_ he declared, McDermott stateme -_, : Continued from pg. 1 national executive board of CUPW, _ isaimed at publicizing the issues in the still unresolved postal dispute _ and mobilizing public and trade union support for the 23,000 postal _ workers. It will include advertising, ar- ticles in union publications, _ demonstrations and CUPW _ in- formation picket lines around _ places where federal ministers are speaking, Parrot made the opening pitch in _ the CUPW campaign at the Federation convention where he thanked and congratuated the Federation its support during the postal strike and told delegates: “Postal workers will never forget _ your solidarity.” In outlining the details of the bitter 18-month dispute, Parrot noted that there was “a great lesson for the whole labor movement in the CUPW strike. “For the union it was a choice,” “between con- frontation or capitulation and the loss of all our long standing rights. “In fact there was no choice,”’ he said, reaffirming the stand taken by the union in defying back-to- work legislation. \ He emphasized that the strik was not one which involved just Postal workers or their union but a strike which typified the attack on all working people, particularly those in the public service. “Make no mistake about it,” he warned, ‘“‘the attack on the labor movement and the public service is so intense that the labor movement __ is faced with a crisis. “We are under attack by a business government which is determined to have confrontation and is determined to put the in- terest of private profit before the welfare of people. “If we are to defend our rights as workers,’’ the postal workers president declared, ‘‘we will have to fight — and fight as never before.” Although Parrot had earlier refrained from responding to at- tacks on the CUPW from CLC president Dennis McDermott — reiterated by the CLC leader in a TV program the previous evening — he did state that, in the present crisis, “the trade union movement is not being led with the unity and militance that it needs to represent its workers. “The actions of the Canadian Labor Congress,’’ he added, referring to the CLC stand during the postal strike, ‘‘served to divide the movement at a time when CUPW members needed support such as they had never needed before in their history.” Parrot outlined the meetings and discussions held with the leader- ship of the CLC throughout the five months previous to the strike, and pointed out that CUPW representatives had found themselves confronted in. negotiations with press clippings of McDermott’s statements — which the employer was using to counter union demands, Moreover, Parrot noted, federal treasury board negotiators had repeatedly reminded CUPW that, if it were to confront the govern- ment in a postal strike, it would not have the support of the CLC. Because of that, Parrot said, the union met with McDermott and requested a commitment of sup- port, pointing out that the federal government would greet any CLC silence as encouragement for punitive action. “But despite the promise of support, the CLC remained silent,”’ he said. In his address to Federation delegates, Parrot countered” the idea that support for CUPW would 6 page NSE sere — as McDermott had claimed — have led to a general strike. + “We never asked for a general strike. ‘(We asked only for support — of the kind that offered’ so generously by your Federation,” he declared, referring to the six- point program of support adopted by B.C. Fed staff conference on the , eve the postal workers’ return: to work, ; Parrot also dismissed suggestions that CUPW was at- tacking the NDP and _ told delegates, “‘The NDP was responsive to CUPW demands during the 18 long months of negotiations. “But,” he warned, ‘‘that does not mean we can abdicate as a trade union movement. “The trade union movement is ~ not a political party — it must be dedicated to defending the rights of its members regardless of their political affiliation.” Parrot’s militant address won a standing ovation from the con- vention, although the delegations which studiously remained seated — the B.C. Government Em- ployees’ Union and many members of the International Woodworkers of America — were the same ones who later stood up as CLC president McDermott entered the hall to mixed applause and boos. McDermott opened his ‘address saying that he had been invited ~ “Jong before the CUPW con- frontation” but added that he had been “‘urged’’ to respond to “the comments of the CUPW spokesman.” Departing from his usual custom of reading from a prepared text, McDermott used handwritten notes as he _ outlined his jsutification of the CLC stand and hammered away. at. what he called the ‘‘infantile revolutionary claptrap”’ of the CUPW. The CLC leader repeated earlier statements that the decision not to support CUPW’s defiance of back- to-work legislation had been made by the entire council but insisted that “total sympathy” for the “postal workers’ plight’’ had been ‘voiced in a CLC press release dated October 18 — after CUPW had gone on strike. He did not contradict Parrot’s earlier statement, however, that CLC statements had been used against CUPW in negotiations and that CUPW appeals for CLC support before the strike, in order to compel the government to get back to the bargaining table, had not been forthcoming. He evoked jeers and boos from delegates when he launched a renewed attack on the postal union, stating that there are many people in the CLC ‘who have more seniority on the picket line than CUPW has in the movement.” And in a reference to the charges and possible jail sentences facing CUPW leaders, he declared: ‘‘If you are gong to jail — and I’m sure you are for your defiance — then God bless you for your blind courage but that’s where you're going.” Through his statements on the postal dispute and the CUPW Leadership, the CLC president slung comments back at hecklers, and several times addressed his remarks to ‘the jeering section.” But most of the latter half of his speech was devoted to the electoral arena. as he urged delegates to devote all their energies to the election of the NDP. ' The opportunity was never better to elect NDP governments, and ‘“‘the CLC can be front and centre of the campaign,”’ he stated, urging “‘intelligent trade unionists to work hand in hand with their social democratic counterparts in _ the political arena.” wes < ~'VWANCOUVER LABOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT SYD THOMPSON... appeal raises $1,500 for postal workers support. : —Sean Griffin photo Jammed rally pledges solidarity with struggles of postal union About 750 supporters of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers turned out for a rally organized by the union’s Vancouver Local last . Friday evening ‘‘to keep alive the issues raised by the strike and to continue the solidarity that it found.”’ The packed meeting at the Sheraton Landmark Hotel on Robson St. heard a dozen labor leaders pledge support to the union and its officers before CUPW president Jean Claude Parrot, the feature speaker, took the micro- phone. Parrot acknowledged the pledges of support and cracked, “But what they don’t know is that yesterday our national executive outlined a plan of action, and each of them is involved.” CUPW went back to work united, Parrot said, ‘and if the govern- ment doesn’t give us our rights back, we will take them back,, and very shortly.” He called the government’s actions an “attack on the political, civil and economic rights of postal workers, part of the same attack on all Canadian workers whether they. are em- ployed, unemployed or retired. If we are serious about defending these rights, then we must fight now, and fight as we have never done before.” A number of speakers used the podium at the rally to condemn «+ CLC leader Dennis McDermott for his role in the postal strike, but Parrot chose not to. Public attacks on unions by the CLC such as those by McDermott in recent days should not happen again, he said, but CUPW would settle its dif- ferences with the CLC in con- ventions such as the B.C. Federa- tion of Labor convention, set to open two days later. Earlier, Vancouver » Labor Council president Syd Thompson told Parrot “‘you won’t find a union leader in this province who won't stand by you now.” Thompson appealed for funds to assist the union’s defence and collected more than $1,500. United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union president Jack Nichol said that support from his union was forthcoming mediately when CUPW struck.” The long struggle of fishermen for bargaining rights, still not achieved in a legal sense, is evidence, he said, that “‘the multi- ‘“im-. national corporations and the governments that serve them do not believe in bargaining rights for any worker, let alone public sector ' workers.” Nichol said that to some extent CUPW “‘was left on its own”’ to face the government, leaving it no choice to go back when it did. He said it is incumbent on the labor movement to stand behind the postal union ‘“‘irrespective of the position of the official leadership.” For years, the. UFAWU ‘was denied the official support of the labor movement,” he reminded the meeting. “But it always enjoyed the solidarity of the rank and file membership.”’ “ NDP representative and former B.C. Federation of Labor political education director Colin Gabelmann ran into trouble when he attempted to tell the meeting that “‘the NDP is solidly behind the postal workers.’’ The statement was met with jeers ‘“‘what about Bill King?’’, which prompted Gabelmann to qualify his statement that the rank and file of the party supports CUPW, and that the party’s official policy laid down in convention upholds the right to strike. Other speakers at the rally in- cluded B.C. Federation of Labor secretary-treasurer Dave. MacIntyre who read the special resolution on the postal strike adopted by the Federation ‘‘as the best expression of our feelings,”’ John Calvert of the B.C. Division of CUPE, TWU president Bob Donnelly, Jess Succamore of CAIMAW, Jack Wood of the BCGEU, Ray Andras of the Letter Carriers Union, Jean Rands of SORWUC, Cy Stairs of the Building Trades Council and CUPW western director and one of those charged with Parrot, Frank Walden. CUPW Vancouver local president Ingram told the meeting that the union has organized ‘an open defence committee composed of representatives of union locals and other community groups.”’ Organizations that wish to send a representative to the committee can contact CUPW at 750 Richards St., Vancouver, or phone 685-6581. Another demonstration has been ‘scheduled for November 27 — the day that Parrot and the other union . leaders appear in court in Ottawa — at the Vancouver courthouse to demand that all charges against the union and its officers be dropped. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING COMING EVENTS DEC. 1 — Solidarity Cafe, (see display ad page 10). DEC. 2— Saturday, December 2, 8 p.m.: Film ‘‘On the Line’”’ and social will be held at 535 E. Broadway. Admission $2. Snacks and refreshments. Sponsored by Kingsway club. . DEC. 9 — Celebrate Jack Phillips 65th Birthday, (see display ad page 10). DEC. 15 — Reserve this Friday evening for the VANCOUVER EAST CHRISTMAS BASH; a ’ party with all the trimmings; at the Ukrainian Hall, all proceeds to the Vancouver East Com- munist Party federal election fund. BUSINESS PERSONALS ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonable 254-5836 and 277-3352. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 24, 1978—Page 11° MOVING? CLEANUP? — Wanted articles for resale. All proceeds to P.T. Phone 526-5226. “The _ Goodie Bin’. ‘WANTED Single progressive worker seeks living situation in Vancouver with like minded folks. Call Richard 738- 8991. HALLS FORRENT | WEBSTER’S CORNERS HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or 685-5836. RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME — Available for rentals. For reservations phone 254-3430. UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE —. 805 East Pender St., Vancouver. Available for banquets, wed- dings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436.