BS SB ee aS i — = =e COM, im NCO Kimberiy : SM uy Which has hn OKESTACKS ‘SMOKELESS. The strike in Trail, almo is in its third week with Cominco adopting a ! blocked a settlement. Union leaders say: “We won t go ™minco puts something on the table a hard beside its fist. They en: "board, a long up on that hill, and it’s time they came down from ™ and into the real world.” Abi Sbusj US. of esSfinanced study in red this anada-U.S. relations byt for mrerk in a 135-page aed ra. Visit to Ottawa “endian Sos discussions with the Cap tinued athment to ensure a netian hd reliable access to i netting aes resources.” may Mante, ada the ‘most Ant so : ang tials ' Urce of industrial raw «ati 0 : hit, Nal 3. a new in- lee of 22!Mt economic com- | Deo theele from S0vernment-appointed te. Wo 1 country to advise 0 Sou, “ jnments on trade, Tepop wav estment policies. Nation i} 48 prepared by the ation ;CONomic Policy by y@lEPA) and is Which - big business. The hati" over €xpresses deep Cana PDalist What sat calls < entiments”’? in ™ ba : the being ie bviously held back ie Public until after “ton in order to Y of state Henry “Mphasi; te United States”. avoid making U.S.-Canadian relations an issue in the election. The report notes that 68 percent ownership by U.S. corporations in the Canadian minerals industry and the interrelationship of Canada’s economy with the US. “enhances the U.S. oe supply,” but it warns that in v1 ai recent changes in attitudes there is ‘need for a reconsideration of U.S.-Canadian relations in the light of American material needs.” It states, ‘‘In recent years Canadian public opinion has come to favor greater national deter- mination of economic behavior and a movement away from ‘con tinentalism’, the Canadian term for a predisposition to even greater North American interchange and interdependence.” The report says that effort at co-operative in a ‘ new teraction the report during FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1974 Tribune Second class mail registration number 1560 VOL. 35, No. 30 ‘GERI 48 1 He By FRED WILSON As provincial mediator Ken Albertini left trail- in frustration and thousands of pounds of free food was distributed to striking steelworker’s families, the bitter United Steel Workers of America (USWA) strike against Cominco pushed into its third week. Talks between the union and Cominco, a subsidiary of the CPR, broke off last Friday with no further sessions scheduled after Cominco refused to discuss the USWA bargaining proposals. 3 All mining and smelter operations in Trail, Kimberly and ‘Salmo remain closed with more than 4,000 USWA and Association of Commercial and Technical Employees- (ACTE) members manning picket lines in what has ‘been called the best ‘‘organized and run strike’ in many years. USWA local 480 president Marv ‘McLean, commenting on the lack of response from Cominco said, “The company attitude is right out of the 19th century on the question of how they should treat their employees. Their refusal to even and consultation is in order to moderate the prospective storms” which it forsees about future US. investment in Canadian raw materials and the export of such materials to the U.S. : The IEPA report is obviously an attempt to meet the ‘‘storms”’ it sees on the horizon in U.S.-Canada relations which it feels threatens U.S. control and access to Canadian mineral resources. It wants the U.S. government, through its secretary of state Henry Kissinger, to open a dialogue with the Canadian government aimed at ensuring that ‘‘American material needs ill be met.” ee Minister Trudeau and the Liberal government must _have been aware of the major issues contained in the report and their decisive importance to the future of Canadian Tae oe ne i said nothin, sovereignty but BEA as ion. The decisions that have to oe are probably listed among those “unpopular decisions which the government wanted to post- pone until after July 8. discuss the question of early retirement and other quality of life issues clearly indicate that they don’t give a damn about the working people as long as the profits roll in.” The pension and _ welfare package has emerged as the main issue of contention with the union holding firm on its demand for pensions after 30 years of em- ployment or at age 55. Cominco refuses to discuss the issue. Wages are said to be ‘‘less contentious” with the union asking the base rate of $4 (per hour) for laborers to be raised to $5.25 per hour and tradesman’s rates to be hiked from a base of $5.55 to $7.35 per hour. Lino Sacilotto, president of the Steelworkers Kimberly local 651 summed up the situation, “Cominco obviously wishes a long and bitter strike. This is not our wish but we are ready to take them on. We have a firm mandate from the membership not to come back to them without a decent early retirement clause and _ im- provements in the welfare package, and we won’t.”” Both the union and Cominco have taken the issues to the public with large advertisements in Kootenay papers. The tense situation was further embittered last week after a Cominco security guard drove his car through the picket line injuring a 60-year old striker. Cominco responded to the unions’ demand that they cover 100 percent of the payment of a life insurance program by cutting off all striking workers from the plan. Trail local 480 announced that they would institute their own $10,000 life insurance plan, which will cover striking Cominco workers in Trail, Kimberly and Salmo. Meanwhile, preparations for a long strike continue with a massive food distribution program centered in Trail. Meat, fresh vegetables and other groceries are distributed to strikers in return for’ the per- formance of various strike duties. In the first week of the strike more than 3,500 chickens and more than 140 tons of potatoes along with thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables were given out. Arrangements were being made with the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union to supply fresh fish. The USWA has stated that they will not sign any agreement until Cominco is prepared to settle with the 450 striking staff workers, members of ACTE, some of whom earn only the minimum wage. Although ACTE is bargaining separately an agreement has been reached whereby neither USWA or ACTE will sign contracts until both disputes are settled. The USWA bargaining council ‘See COMINCO, pg. 8 tion. users. interests. Rescind hydro boost Coming at a time when the cost of living is rising at an alarming rate, the announcement by B.C. Hydro last Friday that electric power rates will go up by 20 percent for residential users on Aug. 1 comes as a shock and severe blow to the public. Along with the announcement of the boost to residential customers was the disclosure that bulk power users — such as pulp and paper mills and other large industries — will go up by about 70 percent, but not until Aug. 1, 1976. By its action the NDP government has brought down on its head a storm of protest. Using the situation for their own demogogic ends the old line parties in B.C. have joined in condemnation of the ac- The rate increase to consumers should not be allowed to take place even if a provincial government subsidy is necessary to hold the line on hydro rates for consumers. The government should order B.C. Hydro to explore avenues of additional revenues from big industries. The NDP government has increased revenues from raw material industries, and Premier Dave Barrett boasts of the improved financial position of the province. Some of the surplus should be used to stop the hydro boost. : Why should the bulk power rates to industry be left as they are until Aug. 1, 1976? Why should they not have to pay the 70 percent boost right away? If there is any téchnical reason why the higher rate should not be introduced for two years, the public would like to hear it. And if it must be put off until then it should be made retroactive to Aug. 1 of this year, with some of the additional revenues counted on to hold the line on hydro rates for residential If the NDP government wants to, it can find the way to rescind the 20 percent boost. It should be done at once to protect the public’s