ng

a P

'n the Political arena.

May Day messag

i “

ting eal We have a thorough work-
boro ajority of working people and
pe cstives in the parliaments of
etry, until every worker is
ean anteed a right to a job — we
‘4:, U0t rest,’” NDP provincial can-

date Ernie Hall declared to Van-

Fd ?
: ws S annual May Day rally Sun-

= few moments later Communist
hilly federal candidate Jack
IDs picked up on the comment
ance naked that the CP was also
= ing towards the election of a
, ressive majority, ‘“‘but we are
the ting to ensure that it includes
a lection of Communists as

x The elections and working people
4 as the inevitable theme that domi-
ated the May Day celebration at

wl i €mpleton School, as between
| ©hgs from Tom Hawken and Spare

’ ange, it brought to the platform
mo csentatives of the NDP, Com-
Unist Party and B.C. Federation

Of Labor; each of which were con-

‘etned most of all with the enor-

ae tasks before working people

WO electoral fronts.
presenting the B.C. Federation

bor was United Fishermen and

i

WR Day

} ERNIE HALL .. . labor has no choice but to fight back

party.

Allied Workers Union president
and Federation executive council
member Jack Nichol who admitted
bluntly that organized labor in Can-
ada ‘‘has put itself on the line —
politically.”’

The Canadian Labor Congress’
venture into politics ‘‘is the most
ambitious ever,’’ Nichol said, but it
has forced the CLC to ‘‘prove it has
political clout.”’

The CLC estimates that there are
65 ridings in Canada where a three
per cent shift in the federal vote
could elect an NDP candidate,
Nichol noted, the result of which
could be the NDP holding the bal-
ance of power in the next Parlia-
ment.

More NDP MPs would be a wel-
come development, Nichol said, but
the Fishermen’s leader had reserva-
tions with the CLC’s strategy of a
‘‘nolitical solution’’ to all of labor’s
problems.

“TI can’t accept the proposition
that the solution to our problems is
to sit and do nothing between elec-
tions and then go on a big campaign
at election time... We can’t sit
back any longer. The CLC and the
B.C. Federation of Labor are going

STowing.

by June 23.

_ ‘Ing this paper.

Drive totals $17,217
but June looms nearer

As we near the halfway point in our financial drive to
Taise $60,000, the list of coming events for our drive is
And that is a welcome sign, because with the sum of
$17,217 turned in to date, there is a long road to haul yet

Actually, the sum turned in is within $60 of what was
Taised at the same time last year. Considering the elections,
that is not bad. But, we hasten to remind you, this year we
Need to raise more than $3,000 more than last year to meet
the inflationary spiral affecting the basic costs of produc-

If you haven’t made your contribution to our drive yet,
You can do it at one of the upcoming events noted in our
Classified ads. Among the many events in the next few
Weeks is a whole batch of pancake breakfasts on Mother’s
Day weekend. The one that most know of is the Surrey

_ Pancake breakfast and horseshoe tournament which has
become somewhat of an annual event in the Fraser Valley.
And, we note, plans are now under way for the Burke
Mountain folk festival, this year slated for June 3.

_ Or, if you were saving your donation till after the elec- .
| tions, please send it now. We have to keep up the pace of
\ Our drive if we are going to reach that $60,000.

Se

i .

to have to lead the fight for eco-
nomic and social justice for workers
all year round.

‘“*What is needed is the highest
degree of political action,’’ Nichol
stressed, ‘‘between elections and
during them to develop the highest
degree of political understanding
among working people.”’

Nichol cited the case of Jean
Claude Parrot and other convicted
Postal Workers’ leaders due to be
sentenced May 7 “‘for the crime of
representing their membership’’
and called on labor bodies ‘‘to close
ranks — of labor and all its allies.”

Nichol followed NDP representa-
tive Ernie Hall who brought official
greetings from the NDP provincial
council and from the legislative
caucus to the meeting. Hall, pres-
ently the B.C. Federation of Labor
political education director, is con-
testing the provincial constituency
of Surrey. against incumbent Bill
Vander Zalm. In an ironic reference
to Vander Zalm, Hall said that he
regretted that he could not bring
greetings from all of the Surrey can-
didates to the May Day rally, “‘two
of which are butchers, but only one
is a meat cutter.”

Hall congratulated the Federa-
tion of Labor and the CLC for get-
ting involved in politics ‘‘as it never
has before.’’ Faced with wage con-
trols, cutbacks in social services, in-
flation and anti-union actions by

MAY Day

JACK PHILLIPS . . . trade unionists should never sur-
render their demands to the fortunes of any political

year round.”

governments from the federal to
municipal levels, labor has no
choice but to fight back in the
political arena, he said.

Communist Party labor secretary
and federal candidate in Vancouver
Kingsway Jack Phillips received the
best response from the about 500
people who filled Templeton audi-
torium.

