VANCOUVER

Motion urges
N-weapons
free B.C.

Vancouver city council aldermen are
making a new push for peace to sup-
port efforts in three senior legislative

_assemblies for nuclear-weapons free
zone declarations.

A motion from Committee of Pro-
gressive Electors aldermen Bruce Yorke
and Libby Davies, to be debated in
council Tuesday, called for the city to
declare its support for the effort to
make the province of Manitoba
nuclear-weapons free.

Manitoba’s NDP government has
introduced a motion before the legisla-
ture which, if approved and enacted,
will make the prairie province off-limits
to nuclear weaponry. Yorke and
Davies’ motion noted the move has the
active support of some members of
Manitoba’s Conservative opposition.

The COPE aldermen also called for
support for the efforts of MLA Alex
MacDonald’s private bill in the B.C.
legislature urging that the province
make a nuclear-weapons free declara-
tion.

The Vancouver motion called on
council to “urge the provincial govern-
ment, in line with the sentiments
expressed by the premier, to make Bill
M203 (MacDonald’s bill) a govern-
ment bill and thereby secure unanim-
ous passage in the B.C. legislature.

The motion also acknowledged the
similar effort by Regina West MP Les
Benjamin to secure a nuclear-weapons
free declaration in Parliament. It called
on council to “urge the federal
government adopt Bill C-218.”

To support the Manitoba govern-
ment in its effort, Yorke and Davies
called for council to send letters of sup-
port to the Manitoba provincial
government and the supportive Con-
servative opposition members.

Fair wage bylaw expected |

A series of meetings at Vancouver city
hall during the past few monhs have set the
stage for the city to adopt a “fair wage”
policy that could curtail the use of low-
wage, non-union contractors on city capital
projects.

At the urging of the aldermen from the
Committee of Progressive Electors, and
several unions, the council’s finance com-
mittee will reconsider a fair wage proposal
based on the city of Toronto’s 94-year old
wage bylaw.

The committee will hear from Toronto’s
fair wage officer, Cosmo Mannella, at its
next meeting on May 16.

Council voted at its regular meeting May
7 to refer the fair wage issue back to com-
mittee after hearing presentations from the
Canadian Union of Public Employees, the
Carpenters Union and the B.C. and Yukon
Building Trades Council, and employers’
representatives.

The fair wage issue has become promi-
nent with the rise of non-union building
contractors filling the roster of companies
bidding on construction for several com-
munity projects.

When the city’s parks board voted last
fall to accept a low-bid, non-union contrac-
tor to build an extension, to the Dunbar
community centre, council’s. progressive
majority voted to have city staff look into
establishing and enforcing a fair wage pol-
icy on all contractors who obtain city work.

COPE Ald. Harry Rankin raised the
question then of how much of taxpayers’
money went into the pockets of the contrac-
tor rather than the employees, considering
that the winner’s low bid was often only a
few thousand dollars less than the unionized
competitors.

City staff gave aldermen several options
for a fair wage policy ranging from the
status quo — a fair wage clause without a
wage schedule, as is contained in the Van-
couver Charter — to one mirroring Toron-
to’s practice, where tradesmen, whether
union or non-union, must be paid the Build-
ing Trades’ union scale. The Toronto law
also provides for staff to enforce the condi-
tions.

Unions at council’s May 7 meeting
strongly supported the fair wage concept.

“Given the current levels of unemploy-
ment in the construction industry, the

is simply an invita-
tion to competing
contractors to...
drive wage rates
down the furthest,”
noted Roy Gautier,
head of the B.C.
and Yukon Build-
ing Trades Council.

Gautier said those
who claim a fair-
wage policy will drive up construction costs
to the city are mistaken.

ROY GAUTIER

“For decades the organized construction
industry and the competitive bidding sys-
tem have provided quality construction
work at fair prices. At the same time the
organized industry has been a positive con-
tributor to our community ensuring,
among other things, a steady supply of
skilled trades people not only for the con-
struction industry but for other sectors as
well,” said Gautier, pointing to several
apprenticeship and training programs.

Building Trades unions also supply
health, welfare and pension plans and drug
and alcohol rehabilitation, ‘“‘which absorb
socially necessary costs which are otherwise
left to tax dollars,” he noted.

“For these reasons we urge the adoption
of a fair-wage bylaw to preserve a healthy
construction industry and to ensure the city
is not a party to exploitation of unemployed
workers,” said Gautier.

