LABOR Canadians resist rubber stamping U.S. pact 35,000 at GM set to stri TORONTO — Unless General Motors’ Canadian management drops the idea of pushing for a rubber stamp agreement based on the pact currently facing fierce resistance by U.S. autoworkers, a strike by 35,000 Canadian GM workers Oct. 17 will be unavoidable. This was Canadian United Auto Workers director Bob White’s reaction, Oct. 5, after GM placed its first Cana- dian contract proposal before the union bargaining committee. White hammered the proposal for suggesting lump sum payments instead of base rate increases, takeaways on current and future cost of living clauses, greater worker contributions to benefits and nothing on the criti- cal issue of reducing working time, a key demand in this set of talks. Calling it ‘‘almost a rubber stamp”’ of the U.S. pro- posal, White criticized the GM offer for not addressing, ‘tany of the economic issues, (the union) raised on open- ing day of the negotiations.” The UAW Director for Canada added that the pro- posal ignores the fact GM took away nine personal paid holidays (PPHs), from the autoworkers in 1982 and that despite massive profits, and the return of fat executive bonuses, the corporation wasn’t prepared to return the PPHs. “If this is the direction the corporation seriously wants to go in 1984°’, White told reporters at a UAW press conference, ‘then unfortunately, I think it’s a direction that’s going to take us into a confrontation in Canada.”’ Almost Unavoidable White warned: ‘‘ Unless there is a fundamental change in direction by GM it will be almost impossible to avoid a strike at General Motors on Oct. 17.” Twelve, noon, Oct. 17 is the strike deadline set by the union if GM doesn’t come up with an acceptable offer. Talks between the union and GM were suspended as the Tribune went to press, Oct. 11. The corporation had informed the UAW it would call them when it had pre- pared a second contract offer. White admitted he was concerned about GM’s at- titude, as well as the prospects and implications of a strike, but he emphasized, ‘there are some important issues that the GM workers are entitled to have addressed.”’ Referring to the growing demand by such unions as the postal workers, communications workers, the UAW, and all of the senior provincial and federal labor bodies for shorter work time and progress toward the shorter work week, White added that in these talks with GM there were ‘“‘important issues that the Canadian labor movement has laid out ...”” The UAW went into the talks this summer, fighting for areturn in this contract to the three per cent annual wage increase, plus an ‘‘upfront’’ -wage hike, continuous COLA without interruption, improved pensions, income security and shorter work time. Time for Progress White reminded the press that the union emerged from the 1982 talks without an increase in base wage rates, and surrender of the 9 PPHs. “‘I think in 1984, when you look at the executive bonuses, and stock options and their profits, then I think the workers are entitled to expect progress in 1984. ‘*‘This proposal doesn’t give them that.” Meanwhile, with some 60,000 U.S. auto workers in Michigan still to vote on the UAW-GM settlement tenta- tively reached earlier this month, opposition to the pact by rank and file UAW members has been substantial. At press time, with the Michigan and other results still to come, the yes, or ratification vote was holding the lead over an expanding groundswell for rejection. In the re- ferendum vote of U.S. UAW members throughout the country at press time 33,957 had voted to accept the pact initialled by the corporation and UAW, Sept. 21. Those opposed numbered 28,773. The count represented returns from 37 of the 149 UAW-GM locals throughout the states. The tentative pact followed six days of local strikes at 17 GM plants. U.S. auto industry watchers expect a ‘ large rejection vote by the Michigan GM locals. Some. 60,000 workers are expected to vote in Flint over the next four days, and observers sense a mood to turn the proposal down, despite massive campaigning and threats by UAW president Owen Bieber and the union leadership to sell the contract. Dire Consequences Bieber and GM management have both threatened dire consequences if the workers reject the agreement, 8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 17, 1984 - which stripped of all the hype boils down to an average up front wage increase of 15 cents an hour, with no annual improvement factor. Instead the agreement is