An imposing addition to Vancouver’s changing skyline, the new block-squ

CLC BRIEF

Flealth sc

urged on

is

are Post Office, bounded by Georgia, Homer,

Dunsmuir and Hamilton streets, is fast nearing completion. The official opening date is expected to be set for later

this year.

Continued from page 1

TEACHERS

half the amount the tceach-
ers sought. N
The increase offered sec-
ondary teachers would have
raised their salaries $500-$600
a year. ,

Although the executive o
the 1,100-strong Vancouver
Elementary Teachers Associa-
tion recommended acceptance
of the offer, members rejected
it and called for further nego-
tiations,

Secondary teachers voted
unanimously to go to arbitra-
tion, findings of which will be
binding upon them. This
necessity of submitting salary
disputes to binding decision is
also a sore point with teachers.

Outcome of the dispute di-
rectly affects Burnaby teach-
ers, who have reached agree-
ment with the school poard
for acceptance of increased
minimum salaries negotiated
by Vancouver teachers.

Minimum starting salary for
Vancouver elementary teach-
ers, with one year Normal

School training, is $2,300 a
year, rising to $2,450 the sec-
ond year. Secondary teach-
ers, with four years’ university
training, start at $2,800, less
than the wage scale won by
school maintenance staffs.

Instances are cited of clean-
ing women who earn more
than the teachers whose class-
rooms they clean.

Many young married men
are being forced to take addi-
tional night and weekend jobs
to make ends meet, to the
detriment of their classroom
work and further studies.

In one case, a teacher who
supports a family is working
Friday nights and Saturdays at
the butcher trade he formerly
followed, earning nearly as
much in a day and a half as
he receives for his five-day
week in the classroom.

Vancouver teachers have
not had an increase since they
negotiated a two-year agree-
ment covering 1955-56.

Continued from page 1

ASSESSMENTS

single need of the (assessment) a figure generally recognized

department today.”

The CPR buildings are as-
sessed at $3,461,000 for 1957,

LPP radio series
starts February 9

The Labor-Progressive party
this week announced comple-
tion of a contract with CKWX
for a new series of broadcasts,
“The Legislature and You.”
The ten-minute commentary
by Nigel Morgan, starting its
fourth year, will present the
LPP. point of view on the
week’s happenings in the leg-
islature. The broadcasts,
which will be heard weekly
throughout the session, will
commence Saturday, February
9 at 7:10 p.m.

Contributions to the LPP
Radio Fund, as well as special
requests and suggestions, may
be addressed to 503 Ford Build-
ing, Vancouver.

as far too low.

In a letter sent to Vancouver
City Council last November,
Effie Jones, president of Civic
Reform Association, suggested
that commercial and industrial
property should be taxed on
the basis of 100 percent of ss-
sessed value of land and 75
percent of improvements, in

place of the present formula
of 100 percent on land and 50
percent on improvements. This
change would make it possible
to cut taxes on homes in 1957.

Mulcahy said this week that
if his appeal against the low
CPR assessment is upheld by
the court, a new independert
assessment of the whole city

« could probably be ordered by

the provincial government.

“As it stands today, the small
homeowners are forced to pay
the shot,” he said.

eme |
gov't

OTTAWA ©

A complete health insurancé —
plan should be given “high! .
priority’”’ by the government 7
and can be brought in without
delay, a Canadian Labor Com
gress delegation told the fed: |
eral cabinet this week. j

Rejecting the idea that such”
a plan need be a limited hos
pitalization formula (as pro" ™
posed by Ottawa) or-that thet”
were barriers in the way %
its immediate implementatiom
top Canadian Labor Congres?
officers, led by President
Claude Jodoin, told the cabinet”
implementation, top CLC offi-
cers, led by President Claude
Jodoin, told cabinet membet®
the program should be an all-
inclusive, comprehensive pr"
gram initiated on a nation
wide basis either by the gov V
ernment of Canada or jointly
in cooperation with the prov
vinces. : ;

The CLC brief said the steP”
taken by the government i)”
offering to pay a share of the”
costs of hospital care and dias"
nostic services if six provine
representing a majority of
population agree to proceed
was “a move in the right
rection.”

“However,” it added,
Canadian Labor Congress do’
not accept the position thay
comprehensive nation - Wi”
health insurance cannot be im)
plemented without further
lay.”

Singled out for special @
tention in the 9,300-word pr

“eH

‘ssentation—the first to be su?

mitted by the newly-mergé
congress representing oVv®
1,000,000 organized workers
were:

@ The need for an impr

‘ed housing program, with 1

starts announced at 25 perce®
lower than 1956.

@ Rising prices, unemploy
ment and the general econo!
situation.

@® The growing concern

Canadian workers about au "i

mation.
Five broad aims of the CL¥
were placed before the ca?”
inet: -
@ Full employment wi)
a rising standard of living. f
@ Satisfactory sharing °
the national income, which ‘a
cludes comprehensive soci?”
security. ; a
@ A nation - wide plan”
health insurance. a
® Uniform labor legisl#
tion covering all workers }
cluding those in the pub
service.
@ Bread, peace and free
dom for all peoples through®!
the world, :

JANUARY 25, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE