one Wednesday night about 300
. marched in a demonstra-
tnd In Vancouver's Gastown to
hil ein the military junta in
ere to demand the restora-
called democracy. The protest was

by the B.C. Peace Council.
orld progressive opinion has
it Outraged by the attack of the
pely and U.S. imperialism on
head oPpular Unity government
Alleng by Salvador Allende. The
inde e government followed an
et anti-imperialist and
‘han, 'St-oriented course. The
Support It was making won wide
World, in Chile and around the

bee
mil

me! to a small group of
Skyites who joined last
leaflet oy S protest togiveout a
‘ame pare carry a placard, they
for the ‘ to express their support
cond llende government, but to
The placard they

i “Spain 1936-Chile
Bettayay oPular Front Equals

lange nce at the content of the

: Showed that the Trotskyites
should to their old tricks. It

"i € recalled that in Spain
ec the Popular Front
i gen eat and when Franco and
Trotsk Crals launched their attack
OtBanized and anarchist groups
Tisings emonstrations and up-
Bovernmen es the Popular Front

trip eet their actions they con-
Pra . alrectly to the victory of
Sia, the Spanish working
Pose €mocratic forces. They
Tiga alba Popular Front govern-
Wasp; «P2in because they said it
Fevolutionary”’ enough.

Ultra lefts no frient
of Chilean people

By MAURICE RUSH

A study of last Wednesday's
leat shows that the Trotskyites
haven't changed when it comes to
Chile. It's clear from the leaflet
that the Trotskyites and other ultra
leftists were actually involved in
action to undermine the Allende
government long before the
military coup, because it wasn't
“revolutionary” enough for them.

They encouraged and organized
far-out actions which alienated
allies of the Allende government,
and added to the chaos the right
wing were deliberately trying to fo-
ment in order to prepare the
ground for the fascist coup. Above
all, they were dividing the support
needed to enable the Allende
government to meet the crisis im-
posed on it by fascist and right
wing groups.

The Trotskyite leaflet reproduc-
ed an article published a few weeks
ago which called on peasants, and
workers to act independently of the
Allende regime and to take power
into their own hands. All of which
sounds very “‘radical”’ but objec-
tively was against the Allende
government at a time when it was
fighting for its life. Long before the
military coup, the Trotskyites were
fighting the Allende government
and working for its defeat.

These people are not friends of
Chile anymore than they were
friends of Spain.

Objectively, and despite their
“revolutionary” phraseology, they
act as the left bower of reaction,
and facilitate reaction’s victory
over the working class and anti-
imperialist forces. They should be
repudiated by all genuine friends
of democracy and socialism.

ROLL BACK PRICES
STOP PROFITEERING

Communist Party Public Meeting

Iron Workers Hall

Wednesday, September 26
8:00 PM
Speakers:

Maurice Rush — Pacific Tribune

Fred Wilson — Y.C.L.
Homer Stevens — Labor leader
Bruce Yorke — Tenants rights leader

CONTRACT SIGNED AT NINE STORES

Unions’ support, strikers’
stand wins Shoppers fight

Clerks and pharmacists at nine
Shoppers Drug Mart stores in the
lower mainland capped with vic-
tory their seven-month old strike
and signed their first agreement
last week. The contract ended a
two-and-a-half year battle during
which time Kofflers, the parent
company, dragged the Retail
Clerks Union through interminable
court cases in an effort to thwart
union organization.

The settlement, which has been
hailed by the whole trade union
movement as a major
breakthrough, provides for $3.30 an
hour for clerks immediately, as
well as an additonal 30 cents next
year. Pharmacists will be $6.70 an
hour in the first step and $7.50 next
year.

The contract will continue for 20
months, designed to expire at the
same time as the workers in Retail
Wholesale Drugs Ltd. who also
completed an agreement.

The wages represent a substan-
tial increase for both clerks and
pharmacists in the stores. Before
the strike, clerks were receiving
only $2.15 an hour, barely above
the minimum wage. Pharmacists
received between $5.50 and $6.00
an hour, despite the years of train-
ing required for their profession.