“Organized labor, while doing
everything it can to promote elec-
toral breakaways from the parties
of big business,’’ Phillips said, ‘‘but
it should remember that workers
have their own class demands.
These demands should never be sur-
rendered to help the fortunes of any
political party on the basis of ex-
pediency or shallow opportunism.”

The fundamental problems fac-
ing the labor movement will remain
after the election, the Communist
asserted, citing the example of col-
lective bargaining rights for fisher-
men. “‘If fishermen enjoyed bar-
gaining rights there would be no
legal basis for the current harass-
ment of the UFAWU. Successive
Conservative and _ Liberal
governments have refused to grant
those rights. Similarly, provincial

Socred governments chose to hide -

behind the issue of federal-provin-
cial jurisdiction rather than forcing

a solution by enacting legislation to.

bring fishermen under the provin-
cial labor code. And when the NDP

2k

JACK NICHOL ... CLC and B.C. Fed. “are going to
have to lead fight for economic and social justice all

—Fred Wilson photos

es stress electoral demands

formed the provincial government
with a substantial majority in the
legislature, it too failed to enact
such legislation.”’

Working class struggles will go on
after the elections.in and out of Par-
liament Phillips said and the ‘‘Ca-
nadian Labor Congress leadership
can make an important contribu-
tion to that struggle.’ In co-
operation with the NDP, CP and
other democratic movements, the
CLC has a ‘‘major responsibility,”’
he said, to mobilize and unite the
people for a vigorous struggle on
the economic and. political fronts.
‘‘Working people should expect
nothing less.’’

Credit not due

A photo credit was placed on the
wrong photograph in the Apr. 13,
1979 issue, incorrectly crediting
Sean Griffin for a picture of
BCGEU general secretary John
Fryer. In fact, the photo was taken
by union staff worker Linda Baker.
Griffin’s photo credit should have
been placed on the front-page
photo of Jean-Claude Parrot.

CONTRACT
CARPET LAYING

Commercial or residential
Free estimates

879-1654

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

COMING EVENTS

MAY 4 — Meet the Communist
Party candidates in Delta.
Homer Stevens, federal can-
didate, Richmond-South Delta;
John Stevens, provincial can-
didate for Delta. Ladner
Fishermen’s Co-op Hall. Doors
open 8 p.m., refreshments, ad-
mission by donation.

MAY 6 — FRC chicken din-
ner, dance and bingo, 2 p.m.,
600 Campbell Ave., all welcome.

MAY 6 — Fund-raising dinner for
Fred Wilson, Communist
Party federal candidate in Van-
couver East. Dinner at 6:30
p.m., 3043 Parker St., $10 a
plate. All tickets in advance at
254-9797 or 254-9201.

KAMLOOPS

MAY 12 — Spaghetti dinner at
Babuik’s, 2305 Bossert,
Brocklehurst, Kamloops. Hear
Fred Wilson, associate editor,
Pacific Tribune. Film. Dinner
from 5-7 p.m. $3.50. Proceeds
to fund drive.

MAY 13 — the pancake break-
fast at 4824 Dumfries St., Van-
couver, has been cancelled.

MAY 13 — Enjoy a pleasant Sun-
day at Bruce and Helen’s, 2066
Parker St., Vancouver. From 3
p.m. Hungarian goulash supper,
46 p.m. Films and slides of
Mexico and South America,
7:30 p.m. Supper $4, children
under 12 half price.
Refreshments. Proceeds to
Tribune Drive.

MAY 13 — Treat Mother to a
pancake breakfast on Mother's
Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3310
Cardinal Dr., Burnaby. Spon-
sored by Burnaby Tribune press
club.

MAY 13 — Annual Pancake
Breakfast & Horseshoe Tour-
nament at Gidora’s, 12715 -66th
Ave., Surrey. (Go along 72nd
Ave. to 128th St., turn at 66th.)
From 10 a.m. on. Admission $3.
Proceeds to the Tribune.

BUSINESS PERSONALS

ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonabie.
254-5836 or 277-3852.

MOVING? CLEAN-UP? — Wanted,
articles for resale. All proceeds
to P.T. Phone 526-5226. ‘The
Goodie Bin.”

TRADE unionist seeks research,
writing w o r k. Phone Ron Sos-
tand — 980-5157.

WANTED

COPY of the Vladimirov Diaries,
ph. 931-7390.

NOTICES

READERS IN Burnaby who wish to
donate to Tribune financial!
drive, buy contest tickets or ban-
quet tickets, phone 526-5226.

MAY 17. — Canadian-Cuban
Friendship Association meets
third Thursday of each month at
8 p.m., Room L4 at Britannia
Centre, 1661 Napier St.

JUNE 3 — Reserve this date for
the 3rd annual Burke Mountain
Labor Festival. Watch for fur-
ther details.

HALLS FOR RENT

WEBSTER’S CORNERS HALL —
Available for banquets, meetings
etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or
685-5836.

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME —

Available for rentals. For reserva-
tions phone 254-3430.

., PACIFIC TRIBUNE— MAY 4, 1979—Page 11

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