LABOUR Labor in action GEORGE HEWISON NDP and labour should maintain progressive policy The latest polls indicate that the New Democratic Party is surging to the top of Canada’s political heap. The possibility exists that the monopoly of the two big political parties on the federal govern- ment may, at long last, be broken. Such a development would be historic for our country. The Conservatives, under Brian Mul- roney, while pursuing their neoconserva- tive objectives — free trade, deregulation, privatization and the all-out assault on the living standards of Canadians —have blown the biggest electoral majority in Canadian history. The Liberals, still recovering from their election defeat three years ago, and unable to reconcile their big business agenda with the f — political demands | of the Canadian | # people, have failed af to pick up the : slack — despite demagogic efforts to project an aura of social concern. Slip-ups on vir- tually every major issue of the day iP te HEWISO have not helped the Grits. Every progressive in Canada applauds the shift in the New Democrats’ fortunes, but not without a certain uneasiness. This apprehension is particularly pro- nounced in the trade union movement. As the NDP edges closer to victory, it becomes more silent on the vital ques- tions affecting working people. Criticism of the government becomes more muted. In recent weeks, even the Liberals have appeared to be- more “left” than the NDP. : During the letter carriers’ dispute, for example, the Liberals roundly scored the Tories’ union-bashing while the NDP remained uncharacteristically silent. In recent weeks, the federal NDP cau- cus has been all over the map on the issue of free trade — again, an issue of prim- ary importance to Canada’s working people, and again, while the Liberals have been making political hay speaking out against the Tories’ handling of free trade negotiations. This back-pedaling by the social democrats is worrisome for two reasons. The first is that polls change. That makes political poll-gazing a dangerous ' preoccupation for politicians. Polls are at best a temporary reflection of public moods. The pollsters now appear to be dictat- ing the tempo with which longstanding NDP policies are jettisoned by the cau- cus leaders. The second cause for concern is the ability of an NDP devoid of policy to change the direction of the country, should it succeed in forming a govern- ment. It’s a familiar problem to the trade union movement in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The first problem is to elect the NDP. The second is, how does an NDP government, once elected, get the neoconservative monkey off labour’s back without popular sup- port, having not campaigned on such a program? i Art Kube, former president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and one- time advocate of the let’s-get-them- elected-and-worry about-policy-later line, offered in his final speech to the federa- tion the advice that elections are not won and lost during election campaigns, but in the realm of “extra-parliamentary” struggles. The answer Is clear. The NDP, by itself, will not change public opinion. Public opinion is molded in the course of a popular struggle. At this stage of history, public opinion is being molded in the context of the fight against Mulroney’s neoconservatives, in the fight for sovereignty and peace. Labour has a tremendous responsibil- ity for the furtherance of political action which will not only help itself, but will also help other sections of the population rid themselves of Mulroney’s Conserva- tives. The NDP, with its special relationship to labour, must respond favourably to the conditions created by labour and its actions. It must overcome its political laryngitis. It means too that the trade union movement must guard its independence lest it too be struck speechless in the mistaken belief that this is the way for- ward. Silence on vital issues of the day, or rewriting labour’s program to bring it into line with negative NDP policy changes, is not the way to further the trade union movement, much less the NDP. FIRIBUNE Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. VS5K 1Z5. Phone 251-1186 --& eS Ok SD we ER Oe oe SE lam enclosing 1 yr. $160 2 Introductory offer, 3mo. $3 Foreign 1 yr. $25 Oo EAD THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOUR 12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JULY 22, 1987 See ace ks ae eS Se De ee ee eee. Ce eer ST 16 es wa a Se, Oe ee ee Be eS ee ee Postal Code yrs. $280 6mo. $100 > eae ek 2 ee Se ee 8 Se Bill me later 0 150,000 sign petition to scrap Bill 19 Some 150,000 British Columbians have . called on the provincial government not to proclaim Bill 19, the Industrial Relations Reform Act. That news came in a statement from the B.C. Federation of Labour, which launched an open letter petition last month urging the bill be withdrawn. The signatures represent weeks of effort by trade union locals and labour councils, whose members and supporters took to the streets during