merged into a new union, The startling statistics on youth unemployment in the developed capitalist countries are from the World Trade Union Movement, _ monthly journal of ‘the World Federation of Trade Unions. The figures are based on official government statistics from the various countries. CFAWU, Retail Clerks merge into new union The Canadian Food and Allied Workers Union and_the~ Retail Clerks International Union, Can- - ada’s two largest retail unions, the United Food and _ Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) at simul- taneous conventions in Chicago and Washington this week. The new union will be the sixth largest union in Canada with 109,000 members and the third larg- est in the U.S. where it will bring together 1.3 million workers. In B.C. the merger will bring together some 4,747 members of the Cana- dian Food and Allied Workers Un- ion and 8,029 members of the Retail Clerks. : Union spokesmen say that the UFCW will have more bargaining power and will be better able to conduct organizing drives than the two previous unions. The new: union is expected to put on a con- certed drive to boost union membership in the retail’ trades, particularly in department stores and drug stores. Only one drug store chain, the Tamblyn chain, is organized in Canada while major department store chains like Eatons and the Bay have yet to be unionized. Store owners have responded to concerted union organizing drives by substantially increasing the num- ber of part-time emloyees and by offering employee discounts on sales to non-union stores. In the drug stores, organizing drives have met with stiff resistance from phar- macists and by open intimidation against employees from employers. _ _ The new union will hold certifica- tions for about 70 per cent of super- market workers in Canada. The on- ly major supermarket chain yet to be organized is Woodward’s Stores, Local 6500 wins pact Continued from pg. 1 terson credited the union member- ship with the victory and admitted that their judgment was at times better than the bargaining commit- tee. “If it wasn’t for them, we would have settled for a lot Be he said. In spite of-a committee recom- mendation to accept, Local 6500 re- ~ jected an earlier offer from INCO in a vote May 12. The new contract is 39 cents an hour better than the proposal which was turned down. Seen as major factors in INCO’s decision to put a second offer on the table after months of silence were escalating prices for nickel coupled with declining stockpiles and a call last month for a confer- ence of all nickel industry unions is- sued by the newly elected executive _of Local 6166 in Thompson, Man. Local 6166 president-elect Blake McGrath, in. issuing the call, said the conference’s aim would be to ‘support the Sudbury workers and solidify and unify our approach to the companies. The local unions in- volved account for almost half of PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 8, 1979—Page 12 the nickel production in the capital- - ist world. . Local 6500 president Patterson welcomed the call, adding that ‘‘if the people at the top aren’t going to get us together, then it’s time the people at the bottom got us to- gether,’’ a reference to the fact that - the international had not taken such an initiative. In addition to issuing the call, the new executive began the first plant gate collection for Sudbury workers at the Thompson operation last Fri- day. ~ ; INCO was also under consider- able economic pressure to settle since increases in nickel prices were accompanied by the announcement May 30 that Falconbridge was re- opening its Lockerby mine one year ahead of schedule and hiring 300 new workers. The settlement also provides for a cost of living clause which is retro- active to April and will give an im- mediate 20 cents boost to the wage increase, and an improved vacation package. tt Pee ee = BCGEU negotiations will test Fryer — and Barre Judging by all indications, the se- cond largest union in this province, the B.C. Government Employees Union, is preparing for what could be a tough round of contract negotiations. According to recent bulletins | from the Employers’ Council of British Columbia, collective bargaining settlements in B.C. dur- ing 1978 averaged an increase in compensation of 4.99 percent before the lifting of wage controls. Settlements in the same year after the lifting of wage controls averag- ed 5.84 percent. When the 1978 settlements are separated into private and public sectors, the private sector has the highest increase, averaging 6.19 per- cent as compared with 4.63 percent in the public sector. ' The 1978 average private sector increase in compensation during wage controls of 5.25 percent rose to 6.45 percent in settlements after the lifting of wage controls. In the public sector, the average increase actually dropped from 4.81 percent to 4.36 percent after the lifting of controls. A later bulletin issued in May 1979 reports that agreements effec- tive in 1979 covering 136,587 employees in B:C., or 30.3 percent of the unionized work force, pro- vide for compensation increases averaging 6.79 percent. The in- creases for public sector employees averaged 6.98-percent, as compared with 6.69 percent for the Private sector. It is against this settlement pat- tern that 37,000 members of the B.C. Government Employees Union are going into. negotiations, for a new master agreement. The current, two-year agreement expires at midnight, July 31. If recent comments by John Fryer, general secretary of the BCGEU are a true reflection of the thinking of the membership, there could be a showdown between the union and the provincial govern- ment, because the salary increases referred to above are far short of the expectations QF the member- ship. According to Fryer, ‘‘there are already indicators which point to the conclusion that this round of negotiations will be the toughest the union has yet encountered,’’ In a written statement issued by Fryer in May, based on a speech to a ._BCGEU:—conference,..he categorically stated, ‘‘It will almost certainly be necessary to go to the membership for a strike vote during this year’s negotiations.” Among the points Fryer made to back up his prediction of a possible strike Were the following: e The union is facing a govern- ment that has publicly stated, time after time, it is not concerned about the shrinking pay cheques of its employees. .