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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1973

8. :
toc rederation of Labor officers Ray Haynes, Mike Barr and Bill Stewart at Monday's press conference called
—_inounce campaign for amendments to proposed labor code.

—Sean Griffin photo

a, NIGEL MORGAN
Cod 11 — the new NDP Labor
fe ~ like the personnel of the
cis, Relations Board established
ri i i
of employers loaded in favor
i fat anit of NDP election
ecisions < aunts convention

Sti :
tutes a bitter disappointment to

e
Played ¢ and women of labor who

‘ Such a decisi i =
ti Ccisive part in elec
on or the Barrett government.
& atles fundamental rights of
cn, Bitive bargaining, and con-
\sions that :
eceptable es are totally un
oh Rene B.C. labor code, sprung
Frida : P caucus in Victoria last
to he the Cabinet, is expected
The > ah for second reading.
repeats ternoon bears out the
Munist P warning of the Com-
arty; that the Barrett ad-

% free

the Party, and con- >
‘ NDP government should have to

ministration was moving right, as
indicated by their backing off the
removal of education costs from
homes, their treatment. of the

railway strike, forcing Ray Haynes

to resign from the Judicial Council,
and backdown on B.C. Tel and

resource policies.
It is revealing that B.C.’s new

look to the Ontario Tory
government's legislation for a
model, and select a Labor
Relations Board dominated by
employer types to administer it.

Among the worst features of the
new legislation are:

(1) The sweeping, discretionary
powers given the new Labor

Relations Board;
(2) The boss-dominated

t which was tabled Mon- ,character of the Board (which is

being given virtual life and death
control ovér union activities
(strikes, picketing, etc.) — four

presumably to represent labor and
six from employer circles.

(3) The ‘‘opting-out”’ provisions
on “religious” grounds which com-
pletely undermines long-
established and hard - fought - for
rights of union security.

(4) The fact that court injunc-
tions (except ex parte) have not
been eliminated in industrial dis-
putes, but simply removed from
the jurisdiction of civil courts to a
court-orientated Labor Relations
Board with all the Supreme Court
powers of enforcement, prison
terms, etc.

(5) Among. the powers the Act
gives the LRB is to “impose com-
pulsory arbitration in the case of
negotiation of a first agreement,”
as well as many others which once
established can very conveniently
and easily be extended.

Bill 11, as it stands, represents a

See LABOR CODE, pg. !2

Vol. 34, No. 40

In a meeting that echoed the
anger of trade unionists, many of
whom had worked years to elect

the NDP government, delegates to.

the Vancouver and District Labor
Council Tuesday night pledged
their determination to work with
the B.C. Federation of Labor in
demanding amendments to the
new labor code.

The Federation is planning a
conference of union represen-
tatives at the Empress Hotel in
Victoria next Tuesday and
delegates voiced their determina-
tion to make the conference. a
demonstration of labor’s resolute
stand against the employer-biased
legislation.

United Fishermen delegate
George Hewison charged that the
proposed Labor Relations Board
would ‘“‘have all the power of the
Supreme Court’ and would work
like ‘‘Star Chamber proceedings.”

In introducing the Federation’s
position on the legislation, Bill
Stewart also commented on the
powers and jurisdiction of the
Board and pointed out that labor
will still be hamstrung by restric-
tive laws.

“What does it matter,” he asked,
“if a court issues a cease - and -
desist order, or if this new board
issues a cease - and - desist order?”

Al Paterson, who told delegates
that he was a long-time NDP
member, criticized the government
for “ignoring their whole campaign
program on labor” and reneging on
the. eight-point program that had
been adopted by convention after
convention.

He warned that if MLAs and
Cabinet ministers continue to op-
pose the NDP program they are go-
ing to have difficulty getting the
nominations from their constituen-
cies. ‘‘We’ve got to tell the govern-
ment when we go to Victoria that
it’s not just the B.C. Federation of
Labor talking, but the working peo-
ple of this province,” he said.

Quoting the comments of the.
Employers’ Council chairman, who
said he was “happy” with the
proposed legislation, CUPE
delegate Jack Phillips charged that
“the government has been listen-
ing too much to big business in this
province.”

“It’s an open secret,” Phillips
declared, ‘‘that backbenchers who

opposed the religious exemption
clause were told by Barrett to
resign and go back to their con-
stituencies.”

“Ts this what trade unionists
fought and sweated for?’’

Phillips told delegates that if the
government wants ‘“‘to continue
enjoying labor’s support it will
have to stop taking labor for
granted.”

Josephine Hallock from the
Restaurant Workers summed up
the feelings of the NDP members
present when she told delegates
that she had been years in the CCF
and the NDP and she ‘‘wasn’t go-
ing to stand by and watch her ef-
forts go down the drain with the
proposed labor code after 40 years
of working to elect this
government.”

Delegates also reacted angrily
when the announcement came that
the government was intending to
ram the legislation through second
and third readings immediately in
order to thwart the Federation’s
campaign. A motion demanding
that the readings be postponed un-
til labor has an opportunity to dis-
cuss the bill with government
members passed unanimously.

Recognition hit

Delegates to the Vancouver
Labor Council unanimously voted
Tuesday to condemn the Canadian
governments recognition of the.
fascist-military junta which seized
power in Chile September 11.

The resolution followed anad-
dress to the council by Maria
Inez McLeod speaking on
behalf of the Canadians for a
Democratic Chile Committee
who told delegates of the wave
of repression that is sweeping
Chile in the wake of the fascist
takeover.

UFAWU delegate George
Hewison attributed the Cana-
dian recognition to the domin-
ation of Canada by the U.S. and
called on delegates to do every-
thing possible to support their
brothers and sisters in Chile.

ANALYSIS OF NEW LABOR ACT

Full B.C. Federation of Labor statement, pg. 3