Buy,” U's available | through
your county extension office of
the Department of Agriculture
ar by wriling the U. 5. Gov-
ernment Printing Office in
Washington, D. C.

If you're cautious and will-
ing to spend ‘some time and
energy, used furnilure can save
you hundreds of dollars.

Readers’ questions are wel-
come and should be sent ta
Dox 5875, London, Ontarlo.

been conducting an intensive’
campaign lo sign gracery
chains as members,”’ he says.

“Bath banks and credit card
companies acknowledge that
charges 10 member stores or
chains would be in the grder of 3
percent," he says.

“This represents an in-
creased cosl that would have to
be passed on to (he consumer,”
says Mr. Smith, “because the
prices of ail slore ilems would
be increased ta cover the higher
uperating costs.”

According to Mr. Smith, this
increased cos! would apply !o

cash as well as eredit card
cuslomers and would therefore
lend to penalize the customer
who prefers to continue ta pay

cash.

The Institule's Vice-President
also pointed out that food costs
to eredil card users would also
rise by a further 18 per cent
unless their credil card bills
were paid within 30 days.

“An Interest rale of 18 per
cent on all accounts older (han
30 days is becoming a standard
practice among credil card
companies,’’ he says.

“If you add the 3 per cent

immediate rise in foad costs to-

the 18 per cent inlerest on ac-
counts over 30 days, it then
becomes prelty obvious that
many Canadian Consumers
could end up with food costs 21
per cent higher than usual." he
says.

Slower processing of pur-
chases al the check-out coun-
lers could also.be another result
of credit card use in slores, he
feels. .

Mr. Smith says that the In-
stilule has not adopted a firm
policy for ur against wholesale
use of credit card food pur-
chases. ;

“The Institute recognizes Lhe
popularity of credit cards in
modern society,’” he says, ‘but
we are equally aware of the
widespread concern aboul food

In the final analysis, each
retail grocery chain and in-
dividual food store will have to
make a- decision credit cards
based on the requests by
customers for this kind of
service,’

“However,
wants 1o make certain that both
ils members and the Canadian
public are aware of lhe in-
flalionary effect of such service
on (ie final cos! of food to the
consumer,

the Institute .

‘rhe most common complaint
among staff is over (heir
inability to spend time with
patients. They are crilicised for
lalking to patients, or not
feeding them fast enough.
Because of severe understaffing
and overwork, they are forced
to ignore patients’ pleas ta be
lalked to. ; ;

The situation, she says, can
change only if the owners
change their ways - and there is
very little indication that they
will do that voluntarily. Union
representation and an im-
provement in working con-
ditions would make an im-

portant difference, Yandle
says.
I's a mammoth iask,

however, in a competitive
business where strong efforls
are made to keep employees cut
of unions,

“The employers are in it to
make @ profit. Therefore; the
pay their people the minimum
wage and work them exiremely
fiard. They provide the
minimum service required by
law, even though the patients
often need more. They cut (heir
costs in the areas of food and
labor. .

“If we ean gel certified al
these institutions, there will be
obvious. improvements in the
care of the residents. The staff

~ will not. be overworked, for one
thing" * ‘

One of the main problems the .
union will have to overcome in
its mass-organizing drive is the
language barrier, since many of
the hospital employees are
unable to speak English and
‘ave to endure the hardships of
‘acism, as well.

“I's very hard to com-
municale,"" Yandle concedes.
“Because they have no English,
they can't speak up for them-
selves and they have no idea of
their protection under the labor
code.’ But she points out the
union has already applied for
certification al one institution in
Vancouver where the workers
all are immigrant women.

“We received a contact from
someone who was just sick and
lired or working conditions
there. Often we find that im-
migrant women will call us if
their husbands are in a union.”

Yandle came lo the H.E.U.

with an extensive background _

in communily organizing and
working with low-income
women, a task which gradually
grew mere and more
discouraging.

“With community organizing,
1 found it impossible to effect
any real gains for the people.
The best you could hope for was
@ government grant and thal
involved a mass of con-
tradictions,"’ she says.

