ESR

Labor, members back Mission 9

It’s something like a scene out of the
“Willmar Eight.”

Like their sisters who in 1980 fought a
long battle to unionize the bank employer
in Willmar, Minn., nine women at the Mis-
sion branch of the Fraser Valley Credit
Union have been on strike since December
for a first contract, and have been locked
out since Apr. 25.

Striker Pat Hamilton acknowledged the
similarity to the American incident, which
was subsequently presented as a featuré-
length documentary. But there is also a
striking difference, she said.

“The big difference is the help we’ve
received from other area unions,’’
Hamilton told the Tribune in an interview
on the front step of the Mission branch Fri-
day. Hamilton said financial help, as well
as support on the picket line — the size is
limited by court injunction to six persons
—has come from the Telecommunications
Workers Union, the International Wood-
workers, the United Steelworkers and
other unions in the area.

““We’ve received donations from as far
away as New Brunswick,’’-added fellow
striker Wendy Dobos.

The struggle of Local 2100 of the Union
of Bank Employees to organize a bargain-
ing unit in one of Fraser Valley’s six bran-
ches has clearly touched a nerve among
other unions, whose financial contribu-
tions to a slush fund has helped the nine
strikers get through the last four months by
supplementing their mortgages, car
payments and strike pay.

Workers in financial institutions have
always been among the most difficult to
organize, due in large part to management
resistance. The Fraser Valley Credit Union
ss of directors were no exception to the

The board made what Hamilton called
its ‘‘first and final offer’’ in February. That
included wage hikes of 19 percent for lower
paid staff, between four and six percent for
another three employees, a zero increase

for one and a cut of $654 for the loans of-
ficer.

“Tt was a slap in the face. We turned it
down, 100 percent,’’ said Hamilton, who
noted that a 16 percent wage hike had been
granted to workers in the other, unorganiz-
ed, branches in January. The offer did not
include retroactive increases, she added.

But the key holdup isn’t wages, but the
board’s insistence that the employees agree
to an open shop, said Hamilton.

“You can imagine what would have
followed. They could have transferred us
to other branches and had us decertified so
fast.” °

But if the board — among its nine
members. were chairman and former
mayoral candidate Martin Amiabel, real

estate agent Terry Gidda, and Ewald Rem- *

ple of Remple Brothers Concrete, involved
in the Gaglardi Brothers’ notorious non-
union construction of the Sandman Inn in
Vancouver — proved intransigent, Local
2100 members found allies among more
than 400 credit union members.

Led by former United Steelworkers staff
member Wally Ross, 242 members had
signed a petition, submitted to the credit
union’s head office, demanding a special
membrship meeting on the issue. Accor-
ding to regulations governing credit
unions, the petition required only 100
signatures to make the request binding, but
the board refused to consider it.

But the members, grouped together as
the Save Our Credit Union committee,
won theright in the B.C. Supreme Court to
hold the meeting. At the meeting Apr. 25,a
strong majority of the 408 shareholders at-

‘tending voted to submit the negotiations to

binding arbitration and to call the
employees back to work.

The board’s response was to lock out the
employees when they reported for work
the next day.

It was an illegal lockout, said Hamilton,
since the employees received no advance

notice, nor was any notice given to the
Labor Relations Board.

The action proved to be the board’s un-
doing. At the annual general meeting of the
credit union Apr. 27, the vote was approx-
imately 300 to 100 for a special resolution
calling for the board’s dismissal. Members
then elected a new board, with Ross as the
chairman.

The following day the ministry of con-.

sumer and corporate affairs intervened,
reinstating the former board until the com-
pletion of a review by the superintendent of
credit unions. Meanwhile, the Mission
branch was closed as pickets. and sup-
porters gathered outside in protest.

On May 3 the B.C. Supreme Court
disbanded both boards and appointed ac-
countant J. A. Charlesworth as trustee. He

was given 30 days to submit details for a-

new election, which must be accepted by
both parties, according to Ross.

“They’re obviously going to defer it as
long as possible. I’d guess the election
won’t take place for the next two months at
least,”’ said Ross in an interview Friday.

“But at least we turfed out the board,”’
Ross, a retired insurance agent and trade
unionist who was involved in organizing
Eatons’ stores for the Canadian Congress
of Labor in the 1940s, told the Tribune.

Ross described the majority of the
SOCU group as: ‘“‘pro-union’”’ but said

_others were simply tired of the ‘‘old board

acting in defiance of the clear wishes of the
membership. 3

“It’s becoming more and more a ques-
tion of who’s going to control the credit
union,” he added, noting that the former
board also has a history of ‘‘horrible finan-
cial decisions.”

