Moncerned Scientists, in
tluld lead to an endless
ais the major obstacle
agreement.

ie,

ontil

F peace

i for survival
domic future

a

ped its Support for the
Mm the Canadian people.
tt New jobs and

es to be spent in

ecreate jobs — it kills

aMWNn convincingly that

$1 billion spent on defence creates far fewer jobs
than the same amount spent on construction,

transit, health or education. In the case of education,
that same $1 billion would create more than twice as
many jobs.

Military contracts are capital intensive, not labor
intensive. They consume valuable investment capital,
robbing other sectors vital to a countrys growth. And
the products created are not returned to the economy.

In Canada, military contracts have grown alarmingly in

recent years. Exports of defence-related products
reached $3 billion in 1983 up from $9 million in 1979.
But the Conservative government wants to increase this
many times over. Recently the Defence Department,
together with the U.S. Defence Department, conducted
seminars across the country to brief businesses on how
to become contractors for the Pentagon. The Social
Credit governments small business ministry co-hosted
the seminar in B.C.

Make no mistake, working people and the
unemployed would be the losers if that trade is
expanded. ;

For one thing, under the Canada-US. Defence
Production Sharing Agreement, every dollar spent in
Canada by the Defence Department must be equalized
by Canadian spending in the U.S. In fact, Canada has
always come up short, running a consistent trade deficit
in all of the last five years.

But Canada also trades off what it calls “offsets”
when a Canadian company sells military equipment
abroad. In the most recent case, when a Canadian
company sold military transport trucks to Belgium,
Canada agreed to offset the sale by buying equipment
and parts equal to three times the value of the truck
contract. Under that agreement, Canada will spend $150
million in Belgium, including money for transit
equipment that could be manufactured in Canada — to
secure a $50 million contract.

Canadians are paying the price for these policies, in
wage controls, reduced social services, a declining

my an
pent ne the plans for a massive U.S. arms build-up,
Canadians are being pushed to the very brink of nuclear

War.

d unemployment. As Canada is drawn more .

Sa

Take the first step!

More than at any other time, the actions of ordinary
Canadians are crucial. Repeatedly, in municipalities
across the country, they have voted for initiatives
towards balanced disarmament. More than half of
Canadians have opposed cruise testing in opinion polls:
85 per cent have supported a nuclear freeze. Now if
those Canadians can act together for peace, thev can
compel the government to change its disastrous course.

The B.C. Federation of Labor and the Canadian Labor
Congress have pledged the support of the trade union
movement for peace. They have backed the Peace
Petition Caravan Campaign which called for an end to
cruise testing, a nuclear weapons-free zone and
diversion of arms spending to social needs. Now
involving every local union and every union member in
action for peace is the next step.

You can start by joining the Walk for Peace April 27.

More than ever, our jobs and our future — and the
future of humanity — depends on ending the arms race.

WALK for
PEACE
APRIL 27

This special feature was produced by the
TRADE UNION PEACE COMMITTEE
in association with your local union.

Written by SEAN GRIFFIN Design by KRIS KLAASEN Photography by HENRI ROBIDEAU

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 15, 1985 e 7