~ LABOR

Go-ordinated strategy backed.
to tackle Socreds’ restraint

Declaring that the Compensation Stabil-
ation Program “‘is a major barrier to eco-
omic recovery in B.C.,” delegates to the
.C. Federation of Labor convention Fni-
ay called on the federation’s public sector
ommittee to put together a program of
o-ordinated action for the critical 1985-86
ublic sector bargaining round.

The resolution, adopted during the con-

IWA return
to Fed seen

Changes to the B.C. Federation
of Labor’s constitutional provisions
for union representation at conven-
tions adopted by delegates Nov. 27
are expected to pave the way for the
return of the full membership of the
International Woodworkers to B.C.
Fed ranks.

Delegates endorsed with little
debate a proposed amendment to
the federation’s constitution which
will see the formula for delegate
entitlement changed to “one dele-
gate for the first 100 or less members
and one additional delegate for each
additional 150 members or major
fraction thereof.”

| The old formula provided for two
delegates for the first 250 members
and one additional delegate for each
additional 250 members, a formula
which tended to reduce representa-
tion for unions such as the IWA
which have large numbers of
members distributed over only a few
locals.

The change was put forward by
the federation’s committee on con-
stitution and structure which had
been set up early this year following
the decision of the [WA to withdraw
all but a token number of members
from the B.C. Fed. The committee
spent several weeks coming up with
a formula which maintained the
tank and file character of federation
conventions while addressing the
problem of “representation by pop-
ulation.”

_ IWA delegate Earl Foxcroft, a
member of the union’s regional
executive, told delegates, “we sup-
port the resolution.

“Tt will go a long way to bringing
full delegations of the [WA back to
the convention,” he said.

Other changes endorsed by dele-
gates will see federation vice-presi-
dents, currently elected by numbered
rank, elected at large and an anach-
ronistic oath of office eliminated and
replaced with a simple pledge to
Carry out federation duties.

A special offer

for new readers

vention’s final day, marked a significant
change from previous policy which has
been mainly to “encourage and assist” co-
ordinated bargaining, and indicated the
crucial importance unionists place on the
current round of bargaining which will take
place under the hammer of Socred wage
control. Contracts covering nearly 100,000
workers in the public sector come up for
renewal before Mar. 31, 1986 and all of
them are confronted by the Compensation
Stabilization Program and CSP commis-
sioner Ed Peck.

The resolution noted that the Socred res-
traint program “is aimed at transforming
British Columbia into a Third World econ-
omy” but emphasized that the people of
B.C. “reject the devastation of social servi-
ces and human lives brought about by this
program.”

It called on the federation, “through the
public sector committee and the unions
involved, to. develop a program of co-
ordinated public sector activities with the
objective of defeating the restraint program,
stopping the decline of the purchasing
power of public sector employees and end-
ing layoffs and cutbacks in public services.”

Submitted initially by the Hospital
Employees Union, the resolution was first
put to the convention by the public sector
committee in an amended form which
merely called on the unions themselves to
develop a program, leaving out the federa-
tion committee. But the convention sent it
back after HEU president Bill MacDonald
told delegates that the federation should not
just be a supporter but should be taking
leadership in‘ co-ordinating public sector
bargaining action.

The public sector committee was brought
back together to submit the resolution in its
final form.

Delegates had earlier endorsed another
strongly-worded resolution calling on the
federation to develop a co-ordinated bar-
gaining strategy of industrial unions in the
private sector with the objective of halting
the drive for concessions.

CUPE B.C. Division vice-president
Diane Jolly said in an interview that there
have been misconceptions about the role of
co-ordinated bargaining since some unions
think that it would mean all public sector
unions going to the bargaining table in a
common front. “But that’s not what we’re
talking about here,” she said.

“What we’re saying here is that public
sector unions need cemmon strategies to
deal with common issues — and the first of
those is the Compensation Stabilization
Program.

“We're all faced with the CSP and Ed
Peck and we need to work out a strategy to
deal with that,” she said, adding that the
committee should begin work as soon as
possible.

HEU secretary-business manager Jack
Gerow, agreed that the committee ‘will
have to deal with CSP.”

He called the federation’s position “a
very significant step forward, not only for
the public sector but for the private sector.”

I
I
4
|
I
!
|
|
I
|
I
“A
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
_

THREE MONT. HS FOR $2

2 ¢ PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 4, 1985

cc me ee

The HEU master agreement, which
comes up Mar. 31, 1986, is the last major
contract to expire in the current bargaining
round, following the BCGEU contract.Oct.
31, 1985, and CUPE contracts throughout
the Lower Mainland Dec. 31, 1985.

