Policy is key in non-election year

The British Columbia Federation

of Labor, with some 275,000 mem-
bers, will hold its 1979 convention
in Vancouver, Nov. 19-23.
- Last year’s convention was high-
lighted by a sharp election contest
to fill the positions vacated by the
retirement of George Johnston
(president) and Len Guy (secretary-
treasurer), along with other posi-
tions on the executive council.

This year, there will be no elec-
tions, as they are held only every
two years. However, the convention
should provide an excellent oppor-
tunity for a deep-going debate on
major issues.

For example, there is the Federa-
tion’s program against govern-
mental interference in free collect-
ive bargaining for public sector em-
ployee.. It was adopted after the
Essential Services Disputes Act was
amended when Bill 46 was introduc-
ed in December, 1978 on the pretext
of ending the strike-lockout situa-
tion in the West Kootenays, and
will be the subject of a report to this
year’s convention.

Section 11 was added to Bill 46 to
accomplish the following:

@ To add employees of colleges,
school boards, universities, educa-
tional institutes, municipalities, re-
gional districts and improvements
districts to those subject to back-to-
work orders under the act.

@ To add a new definition of
‘essential services.’’ The Labor Re-
lations Board previously had the
authority to ban designated public
employees from striking on the
grounds of ‘‘serious danger to life,
health, safety or an immediate and
substantial threat to the economy
and welfare of the province and its
citizens. The new definition reads:
‘*A substantial disruption in the de-
livery of educational services.’’ In
effect, this means that non-teaching
employees can have their right to
strike legally taken away from them
by the Labor Relations Board, after
that body is directed by cabinet to
make a ruling.

The 1978 convention of the fed-
eration was dominated by cam-

BONE Amb can seme cg
A CALUN Stirs L1p_

OCEAN FISHERIES,

SW. NICHOLS Co Lep.

paigning for elected positions. Of
course there were many spirited de-
bates on major policy questions
and, in the main, a good policy
package was adopted. However, the
dominant issue was leadership.

On the one hand there was the
Kinnaird-MacIntyre slate promising
‘“‘moderation”’ and a more concili-
atory approach to the right-wing
leadership of the New Democratic
Party. Their opponents, the Don-
nelly-Peterson group, called for
militant industrial and political ac-
tion and placing the interests of the
labor movement as a whole ahead
of the interests of any particular in-
dividual, union or political party.
(The reference here to a political
party reflected the strained relation-
ships between many trade union
leaders who were NDP ‘members
and supporters and the leadership
of the party, in respect to labor
policy.) —

Donnelly and his associates, in
their policy statement to the dele-
gates, advocated critical support for
the. NDP, including, by inference,
public criticism when considered
necessary. The Kinnaird-MaclIntyre
manifesto, on the other hand, was
interpreted by the so-called moder-
ates as meaning no public criticism
of the NDP, whether it was in office
or out of office, even if its actions
merited such criticism.

I made this Comment in my
Labor Comment Dec. 1, 1978:
“The Donnelly slate presented a
progressive program worthy of sup-
port. The Kinnaird statement, on
the other hand, was more signif-
icant for what it inferred rather
than what it said. The right wing ac-
cepted it as a commitment to their
policies.”’

However, it must be noted that in
the main, the 1978 convention
adopted a progressive program
made up of policy statements and
resolutions. For example:

@ A campaign against cutbacks
in unemployment insurance and for
policies to create jobs.

@ Conservation of resources for
the benefit of Canadians, including
the development of processing and
manufacturing industries.

when strike-breaking legislation was
enacted by parliament and called
for his resignation. However, in an
interview with George Dobie, labor
reporter for the Vancouver Sun, I
found the following: ‘‘Kinnaird
said there may be ‘political over-
tones’ in the demand of the Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees
for the resignation of CLC presi-
dent McDermott.’’

If that statement correctly re-
flects the position of Kinnaird, then
it must be noted that almost every
CUPE delegate voted for the cen-
sure resolution. This reflects a deep-
going feeling among public employ-
ees that the McDermott leadership
is not giving sufficient support to
public employees (a very vital sec-
tion of the trade union movement)
in their’ economic struggles and in
their resistance to restrictive and
punitive legislation.

land,

LABOR
COMMENT

BY JACK PHILLIPS

It is good that Dobie could also
quote Kinnaird as saying, ‘“‘We

have always supported the postal.

workers. . . ’’ which is true in terms
of the B.C. Federation of Labor.
However, to brush off the criticism
of McDermott by referring to Mc-
Dermott’s sharp tongue and way of
disturbing people is to beg the ques-
tion of the responsibility of the
Congress leadership to develop a
much more vigorous and united
fight-back program.

When Kinnaird suggests that the
issue will resolve itself at the next
CLC convention in the spring,
when McDermott will seek re-elec-
tion, he forgets that legitimate criti-
cism cannot be smothered by a ma-

jority vote of confidence in this or °

that convention. When leadership
fails to respond to the needs of the
membership and fails to give bold
and courageous leadership when la-
bor is under fire, a vote of confi-
dence in McDermott is useless, in

tions; the weakening of medi
excessively high interest rates;
the scandalous conduct of the
reds as seen in the phoney le
and the unfreezing of agricul

There are those in the trade uni!
leadership of B.C. who believe ti
the federation leaders are drag
their feet in carrying out the fed
tion program against UIC cuts, !
the fight for jobs and in rall
support for affiliates involved
bitter industrial struggles.
criticisms should be raised
structively at the convention, wi
view to uniting the labor moven
in action and not for narrow, p
san goals.

