LABOR AFL tells Tories: ‘Dump Unjust laws!? EDMONTON — While Gainers strike supporters were awaiting their day in court to challenge another unjust injunction, the leadership of the Alberta Fed- eration of Labor met with Labor Minister Ed Reid, July 2, to demand major reforms in the province’s labor laws. The meeting was only one aspect of a flurry of actions in support of the striking members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 280-P who have been on strike since the beginning of June for wage and contract parity with Canada Packers and Fletchers Fine Foods workers. Despite stalling by industrial disputes enquiry com- missioner Alex Dubinsky, who has requested and won an extension until July 14 when he will release his report, labor has been keeping the watershed strike constantly in the limelight. = A group of more than 30 organizations and prom- inent individuals, including the main religious denom- inations, civil libertarians, the National Farmers Union, women’s organizations, trade unions, university profes- sors, the Edmonton Voters Association, the Woodsworth-Irvine Fellowship Association, the build- ing trades and others, all signed affidavits challenging a June 10 injunction designed to keep strike supporters from the Gainers picket line. They expected to be in court by the end of the week, but have been held up by a delaying tactic on the part of Gainers’ lawyer who is examining the affidavits. Change the Laws Now! e The UFCW succeeded in winning a decision by the Alberta Labor Relations Board ordering Gainers to table all information relating to the company pension plan which Gainers is in the process of trying to loot, with the full backing of provincial pension legislation. e Several union organizations have expressed their solidarity with the strikers in a variety of ways. “We're going in to demand a complete overhaul of the Alberta Labor Relations Act,’’ AFL president Dave Werlin said on the eve of the federation’s July 2 lobby. The group, which included the top officers and staff of the federation and other union leaders focussed on five specific demands in their meeting with the minister: e scrapping the *‘24-hour loophole”’ which permits an employer to lock his workforce out and rehire them 24 hours later at whatever rates of pay and employment conditions he might choose; e demanding the introduction of effective anti-scab legislation; e tightening up provincial pension laws, so companies like Gainers can’t unilaterally cancel pensions during a strike or lockout; e ending government assistance in the recruiting of scabs for the Gainers plant, by threatening to cut off welfare recipients who refuse to scab, and by allowing scab rental agencies to comb provincially-run single men’s hostels to hire strike breakers; e and, demanding the provincial government ban the use and purchase of all Gainers products in provin- cially-run institutions. The injunction, which the community coalition seeks to overturn, was handed down June 10. Essentially it sets up a ‘‘prohibited area’’ in front of the strike-bound plant where groups of three or more people are banned from passing. Individuals or pairs of citizens can pass through the zone, but are forbidden by the injunction from speaking to the picketers. Unique and Dramatic This has sparked a unique and dramatic daily protest by members of the catholic Ecumenical Prayer Group for Justice. Each morning since the injunction came down the group has conducted a prayer service just outside the range of the excluded zone. Then silently, in Werlin said the groups challenging the 7 would do so on the grounds the injunction ™ the basic freedoms guaranteed under te Rights Charter, including freedom of religioU sion, freedom of association, speech, and peaceful assembly. - ‘‘We’re also arguing that the injunction 18 @ natural justice since none of us were notified ‘a of the injunction or given an opportunity of prem defense,’ Werlin said. He added, that if the Getty government smother the strike under a blanket of silence a by commissioner Dubinsky, the governments mistake. ° : - The latest effort in the federation’s solid? a paign is a massive distribution of lawn sig’ j after the ones used during elections. One side she Boycott Gainers, Change the Laws; while the 0 will say:.Change labor laws now! oS .. The strikers’ determination to win 1s reinfor daily solidarity gestures from other workel® eration leader said. E Federal meat inspectors, members of the vice Alliance of Canada have refused to cross ™ picket lines. Strike leaders estimate that the I ‘ spite all the show of scabs coming and gom producing about two per cent of its pre-strike Now that the inspectors won’t cross, 7 government is supplying veterinarians to TP thus implicating Ottawa in the recruiting © millionaire Tory and Gainers owner Peter P0® Recently the president of the Canadian Pap® Union local at Macmillan-Bathurst refused @ cardboard boxes destined for the Gainers plath” the local’s secretary-treasurer walked off the J&™ than do work that could be used by Pocklingtom® A series of concerts and a Canada Day P# pairs they carry a large wooden cross several hundred meters in front of the Gainers plant. By FRANK GOLDSPINK WINNIPEG — The fight against free trade and a vigorous local strike movement reveals a quickening of the tempo of labor action in Manitoba. The city’s municipal and transit workers are considering strike action as a result of unsatis- factory contract