sey yard.

TERS gan oS
AME 8 on

2

ON STRIKEN

TORONTO — Members of Teamsters Local 419 picket Massey Ferguson in “an attempt to
stop scabs hired by their boss, Bulk-Lift Disposal Services, from taking the scrap from the Mas-

The union is entering its fourth week of strike against Bulk-Lift for a first agreement in face
of company determination to impose a “yellow dog” contract which would deny the union the
right to fight for its members’ job security as well as prohibit the use of the standard Teamster
hot cargo clause, thus forcing the drivers to move struck goods against their will.

OCT

HAMSTERS

AY (WL 41g

_ ing

Last week this column’ ex-
pressed strong criticism of CLC
president Joseph Morris for his
ill-advised- attack on the Inter-
sindical,, Portuguese Labor Fed-

eration, urging Canadian trade

unionists to ignore decisions

BY BRUCE MAGNUSON

Wi ken y Anti-labor conspiracy
exposed by (LC

the Post Office for three months
is not an attitude conducive to
a settlement of the dispute.”
Hitting at the intransigent po-
sition of the Treasury Board and
the’ government, Mr. Morris
went on to state: “Collective

taken by its July Congress. In- . bargaining by its very. nature

stead, we called for messages
of solidarity with Portugal’s
trade unionists in their heroic
Struggle against reaction and at
tempts at a fascist resurgence
under the cover of anti-Com-
munist slogans.

This week, therefore, we are
most happy indeed to offer the
CLC president our hearty con-
gratulations on his exposure of
_ Postmaster-General Bryce Mack-
asey’s hypocritical stance in the
postal negotiations, and _ his
timely call for serious negotia-
tions to arrive at a negotiated
settlement.

A three-man conciliation
board now considering the is-
sues at stake between the Post

‘Office and 22,000 inside postal
workers is expected to bring
down a report by October 3.
Seven days after the Public Ser-
vice Staff Relations .Board re-
ceives this report, a legal strike
is likely unless a settlement is
_ arrived at before then on the
basis of recommendations sub-
mitted, or in amended form by
agreement between the parties
concerned.

Mr. Mackasey has made
clear that he is prepared to shut
down the Post Office for two or

' three months if there is a strike.
In the meantime, the postmaster-
general has appeared more pro-
vocative than conciliatory in his
dealings with the Canadian
Union of Postal Workers.

Now, CLC president Joseph
Morris has put emphasis on the
fact that, “The postal workers
have been without a contract for
almost a year. The negotiations,

which started in January have
bogged down on minor issues.
Major issues, including wages
and job security with respect to
technological change_ have
scarcely been discussed.

“Insulting the Post Office em-
ployees and their elected union
officers and threatening to close

implies compromise between the
two parties. Mr. Mackasey, who
has a long experience of_labor
relations, surely knows that and
should act accordingly.”

Mr. Morris went on to urge
that government negotiators be

- instructed to settle down to bar-

gaining with the union so that a
compromise agreement can _ be
reached.
Ridiculous Offer

What ‘the union wants is the
right to negotiate technological
change and job classifications
flowing therefrom, a 30-hour
work week without reduction in
pay. To make this last point pos-
sible the union is asking for a

wage increase of $3.26 per hour ~

in a one-year contract. The cur-
rent average wage is $4.59. The
government has offered a total
increase of only $1.15 an hour in
four stages over a period of 32
months.

This ridiculous offer in the
face of present sub-standard in-
comes of postal workers and
mounting inflation, is almost
a guarantee that a strike
will develop unless the govern-
ment makes a more serious ef-
fort to meet the far from un-
reasonable position of the union.

While the CLC and its officers
never, as a rule comment on the
negotiations of an _ affiliated
union, it is heartening to see a
new departure in this respect. In
the currently developing situa-
tion it is high time the CLC as-
sume a more active role as co-
ordinator and leader of a coun-
try-wide effort to beat back a
most vicious anti-labor offensive,
consciously aimed at presenting
labor as the villain in the con-
tinuing and growing inflation
problem now plaguing Canada
and all capitalist countries.

Attack on Labor

The conspiratorial character
and collusion between the giant
corporations, governments and

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 26, 1975—Page 8

the capitalist mass media to pre-
present labor in a bad light be-
fore society, has been indicated
by statements such as that of
Allistair Gillespie prior to Labor
Day. Big business spokesmen
and bourgeois economists have
taken the same line of attack
on labor. .

The latest effort is Labor Min-
ister John Munro’s prediction of
a so-called ‘rational, tri-partite
incomes policy” for Canada as
the ultimate aim of his newly
organized Canada Labor Rela-
tions Council, which embraces
some labor leaders. As every
Canadian man and woman who
works for a living knows only
too well, any such policy will
mean holding down wages, while
prices and profits advance at a
Still faster clip.