This is the half-way mark fo
present leadership and a thoro’
going review of the effectivene
in order, as part of the process
more effective fight-back up to
1980 convention.

What this convention can bes
complish is to chart a course 0
tion, based on program and
cies, to carry the federation to
1980-convention. Then and ther
1980, the delegates should asse:
candidates for office on the bas!
how they fought for the prog
and policies of the federation
on the extent to which they ar
pared to give acceptable co
ments to the membership.

SFU 18 tric

Continued from page 1

tory,”’ according to the SFU
defence committee.

Peter Armitage, an SFU stu
and the first to be tried, was act
ted in July of obstructing RC
staff sergeant Paul Starek but
victed of blocking a highway
fined $250. Armitage is ap
his conviction.

The charges stem from an
dent March 22 when B.C. Go
ment Employees Union secré
John Fryer urged participants
strike support rally to set up a
picket at the entrance to the u
sity, and block traffic.

Fryer left shortly after leadif

@ Opposition to tripartite march to the picket lines —

schemes designed to make the trade
union movement a tool of the big
corporations.

the long run. ~~ RCMP moved in later to break

Be these things as they may, the the demonstration, making sev
fact remains that there will be no Tests.

Fisherman's Union secretary George Hewison (1) and some 30
others joined the picket line outside the B.C. Ice plant in Vancouver

Tuesday to assist UFAWU shoreworkers who have been on strike at
All of the 18 arrested

the plant for 12 weeks. The B.C. Federation of Labor put a hot edict

on B.C. Ice products Oct. 9 to curb scab production and a mass
- picket has been called for Wednesday, Nov. 7.

— Sean Griffin photo

LABOR RALLY

Join the fightback

Thurs. Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
Sunbury Hall

10409 Dunlop St.
North Delta

Turn out to support Delta municipal workers,
members of CUPE Local 454, in their eight week
strike to preserve long established contract rights.

Featuring speakers from the leadership of the
trade union movement, including CUPE and the

~UFAWU.

Sponsored by:
Municipal Strike Support Committee of Delta Trade Unions

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— NOVEMBER 2, 1979—Page 12

e@ Advocacy of disarmament
and peace, including withdrawal

-from NATO and NORAD.

@ Solidarity with Chile, South
Africa and Nicaragua.

e@ A continuation of the ex-
change of trade union delegations
between Canada and the socialist
countries.

@ Recognition of the rights of
French Canada and for a new,
made-in-Canada constitution to ce-
ment the voluntary union of Eng-
lish and French Canada.

@ Opposition to BEESON OEE
legislation.

@ Full support to the United
Fishermen and Allied Workers Un-
ion in its fight against harassment
by the Co m bines Investigation
Branch and for full trade union
rights for fishermen. -

The high point of the 1978 con-
vention came on the second day,

- when Dennis Mcdermott, president

of the Canadian Labor Congress,
received a very hostile reception
from at least two-thirds of the dele-
gates because of his vitriolic attacks
on the leadership of the Canadian
Union of Postal Workers. This fol-
lowed the standing ovation given
Jean-Claude Parrot, president of
CUPW. The strong resolution
adopted in support of CUPW was a
stinging rebuke for McDermott.
Earlier this month, a convention
of Canada’s largest trade union, the
Canadian Union of Public Employ-
ees, sharply censured McDermott
for his failure to support CUPW

election of officers this year. There-
fore, the convention should, in my
Opinion, address itself to the
following issues among others:

@ No retreat from the progress-
ive policies adopted at the 1978 and
previous conventions.

e A thorough review of the ex-
tent to which officers have carried
out convention policies and coped
with new challenges.

@ The updating of program and
policy on such major issues as un-
employment insurance coverage
and benefits; the fight for jobs’ the
threat to sell PetroCan and other
crown corporations to private inter-
ests; the need for a Canadian energy
policy to serve Canadian interests
instead of multinational corpora-

PACIFIC

RiBUNE

originally charged with obstrue
Starek, who co-ordinated th
rests but Armitage’s successful
quittal on this count resulted i
charge being changed. The rem
ing 13 to be tried are now chal
with obstructing their individual
resting officer.
Stuart Rush, lawyer for /
Russell, made a strong case dul
cross-examination of RCMP off
William McNamara on Mone
arguing that there was inconcl
evidence that the w«
McNamara warned to stay 0
road was the same woman
rested a few minutes later.
The videotape taken by B
the time of the arrests was to
troduced as evidence on W
day, when Russell’s trial res’

| Read the paper that fights for labor

City or town
Postal Code

CASEI OIA ES
>
Qa
a
=
%
a

SAREE

© 06.0 © 6 pee) o She Wie + oe 6 bo ee 6 oR bh 6 w ereieigiele » Sie 00 %

1 am enclosing:

1 year r $10 O 2years $180 6 months $6 0
OidO New Foreign 1 year $12 0

‘4 Donation $........