a RS EB ER

Continued from page 1

tion. The union was locked out
Oct. 17 after more than 10 mon-
ths without a contract.

Delegates to the Vancouver
and District Labor Council
unanimously endorsed a special
resolution Tuesday condemning
what they called ‘‘today’s attack
on the ILWU and on free collec-
tive bargaining.”’

Theresolution pledged support
of the council to the
longshoremen “‘in their efforts to
win a decent contract and to resist
this crude federal government at-
teek. ss;

UFAWU delegate George
Hewison warned that the legisla-
tion which threatens the ILWU
with imposed wage guidelines “‘is
the first incursion (by wage con-
trols) into the private sector.”’

He noted that the government
had singled out the ILWU
“because they know that if they
can cripple a strong uniof like
that they can cripple others as
well.

““Wecan’t stand by and let that
happen” he said, adding that

there must be ‘“‘a_ concerted

response to this attack.
“That response has to start

here and go from there to the:
‘B.C. Fed and the Canadian ~

Labor Congress and involve the
whole labor movement.”’

B.C. Federation of _ Labor
secretary-treasurer Mike Kramer
pledged the support of the federa-
tion to the ILWU, predicting that
the “‘affiliates will unite on this
one.”’

He said. that the Federation
would be meeting with the ILWU
to develop a program of support.

ILWU secretary-treasurer
Frank Kennedy also emphasized
the union’s intention to resist an
imposed contract.

If the government forces the six
and five percent contract, he said,
“‘we’ll fight it as hard as we can
with every means at our

He noted, however, that the
union would not defy the back-
to-work order.

The possibility of an imposed
six and five percent agreement
had initially been raised in the
report filed by conciliator Allan
Hope, giving the BCMEA the op-
portunity to demand concessions

from the union while waiting for
federal intervention.

In fact, said Kennedy, ‘‘the
federal government is just com-
pleting what the employers have
tried to do.”

The major issues are still
wages, shift premiums, and the
union’s long standing container
clause which the employers want
removed. The clause assigns to
the ILWU the job of ‘“‘de-
stuffing’’ any container destined
for more than one consignee.

For the union, the loss of the
clause would mean contracting-
out of scores of their members’
jobs to predominately non-union
labor.

In his report, conciliator Allan
Hope proposed that the union
give up the clause for a year ona
trial basis — opening the door on
its eventual elimination. He also
proposed reductions in current
shift premiums. _

Hope conceded that his report:
tended to favor the employer and.
as Kennedy noted, ‘‘he set the:
stage for federal intervention.”’

And the legislation introduced
by labor minister Charles Caccia

ILWU seen as a test case for wage controls)

FRANK KENNEDY .
fight as hard as we can.”

has put all the weight on the
employer’s side.

There is some possibility,
however remote, of further
negotiations since the BCMEA
may be prepared to go with above
guideline wages in a bid to get
concessions in areas other than
wages.

Kennedy said the the ILWU
was prepared ‘‘to meet at any
time’’ with the BCMEA but add-
ed that unionists weren’t
prepared to go ‘‘cap-in-hand.”’

Adding to the bitterness over

the dispute is the government’s
own hypocrisy. Earlier this year, | |
the federal National Harbors 4}
Board levied a 14 percent increase | |
on charges for handling of goods {| |
in the port-proportedly to cover |

increased labor costs. at

Kennedy warned that if the
federal wage controls were im-
posed on the province’s 3,500
longshoremen, “‘we won’t be the
only ones on the waterfront fac-
ing controls.

“This is the first time that the
government has announced its in-
tention to use legislation
developed for the public sector in
the private sector, he emphasized.

“If they can do it to us and get
away with it, oes will face the
same.”’

He told the Sroneys Labor
Council that if the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor had given the IL- |
WU a guarantee to assist the
union in whatever action it took.

‘‘We’re prepared to do |
whatever have to do to make it |)
(the imposed contract) un- |
palatable for the government,”’
he said. |
“I hope that the rest of the |
labor movement will help us.”’

“Lsbor must fight restraint idea —Carpenters

_ _PENTICTON — Citing depres
in Weve GF uneniployment and a

_ ¢0-ordinated attack on labor which

“trade union movement since the
1930’s, the provincial convention
of the Carpenters Union last week
projected an appeal for a “‘com-

-mon front’’ of the whole labor
movement to fight for a radical
new economic strategy for

~ Canada.

Carpenters’ provincial council
president Bill Zander told the con-
vention in his keynote address
Thursday that the country is
“*hanging on the precipice of a ma-
__ jor depression’’ and that “‘the next
; layoff notice could be the final
burden that the country is unable to

carry.
“If there has been a weakness on
part of the labor movement it is
that we haven’t. yet completely
discredited the economic policy of
the Liberals, Tories and Socreds
for the sham that it is,’’ he said,
“There has been too many sops to
the notion that restraint is alright —
but make it equitable. We’ve been
too bloody nice about, waiting for
an election to settle a lot of outstan-
ding issues, and not wanting to give
Bennett the provocation he was
looking for. We can say now that it
was a wrong strategy.””
Zander introduced to the con-
vention a policy statement on
economic strategy and trade union
unity which laid out ‘‘a fighting
_ alternative program that the entire
trade union movement can rally
around to get out of the

The main points of the program,
to be circulated throughout
labor movement, included:

e@ Acall for acommon front of
the CLC, the building trades, and
all other unions ‘‘to take co-
ordinated economic action on
behalf of any and all workers
fighting back against the demand
for concessions.”’

