CUT M WL i LLL MILI Tt 1 Te Tepet a KP ah A ierrmemineetititehina! memento aaa et a _ Friday, October 17, 1975 48 _No. 42 neet housing crisis... P g. 3 ees Barrett government Swings to the right EDITORIAL _ Hailing the Barrett government’s strikebreaking Bill 146 in the legislature last week, Social Credit leader William Bennett described as “one of the finest things this government has ever done, we’re _ Proud to support this legislation.”’ __ This was one of the many “‘congratulations” that greeted Premier Dave Barrett’s anti-labor legislation from right wing political spokesmen and representatives of big business, as the NDP govern- _ Ment joined with the Socreds, Liberals and Tories to put through this _ Vicious piece of anti-labor legislation which is unprecedented in B.C. ___ The NDP government’s action has raised the attack on the working : Class and trade union movement in Canada to a new high point. What _48 to stop other provincial governments — or for that matter the _ federal government — from following Barrett’s example and forcing Workers back to work under the pretext of ‘“‘the public interest?” Bill _ 146 has placed the right to strike and free collective bargaining under _ the most severe attack all across Canada. _ The B.C. Federation of Labor, in its statement last week announcing _ that the unions have been left with no effective alternative but to Yeturn to work and continue the fight against the Bill, was absolutely _ Correct when it said: ‘‘Only a government which has masqueraded as _ 4 friend of labor could have created a situation such as this.”’ Any _ other big business government would have been faced with powerful _ Spposition had it tried to impose this kind of brutal legislation on the trade unions. ‘ The NDP government showed itself tapable of monumental eee Was planning to bring down the axe on the back of labor’s neck. - The fact is that when the government declared that collective irgaining had collapsed and the government had to act, it was simply ing. For the first time in weeks talks were going on between the _the food workers. Teamsters’ leaders have pointed out that they of- _ fered to return to work two weeks before and await the report of a- _ SOnciliation commission if the government would appoint one. But the _ Propane companies said no. The government refused to crack down on a them, instead it chose to crack down on labor. __ Why did the NDP government bring down this vicious legislation _ When it did? Undoubtedly the B.C. Federation of Labor was right in its _ Statement last week that ‘“‘the (NDP) government has . . . sought _ Political gain through the popular route of enacting anti-labor - legislation.’ It’s to the everlasting shame of Premier Barrett and the _ NDP members of the legislature (except three) that they seized hold oat the anti-union issue and made it their own, going further than any _ lg business party would dare to go. = _ Compare the NDP government’s action’ with the strike waged by iplicity when it concealed from everyone up to the last minute that it _ - forest industry and the IWA as well as between the supermarkets and Trudeau's freeze | The controls brought down by the Trudeau government “are nothing but an enforced wage freeze” and “a bipartisan declaration of war by the Liberal and Conservative parties against living standards, collective bargaining rights, jobs, education and social services,” William Kashtan, leader of the Communist Party declared this week. The Communist Party’s denunciation followed prime minister Trudeau’s announcement Monday night that the control program would become effective at midnight. Purportedly outlined to tackle inflation, the program has already clearly revealed its bias against wages and salaries of working people. “Tt is a bankrupt economic program which will tackle neither inflation nor unemployment.’’ Kashtan emphasized. In outline, the program — slated to be in effect until December 31, 1978 — imposes wage increase restrictions of 10 per cent on all companies employing 500 or more employees, construction com- panies with more than 20 em- ployees and all federal employees. Wages will be even more restricted in subsequent years according to projected reductions in the rate of inflation. 7 See BARRETT, pg. 11 The B.C. Federation of Labor friend of labor could have created redged to continue the fight in § cal ways to have Bill 146 pealed after unions affected by € legislation reluctantly agreed return to work last week. le Federation, which earlier a nissued a searing condemnation y ill 146, the provincial govern- ent. for introducing it, and all ie S who supported it, said that ic Teturn to work in ‘‘no way in- ao a change of federation “Teor, Of opposition to the €lslation.” a an emergency meeting Over 100 business agents, Tesenting most unions in the coe Len Guy, secretary- rele ater of the Federation, ~,28ed the following statement: delibe: Barrett government has ies the unions directly affected bn ae effective alternative but to fight 4 to work and to continue to ty, 1 other Ways. Politic. deplore the dishonest infli opportunism which has Cted a temporary defeat on the Paha movement, and it is ably true that only a govern- which has masqueraded as a Tately created a situation in _ a situation such as this. “It should be recognized, however, that this is not labor’s first setback nor have we lost what has been described as the war. We have lost a battle, but the war has just begun. This Federation will continue the fight to restore free collective bargaining in British Columbia. Obviously, many trade unionist forced back to work by this legislation will show their displeasure in every way possible. We will continue to coordinate the fight on the industrial front and we will make every effort to ensure that in the next election there will be more than three NDP MLA’s who are prepared to stand up for the rights of labor and for the policies of the NDP.” Though returning to work, leaders of the unions affected made it clear that it was with a great deal of reluctance, and even more bitterness. “Hugh Comber, secretary- treasurer of the local 480 of the Bakery Workers Union said: ““We are going to work strictly by our agreement. The employers don’t to fight Bill 146 have to expect co-operation.” Comber’s feelings were reflected in the statements of other leaders’ who indicated that Bill 146 would leave a legacy of bitterness. Art See BILL 146, pg. 12 WILLIAM KASHTAN Well over four million wage earners will be affected directly by the program — half the working force in this country. Hundreds of thousands more, of course, will be affected indirectly as employers will seek to impose the restrictions provided in the legislation. Of more immediate concern, however, are some 500,000 workers presently caught in negotiations including thousands of postal workers whose contract the federal government has ignored for months. On the other side, the price control aspect of the program — predictably — leaves more loopholes than it closes as interest rates, land speculation, new housing and energy will be un- touched by the government program. The extent to which major attacks workers living standards | corporations will evade any control was also seen Monday: night as both Safeway and Super-Valu sent crews throughout their stores marking up new prices. “Tt is here — the monopoly corporations — that controls are needed.’’ Kashtan said. ‘‘The Trudeau program is based on the false concept that working people are responsible for inflation when in fact it is monopoly control and capitalism which is the source of the crisis. “Until this situation is faced up to, this crisis will continue and become more aggravated.” “The program must be rejec- ted.” Kashtan declared. “Collective bargaining rights must be restored. Price controls must be instituted and a full employment policy adopted.” The Communist Party leader called on the NDP MPs in the House to speak against the proposed bill and to oppose it in the vote. “‘The Communist Party also calls on the trade union movement to unite its efforts to defeat this attack on its standards, collective bargaining rights and the jobs of working people,”’ he stated. The attack on living standards embodied in the government program was also the target of the B.C. Federation of Labor which issued a strongly-worded statement this week condemning both the Trudeau and Barrett governments. “The B.C. government’s strikebreaking legislation was. imposed a week ago with the ap- parent knowledge that the Trudeau wage control program would be introduced,”’ Federation secretary Len Guy charged. See FED CHARGES, pg. 12 Here’s why the U.S. backs Franco dictatorship. Map shows U.S. military installations in Spain. Despite U.S. backing, the Franco dictatorship is becoming increasingly isolated.