International Women’s Day 6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MARCH 6, 1985 Women move to front — of labor’s struggles By MIKE PHILLIPS Poised to liberate up to half a million un- organized retail industry workers from the in- dignity of the non-union shop, Canadian labor is locked into decisive and historic battle with Eaton’s, and as the Decade of Women draws to a close, women are the heart and soul of that fight. ‘‘The Eaton’s strike exemplifies everything women have been fighting to achieve over the past 100 years’’, retail union organizer Carole Currie says, describing her union’s fight to bring equality and dignity to the workers at Eaton’s, 80 per cent of whom are women. That fight and the country-wide boycott cam- paign against the retail giant symbolizes the bonds of solidarity between trade union men and women which have been forged over the past 10 years in battles where so-called ‘‘women’s issues’’ have become every worker’s cause. The United Nations declaration of International Women’s Year, in 1975 with its theme of solidarity with women around the world for equality, development and peace, helped lay the foundation for a decade of struggle that brought some im- portant though modest gains for women and pro- duced a stronger, more militant labor movement. Strikes such as Fleck, Radio Shack, Irwin Toy, Blue Cross, hospital employees, Quebec garment workers, First Canadian Place, Bell Canada, Pure- tex Knitting and many others were signposts for a decade of struggle that saw women move into the front ranks of the battle, and inspired un- precedented solidarity from their brothers in the trade union movement. Even the massive strikes where men were the predominant fighters such as at Inco, Stelco and Boise Cascade, women broke the tradition of ‘‘au- xiliaries’’ that had flourished with the early days of industrial unionism and went into action forming strike support committees to rally women and en- tire communities behind the struggle. The Fleck strike in March 1978 was a benchmark for women in the trade union movement and in the work force. Says auto union publicity director Wendy Cuthbertson: “‘It was the first time the UAW, and I think the Ontario Federation of Labor, fought a strike consciously as a woman’s strike, that is, relating the issues of the strike speci- fically to the conditions women face in the work force.”” It also exposed the brutal reality of what was happening in the low-wage female job ghettos, and the ruthlessness of employers in trying to suppress unions. — The victory at Fleck brought encouragement to other women fighting for a first contract or zeroing in on rotten job conditions and denials of their right to equality. Carole Currie: “‘Fleck and other strikes that fol- lowed had a great deal to do with thrusting women forward in the labor movement. These were strug- gles run by women, and led by strong and dedi- cated women. ‘*What we saw was a new breed of woman com- ing foward. Many of the Eaton’s strikers are the same calibre as the Fleck or Blue Cross ladies. They're working women out in struggle for their union and winning the respect and assistance of their brothers in the movement.”’ While important symbolically, the gains that women have made so far only scratch the surface of what remains to be done to win full equality. While the wage gap between men and women has closed slightly, women in 1981, the last date for which figures are available, were only making 68.9 per cent of what men were being paid. This com- pared to 54.9 per cent in 1976. Women have made some important break- throughs, such as the recent contract at Canadian Fabricating Products in Stratford, Ont., where the UAW nezotiated the first child care provisions ina collective agreement. But, this is they only prece- | dent. Other issues that have been addressed at the bargaining table include the introduction of paid parental leave, something the Canadian Union of Postal Workers was able to take a leading role in achieving for its 23,000 members, clauses prohibit- ing sexual harassment, improvements in pensions and health and safety on the job, the demand for affirmative action. Spurred on by the women’s organizations in the labor movement such as the Toronto-based Or ganized Working Women, the OFL Women’s Committee and others, the Canadian Labor Con- gress at its last convention implemented affirma- — tive action in its own house by expanding the CLC executive to include six new vice-presidencies re- served for women. Many of the provincial federations and affiliated unions are following suit. The deepening economic crisis, however, with massive unemployment; government social ser- vice cutbacks, which strike at women first and hardest; the pressure for concessions and wage controls; and, the demagogic mobilization of the right against the freedom to choose whether or not to have an abortion — all point to the need to step up the fight on the bargaining front and in the political arena. ~Equal pay, better pensions, shorter work time to meet the challenge and to reap the benefits of tech change, retraining and skills upgrading, freedom of choice, parental rights, health and safety, will lead the agenda in the next decade. The Eaton’s fight points the way, both in terms of organizing the vast army of unorganized women in the retail industry and the impact this is likely to have on the banks and other unorganized sectors, as well as in the fight labor is waging to stop the shift away from full-time to part-time work. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, in a recent study, found part-time workers to be the fastest growing sector of the work force, increasing from 3.8 per cent of the total number of working Canadians in 1953 to 14.9 per cent, 30 years later. Over the past decade part-timers have accounted for about half of the growth of the work force. Carole Currie points out that at Eaton’s the ratio is about 75-80 part-timers to 20-25 full-time work- ers, which pretty much lines up with the other major retailers. The-RWDSU is fighting for pro- rated benefits for the part-timers in the Eaton’s agreement and seeks government legislation to guarantee the same for all part-time workers. The issue has long been a contentious one in the Post Office and is a prime issue around which a national strike is shaping up. ‘“‘There’s still quite a long way to go before we achieve equality’’, CUPE researcher Jane Stinson says. “Now we're fighting for these demands in a tougher economic climate. It’s going to demand even greater solidarity because there’s no doubt we are facing a much more repressive bargaining climate. ‘*We may be arguing for more basic questions in the next decade, like the right to a job.”’ IWD march and rally Mar. 9 A march and rally in down- town Vancouver, a day of information displays and work- shops, and a dinner and rally winding up the weekend are among the various events sche- duled this year to mark Inter- national Women’s Day in Vancouver. Marchers will assemble at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Mar. 6at Vic- tory Square (Pender and Hamil- ton) and will proceed from there toa rally outside the Art Gallery at Robson Square. Two Eaton’s strikers from Ontario who are in Vancouver as part of a country-wide tour, will head the parade and the march route will include a stop outside Eaton’s Pacific Centre store. On Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., various groups will be staging films, discussion, work- shops and hosting information displays at Vancouver Techni- cal School, 2600 East Broad- way. Both events are sponsored by the International Women’s Day Committee, a broad coali- tion of groups. Capping a weekend of events is a dinner and rally Sunday Mar. 10, with speakers and entertainment sponsored by the Congress of Canadian Women. It’s set for 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Russian Hall, 600 Camp- bell Ave. Tickets are $8, and $5 unemployed, and childcare is available.