weekends and lunch hours. Many, including B.C. Fed president Ken Georgetti, reported that up to 80 per cent of passers-by expressed support for the cam- paign. In the Lower Mainland, the Van- couver and District Labour Council ran the campaign from two centres: the Maritime Labour Centre, home to the port unions, and the Carpenters Hall. Georgetti in a telegram to Premier Bill Vander Zalm said the signatures repres- ented additional voices opposing the labour legislation which passed third reading ear- lier this month. : He said that while 350,000 working peo- ple showed their opposition in the massive job action on June 1, “others chose this avenue to express their opposition.” Georgetti told the Social Credit premier, “If you continue in your present course of action, the Industrial Relations Reform Act will be proclaimed and we shall spend its life in an atmosphere of bitterness, confronta- Pensions, wage hikes) top 87 auto talks {| By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — Ascontract talks between the Canadian Auto Workers and the “big three” American auto firms opened July 14-16 the union placed the responsibility for protecting pensions from the ravages of inflation firmly in corporate hands. With General Motors heading the list first, the union met the top Canadian bar- gaining teams of both Ford and Chrysler later last week to deliver the same clear message. This is the year for auto workers to move ahead on pensions, cost-of-living indexing for current and future pensions, wage increases based on a three per cent annual improvement factor with COLA (the indus- try’s productivity is currently averaging five per cent) and protection against the out- sourcing of union jobs to the non-union parts industry. “This set of negotiations isn’t a test for the CAW,” White said, “but it is a test for GM to make. If the priorities here are dif- ferent from the negotiations in the U.S. with GM, can GM make that separation on Sept. 13?” Both GM’s chief spokesperson Rick Curd and Donald McKenzie of Ford essen- tially said their corporations didn’t support the principle of pension indexing. Curd said GM wouldn’t be accepting any proposals that would not see the corporation emerge from the talks less competitive than it was going in. McKenzie was even more direct. Pension indexing, he said, was both costly and not “modern.” The latter was a reference to the “modern collective agreements” which he described as those which express a union commitment to corporate competitiveness. He described two kinds of “modern” contracts: those established in so-called “greenfield” sites where U.S. or offshore corporations build in restrictions on union rights and work practices in exchange ‘for paign. tion and lack of productivity and job crea" tion.” The B.C. Fed president also indicated there will be no demonstration or si action to accompany presentation of the signatures to the government. _ “Frankly, I have grave doubts about the seriousness with which you will treat them (the petitions). If you would like to see them, if you would like to respond to them ... they will be available to you,” stat Georgetti’s telegram. tion’s offices, the release stated. placing the investment; or those where, ip established plants, under the pressure 0” closures and layoffs the corporations force the unions to accept work rule conces | sions and other restrictions on union rights: Both corporations have lobbied the Ontario government’s Task Force on pen sion reform to state their opposition to pe® | sion indexing. In his briefing at the Ford opening, white reiterated the theme he presented to all tht auto makers. “The real issue in these talks® who should bear the burden for inflation, White said. “T think the corporations have to bear tht burden for inflation protection for retirees: he said. White said GM has reaped an impressiv $2-billion in profits in Canada since 198%: He also said that Ford Canada raked ! more than $700 million with first quam™ profits of $73 million. With projections of a major shakedow?, in the industry — through the combinatl? of tech change and the massive ove capacity estimated by McKenzie at SO three-to-four million more cars than North American market can absorb — substantial progress on pensions, and inde* ing take on added importance for the unio” Though these are the first complete set g talks conducted with the Big Three since" union split from the United Auto wore White has emphasized that the union’s test as an all-Canadian organization in 1985, when it took on Chrysler Corp. a brought the workers there back into par’ with the pattern at Ford and GM. That victory came on the heels of the two week strike against GM in 1984 which no" only stopped the corporation from im f ing a made-in-U.S. concessionary patter? | profit sharing and lump sum payments, b laid the basis for the formation of the CA The talks will affect about 60,000 in three corporations. Buildings Trades president Roy Gautiel gets signatures during petition cam The petitions are stored at the federa: uJ Ww ae