oe ta LL | National Liberation Front in South Vietnam this we ek launched a major offensive throughout the country shaking U.S. occupation forces and the Vietnam Puppet government. Photo shows a unit of the NLF with weapons before going into attack. LABOR SCENE: Socreds ‘too busy’ labor delegates told at lobby Monday this week the corridors and ante rooms of the Parliament Build- ings were alive with about 200 B.C. Federation of Labor delegates but- ton-holing MLA’s and government members and tabulating the views and opinions (if any) of the legisla- tors on labor’s program of demo- cratic demands. BCFL President E. T. Staley re- ported many MLA’s sympathetic to the issues emphasized by the BCFL conference, but that ‘“‘most cabinet members are hard to pin down’’. The stock excuse given by some cabinet members was that they were ‘‘too busy”’. On Workmen’s Compensation Act changes labor is asking that pen- sions be related to actual wages earned, the elimination of pre- existing disabilities in determining the amount of compensation for an on-the-job injury to a workman, de- letion of the word ‘‘accident”’ from the WCA in order that compensa- tion coverage will apply to any in- ury arising fromemploymentcon- ditions, and the creation of an inde- pendent Review Board to hear ap- peals from decisions already de- termined by the Workmen’s Com- pensation Board. On the injunction issue BCFL lobbists put the question straight to MLA’s; are they in favor of the elimination of exparte injunctions granted without the union involved having the opportunity or right of cross-examination in court? Coup- led with this the BCFL is also pres- sing for the legal right of advertis- ing by trade unions setting.forth the issues involved in a given strike and the position of employers. At pres- ent such advertising is prohibited. -—* * Last week’s Throne Speech prom- ised among other things, some new major legislation on industrial re- lations. This wasn’t spelled out but in keeping with the Socred govern- ment’s past performances, it could mean an escalation of its ‘get tough with labor’ perspectives. This week Labor Minister Peter- son introduced a new precedent in labor-management relations, quite unsolicited and unexpected. Peter- son called into his office represent- atives of Forest Industrial Relations Ltd. (FIR) which bargains for the Coast Lumber Industry, and the FEBRUARY 2, 1968—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 12 International Woodworkers of America (IWA), announced the “government’s concern’ on the upcoming wage contract negotiations between FIR and IWA, lectured both on the desirability of doing everything possible to ‘‘avoid work stoppages’. This even before any wage nego- tiations for Coast lumberworkers had begun. Labor Minister Peter- son then added something new with his proposal that FIR and IWA should appoint a “‘consultant . . . ac- ceptable to both sides’, who will proposedly serve in the dual capa- city of economic expert in the realm of lumber, an advisor, etc., in order to help reach an amicable settle- ment in Coast IWA negotiations. “A guy”, as one logger told the PT, ‘who will probably discover that the lumber operators repre- sented by FIR just cannot afford to pay one cent more in wages; that the lumber industry would be defi- nitely ruined if they did, or that both sides have the patriotic obligation of keeping inflation in check, etc.”’ Thus Peterson’s first unprecedent- ed step could well indicate Socredia’s “‘new”’ in labor-industrial relations; to cut across free collec- tive bargaining with an ‘‘independent consultant” running government in- . terference in the internal affairs of a trade union engaged in negotia- ting a new wage contract: to deplore in advance any thought or possibility of strike action; and not the least, for the government to get its‘‘new” proposals in before wage negotia- tions have even begun in the Coast lumber industry. But, says Labor Minister Peter- son, probably aware of the need to allay suspicion, “I’m merely trying DOW Cont'd from pg. 1 has written Safeway’s head office asking for clarification. The letter says that if removal is not permanent picketing will continue at every store that continues to stock Dow products. The Committee in Vancouver is planning to step up its activities to stop the sale of Dow products. This week it appealed for increased public “support ‘‘to make our initial victories, permanent ones.’’ For further information phone 255-1216. to be helpful. . .”. Obscenity laws prohibit publishing the Bull Cook’s reply to that one. Should Peterson’s ‘‘economic con- sultant” prove unable to turn the trick, in all probability the govern- ment has in mind an ‘impartial’ mediator whose findings will be “binding”; the whole scheme a slip- pery escalator to an ultimate com- pulsory arbitration straight-jacket for labor. pes Another important labor confer- ence which didn’t get much space in the columns of the monopoly press took place two weeks ago in Vancouver. Sponsored by the Shipyard Gen- eral Workers’ Federation of B.C.; the Metal Trades Councils of Van- couver and Victoria, and the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Coun- cil, each of these union bodies was represented by its top officer. Marine Workers Union spokesmen told the MP’s present that unem- ployment in the shipbuilding indus- try on the West coast ranges from 25 to 75-percent of the total work force. A punch-line in the current edition of ‘Ship and Shop”’ sums it up pretty neatly; ‘‘The MP’s listened carefully to our presentations, but did not have any proposals of their own’’. LEGISLATURE, and f CST tam, YOU CK W xX 10:10P.M. 1130k.c, SUNDAYS COMMUNIST PARTY'S WEEKLY RADIO COMMENTARY “aA by NIGEL MORGAN batt ‘There must be no war | over Pueblo