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“SAY ‘NO’ TO U.S. DRAFT. Photo shows some of the 200 youth who took part
in anti-draft demonstration outside the draft beard offices in Philadelphia re-
cently. The anti-draft movement among American youth is reaching mass

. Proportions as opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam grows.

UTILITIES BOARD URGED:

Cities should take ove
gas, hydro and transit

Vancouver City Council was
called on this week to take steps
toward setting up a Lower Main-
land Utility Authority to distrib-
ute electricity, natural gas and
operate the transit system, It
was also urged to press the pro-
vincial government to take over
of the natural gas industry, and
call for construction of a tunnel
crossing between the North Shore
and Vancouver,

These are among some of the
proposals contained in an exten-
sive Brief submitted to City
a Wednesday on behalf of

LABOR SCENE:

Pacifi C Tribune

FRIDAY, JULY 7, fonts

Labor rallies support
for fishermen’s union

Support was ‘rolling - ‘in this
week for the United Fishermen
and Allied Workers Union from
union locals across B.C. as the
UFAWU was under sharp attack

from many quarters, including ©

a large number of anti-labor
injunctions,

This week two locals of the
International | Woodworkers of
America announced they are con-
tributing $1,400 to the Fisher-

men’s Defence Fund, Vancouver |

local 1-217’s executive said they
will recommend a -donation of
$1,000 ‘to a union meeting Satur-
day. The New Westminster local
has also approved a $400 donation,

Last week The Fisherman re-
ported that 24 trade unions have
contributed nearly $6,000 in dona-
tions or sent messages of soli-
darity in its struggle, Hundreds:
of unionists have contributed in-
dividually at meetings,

Two weeks ago a meeting of
17 local unions, meeting in the
Labor Temple on Broadway, set
up a Fishermen’s Defence Com-
mittee comprised of Roy Smith,
Canadian Area president ILWU;
Syd Thompson, president IWA
1-217; Craig Pritchett, ILWU
502; Jeff Power, president, Ma-
rine Workers; Alex Ellis, presi-
dent CUPE local 1004; Del Pratt
IWA regional vice-president;
Charles Stewart, Amalgamated
Transit Union 101,

Following the meeting, which
was held on June 22, a delega-
tion interviewed attorney general
Robert Bonner to seek release
on bail of UFAWU officers, all
of whom have now been released
on bail,

The B.C, Federation of Labor
“announced it would institute a
massive petition calling for
legislation to end use of injunc-
tions in labor disputes, Pointing
out that 17 trade unionists have

“gone to jail in the last year as a
result of the use of injunctions,
Ray. Haynes, secretary-treasurer

of- the BCFL said that people
‘in all walks of life have been
shocked by the harsh sentences
imposed on the UFAWU officers,

Three top officers, Homer
Stevens, Steve Stavenes and Jack
Nichol, were sentenced to one

‘year in jail and the union fined

$25,000,

Meanwhile, the UFAWU this
week signed six more Vancouver-
based vessels to its standard
trawl contract, bringing to 34
the total of vessels now covered
by written agreement,

* * *

The B.C, Federation of Labor
executive has not yet acted on
suspension of four IWA locals
for refusing to offer an apology
to CLC vice-president Joe Morris
for statements made during the
Gold River jurisdictional dispute,

Last week The Barker, organ
of local 1-217 charged in a front
page story that the suspensions
of the four IWA locals have pro-
_duced widespread dissatisfaction
‘among many unions affiliated
to the central labor body. It said
that many unions view the sus-
pension as an infringement on
their autonomy,

The Barker also makes public
a letter sent by A.F, Hartung,
international president of the
IWA to Donald MacDonald, sec-
retary-treasurer of the CLC,
In the letter Hartung says:

“I was amazed by this action,
Are we to understand that a
federation afiliated with the
CLC has the authority to tell
the local unions of a national or
international union what they can
or cannot say to the public press
and if it does not meet with their
wishes they can be suspended, I
thought the Canadian labor move-
ment was in favor of freedom of
speech and freedom of the press,

“I was always under the im-

July 7, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 8

-pression that the Canadian Labor
Congress was more democratic
than the AFL-CIO but I can
assure you they do not grant the
State, City or County AFL-CIO
federations the power to suspend

‘a local union for something that

is going on in an international

‘union unless that national or in-

ternational union is first sus-
pended by the parent body — the
AFL-CIO,

“TI am asking you as the pre-
siding officer of the CLC ...that
you immediately revoke the sus-

‘pension of the four IWA local

unions,”

Pointing ‘out his willingness to ©

attend a meeting of all parties
concerned, including the CLC,
Hartung’s letter concludes. by
saying: “I am sure unless the

suspension is lifted — and soon
— it will split the B.C, Federa-
tion wide open, I have been in-
formed there are dissentions
arising in other unions over the
action of the B,C, Federation of
Labor’s Executive Board,”

‘the Vancouver Committee of the

Communist Party, Signed by City
Secretary Charles Caron, the
Briefalso dealt at length with
the transportation crisis facing
the city.

The Brief said that the trans-
portation problem in Vancouver
should be tackled from the stand-
point of creating facilities and
services which will serve the
largest number of people, rather
than: plans that have as their
first consideration profits for
certain business enterprises,

“Facts reveal that although
automobiles and freeways have
an important function they do not
provide the basic answer in
transporting people,” says the
Brief, It points out that the pres-
ent transit system, run on a

.“pay as you go” basis, is also”

not the answer,

Facts and figures are given
in the brief which show that be-
cause of a wrong approach to
transit services the present
transit system’s use has fallen
despite a sharp increase in popu-
lation,

In 1950 the population of the
‘the surplus from

area served by the Vancouver

_transit system was 476,000 and

the transit system carried 115.5
million passengers, By 1963 the
population in the same area had
risen to 648,000 but the system
carried only 66,5 million pas-
sengers, During this same period
the number of cars increased
from 74,000 to 202,000 and the
rate of increase is about 8 per-
cent each year,

“The experience of large met-
ropolitan areas show that the
emphasis. on automobiles and
freeways did not succeed in solv-
ing their transportation prob-
lems,” says the Communist Party

submission, which urges that a

public transit system be devel-
oped as the main solution to the
transportation problem,

It points out that the average
auto carries 1,3 to 1,5 passen-
gers whereas transit vehicles
can and do carry in rush hours,
up to 80 passengers — as much
as 60 times the passengers an
auto carries and takes less space
than two autos,

TWO-HUNDRED youths demonstrated at Times Square, “New York, June 24
against the conviction of Muhammad Ali and to support his anti-draft stand. ||
The demonstration, which lasted nearly two hours, was sponsored by the Stud-

ent Mobilization Committee, affiliated with the Spring Mobilization for Peace.

\pe provided by theP
‘utilities like ele¢

‘Regina,

Defining the
transit system, ~ ef
such a public transit ye
be directed towel iit
people in the con
to be effective, Pe? “i
system withfast, asl
at low fares. If att -
quired for sucha sé rm

lt

ait”
This is the appro! ae

saskatoon am
theif

te of 8
she Bi

which subsidize
tems,

The Brief enarees
the government Or a
B.C, Electric #
Premier’s intention
deficit transit ope™
municipalities andi
tive hydro and

“The present a
public ownership
transit, without Pe
is not satisfactory
the monopoly j
natural gas res?
distribution by the
government
to the people of #8
says the Brief.

s out that ©
tural

It point:

the lucrative natt
goes into the
lies and not to nel i
‘calls for an end 1 the
tation and urges

ee ee Se

e A confer
land municii
a Lower Mai
ity.

industry, and
‘gas, electricity

and operation
tem be unde
Authority.

Authority to
fits would ac¢

e A. tunnel wot
North shores
transit facilities A

program,

says, that is
elevated connec’ 46
ond Narrows bt
401 over C85" on 48
tunnel crossing me
shore could : god,
Georgia Str ice mi

lic and the

use. p ty
phe Brief “ pralt ot)

-city councl! vant Me

member Of FY oft

mittee. of