The contract also provides for a
prepaid, non-contributory dental
plan, night premiums ranging from
25 to 40 cents an hour extra for all
work after six o’clock, three weeks
vacation after three years employ-
ment and five weeks after 18 years.

A contentious issue during the
last weeks of negotiations was the
use of scabs. The company wanted
to retain some sixty scabs who had
been working in the stores and
settlement was only reached when
the company agreed to fire all but
nine who had been working prior
to the strike. The nine will pay
dues but will not hold union
membership.

Retail Clerks Local 1518
secretary Brian Denton said that
he was pleased with the settlement
and the determination of the
workers that led to the first con-
tract.

appy birthday to Nigel Morgan

Meeting in Vancouver last
weekend, the B.C. Committee of
the Communist Party extended
warmest congratulations to the
party's provincial leader, Nigel
Morgan, who celebrated his 60th
birthday on September 11.

In extending their best wishes to
Morgan, the members of the com-
mittee paid tribute to his outstan-
ding work both as a trade union
leader and leader of the Com-
munist Party.

Morgan has led the party in B.C.
for over 28 years. He was elected
leader in 1945, after years of activi-
ty in building the union among
B.C.’s woodworkers. During the
war years he emerged as one of the
outstanding leaders in the Inter-
national Woodworkers of America,
and under his leadership major
gains were achieved which es-
tablished the union in the forest in-
dustry.

In the statement paying tribute
to Morgan’s work, the provincial

By SEAN GRIFFIN

this strike,’ he said, “was the
pressure generated by the labor
press, the B.C. Federation of
Labor with the ‘hot’’ declaration
and the whole trade union move-
ment which refused to patronize
the stores.”

Denton added that after the
strikers had been settled back into
their jobs and any disputes ironed
out, the Retail Clerks plans to “go
full steam ahead” in establishing
collective bargaining in other
stores.

Three other stores have already
been certified with the union and
preparations are being made to
begin negotiations on the basis of
the recent contract.

In a statement issued after the
vote taken on the settlement,
Federation secretary Ray Haynes
called the settlement a ‘‘tremen-
dous achievement in the trade un-
ion movement's campaign to
organize unorganized workers in
the white collar and service in-
dustries.

“Great credit is due to the men
and women who have been on
strike,’ Haynes said, ‘for the
determination and courage they
showed through many hard
months. The Retail Clerks, who
have undertaken a number of these
difficult organizing efforts, are to
be congratulated for the job they
have done~in carrying on this
struggle.”

Haynes also emphasized the
Federation’s ‘‘hot’’ declaration and
the support of affiliated unions as
major factors in the final settle-
ment. The declaration is to be
lifted with the finalization of the
settlement while the employer, in
turn, will be dropping legal actions
against the Federation and the un-
ions involved, including the Retail,
Wholesale and Department Store
Union which played a role in win-
ning the struggle.

Haynes said that ‘‘we are hopeful
that other employers in the retail
and service industry will follow the
pattern of accepting collective
bargaining relationships with their
employees without the necessity of
long and difficult disputes.”

As well as its campaign through

committee said: “For more than
half the history of the party in B.C.
you have been its provincial leader.
Under your energetic and able

NIGEL MORGAN

SAE 3 se
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1973—-PAG

the courts and by means of phony
franchizing policies, aimed at
frustrating union organization
Shoppers Drug made several
attempts to break the strike with
injunctions and the use of security
guards.

The victory in the nine stores has
also spurred further efforts to ex-
tend organization to other stores in
the chain. Several trade unionists

Sy

leadership the party in B.C. has
been an important public force, es-
pecially among the working class,
in the fight for progress, peace and
socialism.

“Under your leadership the par-
ty has surmounted many dif-
ficulties and defeated many
attempts by anti-party elements to
divert the party from a correct
Marxist-Leninist course.

“We speak not only for the
provincial committee, but for all
Communist Party members in B.C.
and thousands of working and
progressive people throughout the
province when we extend to you,
Comrade Morgan, our warmest
congratulations and best wishes for
a happy birthday.

“We and the working class move-
ment of B.C. look forward to many
more years of active leadership by
you in'the struggle to build unity of
labor and progressive forces, and
to advance the struggle for securi-
ty, peace and socialism.”

SEE,
E3