@ Acall for acoalition of labor,
the NDP, consumers and com-
munity groups around a new

BILL ZANDER
fighting alternative program.

outlines

economic strategy, beginning with
a campaign for a jobs program.

e@ A campaign for immediate
job creation measures including a
massive public works program and
a housing program, restoration of
cuts in social service spending,
lower interest rates and the imposi-
tion of exchange controls, and a
reduced work week with no reduc-

unemployed workers for the dura-
tion of their unemployment, and a
moratorium declared on all
foreclosures for homes

and small businesses.
@ A campaign for economic

the reform to control inflation through

nationalization of the banks and oil
industry, together with price con-
trols on food, clothing, rents,
transportation and energy, and a
cut in the military budget.

e@ A campaign for a new in-
dustrial strategy based on na-

tionalization of the resource in- |

dustries and the development of
modern manufacturing industries
such as furniture and pre-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 5, 1982—Page 12

fabricated housing, a specialized
steel industry, and a revived ship
building ind
jobs of carpenters . and
ilding trades workers are com-
viet dependent on the industrial
strategy, or lack of it, that affects
all workers in spite of the fact that
each time there is a proposal to sell
out the resources of the country ‘‘it
is justified on the basis of providing
jobs for building trades workers,”’
said Zander.

Even with the huge sums in-
vested in megaprojects like North
East coal, B.C. Hydro’s dam pro-
gram, port expansion and in ra-
tionalization of the resource in-
dustries, there are still 520,000
fewer jobs in Canada than a year
before, 87,000 fewer jobs in B.C.
than a year before, and 22,000

' fewer construction jobs, he said.

“Our members are unemployed
like everybody else, in spite of a few
jobs on megaprojects, because an
economy based on raw material ex-
traction for export is an economy
with built in unemployment and in-
stability,”’ he declared.

Unemployment among
carpenters cited in reports from
delegates ranged from 50 percent to
90 percent on Northern Vancouver
Island, and it provided the basis for
a spirited debate on a special
resolution on unemployment that
called for organizing the

eee

paper

every
week

unemployed, a political action pro-
gram, self help programs for the
unemployed, and an internal
education program in the labor
movement.

Vancouver Local 452 delegate
Martin Smith said it was time for
the unemployed to be mobiliz-
ed. ‘“‘We need the militancy of the
1930’s, but on the basis of the
strength of the trade union move-
ment today,’’ he said.

John Jensen of Terrace Local
1081 said the carpenters had played
a key role in bringing the
unemployed together in Terrace
where up to 140 people are turning
out for a daily soup kitchen. The
experience in Terrace organizing
the unemployed underscored the
need for ‘‘collective action and co-
operation with other groups,’’ he
added.

Courtenay delegate Rene
Bilodeau reported how an
unemployed worker in Campbell
River was evicted with his family’s
belongings confiscated and then
received a $1,000 bill for moving
and storage. A demonstration by
the Campbell River unemployed
organization at the bank which
ordered the eviction resulted in the
property of the worker being
returned in less than 24 hours.

“The labor movement has to
take the lead in organizing the
unemployed to fight for
themselves,’’ he said..

RIBONE

ly at

1am enclosing:
Tyr. $14 0 2yrs. $25 0 6 mo. $8 0
OldQO New Foreign 1 year $15 1
Bill me later CD Donation $

<6 wight BOE

Vancoesee B.C. VSL 3x9. Phone 251-1186

Read the paper that fights for labor

The convention gave a rous
ovation to Local 1928 president
Haggarty and two delegates fr
Citation. Cabinets in Richm
who participated in the pre
week’s dramatic sit-in at the Vi
couver regional offices of
Unemployment Insurance Co
mission.

Provincial council secre
treasurer Lorne Robson called
police action in removing
demonstrators and tempor4
jailing Haggarty and 11 others
vicious attack and an outrage.’
~ Robson introduced an eme'
cy resolution that pledged full
port to the Citation workers’
peal, carrying the appeal to
Supreme Court, if necessary, 4

workers according to need.
“Tet’s unite this organizatl
and start the fightback right he
with full support for th
workers,’’ Robson said, we
that the UIC decision to d
benefits to workers not called ba
to work after a strike could
sweeping implications for
workers who go on strike.
Robson was re-elected to his P
of secretary treasurer, defeat
Nanaimo business agent
Beaulieu. Bill Zander was uno} |
posed for another three year te
e president of the provinci

‘ommercial Drive,

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