DRIVERS
WANT
FAIR
WAGE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1971

Vol. 32, No. 1.

Tribune

10¢

HYDRO TO BLAME

B.C. HYDRO

UNFAIR

AMALCAMATES
FRANMIT UNION
wed

—

Striking bus drivers picketing B.C. Hydro’s Oakridge bus depot.

B.C.

Fed calls for giant

jobless protest January 21

The B.C. Federation of Labor has called for a demonstration to demand action on
unemployment when the Legislature convenes in Victoria on January 21.

Announcing a program of
action to arouse the labor move-
ment to fight for jobs, Federa-
tion Secretary Ray Haynes said,

€ are hoping to have a large
£nough demonstration to jolt the
Provincia] government into a
massive program to deal with
the present crisis which has now
Teached alarming proportions.”

he Federation also an-
nounced that it had appointed
Colin Snell, a member of Van-
Couver Local 452 of the Car-
Penters Union, as full time co-or-
dinator of the Federation’s cam
Palgn.,

Snell will work with labor
Councils across the province to
organize the mass demon-
Stration in Victoria. His duties

will also consist of helping labor
councils and local unions to
organize unemployed com-
mittees and to assist members
on problems related to unem-
ployment insurance, and other
matters arising from unem
ployment.

The action by the B.C. Fed is
in line with decisions of the
recent BCFL convention at
which delegates expressed the
demand for strong action to
meet the serious unemployment
crisis in B.C.

Tuesday night the Vancouver
Labor Council selected its presi-
dent and secretary to represent
the Council at the January 21
protest in Victoria. The Council

is also undertaking to arrange
transportation for unemployed
workers. The B.C. Fed was also
urged to prepare a brief to be
presented to the government
and members of the Opposition.

Many Councils and local
unions have already set up unem-
ployed committees, and this
week’s action by the B.C. Fed is
expected to spur the organi-
zation of the province’s jobless
by the trade union movement.

A recent survey of un-
employment by unions showed a
grim picture indeed with the
situation showing no improve-
ment. Steelworkers in B.C.

See JOBLESS, pg. 12

OR BUS TIEUP

Independent mediator
urged by transit union

After four months of Stalling and buckpassing by the

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, 1800

members of the Amalgamated Transit Union struck on

January 4.

The strike suspended all public
transportation services in Van-
couver, Burnaby, Richmond,
New Westminster, North Van-
couver and Victoria.

Involved in the strike are 1200
bus drivers and 600 other
employees such as mechanics,
trackmen, freight handlers,
freight clerks and building main-
tenance workers.

The union is seeking a salary
increase of 20 percent over two
years. The last offer of B.C.
Hydro was 13 percent over the
same period. Dr. Gordon Shrum,
chairman of B.C. Hydro, has
publicly stated any wage
increase granted to Hydro
employees must be within the
wage guide lines laid down by
the discredited Prices and
Income Commission.

A recent statistical survey
published by the Canada Depart-
ment of Labor gave the follow-
ing picture for the third quarter
of 1970: Average negotiated
wage increase: 9.5 percent. In
one-year agreements, average:
9.8 percent; in two-year agree-
ments, average: 19.3 percent
over two years.

These figures are based on 72
contracts covering 500 workers
or more and not including con-

A program
for labor
in 1971

— See pg. 3

struction where, in many cases,
the increases were higher than
the averages quoted above.

The collective agreement
expired on October 31 and direct
negotiations with the company
Started on August 31, carrying
through into September and
October. The best offer the
company came up with was 12
percent over two years, which
was rejected. A joint appli-
cation was then made for a
mediation officer and Gus

- Leonidas was appointed by the

Mediation Commission.

The company then came up
with a proposition of 13 percent
over two years, providing the
union would agree to a cutback
in working conditions that would
save the company some $800,000.
This was also rejected by the
union.

The union, to demonstrate its
good faith, voluntarily agreed to
the extension of the mediator’s
term until November 30. The

- Mediation Commission through

its chairman Judge Parker, arbi-
trarily and against the wishes of
the union, then twice extended
the mediator’s term until the 8th
and the 24th of December, using
the public interest as an excuse.

The company was not inter-
ested in serious bargaining and
only one meeting took place with
the mediator between December
8th and 24th. It is obvious that
B.C. Hydro was using the Media-
tion Commission to weaken the
bargaining position of the union
by forcing postponement of
strike action until after
Christmas.

In line with the policy of the
B.C. Federation of Labor, the
two locals involved, Division 101-
134 and Division 109, refused to
appear before the Mediation
Commission. Their position can
be summed up in two sentences:

See BUS STRIKE pg. 12