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ISLAND PARLEY FIGHTS
GOV'T POLLUTION STAND

A tidal wave of public protest
on Vancouver Island is demanding
that the provincial government
immediately stop all industrial
activity in the Buttle Lake area
to prevent pollution of this im-

VANCOUVER
Cont'd from page 2
the gr«und yet will be concealed
in his Madisson Avenue cam-
paign,

He is expected to soft pedal
opposition to Bennett’s miserable
treatment of the city because,he
needs provincial government
support to get Block 42 over the
legal hurdles put in its way by
downtown merchants, Organized
labor, which .has been talking
loudly for the last several years
about the importance of civic
politics, seems some distance
away from making a serious bid
this year. Bob Williams, who
made a good contribution to coun-
cil, is dropping off this year
since his election as MLA,

Dusty Greenwell, who polled
25,000 votes for Parks Board on
a shoestring campaign, is
expected to make a major effort
for a seat onthe board this year
and civic political observers con-
cede him more than an outside
chance,

The pot is boiling early this
year and it is to be hoped that
the result will be more tasty on
December 14 than the NPA mix-
ture shoved down Vancouver’s
throat for the last 29 years,

portant water ahd recreation
area,

Last Sunday Vancouver Island
councillors, trade union repre-
sentatives and conservationists
met at a protest rally in Port
Alberni and passed resolutions
condemning the government for
allowing mining in the area in
the first place,

The resolution charged the gov-.

ernment with lack of concern over
the pollution problem from mine
tailings in the lake and the even-
tual destruction of the beauty
spot. The parley demanded a
public hearing “in which everyone
who wishes to be heard shall be
heard,

An interim committee was
named to set up a permanent
Island-wide _ anti-pollution body
to be composed of representa-
tives from chambers of come
merce, councillors, wildlife of-
ficials, _ conservationists and
others, The new group will make
representations to the provincial
government on matters regard-
ing pollution,

This week the International
Wood workers of America Dis-
trict convention in Vancouver
called on the government to res-
cind its decision to dump mine
tailings into the lake,

CORRECTION

In the CP statement on rising
prices and inflation in last week's PT
edition, the first line in point No. 5
of the statement should read: ‘The
proposed compulsory savings pro-
gram should be opposed’’. The PT
error uses the word ‘‘opened’’.

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LABOR SCENE:

VLC delegates urge
strong, joint action

At this week’s regular session
of the Vancouver and District
Labor Council (VLC), with the
top item on its agenda the sweep-
ing out of ex-parte court in-
junctions as a menace to the
rights of organized labor, and
the freeing of the four union
leaders, ‘‘now held in the bastile,”
as VLC president Ed Sims des-
cribed it, strong and decisive
action was urged by many VLC
delegates, and approved by all,

Quoting from the Canadian La-
bor Congress resolution on in-
junctions approved at its
Winnipeg convention last year,
Wm, Stewart, Marine Workers

-and Boilermakers, (also under

sentence of $500 fine or two
months in jail), stated that the
Lenkurt Electric workers and
all others supporting them, “were
following the dictates of the CLC
resolution,” ;

This law in B,C, and Canada,
said Stewart, is “an archaic and
unjust law which exists nowhere
else, either in the U.S. or Bri-
tain and is a disgrace to the
people of B,C.” Stewart quoted
extensively from the stated opin-
ions of eminent jurists on the
question of unjust laws, Many
people in the legal profession,
said Stewart, ‘‘are very con-
cerned about the misuse of the
courts in Canada on the issuance
of injunctions,”

Stewart scored the statements
of lawyer Eric Brown, counsel
for the Master Painters Associa-
tion, who publicly stated his “hope
they rot in jail.” *Justimagine,”
said Stewart, “should such a
character one day be appointed
by a judge by the powers that
be, what kind of justice labor
would get at the hands of such
an individual,”

INJUNCTIONS

Cont'd from pg. 1

and with the authorization” ofthe
BCFL,

In a letter to Premier Bennett
Wednesday, the B,C, Executive
of the Communist Party urged
the immediate release of the
jailed union leaders, The letter

also demanded that the govern- _

ment publicly declare now that
legislative action will be taken at
the next session of the legislature
to bar the use of injunctions in
labor disputes,

