CUPW national first vice president Andre Beauchamps told the Fishermen’ s Union convention Monday that his union would show “appreciation” to MPs that voted to break their strike on Valentines Day, February 14. Fred Wilson photo CUPW to picket MP constituency offices Continued from page 1 Beauchamps said that his own union had undertaken a national “plan of action’’ to win back the bargaining rights it had lost when legislated back to work in November. But within that plan of action, postal workers have com- mitted themselves to increase their participation in the fight of other workers, he said, and in all the ac- tivities of the labor movement. “October 14, 1976 gave us a glimpse of the great potential of the labor movement,’’ he said, ‘‘The attack. which confronts us now demands that the labor movement as a whole realizes this potential . . . The days of inaction must give way to the days of action.” CUPW’s own plan of action in- cludes a vigorous campaign of newspaper and radio adver- tisements, pamphlets and demonstrations to focus attention on the real issues in the union’s dispute with the federal govern- ment. The campaign will begin February 14 when the union will organize ‘‘a tribute to every one of the MP’s ‘‘that voted to break the CUPW strike. ‘‘Valentine’s Day is surely a good day to show them our appreciation,’’ Beauchamps said. The details of the action were spelled out Tuesday at the Van- couver and District Labor Council by CUPW Vancouver president Lloyd Ingram. The union plans to establish information picket lines -around the constituency offices of every MP that voted against the strike, with a detailed account of that MP’s voting record on major issues such as the CUPW strike, wage controls, wiretapping and others. In addition a mass informa- “tion picket line is planned for the main branch of the Post Office in Vancouver that day between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. All supporters of CUPW have been in- vited to participate in the “‘national MP day’’. Delegates to the labor council Tuesday voted to pledge full sup- port to CUPW’s plan of action and ~ to participate in the national action days. Hearings ‘a charade’ Continued from page 1 action suggested by former labor minister John Munro and consumer affairs minister Allmand in meeting with the UFAWU last year — but Justice George Addy denied the ap- plication in a ruling Monday. “There is obviously no recourse through the courts of this land to prohibit attacks on a trade union,”’ Nichol told the Vancouver Labor Council, referring to the Addy deci- The union had also sought a court order requiring that all fac- tual material relating to allegations against the union be disclosed but that too was denied. Nichol also commented on the hearings currently in progress and the various witnesses, particularly those from the anti-union Pacific Gillnetters Association who have continued their campaign against the UFAWU in testimony before the Commission. The hearings are a ‘‘charade’’, Nichol charged, pointing out that Arthur MacLennan, who has con- ducted the questioning for the Combines branch, ‘‘is leading the PGA witnesses through the evidence’’, asking such questions as: ‘‘Aren’t you a businessman?’’ and ‘‘Don’t you negotiate the price of the fish you sell?”’ A number of PGA witnesses, many of whom also appeared before a series of Labor Relations last summer seeking on order restricting the activities of the UFAWU, have been called to testify before the Combines hear- ings, including PGA president Mike Forrest, manager Ken Williamson and members Don Ekroth, Paul Vroom, Steve Taylor, Colin Smith _and Daryl Hamazaki. Many of them, anxious to give substance to the contention of the Combines branch that fishermen are not ‘‘workers’’ but ‘‘co- adventurers,’’ have described themselves as ‘‘independent businessmen.’’ Several have also asked that their testimony be given in camera even though chairman Les Blond had earlier agreed to hold sessions in public where the witness agreed. PACIFIC TRIBUNE— FEBRUARY 9, 1979—Page 8 ee | | lh The Labor Data branch of the federal government recently issued its 1978 report on labor organiza- tions in Canada, covering the year 1977. At the beginning of 1978, union membership in Canada stood at 3,277,968, an increase of 4.1 per- cent over the figure of 3,149,213 a year earlier. Union members in 1978 con- stituted 31.3 percent of the total labor force and 39.0 percent of the non-agricultural work force. The figures a year earlier were 31.0 and 38.2 percent respectively. Reflecting the shift in the direc- tion. of Canadian autonomy and in- dependence, unions with head- quarters in the United States had 47.4 percent of the total member- percent in 1977 and 49.6 percent in 1976. Also reflected in the report is the trend towards larger unions. Eigh- teen unions with 50,000 members or more accounted for 51.4 percent of the total membership. The largest was the Canadian Union of Public Employees with 231,000 members, followed by the _ United Steelworkers of America with 199,000 members. It is significant that six of the largest eighteen unions are ex- clusively based on the public ser- vice, at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, for a total of 729,452 members, approximately 22 percent of the overall union membership in Canada. The largest gains in membership over the past 20 years have been in the public sec- tor. However, it must be noted that the international unions development) among the organized workers in manufacturing, mining and smelting, construction, transportation and in retail and food, but they do not have an ex- clusive position in every case. For example; the International Wood- workers of America in 13th place with 56,741 members was closely followed by the Canadian Paper- workers’ Union in 14th place with © 56,500 members. According to usually reliable sources, the leaders of these two unions have been discussing a merger, which is in line with a definite trend