BRITISH COLUMBIA Labour-community coalition to fight privatizing urged Maximum unity in the broadest possible coalition of trade unionists and community groups is needed to defeat privatization of B.C.’s public corporations, delegates to a Dec. 12 labour-community conference on the threat repeatedly emphasized. Hailed as an overwhelming success by its organizers, the Perils of Privatization con- ference in Vancouver drew 170 delegates who pledged to further their plans at a con- solidating conference set for Jan. 27. In the meantime, Frank Kennedy of the Vancouver and District Labour Council told reporters later, trade unions who face layoffs or other problems caused by the provincial government’s privatizing can count on the council’s support. The special one-day meeting organized by the labour council and End Legislated Poverty heard dozens of suggestions, aris- ing from seven workshops, on how to con- duct the fightback. Recurring throughout the reports was the call for a broad popular coalition to fight privatization through means ranging from public campaigns to civil disobedience. President John Shields of the B.C. Government Employees Union vowed the BCGEU would fight any move to disen- franchise members working in any govern- ment service or Crown corporation that is privatized. Under Bill 19, the Industrial Relations Reform Act, successor rights of unions where enterprises have changed hands are severely limited. “If anybody moves to disenfranchise our workers, there will be an immediate picket line,” he asserted. “This is the beginning of a drive to de- unionize the province and our response will be vigorous and our response will be total,” Shields declared to applause. Kennedy advised the delegates not to be “fooled into thinking that this government doesn’t know what it’s doing, or that privat- ization is just the mad ravings of (Premier Bill) Vander Zalm’s twisted mind. “The Socreds have done their home- work, they’ve laid the groundwork. They’ve been to England to see first-hand how to privatize with public support,” he warned. Another myth, Kennedy said, was that privatization was Vander Zalm’s idea alone. “The reality is that the handing over of public services and public property to pri- vate interests, so that they can make more profit, is central to the corporate agenda today.” The third myth is that privatization can’t be stopped. But the formula to prevent it “‘is the unity of all those affected by privatiza- tion,” Kennedy declared. Nanaimo New Democrat MLA Dale Lovick, the party’s privatization critic, said an illusion about privatization “‘is that it is something new and something different. “This is old-fashioned, neoconservative economics dressed up in slightly new clothes. This is 1983 revisited,” he said. Lovick said that although the govern- ment may have initially captured the pub- lic’s imagination with the scheme, “the tide is Starting to go in the other direction. Peo- - ple are now saying that the government is maniacal.” Diane Jolly, vice-president of the Cana- dian Union of Public Employees’ B.C. div- ision, said an examination of privatization carried out by Great Britain’s Tory government reveals the lie that private- sector management is superior. She cited statistics to show that privatiza- tion of transportation and communications caused increased absences from work among staff and as many as one-half of the public telephone booths being out of ser- vice. In one instance a public school where the janitorial work had been contracted to a private firm was closed by authorities for health violations, Jolly related. She also exposed the myth that privatiza- tion benefits small shareholders, noting that they own less than 12 per cent of the privat- ized British Telecom. Jolly said the government of Prime Min- ister Margaret Thatcher scored initial suc- cesses because the trade unions and community groups each mounted separate anti-privatization campaigns. “By (those groups) not building a strong coalition of trade unions, community organizations and others at large, the Thatcher government was able to carry out a divide-and-conquer strategy,” she warned. Since then, however, the British public has grown increasing disenchanted with privatization, Jolly said. In his speech Shields offered an explana- tion for his union’s decision to bid for the province’s highway maintenance system — a decision that sent shock waves through the recent B.C. Federation of Labour con- vention when it was announced from the floor and which has drawn criticism from other unionists. “You have to understand that what we are doing is not backing away from a fight against privatization,” Shields said. Instead, the BCGEU is “calling the government’s bluff’ through the bid, he said. *‘We know they don’t want to hand over a major part of a multi-million dollar opera- tion to the union. We know that their des- cription of having workers own a piece of the operation is total bullshit.” Shields said the decision was undertaken with an eye to preserving intact the ‘exper- tise” of the maintenance crews who would hold the operation “in trust” until a New Democrat government takes over. The BCGEU president urged everyone to write MLAs to protest the Socreds’ pri- vatization plans. “We are on the winning side,” said Shields, pointing to a poll that found 70 per cent of British Columbians opposed to the loss of vital services. While the conference did not make bind- ing decisions — that will happen at the Jan. 27 conference in the International Wood- workers hall in Vancouver — workshop reports showed virtually unanimous sup- port for a labour-community anti-priva- tization coalition. Delegates divided into workshops deal- ing with health, education, social services, municipal services, public utilities, transpor- Season's Greetings DALE LOVICK tation and the environment for some two hours of discussions on the problems of privatization and how to combat them. Suggestions arising from the workshops for combatting privatization included: e A united coalition of all groups, includ- ing private sector unions. e A program of public education to show how privatization adversely affects people’s lives. Themes suggested included emphasizing the “less for more” aspect of privatization and aiming the campaign at diverse groups, including non-English DIANE JOLLY speaking people and small business groups for education. e A full-time co-ordinator for the cam- paign. @ Organized sit-ins and general non- violent acts of civil disobedience. e A major media campaign. @ Slogans on stickers stating, “This ser- vice is not for sale.” Kennedy said later the labour council was prepared “‘to support the BCGEU if they have to take some action.” season. Seasons Greeting As we meet the new challenges of 1988 let us renew our commitment to building the unity necessary to achieve a better society for all Canadians in which we live in peace and prosperity of all peoples. We wish all British Columbians a safe and happy holiday CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES Local 389/North Vancouver Peace, Unity and Jobs in ‘88. from the officers and members Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1004 Season's Greetings to the labour movement United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 16, 1987 e 3 nn