riddled with phoney schemes like profit sharing, and a $1-billion job security fund which industry insiders pre- dict would fold up quickly in the face of massive job cuts such as those which accompanied the industry crisis of the early 80s. Bieber had threatened to pull the entire chain out on strike if the pact is turned down, and has said the union wouldn’t return to the bargaining table. But this kind of talk hasn’t rattled the most deter- mined rank and file opponents to the pact. On Oct. 7 workers at Detroit’s Cadillac and Fleetwood plants ral- lied in large numbers to howl the agreement down, and like other Michigan workers aré expected to vote against it when they mark their ballots Oct. 12. does not meet the union’s demands. GM's lines are act to shut down Oct. 17 if the compall NUM rep to tour Canada’ TORONTO — The ground- work for a country-wide solidarity tour by National Union of Mine- workers Frank Clark and Mrs. Clark was extended this week to include eastern Canada. The Clarks are expected to arrive in Edmonton, Oct. 24 as the guests of the Alberta Federation of Labor, District 18 of the United Mine Workers of America, and the Grande Cache local of the United Steelworkers. (The Tribune mistakenly repor- ted last week that the NUM repre- sentative would be Eric Clarke, who, is in fact, an organizer for the Scottish section of the NUM.) In an interview with the Tribune, AFL president Dave Werlin said tour organizers in Alberta were putting the finishing touches on the Clarks’ itinerary in that province and that the hosts will be releasing the details at an Oct. 15 press con- ference. Dispelling some confusion as to whether or not Mr. and Mrs. Clark are authorized to represent the National Union of Mineworkers on this Canadian tour, Werlin Miners rally in support of their union. stated that the names for which the Alberta organizers purchased two return.trip Air Canada tickets had been supplied by an NUM official. “We were given the names of Frank and Mrs. Clark by Vernon Jones, the International Officer of the National Union of Mine- workers, and these are the names in which the return air tickets are made’ out,” the AFL president said. The source of the confusion stems from another tour by an NUM striker in whose name funds are being solicited to help the Brit- ish miners. The NUM leadership in Britain has communicated to the Cana- dian* Labor Congress that while Steve Shukla, who has visited sev- eral North American centres, may be an NUM member, he is not known to the union head office nor is he authorized to represent the NUM. The NUM also is emphasizing that funds gathered in support of the miners’ strike should be for- warded to the British Trades Union Congress and a special account set up exclusively for that purpose designated as TUC Account Number 5. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labor executive has invited the Clarks to attend the annual federa- tion convention and bring their appeal for solidarity to the conven- tion, Oct. 26. - In Ontario a committee headed by Steelworkers district 6 director Dave Patterson has been set up, and held its first meeting to plan the Clarks’ Ontario tour, Nov. 14- 28. Included on the committee,-so far, are Wally Majesky, president of the Metro Labor Council, Den- nis Sexton of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Bill Howse of the Communications Workers, Alan Maclsaac of the Toronto Ironworkers local, Dick Barry, president of the United Electrical i Workers, and representatives from — the Ontario Public Service Employ- ees Union, and the United Auto Workers. The Ontario committee met Oct. 11 to iron out the details of the tour. At its last meeting the Van- couver and District Labor Council voted to agree to co-host the B.C. portion of the Clarks’ tour with the — 7 B.C. Federation of Labor and the .New Westminster and District Labor Council. Plans are underway to organize a tour for the Clarks in Quebec, and the Nova Scotia Federation of Labor president, Gerald Yetman, has invited the Clarks to attend the federation convention, Oct, 23-26, The Clarks are expected to arrive in Vancouver Nov. 2 for a week-long tour of Brit-— ish Columbia, the details of which are to be worked out by the labor councils and the federation later this week. However, Vancouver and Dis- — trict Labor Council president Frank Kennedy said Monday that they would be address- ing the labor council at its Nov. 6 meeting and a public meeting would likely be set for the following day, Nov. 7. — ghia”