towards union consolidation in the face of the in- creasing integration and centraliza- tion by monopoly capital. The Canadian Labor Congress is still the largest trade union center, with — 2,203,812 members in_ its ‘ranks. Of these, 922,317 members belong to the CLC only (and not to the AFL-CIO in the United States). ’ This last figure must be understood along with the fact that a number of affiliates of the AFL-CIO in Canada now enjoy substantial degrees of Canadian autonomy and in some cases complete autonomy. It is obvious that the movement towards an independent and sovereign trade union movement is being accelerated. In Quebec, there are two purely Canadian trade union centers with 215,838 members. If we add to this the independent Quebec Teachers’ Corporation with its 85,000 members, which is very active in the general life of the labor movement, we arrive at a total of 300,838. This compares with a total of 284,000 in the Quebec Federation of Labor. This distribution of the trade union membership has given a certain uni- queness to the Quebec labor move- ment, accentuated by the struggles over the future status of Quebec. The Confederation of Canadian Unions, which was established at a founding convention in Sudbury in ship in 1978, as compared with 49.0 are predominant (because of historical ! Labor 5 pee figures reflect trade union growfl 1969, represented only 26,007 members in 1978. This center is best known in B.C. through the follow- ing affiliates: Canadian Association of Industrial, “Mechanical and Allied Workers (which has been in- volved in jurisdictional battles with Steel) the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers (Alcan smelter) and the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada (a substantial force in the pulp in- dustry). While it has been LABOR COMMENT BY JACK PHILLIPS characteristic of the CCU to raise the question of a purely Canadian trade union movement as a goal in itself, separate from the class ques- tion and from the need for a united trade union center, this has not resulted in any. substantial growth for the CCU in relation to the in- creasing demand for more autonomy within Canadian sections of AFL-CIO unions, if you take Canada as a whole. In 1978 the CCU had only 0.8 percent of the total union member- ‘ship in Canada, with the bulk of them in British Columbia. Out of 26,007 across Canada, 15,131 were in B.C. It should also be noted that the key CCU unions are frequently involved in jurisdictional squabbles with affiliates of the main trade union center, the CLC. Irrespective of the merits or demerits of any par- ticular jurisdictional issue, the fact: ed a joint council with CLC ~ in non-agricultural remains that history has proved thal the CCU by itself does not represell the wave of the future for organizé labor, contrary to what we hav’ heard from so many of its pi ‘ponents and admirers over 4 years. This is not to deny that if cannot play | unions in B.C. positive role, particularly in tl northern interior where they a relatively strong and have estab filiates. The current, public rallies of thé B.C. Federation of Labor in OF position to the Essential Service Disputes Act have received the el dorsement of a number of indepéel” dent unions and associations. It*® to be hoped that CCU affiliates wi! support the rallies everywhere thé) have some strength and influenc® It is significant that trade unio! membership in Canada, as * percentage of the total paid worke® industries reached its highest peak in 198 with 39.0 percent. While there is still a big job to! 0 in organizing the unorganized, 4 should be noted with pride that tht trade union movement is continuillé to grow in the face of mass! unemployment, wage restraints and anti-labor legislation. We are a lone way from tapping the full potenti) for growth and struggle by the labO movement, an issue to which left should seriously address itself. However, the trade union move ment is here to stay and is destin¢ to play an increasingly impo role in our society, not only ine | area of collective bargaining, bu! ie also as a major social and polit force. = VLC returns Thompson to president’s post IWA Local 217 president Syd Thompson was returned once again as president of the Vancouver-and District Labor Council Tuesday evening in the council’s annual elec- tion which saw all twelve executive positions filled without challenge. Paddy Neale of the Hotel and Bartenders Union was re-elected for his 13th term as council secretary- treasurer and staff officer. Moving up to first vice-president was ILWU delegate Frank Kennedy, to second vice-president was Carpenters delegate Colin Snell and CUPW Vancouver Local president Lloyd Ingram, a new addition to the ex- ecutive, was elected third vice- president. Committee chairmen elected to the executive include George Hewison of the UFAWU heading the organization committee; Tom Kelly, CUPE,. legislative commit- tee; Dave Martindale, Bakery Workers, public relations commit- Donation $ Read the paper that fi ghts for Tabor Name.. at Ge Pete | Address . City or town Postal Code: ..5.....0....- | am enclosing: 1 year $10[ ] 2 years $18[ ] 6 months $6[ ] Old[ ] Newl[] Foreign 1 year $12[ ] tee; Bud Devoe, TWU, erievanee committee; Walt Jacobs Marineworkers and Boilermakes Union, education committee; Jin Dougan, “Plumbers, metropolita# advisory committee; and Opal S ing, OTEU, credentials committe Another new addition to VLC was the seating of an of ficial liaison observer from the Burna®) Teachers Federation, Betty Griffit: It is the first time in recent y that the labor council has had ano” ficial teacher observer. In other Council busines delegates voted to give $1 towards the cost of shipping 2,™ pounds of clothing to Montreal @ route to refugee camps in south Africa, and came to the aid of t* Service Office and Retail Worke® | Union with a sharp protest to Labor Relations Board for com sidering the bid to de-certify Muckamuck Restaurant while strike is in progress.