LABOR BRIEF | UNION-BUSTING BACKFIRES TORONTO — In a surprising decision, the Ontario Labor Rela- tions Board granted automatic certification to the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union at Dylex Ltd., a manufac- turer and distributor of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. The board ruled the union hada reasonable chance of winning certification here, had it not been for a systematic anti-union cam- paign conducted by Dylex, coupled with a ‘‘not-so-veiled threat”’ the workers would lose their jobs as a result of union or- ganization HARTMAN DEMANDS MENZIES RESIGN WINNIPEG — Grace Hart- man, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), June 28 called for the res- ignation of Anti-Inflation Board vice-chairperson June Menzies, saying she has proven she can no. longer be effective for women. Hartman was reacting to an AIB decision affecting 1,359 Winnipeg hospital workers, which rolled back a compensation increase agreed to by management of 16.07% in the first year of a new pact, to eliminate pay discrimina- tion based on sex. The one year contract expired May 1 for the bargaining unit, 72% of whom are women. QIT: DEAL ON NON-MONEY ISSUES TRACY — A five-week long occupation by the workers at Quebec Iron and Titanium works near Sorel, continues this week as agreement on all non-monetary clauses in a new pact has been reached. The length of vacations and tentative wage scales have yet to be discussed. More than 1,200 members of the Confedera- tion of National Trade Unions-affiliate took the plant over June 2 protesting a manage- ment lock out over earlier union protests against unsafe wroking conditions. Negotiations resumed July 1 in the presence of a Quebec gov- ermmment conciliator. : ALBERTA NURSES’ FIRST STRIKE EDMONTON — Twenty-seven Alberta hospitals were expected to be struck by July 11, as members of the Alberta Association of Regis- tered Nurses (AARN) announced July 6, that 20 hospitals were given strike notice, joining the seven who have been on strike since July 4. The Alberta Hospital Associa- tion forced the strike by refusing to move from its 6% wage offer. The nurses who initally demanded 13%, have increased their ‘‘bottom line’ settlement demand to 18% because the AHA wouldn’t sign an agreement to avoid the strike. AARN has 6,000 members. TTC PLAYS BOSSES GAME TORONTO — Metro’s Transit Commission (TTC) threw its lot in with the Electrical contractors of Toronto last week in an effort to turn public support against a strike by Local 353 International Brotherhood of Electrical Work- ers who have been out since June 27 over demands for a shorter work week. Instead of pressuring the contractors to settle, so that electricians can install signal material in a new extension of the subway system before the Oct. deadline, the TTC is blaming the union for the possible delay. The shorter work week is advanced by the union as a way of cutting into unemployment in the trade which sees 600 jobless in Toronto with over 1,000 expected by the year’s end. NOVA SCOTIA BUILDERS STRIKE CAPE BRETON N.S. — Eight hundred million dollars worth of construction on three projects, were shut down tight as a drum last week as about 800 carpenters went on strike to back demands that employers go through union hiring halls for workers rather than transferring them from one job to another. A spokesman for the Cape Bre- ton Construction Trades Council said employers should have to go through union hall out-of-work lists before transferring workers to the other jobs. “and with this automatic device it’s possible to make the workers disappear along with their jobs...’ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 15, 1977—Page 4 AIM wants new Peltier trial, investigation into extradition TORONTO — A new trial for convicted American Indian Movement (AIM) leader Leonard Peltier, and a public inquiry into the extradition proceedings which resulted in the Canadian Gov- ernment turning him over to the U.S. and the FBI, were the de- mands of a militant demon- stration of AIM and its supporters outside the U.S. Consulate June 29. The demonstrators said they wanted a new trial for the AIM leader recently convicted in what some have described as a travesty of justice in Fargo North Dakota for the alleged murder of two FBI agents at Pine Ridge. Vern Harper, a spokesman for the American Indian Movement told the Tribune how Peltier was extradited on the strength of tes- timony by Myrtle Poor Bear, supposedly an eye witness to the murder of the two FBI agents by Peltier. She has since repudiated her testimony, revealing that FBI agents Wood and Price had forced her to sign an affidavit accusing Peltier and that in fact she didn’t know Peltier and was 60 miles away from the location of the alleged crime. A miscue on the part of the pro- secuting attorney at the Peltier trial strongly suggesting that a Canadian official by the name of Halpern composed Poor Bear’s affidavit, has led to the suspicion by some that the Canadian justice department may have cooperated with the FBI in falsifying the af- fidavits used to extradite Peltier, and eventually led to his con- viction on the murder charge. Demand Inquiry If true, it