Yandlehas also been involved
in the women's movement in
B.C. and regards her job with

~ the HEU, as a “real extension

of wkal I already do voluntarily
in the struggle for women’s
rights.” :

She charges private hospitals

use female labor “because it
comes cheap and is used lo
depress the wages of others. -
The struggle for equal rights
depends on women ‘atlaining
some degree of economic
securily, and a woman can't do
that earning the minimum
wage.
“Everything thal has been
said about the exploitation of
women workers can be wrilten.
in spades about the private
hospital field, and (here's the
added component of immigrant
women.” :

In effect, most working
women hold down two jobs
because of their family
responsibilities and they Lend to
work a 16-Hour day. Thal’s why
they need extension of leave and
more vacation benefits,"
Yandledeclares. ‘I understand
these things beeause I'm @
woman with children, myself."

Tindall: X°

Sch ool Trustee

o take action an

tinued Fraser, “brings to.mind
what our Leader, Bill Bennett,
said in-the House last May:
"The big question is - can the
Minister adjudicate fairly over
all the industries while he has a.
specific interest of maintaining
a high performance of a
government mill in an area
where you have surrounding
private mills? Is there not a
conflict of interest in ad-
judicating and allocating
limber supplies, or in allocating
how chips are moved and the
price of chips?”

“The sad thing,” said Fraser,
“Gs thal this question is being
answered every day. Rim
Forest Products has all but
gone under and She government
has thal company lined up in its

sights. They (lhe government)

would love another takeover.
Cancel is paying the lowest
price far chips in North

America, and there are
sawmills in that area in

trouble.”

“Over and above the serious
economic situation within the
industry, and the threat of
unprecedented unemployment
within the industry, there is a
Jack of confidence which is

‘hurting the province. Mills are

not certain about their timber
supplies, their tenure.  In-

vestors and financiers are’

seared of the industry because
of the atUiude of the govern-
ment al a {ime when there is a
desperate need far financing. It
this situation. Maybe if things
get bad enough, they can pick
up another couple of mills?’

get bad enough, they can pick
up anather couple of mills?”

Fraser said the Brilish
Columbia Social Credit Partly
wants immediate action on the
situation. ‘We're going lo call
for an emergency debale on
forestry and housing when the
Session begins. We called for
action six months ago and we
intend to renew that call
vigourously with a positive plan

_ of action during the ‘Session.

Something has to be done on
chip and roundwood pricing to
create a realistic market which
everyone can live with.

Something has got. to:be done .
aboul:stumpage rales to. make.«
them, realistic in the: light af -:

current lumber: markels.".) >

At the well-attended and
enthusiastic meeting, Don
Geisbrecht of Fraser Lake was
elected president; and Bob
Mills of Burns Lake was elected
first vice president. Among the
voling members al the meeting
was Graham Beck, the
Progressive Conservative
eandidate in the 1972 election.

Editor's Quote Book

The “wise only possess
ideas; the greatest part of |,
mankind are possessed by
them.

— Sam acl Taylor Golesidge

~JOCHEN RUBELLING has been appointed Head

Terrace Hotel
- Appointments

BILL WINGATE has been appointed Manager -
Maitre D' at the Terrace Hotel. Mr. Wingate is from
Toronto and brings several years of experience in the
food and beverage industry. He is a graduate of
Ryerson Polytechnical Insitute and has worked in the
industrial catering sector. He was employed by the
Ontario Department of Tourism, CARA and at Expo
67. He has handled banquets ranging up to 1000
persons, His policy for the Terrace Hotel is to

‘maintain an atmosphere conducive to all facets of

good hospitality. Heis an expert curler. In making
the announcement owner Augie Geeraert said that
after 20 years of 16 hour days he and wife Lenora are
looking forward to Mr. Wingate taking over the food
and beverage end of the hotel allowing them a little
more leisure time. . . ;

Chef at the Terrace Hotel.- Mr. Rubelling is a native
of West Germany where he undertook intensive
training in allof the culinary arts. He spent five years
in Switzerland at several: internationally known
resort hotels including the famed Zermatt Hof at the
foot of the Matterhorn. His specialty is cold buffets.

In Canada he worked at Banff Springs Hotel. He also

dida stint at Inuvilt in the Northwest Territories. His .

hobbies are. piloting his own plane and he is a skilled
skier.

HERE COM
MERC 44

Last year this screamer shot past the
other 440's. And tore up the 65('s. too.
And this year it's 10 pounds lighter.
But more stable because we pushed the
ski stance to 30" center to center.
More responsive because we increased the
angle. More comfortable because we
increased the suspension travel to flatten
burps and moguls. To glide aver ‘em easy.
Merc 440 S/A. It’s built totake it.Tolast. ..
So aim for the horizon and fly.

"COME SEE WHY»

Terrace Equipment Sales
635-6964 | Ltd, E 4539 Greig

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