“IC >» BC = Pi THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER RATE INCREASES” response that the Socred gov- ernment has shown since its election. He called for a full legislative debate of the ICBC rate increases. Gordon Gibson, provincial Liberal leader, told the crowd that they would undoubtedly have to pay increases, but that he felt the government could have eased the burden con- siderably. The NDP representative at the rally was the former - Minister of Health Dennis ’ Cocke, who told the cheering crowd that there was no moral, social, or economic reasons for the gigantic insurance rate increases. He said that the government was _ being politically vindictive and completely inhuman by in- creasing the rates so dramat- ically. Cocke told the people that ICBC was theirs and they should do everything to keep it. To enthusiastic cheering Cocke told the rally that the Socreds were setting the stage for the irisurance companies to return to the province and pick up the rip-off where they left off in 1973. Alderman Harry Rankin from Vancouver told the people to keep up the pressure. He said that the only thing the government would understand was the public outcry against the inhuman and indifferent way the government was treating the people. Vancouver IWA President Syd Thompson, in his capacity as President of the Vancouver and District Labour Council, warned the rally that the ICBC rate increases were just the beginning of a lot of bad things to come. He predicted that transit would be the next to go and then people who could not afford car insurance would really be in a fix. ‘Already there is talk of . increasing public transit rates and cutting back on service to some areas,’”’ said Thompson. Future demonstrations and rallies are presently in the forming stages and undoubt- edly one of the rallies will be in front of the Parliament Build- ings in Victoria in the near future. BY BUYING BONDS SUPPORT YOUR B.C. LIONS Ask anyone about the B.C. Lions arid they’ll probably tell you the Professional Football Club is like any other profes- sional sports venture, owned by big business to make money; a rich man’s toy. For the B.C. Lions Football Club, this is just not the case. The club is owned by the people of the province. The Board of Directors has had many an opportunity to sell the club, and could probably sell the franchise today for over one million dollars. Why haven’t they? The answer to that question is simple. Those who hold shares in the club believe that it should remain a community organization, controlled by those who enjoy football and go to see their team play. The psychology hasn’t changed, even though the club has had a major reshuffling and reorganization. For five years, the B.C. Lions have had management troubles and financial disaster after financial disaster. The new people at the helm have decided that all the past problems are going to end, and end right now. New aggressive people have taken over the management of the team, and they are determined to see the B.C. Lions remain a com- munity the football fans of British Col- umbia. The club’s biggest problem is. finances. Attempts to sell the club were rejected by the membership when no potential buyer could meet the stan- dards set by those who make up the shareholders of the team. The new management has decided that the fate of the team rests with those who enjoy good football. They are the people who are going to have to support their team if they want to see good profes- sional football in Vancouver. - To that end, the Board of Directors has decided to offer a “bond issue to the people of the province. It is hoped that the sale of the bonds will raise the necessary funds to build a good club and offer the kind of ex- enterprise owned by - citement that only professional football can offer. The club isn’t asking for donations from the commun- ity, they are asking people to purchase bonds that are backed by the club, and will return ten per cent on the in- vestment. The investment will be fully secured by the club for the full value. Regional President, Jack Munro, is offering his support to the drive by allowing the club to use his name for promotional purposes. ‘“‘I think it is a worthwhile venture,” said Munro. “It is not very often that working people have the opportunity to invest in something like this. Investing in large corporations, is, in most cases, far too expensive for working people, and in some cases goes against their basic principles. With the B.C. Lions bond issue, they can invest in something that is owned collectively by mem- bers of the community, and has a guaranteed return on the money invested. At the same time, it creates more support for the club and gives each bond holder a feeling of being part of the team.” The goal of the Board of Directors is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This is the amount they feel is needed to put the club on a good solid financial footing. In denomina- tions of fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand - dollars, the bonds are within . the reach of most people