would prove the sus- picions of AIM and others that Peltier’s frame-up, arrest, and extradition resulted from the open collusion of the Canadian justice g 3 z Ww TRIBUNE PHOTO — MIK! Members of the American Indian Movement outside the U.S. consu- late demanding new trial for AIM activist Leonard Peltier. department and the FBI to stamp out AIM and curtail the militancy of the Native People’s move- ments. ' AIM believes such collusion would have to involve top gov- ernment officials and therefore calls for a full public inquiry into the evidence submitted into the extradition proceedings, and the role of Justice Minister Ron Bas- ford and his department in the case. - “The Canadian Government has a responsibility to the Native People’’, Harper told the Tribune. He said he questioned the entire process of the extra- dition and called for an inquiry into why evidence used to extra- dite Peltier into the U.S. was ig- nored at the trial. He said ‘‘Canadian Native People are determined to keep up the pressure on the U.S. govern- ment until a new trial is granted and on the Canadian Government until we get an inquiry.”’ Labor slate to contest Edmonton civic election By K. CARIOU EDMONTON — Delegates to- the labor council here, had con- firmation at a meeting June 21 that next October’s civic elections would see participation by a pro- gressive slate including a number of prominent labor and progres- sive leaders in the city. President Anne Baranyk an- nounced the names of thirteen prospective candidates for city council, the Public School Board, and the Separate School Board, that the selection of the slate was almost complete and that names of the candidates would be re- leased at that time. In addition to Labor Council’s endorsation, she said the slate will also be backed by the Edmonton Voters Associa- tion, and the New Democratic Party in Edmonton. Baranyk noted the objective of a slate consisting of at least 60% trade unionists will be achieved, and that candidates will disclose the source of all donations over $50.00. Also, no donations from businessmen in the real estate and ‘development fields will be ac- cepted, she said. On the strike at the Parkland Nursing Home, Canadian Union of Public Employees representa- tive Bill Petrie reported that trials of several CUPE local members and their supporters will begin soon. : The trials arose out of charges connected to picket line incidents at the nursing home during the 14 week strike. Petrie charged Ed- monton police were harassing the strikers, citing a case where a woman striker received a police summons after being struck down by a scab’s car. Alberta Labor Minister Neil Crawford has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate charges that the nursing home manage- ment failed to bargain in good faith. Petrie said this was a rare move for a government in Canada to take, and he hoped the investi- gation would result in charges being laid against the nursing home. Pressure is being exerted on the Alberta Tory government to cut off the nursing home’s $22.50 per patient-per week subsidy, as a re- sult of the common efforts of CUPE, the Alberta Federation of Labor and the Edmonton Labor Council, Petrie said. ‘The subsidy now amounts to payrolling scabs’, he concluded. “If we have to, we will raise our demands in the United Nations, and take our case to the Soviet Union if no one else will help us defend our rights.’” He charged — the U.S. and Canadian govern- — ments were out to smash AIM. “Nothing to Celebrate” “The Canadian Government is currently making a big deal about Canadian nationalism and Canada Day,”’ he said. ‘‘Native People haven’t got anything to celeb- rate.” AIB may cost miners $4,000 each ESTEVAN — Members of the Roche Percee Coal Miners Union, Local 1623, directly char- tered by the Canadian Labor Congress, here, stand to lose more than $4,000 per worker over the term of a two-year agreement, if an Anti-Inflation Board wage rollback on a negotiated settle- ment.is upheld. The AIB is presently reconsid- ering its initial rollback of the con- tract negotiated last year. In addi- tion to the $4,000 each miner would lose, the wage-cutting board’s decision would force each worker to return to the employer, Manalta Coals Ltd., (Klimax Mine), an average of $988 on last year’s earnings as well as a further average wage cut of $3,317 in the agreement’s sec- ond year. This also would be poc- keted by the company. The union has voted to take © strike action if the AIB insists on tampering with the negotiated set- tlement. The AIB’s reconsidera- tion of the decision resulted from a joint demand by the employer, the Saskatchewan Department of Labor, and the union to leave the original settlement alone. The CLC announced June 28, the miners had met with premier Ed Schreyer in neighboring Man- itoba, and the Manitoba Federa- ' tion of Labor to ask the premier, as chairman of Manitoba Hydro, to support the Saskatchewan pos- ition that the AIB not interfere in the collective agreement negotiated last year between the union and Manalta Coals Ltd. Because of low water runoff Manitoba Hydro, which this year is relying heavily on coal, would — be severely affected by a coal. strike.