But Gautier rejected the proposal cur-
rently before council. :

That proposal, which suggested paying
contract workers the base rates paid to city
outside staff — members of CUPE — plus
the lesser fringe benefits paid to temporary
city staff, passed by a 3 to 2 vote in finance
committee two weeks earlier. COPE alder-
men Rankin and Bruce Yorke voted along

absence of any fair- -
wage requirements “

with Bill Yee for the proposal after Yorke’s
motion for full fringe benefits failed to
achieve the majority.

““We must emphasize that to establish a
wage standard through a bylaw which is
significantly less than the prevailing con-
struction industry rates would be a disser-
vice as it would simply enshrine inequities in.
a legislative framework,” Gautier pointed
out.

Marty Smith, business agent of the Car-
penters Union, Local 452, said the total
wage package proposed — $18.16 per
hour — was more than $2.50 below the —
city’s carpenter rate and $6.60 below the~
wage paid construction industry carpenters.
He noted that unlike city workers, construc-
tion employees do not work year-round,
“rather the fact (is) that construction car-
penters are periodically laid off when they
are not needed... :

“If one was to go to:the top of city hall
and look out over the city at the building in
it, virtually all the structures seen other than
single family houses have been built by con-
struction workers with negotiated union
wages and conditions,” said Smith.

Chris Allnutt, representing CUPE Local —
1004, recommended council adopt the full —
CUPE rate and benefits for contracted —
workers. :

Arrayed against the union spokesmen —
were representatives of the area’s big busi- —
ness, including Allan Bennett of the Amal-
gamated Construction Association who
told council his group has always lobbied —
for “removal of all government wage scales.” —

NPA aldermen and those of The Electors —
Action Movement also hit the fair wage —
concept, claiming they were protecting citi-
zens’ tax dollars.

The vote was; 6 to 5, with the COPE
aldermen, Ald. Bill Yee and Mayor Mike™
Harcourt in favor, to send the proposal —
back to the finance committee.

When it comes back to council, a favora~
ble vote is anticipated on a bylaw that will |
include provisions for staff and enforce-—
ment.

& the 30s the women of Vancouver
played a prominent role in the relief
camp workers’ fight for “work and
wages” and to “abolish the slave camps.”

A few months after the mammoth
May Day parade in °35, a delegated con-
ference of 722 women’s groups passed a
motion calling for the abolition of the
slave camps and immediate relief for all
camp workers.

The Mother’s Committee organized
and carried out a “tin can tag day” the
funds from which provided much
needed food and shelter for the strikers.
On Mother’s Day 1935, the Women’s
Labor League, decided to change the

ce ity
ae

tradition of Mother’s

Day and urged all women to
take a camp striker home and give
him a hot meal, to “do something of real
value. . instead of the usual maudlin sen-
timentalism usually associated with the
day.”

Let’s rekindle the spirit of 35 and fight
for the paper that truly reflects the aspi-
rations of labor, peace, women, social
justice. .. The paper that stands for legis-
lative reforms, and government change
which will guarantee equality of life for
all Canadians.

The Tribune is that paper — and
we're currently in our 50th anniversary
fund drive for $100,000. Once again we
call on you to do everything you can to
achieve that rage. The $37,425 raised so
far is a tremendous boost but that still
leaves $62,575 to go — let’s get that
second wind and accomplish our goal.

90-year tradition

This is where we stand...

GREATER VANCOUVER
Amount
Quota Raised
Bill Bennett 800 108
Burnaby 6,000 2,382
Coquitlam 2,700 1,598
Kingsway 7,500 2,142:
New West. 2,500 1,558
Nigel Morgan 2,200 676
Niilo Makela 700 658
North Van. 3,000 2,397
Olgin 700 400
Richmond 1,600 - 625
Seamen 500 992
Van. East 11,000 8,338
Van. Fishermen 800 ---
West Side 4,900 1,640°
FRASER VALLEY
Chilliwack 350 bia
Delta 750 202
Langley 700 340
Maple Ridge 2,800 660
Surrey 5,000 1,330
White Rock 1,600 267
KAMLOOPS-SHUSWAP

Kamloops 1,000 182
Shuswap 800 ---

OKANAGAN
Penticton 600 28
Vernon 1,500 248
N. COAST/INTERIOR
Correspondence 2,500 350
Creston 400 250
Fernie 250 200
Powell River 600 301
Prince George 150 ---
Sunshine Coast 800 780
Terrace 100 ---
Trail/Castelgar 900 90
VANCOUVER ISLAND

Campbell River 2,000 515 | |
Comox Valley 1,500 304 5
Nanaimo 2,900 1,792
North Island 400 614
Port Alberni 1,600 291
Victoria 3,200 2,369
Miscellaneous 2,826
Total Achieved

To Date: 37,425

2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 15, 1985