Restraint: refuting the ‘fallacy’

— page 5

Wednesday, November 28, 1984

eas

Newsstand Price 40°

Vol. 47, No. 46

a
See

Caldicott
packs hall
for peace

“Total commitment’ to the peace movem
some 3,000 people packed into the War Mem
emeritus of the U.S. Physicians for Social Resp
during the early 70s in ending French atmosp
disarmament issues. Story page 10.

Cuts to education
target of protest
by parents, boards

Education Minister Jack Heinrich
released his preliminary school budget fig-
ures last week amidst a growing storm of
protest by trustees, teachers, and particu-
larly a public weary with more than two
years of government cutbacks to British
Columbia’s public education system.

The Social Credit government’s allot-
ment to education, released to the provin-
ce’s 75 school districts, vary in intensity.
Some grants have exceeded trustees’ worst
fears, while for others the cuts, while severe,
were less than expected. But across the
board, the budget promises continued
layoffs of teachers and support staff, and
the cancellation of more classes and pro-
grams.

Whether it’s teachers or trustees talking,
those in the education community agree
that this round of cuts has met with
unprecedented opposition from citizens,
and predict that the groundswell of protest
will grow in the weeks to come.

“Tt’s certainly been my observation that
parent groups around the province are
becoming more activist,” said Pat Clarke,
president of the 23,000-member B.C.
Teachers Federation.

A bellwether of how parents’ persistent
complaints about school cutbacks have
moved trustees — many of whom had no
great love for Victoria’s “restraint” in the
first place — to unprecedented opposition
to the cuts is the recent position taken by the
Metropolitan branch of the B.C. School
Trustees Association.

The branch, which comprises some 70

see HEINRICH page 2

Action stressed as Fed looks for unity

By SEAN GRIFFIN
€re were calls for new leadership,

new commitment and a reaffirmation of
the traditional weapons of the trade union
™MOvement as the largest-ever convention
ofthe B.C. Federation of Labor opened in
the PNE Forum in Vancouver Monday.

Above all, there were calls for unity.
Federation president Art Kube appealed
0 delegates to “foster unity” and support

OFL convention, page 6

him in Steering the federation along a
Strong, steady and middle way.” The
©X€cutive council report urged affiliates to
cmerge from the convention Friday

Speaking with one, united voice.”

But it was Carpenters delegates Lorne
obson who touched a chord in the con-
Vention during the debate on the executive
‘ouncil ‘report when he reminded dele-
Sates, “There is no unity until there 1s

action.” And as the more than 1,000 dele-
gates made their way through two hours
of debate on the report, 1t was the demand
for an action program and a strategy to
resist the Social Credit government's
attack on the labor movement that
appeared as they key issue of the conven-
ao the opening session, and even
before, the three-way race for the presid-
ency dominated the proceedings and
reflect the differences over the policy direc-
tion of the federation. Running against
incumbent Art Kube are Vancouver and
District Labor Council president Frank
Kennedy and federation vice-president
Joy Langan who announced her candi-
dacy only last week at a press conference
with IWA president Jack Munro and
CUPE B.C. Division president Owen

Dykstra.

Kennedy, the candidate of the federa- .

tion’s centre and left, has focused his cam-
paign on policy issues, including a
campaign for jobs, resistance to the
government’s anti-union attack, a co-
ordinated bargaining strategy and invol-
vement of the membership in action. He
has gathered considerable support among
a number of industrial unions including
the Telecommunications Workers, Cana-
dian Paperworkers, Longshoremen, Uni-
ted Fishermen, Marineworkers and Boiler-
makers, Carpenters and Transport
Workers as well as some rail and airline
unions, the Postal Workers and several
locals of CUPE.

At the press conference announcing her
candidacy Nov. 22, Langan declined to
outline any policy and told reporters that
she was primarily concerned with uniting
the federation. IWA president Jack
Munro has played a key part in her cam-

paign, and his backing has created some
animosity among many delegates since if
she were to be elected, the IWA could have

influence over the three top spots in the
federation ‘officers. Secretary-treasurer
Mike Kramer who, so far, is running
unopposed, is a close ally of Munro’s and
the Ist vice-president’s position has tradi-
tionally been held by Munro, although he
could be challenged this year by Canadian
Paperworkers’ vice-president Art Grunt-
man.

So close are the delegate alignments —

with Kube expected to pick up support
from the B.C. Government Employees,
Steel and several smaller affiliates — that
the election Thursday could go to a second
ballot. To be elected, candidates must get
at least 50 per cent plus one of the conven-
tion votes.

In his opening address, Kube emphas-
see DELEGATES page 12