talks; local Safeway workers and drivers at McGavins Foods are locked into tough strike battles of their own. On the Free Trade issue, about 300 members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union joined the union’s June 25 coun- try-wide protest against Free Trade by rallying outside the Manitobal Legislature. Manitoba Federation of Labor president Wilf Hudson and Win- nipeg labor council president Manitoba labor hits free trade TRIBUNE PHOTO — ED MADDE wt Manito - cae ba’s first mass protest against free trade. Heather Grant pledged that a law allows picketing in the public _ the company proposed a new con- coalition, recently established by areas of privately-owned shop- tract containing a 20 per cent the MFL will take strong action ping mall.s wage cut, the elimination of cer- against Free Trade and todefend — The strike by 140 drivers at tain sales commissions, and the the jobs of Manitoba workers. Local ILGW leader Leslie Spil- workers in seven lett warned that Free Trade with throughout Alberta, Saskatche- McGavin Foods Ltd., involves introduction of a two-tiered wage locations rate for new employees. In Winnipeg, the bakery work- the U.S. threatens the jobs of wan and Manitoba. In Winnipeg, ers have been ordered to cross the about 80 per cent of the country’s 22 members of the retail Whole RWDSU picket line or risk losing 100,000 garment industry workers. Sale and Department Store Union their jobs. The bakers say they Spillett also called on the pro- have joined the interprovincial have the right to refuse to cross. vincial NDP government to takea_ picket line at western Canada’s _ Stronger stand against the dangers largest backery chain. The company is trying to scab Canadian Union of Public of Free Trade. The Manitoba Meanwhile 6,000 Winnipeg civic workers, members of the NDP supports Free Trade talks the jobinat least its Winnipegand Employees have voted 76 per between the U.S. and Canada. Calgary locations. The Tribune’s cent for strike action to back con- Meanwhile on the bargaining Ann McGrath in Calgary reports tract demands for a 9 per cent front, about 20 members of the that the members of Local 252 wage increase over the next two United Food and Commercial Bakery and Confectionary Work- years. Workers, the only organized ers Union have pledged to honor Shoppers Drug Mart workers in the RWDSU picket line. McGavin’s has brought in CUPE president Ed Blackman about 40 people to cross the union has accused the administration of the province remained on strike at press time. The city is only offering 2.25 ‘per cent over 16 months and local They ran into difficulties re- picket lines, including managers using a double standard. While cently when police ordered the from across western Canada in _ proposing the workers take what picketers out of the shopping mall the company’s effort to break the amounts to a wage rollback, where the store is located. Police union, McGrath reports. later had to admit that provincial. 4 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JULY 9, 1986 senior management all received The strike began June 28 when _ hefty wage hikes earlier this year. 7 been, or are in the process of being organize ie of the strikers. (>: BCGEU launches strike action VICTORIA — At press time, the 34,000-membel Government Employees Union was poised to begin a pr escalating strike actions that union officials said would me into a full-scale walkout within three weeks unless 4 © settlement can be reached. Talks collapsed July 1 after the BCGEU submitted its proposal to management's plan to deny the provincial 8 ment workers a wage increase in the first year of a neW The Socred government’s latest offer, in addition to a firs wage freeze, includes an unsulting one and two per cent 1n@ in each year of the remaining two years of the agreemen” BCGEU is demanding 2.25 per cent in each of the firs years and 3 per cent in the third. he ie BCGEU president John Shields, said he couldn’t bel ip Bl ‘political chicanery”’ or “‘stupidity”’ of the governme® trying to achieve a settlement. The union’s plan of action@ a series of one hour study sessions during work hours, Dé with 200 BCGEU members in the provincial ¢apital. Brewery workers oppose Free Tr EDMONTON — The leader of.a union representing * brewery workers said June 30 that Free Trade with would mean the loss of about half of Canada’s brewery ‘‘Free Trade will killus’’, Murray Miller of the Retail Wh® and Department Store Union said in response to comp brewery executive James Black of Molson’s that free trad@ have long term benefits for Canadian manufacturing. But Miller and other brewery workers leaders predicted Canadian breweries would have to close because of com! from giant U.S. breweries and that some 24,000-30,000 bit related jobs would be lost in this country in the manufact beer bottles, labels and cardboard cartons. ‘ Chaos in college bargaining see" TORONTO — The proposed dismantling of provin® bargaining in the province’s community colleges would entire system into ‘“‘chaos’’, and hurt its ability to provide education, the Ontario Public service Employees Unio? July 2. : OPSEU president James Clancy whose union represents! teachers and 5,200 support staff at the colleges ee "i backs the recommendation in a provincial governmen scrap the Council of Regents, the current governing would prefer placing responsibility for contract talks W! ; Ministry of Colleges and Universities rather than on a CO¥”® college basis. ; :