Only a few days ago CLC pre-
sident Joseph Morris told the
annual meeting of the Nova Sco-
tia Federatiton of Labor that
there are two primary causes of
inflation in Canada. One is price
and. profit “gouging” by the busi-
ness community, and the other
is “stagflation” stemming from
the capitalist world’s recession.

“We have no influence on
prices. They are set by business

which has decided to get all

that the market will bear,” said
Mr. Morris. He also charged that
the government is “entirely com-
mitted to the idea that the only
way to curb ‘dangerous cost
push inflationary pressures’ is to
have slack labor markets.” Mr.
Morris rightly called this a “cold,
calculated, political - economic
doctrine” which is self-defeating
in the end. :

We fully agree with Mr.. Mor-
ris. At the same time we take
the liberty to respectfully sug-
gest something which CLC Vice-
President Wm. Mahoney of the
United Steelworkers has _al-
ready alluded to in his reply to
Allistair Gillespie, namely, that
the CLC officers get off the Can-
ada Labor Relations Council and
instead undertake an - active
coast to coast public campaign
to press for the implementation
of the nine-point program ad-
vanced by the CLC Executive
Council last May.

Lisbon PM aims to
continue revolution |

After three weeks of delibera-
tions, Portugal’s premier, Ad-
miral Jose Pinheiro de Azevedo,
has succeeded in forming a new
cabinet. :

The government, _ finalized
Sept. 20, is made up of the Com-
munist, Socialist and Popular
Democrat parties, independents
and the Armed Forces Move-
ment.

In a speech Sept. 14 Premier
Azevedo outlined basic points in
the new government’s program.
The government is not a coalition
but one uniting in action differ-
ent political forces of the coun-

try. on the basis of a common
platform, he said. It will be guid-
ed in its work by the principles
of national independence, ensur-
multi-party | democracy,
strengthening peace with all na-
tions.

Azevedo stated that the gov-
ernment must ensure the defence
of the gains already achieved in
Portugal since its April 1974 re-
vclution, acting in the interests
of working people, especially less
privileged sections of the popu-
lation. It will advance on the
road to democracy and socialism.

Nationalization of basic indus-
tries in the country: will continue.
Alsé, decolonization will go on
until completed.

Right Wing Activities

Stressing the urgency for
strong government in Portugal,
the premier said firm action will
be taken against counter-revolu-
tionary forces ‘which plan, .

through violent means a return

LISBON — Portuguese Communists demonstrate demanding a
continuation of the revolutionary process and to alert the people

the danger of counter-revolution.

Union, students protest

‘Jar Democrats and Socialists wil

to fascism. He warned armed
civilian groups, such as_ thos?
that went on an anti-communist

rampage this summer, that they}

would be punished. :
In a recent editorial of i

newspaper, Avante, the Commu

nist Party warned that the Popv

attempt to thwart gains of the
revolution, «using the recent
right-wing activities as a weapo”
in the new government. The edit
orial said the new government
must continue strengthening ©
volutionary gains.

In other news, several bombs |

exploded in Portugal, one outside
the home of Premier Azevedo.

fascist group calling themselve>
the Portuguese Liberation Army

claimed responsibility for thé |

violence. Their other targets
were Communist Party propel
ties. a

An anti-fascist demonstration”
in Oporte drew 20,000 supporters

earlier this month, Several thou” |

sand troops took part, denounce
ing the Army Chief of Staff, Gem
Carlos Fabiao as betraying thé
revolution. j
. Threats on Portugal’s demo@

racy are also coming from out |
side the country. Government® |

of capitalist countries are com

tinuing their Chile-style econ |
mic sabotage and disinformation
campaigns and corporations deal: |

ing with Portugal are refusing
sales and ending investments i
Portugal. ITT recently cut 0?
funds which provided salaries for

the 7,000 workers it employs. — eS

A. <=

- Manpower as strikebreaker

drive trucks loaded with unfit’)

REGINA (CUP) — Jobs were
scarce this summer for students,
but the student union at the Uni-
versity of Regina thinks the
federal government had gone too
far in its enthusiasm to find jobs
for college students.

The Manpower Center for Stu-
dents at Regina had been refer-
ring students for work to the
Dominion Bridge Company,
where steelworkers who earn
$3.20 an hour have been on strike
since November, 1974.

The.students had been offered
$4.85 an hour to do ichs such as

ished steel through the picket
lines to be finished at anot™®
steel plant. io?
Both the Regina Student UN
and the Steelworkers of Am
sent telegrams condemning
use of students as scabs i
Robert Andas, the minister ts
charge of the Manpower pr
gram. }
Andras replied that the Ma
power office was merely acti?
in a “neutral position,” offeri®

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