Rally against the cruise Saturday July 23, 11 a.m. Robson Square Rally against the budget Vancouver: July 23, 1 p.m. Thornton Park Victoria: July 27, 3 p.m. Provincial Legislature Friday, July 22, 1983 Newsstand price 40c Vol. 46, No. 29 Fed’s ‘Operation Solidarity’ opens action campaign against the budget The Trudeau government lost any Chance it had of achieving world ac- Claim by being the government to courageously say ‘‘no”’ to the U.S. ad- Ministration’s war plans when it gave the green light to testing of the cruise Missile over northern Canadian ter- Nitory last Friday. The mass outcry that followed the announcement showed that Canadia’s Peace activists reject the notion that Signing the agreement makes the tests a fait accompli. While charging the Liberals with being weak-kneed in bow- ing — as other Canadian governments have done before — to American &0vernment pressure, peace leaders have responded with plans to increase the already majority opinion of Cana- dians against cruise testing here. From the east coast to the west coast they have promised mass demonstra- tions — and in some cases, have already held the first of many protests — to force the federal government to reverse Its decision. “We believe that with the over- Whelming opposition of the Canadian People, this decision can be reversed,” Said Lois Boyce, a vice-president of the Vancouver-based umbrella group, End the Arms Race. EAR, with more than 135 member Organizations on its roster, will hold an anti-cruise demonstrtion Saturday at 11 a.m., at Vancouver’s Robson Square. Another EAR vice-president, Gary chant, said the main focus of the €monstration will be to point out that, despite the signing of the agreement, the €cision can — according to articles in © umbrella weapons testing agree- Ment signed earlier this year — be » Teversed. Boyce said she was “‘highly incensed at without parliamentary debate, the federal government has madea decision Majority of Canadians have expressed €ir Opposition.’’ Boyce, a spokesman for the B.C. Conference of the United Church of , also condemned the federal See PRAGUE page 3 ©n such a controversial issue in which a - Some 500 unionists filled the Operating Engineers hall July 15 (top), bringing together B.C. Fed affiliates, Building Trades, Teamsters, B.C. Teachers Federation, Con- federation of Canadian Unions, Hospital Employees Union, Canadian Association of University Teachers and B.C. Nurses Union members to launch operation Solidarity. Below, George Hewison, newly-elected chairman of the Lower Mainland Budget Coalition talks to reporters following a packed meeting Monday (story page 8). The B.C. Federation of Labor launched Operation Solidarity — its broadly-based fightback against the Socreds’ budget and accompanying legislation — with an historic conference July 15 at which representatives of half million workers from every union in the province gave their backing to the cam- paign. Andon July 19more than 6,000 people — far more than had been anticipated by the federation’s public sector committee which called the meeting — jammed into Victoria’s Memorial Arena for a protest meeting at which federation secretary-treasurer Mike -Kramer, -B.C.. Government..Employees’ Union leaders Norman Richards and Cliff Andstein as well as Health Services Associa- tion president Jack Campbell condemned the government’s attack on rights and urged those present to turn out by the thousands in Victoria July 27. Two major protest demonstrations have been set so far as the largest fightback cam- paign in a generation swings into action. The first takes place this Saturday, July 23, beginning at Thornton Park at Main and Terminal in Vancouver and going from there to B.C. Place. Called by the Lower Mainland Budget Coalition, the rally has been endorsed by the federation’s.all-union conference. The second rally, organized directly by the federation, is scheduled for next Wednes- day, July 27 outside the legislative buildings in Victoria, beginning at 3 p.m. In the brief two weeks since the Socred government fired its budget broadside and accompanied it with a barrage of legislation which targeted human, social and trade union rights, public opposition has grown immensely. Scores of groups have called meetings to give organized form to their pro- test while many others have deluged the government with resolutions and letters demanding the government withdraw its — legislation. The breadth and intensity of that public opposition has already created some hesita- tion in Socred ranks, with some program changes held up and orders to senior management altered or delayed. The Socreds are also reportedly making extensive use of their research firm to conduct opinion polls. But the campaign against the govern- ment’s assault has only begun. And, as unionists and citizens’ groups have warned, it will take massive pressure to force a Socred withdrawal. B.C. Fed communications director Tom Fawkes said Tuesday that the federation was committed to bringing together the trade union movement ‘‘with more than 200 community-based and church groups.”’ He said that organizers had begun contacting organizations all over the province including See UNITY page 8