SOMPANY LIMITED —Fred Minaker photo VANCOUVER LONGSHOREMEN on the picket line in front of Canadian Stevedoring just before the federal government called on emergency session of Parliament for Thursday to force them back to work. LABOR SCENE Bosses ‘stall’ tactics brings special session Negotiations were proceeding on the waterfront on Tuesday when the federal government announced a special session of the commons for Thursday to: order the dock workers back to the job. Negotiations had resumed after the personal intervention of Labor Minister Martin O’Connell. Prior to that, the Maritime. Employers Association under Ed Strang had continued the hard-nosed policies which have forced strike action in a score of industries this year — refusing to put one offer on the table although negotiations com- menced last May. Prairie farmers and even a large proportion of west coast residents have not been in- formed that striking long- shoremen offered to load grain if the federal government would take over grain handling facili- ties. If there are some 40 ships tied up in port, many of them waiting for grain, it is not the fault of the dockworkers nor grain handlers. The latter group have been without a contract since last November. Prior to taking strike action the longshoremen were literally locked out by the shipping bosses after the regular crew of some 600 men resigned. The pur- pose behind the resignations was to have all work, with the exception of 200 maintenance men, be dispatched from the hiring hall and so made equally accessible to all the men. The employers refused to grant the request and in retali- ation started laying off the maintenance men_ without giving them seven days notice. The Grain Handlers Union which has been in negotiations for many months, last week accepted a federal Conciliation Board’s recommendations. They provided for 40 cents an hour increase in each year of a two year contract. Immed- iately the grain elevator com- panies rejected the recom- mendations, which could mean another strike or lockout. Longshoremen demands from the shipping bosses are a modest 90 cents an hour over one year, and a few fringe benefits, but the issue of the hiring practices will have to be resolved before there can be a settlement, most dock- workers say. Ed Strang, head negotiator for the shipping companies, is one of the men brought in when appalling.” Gov't action condemned The Trudeau government’s action in calling a special session of Parliament to order B.C. waterfront workers back to work came under fire as an attack on collective bargaining. Don Garcia, Canadian area president of the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen’s Union charged that the action was ‘‘appalling.’’ He said, ‘‘We hate to see collective bargaining destroyed by people’s political ambitions . . . We have only been on strike a week — our picket signs are hardly wet and the government has moved against us. I think its In a special statement the national executive of the Com- munist Party condemned the action as an attack on collective bargaining and demanded that the collective bargaining process be allowed to continue. Trudeau’s action was backed by Tory leader Robert Stan- field and Premier Bennett. NDP Premier of Saskatchewan said he supported the action and national NDP leader David Lewis said his party supported the government’s action in summoning Parliament and added that ‘‘our party will not obstruct the bill in the House of Commons.” . PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1972—PAGE 12 | ’ the B.C. Employers’ Council was formed some years ago. He is one of the ‘‘tough’’ boys who, with Social Credit government assistance, has made the labor scene in B.C. one of the most chaotic in Canada. ** * The IWA in B.C.’s central in- terior has signed a memor- andum calling for 87 cents over a two year contract. About 1,500 employees are involved at northern points such as Prince George, Chetwynd, Fort St. James, and others. IWA negotiator Jack Munro says the agreement brings prov- ince-wide parity in the woods in- dustry one step closer. However, other companies in the north- ern interior have still to be signed. Despite the howl about piece rates for fallers, there is stilla section of woodworkers within IWA jurisdiction which has not had the question resolved. The companies within FIR which insisted on a day-rate for fallers are not so concerned about shingle workers who have been on a piece rate system for years. The workers in the Red Band mill (one of MacMillan- Bloedels) have been on strike on the issue for 10 weeks. Canadian Forest Products shingle mills have also voted to strike. Negotiations have been broken off in the case of Red Band mill, with company spokesmen unable to put up a good argu- ment as to why piece rate is no good for the fallers but okay for the shingle workers. In both bases, profits are behind their stand. ** * With the provincial election at hand, charges against the Vic- toria local of the Carpenters and Joiners union were dismissed in court last week. The charges grew out of ‘‘violation of the Mediation Commission Act for refusing to order men to return to work and with purporting to authorize a strike.”’ Action needed to curb monopoly profiteering Cont'd from Pg. 1 months of this year and dividend payments went up. Recently, B.C.’s major producer of forestry products, MacMillan Bloedel, announced profits of $20.9 million for the first six months of 1972. The rise in the price spiral is so rapidly outstripping the amount won by workers in this year’s round of wage demands (an average 7.3 per cent for all Canada) that advocates of the “blame labor’’ theory are finding it hard to peddle their false economics. The price spiral is becoming a central issue for the federal government and will undoubtedly feature prominently in the coming federal elections. The Liberal government’s policies have created a situation in which Canada has spiralling unemploy- ment and prices, and massive profits for the big corporations. NEED ACTION ' When pressed last week to explain the latest rise in prices, Consumer Affairs Minister Robert Andras, embarrassed, explained that ‘‘This godawful weather we are having in Eastern Canada is wiping out crops left, right and centre . . . It (high prices) seems to be caused _ by shortage of foodstuffs.” More patent nonsense has never been uttered by a govern. ment member. There is n0 shortage of food in Vancouvel, yet prices here have risen higher than the rest of Canada. The government is obviously trying to cover up the mail reason. That is the failure of the government to take action 10 curb the giant monopolies which | are rolling up the biggest profits — in their history. The govern ment doesn’t want to name the main culprit — big business~ © because its a big business gover™ ment and it wants the support of } the giant corporations in the | upcoming election. The Liberal Vancouver Su? last week devoted extensivé space to the high cost of living # B.C. But the writers for this ant labor paper who outlined the malady in hundreds of inches 0 ~ space failed to give the cure. The only cure they put forward Js how you can cut your food bills by buying cheaper cuts of meat | and other foodstuffs. Or how you | can cook money-saving. dishes: Anything but point the finger! at the real villian, the profiteeriié- corporations. | If the corporations are tol curbed and their profiteerimé orgy brought under control, 4 massive movement of Canadian people will be needed Such a movement shou demand setting up prices 4? rent review boards to put reill® _ \'VE ONLY TAKEN A Little JunP/ on the greedy profiteers. ne Kashtan blasts Kahn : , sul The Canadian people should not be taken in by Mr. Kahn oe, to. play regarding the sale of Canada’s energy and natural rea the United States, said William Kashtan, leader of the Com Party of Canada last week. Mr. Kahn speaks for the U.S. interests who want to ‘aoe Canada, hook, line and sinker, and that includes Canada’s wate the There must be no retreat to this pressure play and no se irreplaceable resources of our country, the Communist lea ‘‘Canada’s resources and energy are needed to build ess g jabor expand the economy and create useful work for a ae @ force. Energy is the basis upon which to build a truly indeP Canada.”’ nist e over Jlout der sale coun ’ os e : : ust Kashtan said these resources must be publicly owned, a5 ™ McKenzie Pipeline. sonia? “Mr. Kahn and his think tank should be told — think again: concluded.