at all income levels. Consideration to issuing a twenty-five dollar bond is also being looked at by the club, but no firm decision has been made by the Direc- tors on the cheaper bond value. Keeping an enterprise like the B.C. Lions within the com- munity instead of letting it go to the corporate interests is a good thing for the people of this province, and serious consid- eration should be given to investing in the new bond issue. It’s a safe investment, with a good return and works to keep the people, the football fan, in control of the home team. Bonds can be purchased at the B.C. Lions’ office in person or by mail, at 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C. ee ee MRS SER DE ETRE TOP OS SENATE DT DEFEAT SOCRED PAYOFF | _ BY DEALING WITH ICBC “With the help of the in- surance companies advertis- ing campaigns and the work. done by their agents during the election campaign, Social Credit was elected. Now payoff time is nearing and the in- surance agents of this province are rubbing their hands with glee, for they will be the first to reap their reward. Although public statements from the government have indicated that the insurance agents are taking a two per- cent commission cut from seven percent to five percent the ‘changes will actually net them between seventy and seventy-five percent in in- creased commission. The mathematics is simple. The actual commission rate is lower but the increase in premiums is so high that they stand to make more money than they would with the higher commission and lower ‘rates. A pretty neat way of paying off your friends for past favours. In addition the commission for optional coverage has been left at ten percent but the number of options has been increased so that everyone will virtually be forced to take out optional coverage of one kind or another. The insurance agent cashes in again. The best way to avoid helping pay for Social Credit’s victory is to purchase your insurance direct from ICBC or from a Motor Vehicle Branch office. They receive no com- mission for the sale of in- surance. . | ee { f J FEB.-MARCH, 1976 —~ j { ‘COLLEGES ARE ¥C MAKE BETTER USE OF 1 By JOHN E. SAYRE Coordinator Labour Studies Programme Capilano College The last several years has seen the establishment of a widespread community college system throughout British Columbia. There are now over a dozen colleges in B.C. with a combined student enrolment that probably exceeds ‘that of the province’s three univer- sities. Yet, despite their size and quickly growing reputa- tion of providing good instruc- tion, colleges remain little understood by~ the ‘general public. Community colleges are not “Junior colleges” in the sense that they simply duplicate the . first two years of standard uni- versity curriculum. They do that, in their academic trans- fer programme but they do much more too. All colleges have a Career Division, where various (T.V. media, marine biology, electronics, etc.) one and two year job orientated programmes are offered. Also, most now have a Vocational Division where various ap- prenticeship and skill up- grading courses are offered. Further, many colleges are now beginning to try to provide educational opportunities to whole segments of society that have not been served before. Women’s Studies Programme are one example and the new Labour Studies Programme at Capilano College is another. - All of this is a reflection of some very important philo- sophical views of colleges. First, it is felt that anyone with a desire to learn, regardless of their past formal education re- cord, should have that oppor- tunity — thus the college’s “open-door” policy, and their encouragement of part time - students and their wide of- fering of night (and more re- cently, weekend) courses. Second, the colleges look upon education as an on-going life process, not a concen- trated, solely academic exer- cise for only the young. Thus one finds a medical doctor in an economics course, a trade union business agent in a trade union history course, and a housewife in her forties in an English literature course, in addition to the young high school graduate working for a university degree. -Thirdly, colleges are primarily teaching institu- tions. The faculty teach full time rather than research taking half their time as with the university faculty. Fur- ther, because the institution doesn’t have to absorb high research costs, classes are usually smaller and tuition is” less than in universities. But probably one of the most important aspects of the col- leges is that they are, general- ly speaking, filled with young, energetic and bright faculty members who have a genuine desire to develop good educa- tion to meet the needs and de- sires of all those in the com- munity, not just the traditional elite who have been served in the past. Capilano’s Labour Studies Programme is an accom- plished example of this and — this college’s attempt to | develop an Industrial Health — Technology Programme 1S al- — other. At least two other col- — leges — Northwest and Okanagan — are also trying to develop labour studies courses.