incident’ A strong demand that the Canadian government act to prevent the U.S. from resorting to military force against North Korea was made last Sunday by a special membership meeting of the Communist Party in Vancouver in a wire to the prime minister. The wire to Prime Minister Pearson weicomed recent statements by spokesmen for the government that Canada will not be involved in any renewal of military action in Korea. It then went on to say: “Strongly urge your government _ speak out in Parliament and UN Security Council against any military attack by U.S. against North Korea. Urge negotiations to resolve problem by peaceful means not gunboat diplomacy. “Like U2 and Tonkin Bay incidents, action of U.S. spy boat engaged in provocative activity in North Korean territorial waters another example of flagrant U.S. violation of -sovereignty of other countries by U.S. intelligence. Such actions unless stopped by Canadian and world protest can lead to nuclear war. Urge your government condemn such provocative action, demand withdrawal of U.S. naval task force from North Korean waters, and publicly dissociate Canada from U.S. aggressive actions in Asia.”’ The B.C. Peace Council Tuesday sent a telegram to the prime minister stating, ‘‘the Korean crisis poses a grave threat to peace. Urge you seek all avenues of settlement and clearly declare government’s opposition to the use of force.”’ In a statement released by William Kashtan, national leader of the Communist Party, he charged that “the Pueblo spy ship affair is part of a calculated provocation by the Johnson Administration to spread the war to Asia and suck its NATO allies into support of its aggressive aims.” Deploring the support which Conservative MP’s like Harkness and Nesbitt give to the U.S. action, Kashtan said: ‘“This ready aye ready approach must be rejected by Canadians. Canada has no reason to support U.S. provocation. Its interest lies in bringing about a negotiated settlement through the United Nations which would compel respect of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Korea by the U.S.A. “The Pacific Ocean is not an American lake. It belongs to the peoples of the Pacific who should have the right to determine their own affairs free of outside interference. The sooner this is realized by the U.S. government the better it will be for peace.” A telegram by Kashtan to Prime Minister Pearson urged the government to speak out against any U.S. attack on North Korea and to press the U.S. to resolve the problem by negotiations with North Korea. Cont‘d from pg. 1 RR SOCREDS ATTACK LABOR Current layoffs, tight money ana inflated prices do not arise from labor’s wage requirements or much- needed school, hospital and social expenditures. It’s like putting the blame for theft on the victim because he had money in his pocket, instead of the pickpocket who stole it. Our problems arise from our committment to the policies of U.S. imperialism like Vietnam; from the sellout of our independent national interests; from surrender to U.S. ownership and control, the wholesale export of our gas, oil, wood and minerals in unmanufactured-form; from monopolization of our foreign trade, and the swallowing up of our favorable trade balance with other countries by a huge deficit with the US. This is the source of the growing crisis in B.C.; on which the government and the NDP must be compelled to speak out and act. * * * The Communist Party advances and fights for this alternative economic and political program. 1) We place the struggle for peace and an end to criminal U.S. aggression in Vietnam at the centre of our work. Herein lie problems of no less import for provincial administrations than the federal government, for nothing has meaning without peace. 2) We call for government action to develop industry and manufacturing to guarantee balanced economic growth; utilizing expropriation of foreign holdings, nationalization with democratic public control and taxation methods to reduce to the minimum raw material exports; development of a steel, plastics and petro-chemicals industries, and the building of a merchant marine. 3) We demand a new tax policy based on ability to pay; a steeply increased tax on all alienated natural resources, large corporate incomes and capital gains. ; 4) We demand relief for hardpressed municipal ratepayers through assumption by the provincial treasury of a greater share of education, hospital, public welfare and transit costs. 5) We insist on a new method of financing education. We say for every barrel of oil or gas taken, every tree cut and every ton of ore dug for export, the cash register in Victoria should ring up dollars for education and to prevent double and triple shifting in schools. 6) We demand recognition of public housing as a public utility, with action to solve the acute housing shortage, review and control rents and guaranteed access to adequate accommodation for all. 7) We urge recognition of the just demands of the Indian people to their historic land rights and a new deal. 8) We say tuition rights should be removed from all universities and colleges, and annual stipends provided for. student maintenance where adequate scholastic standards are maintained. 9) We call for a government- operated plan to take the profit out of auto insurance, and end the exhorbitant and unjustified charges levied against young people — many of whom have never been involved in a single accident. The working people of this province, who are the overwhelming majority, can defeat the aims of the handful of profiteering monopolists * ‘if we unite to press for such demands. And more than that, we can open the way to replacement of the present arrogant administration by one more representative of, and more responsive to the needs of the people.