@ In 1978, the provincial govern- ment had a surplus in excess of $140 - million ($362 million in the past three years). In the budget presented on April 1, 1979, surplus was reduced to $65 million, still a sufficient amount to increase all salaries by 17 percent without deficit financing of any kind. e¢ The Honorable Pat McGeer was presumably speaking for the government when he was quoted in the Victoria Times October 26, 1978: ‘The provincial government plans to hold the line with the tax- payers’ money and plans no major salary increases for its own employees.”’ ¢ Premier Bennett made a signifi- cant statement to the federal- provincial conference on February. 13, 1978: ‘*Budgetary pressures should be placed on public sector employees to hold them directly ac- this, take away or countable for the settlements which they negotiate.”’ Fryer claimed that the BCGEU has every reason to believe it will be facing government negotiators who will be bringing to the bargaining table ‘‘rigid wage and fringe benefit guidelines which have been politically arrived at, with little or no relationship to the economic LABOR COMMENT BY JACK PPHLLIPS realities facing public employees in B G22 Facing the BCGEU at the bargaining table will be its counter- part, the Government Employee Relations Bureau (GERB), representing the provincial govern- ment. However, while the B.C. Council of Public Sector Employers will not be there in the flesh, it too will be present, if only in spirit, ac- cording to Fryer. The Council was formed in 1978 by the B.C. government, as an in- strument to prevent public employees from regaining the losses in income they suffered under the _Anti-Inflation Board. Brian Foley, executive director, came directly from the AIB to his current post with the council. - The objectives of the Council of Public Sector Employers were clear- ly laid out by minister of finance Evan Wolfe and included: e Reducing the level of wages and benefits in the public sector; e Ensuring that future wage set- tlements in the public sector follow rather than lead those in puisaic in- dustry; e Forcing public employers throughout the province to con- form with the provincial govern- ment’s policy of reducing spending; e Undermining the ability of public sector unions to protect the interests of their members. Employees of municipalities, school boards and universities have already felt the hand of this employers’ council in their negotia- ‘tions. ' The BCGEU researchers believe that the cost of living will increase by 13 percent in 1979. With that in mind, Fryer made the following observation: ‘‘On the other hand, headlines in the news media tell a tale of continual excessive profit taking; ‘Price Jack-up inflates pro- fit 21 percent in Year’, from the Victoria Times February 7, 1979. In addition, bank profits are up 300 percent; food prices are up 15 per- cent; profits in food stores up 87 percent; car dealers up 42 percent; and on it goes.’ The. BCGEU negotiators expect that the government bargaining agency will place a number of ~ demands on the table designed to reduce existing -strong and united fron is for the BCGEU to work 0 a testing ground for the benefits and conditions of ment and that there will b talk from hem about hol line. The ORELUSION of Fryer’s statement seems to indicate leaders of the union realize membership want the kind | tlement the situation cal order to keep up with infle to make some real gains year, more than any ot long history, we have to Pp employer. Solidarity is mo just a catch word. It represel! sense of unity and purpose we have in this union membership support and leadership we can expect fair settlement and will“ our standards.’ We- membership, we have the ship, we have shown the $ and we are going to maintal standards.’ It should also be said record, that the BCGEU i cond largest affiliate of t Federation of Labor (CLO that if it comes to a strike the provincial government, support of the Federation : necessary in order to win, the BCGEU is included amo! unions covered by the Essent vices Disputes Act. If the 8 ment uses that legislation ¢ the BCGEU to prevent or bf strike, the best defence fo members would be the full st of the provincial federation : and its affiliates. From what | can gather. the of purpose and tactics repre in the formation of the B.C. cil of Public Sector Emp referred to by Fryer, is not : by an equivalent degree of uml) the union side. This only proves how neces: strike strategy in cooperation the B.C. Federation of Labo is serious about the possibi strike. Personally, I believe t of negotiations could be the t ground for the Fryér leaders as Fryer says, the membe solidly behind their leadership: the leaders should welcome § test of strength, providil becomes necessary and prov they are supported by the : Federation of Labor and filiates. The position of