The Mission branch was certified as a
bargaining unit of the UBE Local 2100—a
relatively recent union run directly by the
Canadian Labor Congress — in January,
1982, following an organizing drive in
1981, initially in other branches of the
credit union. :

Negotiations began in May last year,
and a mediator was called in in July. A
strike vote was taken in October, and the
strike began on Dec. 1. ;

Job security and promotion are the chief
reasons the nine employees at the Mission
branch have been fighting for union

representation, according to Hamilton, |

who cited a few examples of the kind of -
discrimination that prevails in the bank in-
dustry.

In one case a woman with seven years at
the credit union was refused a promotion, ~
but was forced to train the successful appli-
cant. ‘‘That kind of thing doesn’t go down
well,’’ said Hamilton.

In another instance a receptionist suc-
cessfully applied for a teller’s position. She
was deemed unsuitable for the job after
two months even though regulations call
for a three-month probation period. In- |
stead of being returned to her former job,
she was fired, according to Hamilton.

Since the strike began, several members
have withdrawn their accounts, or the bulk
of the funds, in protest, while others use the
night deposit and withdrawl services to
avoid crossing picket lines.

‘Not end
of world,’
says Fed

The Social Credit government should
not be so ‘‘euphoric’’ about being re-
elected that they try to impose right-to-
work style legislation on B.C.’s workers,
the acting president of the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor has warned.

“The labor movement has a significant
-base of support that could be quickly
mobilized should such a threat arise,”’
secretary-treasurer Mike Kramer said

Reader's note, donation
set pace for press drive

~ “Not only dedication, but a great deal of
talent comes through in the pages of the
Pacific Tribune — on the part of the staff,
as well as the contributors. I feel that
mature working-class analyses and presen-
tation of the news is necessary to help one
form an enlightened outlook, in view of the
calculated distortions and untruths in the
mass media. a

“Enclosed is a cheque for $1,000 for the

To the others, we can only urge that they
pour on the coal and ensure that the
Tribune reaches the home stretch in 1983,
as it has ever since the drive began. We may
not have ‘85,000’ readers with the

sacrifice and dedication shown by Tony
Cordoni and others, but with that extra ef-
fort from our current readers and sup-
porters, we'll be there when that day
comes.

Here is where we stand

recently. Tribune sustaining drive. It is an in-

Kramer said the labor movement was heritance from my beloved mother, GREATER VANCOUVER OKANAGAN |
obviously “disappointed” with the Josephine, who passed away June 28, 5) Bennett 1,000 150. ‘Kamibops 900 70
Socred victory. “But in saying we are 1982, at age 81. She envisioned a world at — Bumaby 5.500 0 ie en Se 600 es
disappointed, we are not saying that it’s peace and would never be without her — Coquitlam 2'500 vies? Sjemente 5 sri 750 8
the end of the world.” ‘Trib.’ Kingsway 7,200 1,999 Vernon 1,300 56

The B.C. Fed and several affiliates Sincerely, Ne Westminster 1,700 602 N. COAST/INTERIOR
devoted considerable financial resources A. Tony Cordoni.”’ Nigel Morgan 2,000 — mick) 2.000 600
and manpower to the NDP campaign ina The above letter from a Mission reader _Niilo Makela 800 206 Correspondence ven ie
behind-the-scenes way. But the federa- shows the kind of dedication the Tribune —_ North Van 3,500 (yd seen 250 251
tion refrained from making public depends on to survive. And we’ll need lots Olgin 500 375 Dei =) BED 186
Statements or outlining an independent of that dedication to reach our target of | Richmond 1,500 270 oe ~ IVER 300 212
policy, and Kramer recently conceded $85,000 in this year’s press drive. Seamen 400 640 Ree vii ae 500 416
that perhaps labor should have adopted a As the figures below indicate, some Van. East 9,500 5,809 225, 850 466
higher profile during the election cam- press clubs are showing that spirit of Van. Fishermen 700 100
paign. “5,000,” having already surpassed their West Side 3,500 1,089 VANCOUVER ISLAND

Kramer said the federation is concern- individual targets. A special thanks and FRASER VALLEY Campbell River 1,700 sh
ed with the election of several Socreds congratulations to the Seamen’s and Fer- —Chitiwack 350 - 150 pore aley on 850
who have been outspoken right-to-work nie clubs for their outstanding efforts. Delta 800 = Neer 1.500 559
advocates, but noted that “the labor Kudos also should go to those clubs _ Langley 700 395 de sal sie ee,
movement in this province is as strong as which have passed halfway point, in- Maple Ridge 3,300 487 Mic oulle See 4 3 556
it was 29 days ago (before the May 5 elec- cluding Vancouver East, Coquitlam, Surrey 5,000 1,244 a gee
tion) and will continue to be a strong Langley, Sointula, Trail and Victoria. White Rock 1,200 _ Achieved to date: 25,445
force in British Columbia.” : ——S

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 13, 1983—Page 12