Gerow noted that
the references to
Operation Solidarity
had been deleted in
the resolution — the
leadership will pass
to the federation’s
public sector com-
mittee — but empha-
sized that the com-
mittee will likely be
expanded to include
such unions as the
B.C. Nurses and
other non-affiliates.

DIANE JOLLY

The co-ordinated
approach will pre-
vent unions from
being played off one
against another, he
said. “If one union
gets into difficulty
then the public sec-
tor committee could
assist. If several unions face difficulties then
common action could be developed.”

JACK GEROW

Gerow also predicted that the federa-
tion’s stand “could lead to a much more
united militant approach in future public
sector bargaining.”

Elsewhere in the convention, delegates
declared their total opposition to free trade
and called on the federal government to
oppose Star Wars and to withdraw from
NATO and NORAD.

A resolution submitted by the Port
Alberni and District Labor Council urged
the federation to mount an educational
campaign on the dangers of free trade with
the U.S. and to “ensure that moves towards
free trade are met with vigorous and wide-
spread. demonstrative action by ha Oe
workers.” “

Delegates gave a
thunderous  recep-
tion to Alicia Varel,
the representative for
North America for
the CST, the Sandi-
nista labor federa-
tion which represents
most of Nicaragua’s
workers. The con-
vention buttressed
the support with a
resolution urging
greater union involvement i in the Tools for
Peace campaign and increased Canadian
aid for Nicaragua and called on the CLC to
invite representatives of Nicaragua’s unions
to Canada. The motion also demanded that
the federal government press the U.S. to end
its support of the contras.

ALICIA VAREL

Another resolution called on the Cana-
dian Labor Congress to reinstitute ex-
changes of delegations with the trade union
centrals in the Soviet Union although dele-
gates first had to reject a committee
amendment before the resolution was
adopted. £

_ The resolutions committee had altered
the resolution to make exchanges condi-
tional on “that country (the USSR) remov-
ing its troops from Afghanistan.” But the
addition drew quick opposition from sev-
eral delegates who pointed out that the posi-
tion was “even more backward than
Reagan” in his pre-summit comments.

Referred back to the committee, the reso-

_ lution was subsequently adopted with the

amendment dropped.

a

“he ind aren the Fain
‘aon |

“Carpenters:
take up back
wage claims

The Provincial Council of Carpen-
ters offered its services last month to
workers who have been cheated out
of their fair-wage entitlement by con-
tractors working for Expo 86 Corp-
oration — and gota flood of requests.

Carpenters Provincial Council sec-
retary Colin Snell said Nov. 28 that
the union had run advertisements in
the two Vancouver dailies Nov. 20
and 21 and had had 22 responses from
former employees of Expo contrac-
tors and sub-contractors who had
been cheated of wages.

“There are outstanding claims for
more than $40,000 in back wages
owing,” he said, adding that, in some
cases, workers had been paid less than
half the stipulated Expo fair wage and
were therefore entitled to more in
back wages than they had already
received on their pay cheques. _

The union launched the campaign —
after learning of cases where workers
employed by non-union contractors
at the world’s fair site were being paid —
less than the fair wage set by Expo —
corporation in tendering construction
contracts.

The fair wage rates — which range
from $14 an hour for laborers to
$16.15 for electricians — were set by
Expo after a long dispute with the
Building Trades over the establish-
ment of a minimum rate to cover all}
work on the site, union or non-union. |
The corporation backed out of an |
agreement with the Building Trades
on a wage structure and subsequently —
set its own fair wage rates, based |
roughly on the federal rates. |

But as the Carpenters campaign
- has revealed, that fair wage has been —

flouted by a significant number of

non-union contractors on the site.

The union has already won $600 i
back wages each for two carpenters,
one union, the other non-union,
whose cases they took up with Expo |

_ Corporation. The Carpenters had fol-
lowed up on a statement by Labor
- Minister Terry Segarty Oct. 17 that
any complaints over the Expo fair |.
wage should be taken up with Expoor |.
the contractor involved. _ |

The union is now pursuing 22 more
_ cases “and we’re still getting inquiries
_ from other workers who have been |
- cheated,” said Carpentsti rescarchs 1

LAS BEE ES EL TE
i y F iy a 2

LOT MET TAF NS TE aR

a