. NEW ECONOMIC STRATEGY THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER ADOPTEDBY B.C. NEW DEMOCRATS The B.C. New Democratic Party has adopted a compre- hensive economic strategy the province which has full employment as one of its pri- mary goals. The strategy was adopted at the Labour Day weekend - convention of the B.C. NDP. _ Two years in the making, the 107-page document is based on a series of technical studies by economists and planners work- ing with the NDP’s economic development policy com- mittee. The convention’s 800 deleg- ates set aside two hours for a symposium on nuclear energy following which the party re- affirmed its total opposition to the use of nuclear power. As well, the convention: e reaffirmed its commit- ment to the achievement of full equality for women; ® recorded a vote of thanks to the Canadian Labour Con- gress and the B.C. Federation of Labour for their concerted and committed help in the 1979 federal and B.C. elections; URANIUM MINING OPPOSED @ opposed all uranium mining in the province and dis- agreed with the position of the Saskatchewan government and that province’s Bayda in- guiry into uranium mining; © called for a major over- haul of Workers’ Compens- ation Board legislation; and, e sent a strong protest to the Islamic Revolutionary government in Iran demanding an end to the massive arrests, torture and execution of Iranian citizens. Three major recommenda- tions were contained in the party’s economic development strategy: © Regain domestic control of B.C.’s resource base through public marketing agencies and crown corporations. The study emphasizes that crown corpor- ations are necessary to give B.C, residents a bargaining position with multinational firms and to supply the public with necessary information, such as the supply of re- sources. e@ Strengthen B.C.’s_ indus- trial base by using resource revenues to finance an expan- sion of selected key industries, particularly in forest products (where the level of processing is less than one-half the level in central Canada) and in re- source machinery (where two- thirds of the machinery used to extract B.C. resources is im- ported). DEMOCRATIC CONTROL e Ensure that the benefits of development are distributed equitably both between people and between regions in B.C., and that there is a democratic control over B.C.’s economic destiny through programs such as industrial democracy. More specifically, the report recommends: e Establishing a B.C. Coal Corporation to engage in ex- ploration, development and marketing of mineral re- sources. e Establishment of a B.C. Savings and Trust Corporation to help reduce interest rates by stimulating competition in banking services. e Expansion of reforest- ation efforts. e Increased research and development, @ Making access to B.C. re- sources by private corpora- tions contingent on the provi- sion of satisfactory levels of employment. © Implementing some form of industrial democracy, and setting up an Economic Development Council, repre- senting labour and manage- ment, to advise the govern- ment on economic policy. The convention also re- elected Dave Barrett to his eleventh term as leader of the provincial party. Prior to the convention, Barrett had ex- pressed some reluctance at continuing in that position. In accepting the nomination, however, he told delegates he is “‘determined to get out, with the party, to organize every corner of the province’ in order to defeat the Social Credit government. “T want to be there in the forefront of that fight with you,” he said to a standing ovation. BARRETT CONGRATULATED Federal NDP leader Ed Broadbent congratulated and the e Clark ‘inmday the" NDP Deere ship, but ‘‘that opportunity has been wasted.” The Tories, he said, have id: - simply withdrawn the prom- ises they made during the election campaign and Minis- ter of Finance John Crosbie has said he sees no reason why the government should be obligated to maintain its prom- ises. “Crosbie said the people voted against the Liberals, not for the Tories,’’ Broadbent commented, ‘‘and, while I can understand the reason for both integrity in government can only be maintained by living up to one’s commitments.” The federal NDP leader also blasted Clark for supporting the system of patronage an- nounced by two Quebec minis- ters. “One is tempted to say that when the Tories talk about ‘open government’ they mean ‘ a government open to Tories’,’’ Broadbent sug- gested. Broadbent reiterated the NDP’s strong stance in support of PetroCan saying the govern- ment-controlled corporation should be given exclusive con- trol of all imports coming into Canada and “‘must become in- volved in all phases of the oil industry from the search for resources right down through the refining stages, coast to coast.”’ “Canadians, during the elec- tion, were saying, in one voice, we must become masters in our own house and demanding that PetroCan remain,”’’ Broadbent said. Prime Minister Clark is fidgeting in his position on the oil corporation, he continued. “If Mr. Clark is-not prepared to lead the people of Canada in this important matter, he should at least be prepared to follow them.” Broadbent also called for a strong stance by the govern- ment of Canada on the en- croachment of U.S. fishermen into Canadian waters off the coast of British Columbia. He saida U.S. government agency — the National Marine Fishery Service — is actively pro- re ED BROADBENT moting ‘seizure insurance’ for U.S. fishermen likely to be caught in Canadian waters. “The government should not stand idly by. but should get tough with Washington and lodge a formal complaint on behalf of all Canadians be- cause a fundamental right is at stake. In other convention business, Gerry Stoney, Local 1-357 president and president of the New Westminster and District SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1979 Labour Council was re-elected © to a second term as president of the B.C. party. A vice-presi- dent of the B.C.. Federation of Labour, Joy Langan, was elected second vice-president of the B.C. NDP. Sandy Banister, of Vancou- ver East, was elected first vice-president; Nanaimo MLA Dave Stupich, third vice-presi- dent; and, Jim McKenzie of West Vancouver-Howe Sound, fourth vice-president. RESIGNATION DEMANDED: GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CHARGE McGEER WITH “UNION BUSTING” The B.C. Government Em- ployees’ Union has recently filed charges with the Labour Relations Board accusing Minister of Education Pat McGeer of “union busting.” The union has also called for the minister’s resignation. John Fryer, BCGEU general secretary, said that McGeer has a past record of interfering _in the labour relations process and is well known for his anti- union attitudes. “The issue at stake is whether or not 14 employees at the Pacific Vocational Institute in Burnaby should be included or excluded from our bar- gaining unit,” Fryer said. The union and PVI manage- ment had jointly submitted an application to the Labour Rela- tions Board asking for a hearing to resolve the matter. “It was and is our opinion, based on other College bargaining units, and the nature of the work performed by those people, that many of the 14 rightfully belong in the bargaining unit,”’ he said. “We were following normal - board procedure for resolving these kinds of disputes when McGeer apparently decided to take a kick at the union. He unilaterally designated all 14 people as management exclu- sions by invoking his sweeping powers under the govern- ment’s new Colleges & Provin- cial Institutes Act. This Act is yet another anti-union piece of legislation designed to keep effective unionism out of the Colleges in this province,” Fryer charged. “We were encouraged ,when Premier Bennett indicated that his government wanted to work: with labour. McGeer obviously doesn’t share this feeling. “This is not the first time the minister of education has shown his blatant anti-union bias. His actions during the Notre Dame University con- troversy have already left him with a most unenviable reputa- tion as a ‘union buster” and an opponent of working people.” Fryer also pointed out that the ,minister’s interference had effectively made the Labour Relations Board of B.C. an irrelevant body. “These structures were set up to deal with labour relations problems, and it was clearly not intended that they be bypassed every time a politician feels he must exercise his own peculiar per- sonal bias.”’ ’ “There is absolutely no justi- fication for McGeer’s actions. - The combination of an anti- union minister heading an anti- union ministry doesn’t solve problems, if, just creates them,” Fryer said. PETROCAN SALE CONDEMNED The federal government’s proposed plan to sell PetroCan to private interests was heavily censored at the con- vention. An emergency resolution submitted by Local 1-424, 1-85 and 1-423, stated that, “Any such disposal of PetroCan assets would leave the Canadian public utterly at the mercy of the interne Haas Petroleum Cartel.”