“Now is the time for all-in-
clusive unity of labor and demo-
cratic-minded people to end the
use of anti-union injunctions and
to win freedom for the jailed un-
ion leaders,” said Party Secre-
tary Charles Caron,

Mrs, Judy Powers, wife of
imprisoned unionist Jeff Powers,
read a wire received from the
Prince George Central Labor
Council, which said, “We con-
demn the savage _ sentences
handed out to our four trade
union brothers, and pledge all-
out support of any action whatso-
ever taken by B,C, labor to fight
the use of ex-parte injunctions
in management-labor disputes,”
VLC delegates gave Mrs, Powers
a rousing ovation,

‘ quate housing,

Delegate Chas, Stewart of the
Transit Workers Union, stated
that “this fight against injunc-
tions is not only an issue facing
labor, We want this fight to be-
come a broad citizens fight —
in order that ex-parte injunctions
against labor “become a thing of
the past,’’

Delegates D, Evans and Bob
Claire of the IWA reported on
many proposed actions recom-
mended by their union, Many of
their IWA members are de-
manding to know “when are we
going to shut down industry to
get these brothers out of jail and
injunction laws off the statute
books???’ ‘What has to be done
has to be done fast — our mem-
bership are quite prepared to take
job action to let this government
know that we’re not going to toler-
ate this nuisance any longer.”

Mrs. Hallock, Union Label sec-
retary hoped the BCFL confer--~

Students
demand
housing

Students at the University of
B.C, this week organized a tent-
in to draw public attention to the
serious housing shortage for stu-
dents. More than 20 tents were
set up on the Mall and on Wednes-
day more students were invited by
student councillors to join in the
demand for more housing,

Thousands of university stu-
dents at Simon Fraser and UBC
have no housing or very inade-
Plans announced
for new student accommodation
have been labelled by “student
leaders as “inadequate,”

In the provincial election the
Communist candidates called for
a “crash program” to build suit-
able student accommodations,

ence Friday would be very “effec-

tive,” and expressed the idea that.
she would ‘‘like to see a picket
line around Oakalla.”

President Sims thanked VLC
delegates for the “complete
unanimity shown here tonight,”
and reaffirmed the key points
facing organized labor: “the
release of our brothers from jail,
and the fight against injunctions
until doomsday if necessary.”

* Ok *

With several other B.C. un-
ions, the Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers Union have forwarded a
wire to Premier Bennett last

week *, , .commending the ac-

tion you have taken regarding
scheduled overtime, We (Mine-

Mill) have always considered that —

issuance of overtime permits
violated the intent of the Hours of
Work provisions,’’ :

The Mine-Mill wire further
stated that “overtime should only
be permitted in cases of emer-
gency. It is labor that has always
insisted upon penalties to em-

‘ ployers who scheduled overtime ~

production, It is a fact that many
employers find it cheaper to work
men longer hours than to hire
new workers, and the increase
in penalty would remove that
incentive,

*We cite the action taken by
your Attorney-General in prose-
cutions as a direct result of
workers refusing to work over-

time in violation of an agree-

ment with the employer at Len-

kurt Electric, Consistent with
your announced policy it would
be only fair that you order Len-
kurt to re-employ these workers
immediately.”

The Mine- Mill wire was signed
by vice-president Harvey Murphy
and Executive Board member Al
King,

HARRY RANKIN

Rankin to contest

aldermanic seat

Harry Rankin, well-known
lawyer will contest an alder-
manic seat inthe December 14
Vancouver civic election,

This was decided at a meeting
of the “Harry Rankin for Ald-
erman” Committee Monday at
the Teamsters’ Hall, Over 40
campaign workers attended,

“Mayor Rathie plans to
make our Centennial Year,
1967, a bonanza for the real
estate promoters,’ said
Rankin in accepting nomina-
tion, He charged that home-
owners will be expected to
subsidize promotions such as
the CPR’s project 200 and the
Cemp-Eaton plans for Blocks
42 and 52 through increased
taxes, ‘

“We want to see 1967 mark
a change in City Council’s
attitude to the needs of Van-
couver, Reduced taxes on
homes, slum clearance, low-
cost housing, harbor develop-
ment and a low-cost. rapid
.transit system are issues that
must be settled,” he said,

OCTOBER 7, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 8