LABOR

Renewed support for
Gainers strike urged

Continued from page 1

The revelations about the federal con-
tract came as Peter Pocklington was break-
ing off negotiations with the United Food
and Commercial Workers despite a major
shift in the union’s bargaining position.

The UFCW stated earlier this month that
it would drop the demand for wage parity
with other workers in the meat-packing
industry and would accept the terms of the
report prepared by inquiry commissioner ~
Al Dubensky.

Pocklington rejected that compromise,
however, and walked fF ae
out of the talks, | 4.  .
insisting on his
demand for massive
wage cus and a
guarantee of con-
tinued employment
for the scabs.

In an angry res-
ponse, Alberta Fed-
eration of Labor
president Dave Wer-
lin,told the Tribune
Nov. 5. “It appears Peter Pocklington is not
yet prepared to begin bargaining with the
UFCW andeven if he was ready to negotia-
ite, it’s obvious he doesn’t know how.”

Werlin, who three weeks ago was instru-
mental in pressuring the federal Tories into

-compelling Pocklington to return to the
table, said the collapse of the talks after 12
frustrating meetings has propelled the strike
into a new stage.

“The federation and the UFCW will be
moving into a higher level of support for the
Gainers strikers,” he said. “We're deter-
mined to make sure that the strikers will be

CHERRILLE

kept warm, sheltered and fed throughout
the winter if necessary.

“We're caling on the entire trade union
movement to support these strikers,” he
Said.

Citing the initiative of the Toronto Labor
Council in adopting a striker’s family, he
urged labor councils across the country to
do the same.

The report prepared by Dubensky is sig-
nificantly less than that originally sought by
UFCW members at Gainers. It falls short of
wage parity, does not include reinstatement
of the pension p!an and provides for starting
rates $1 an hour lower than standard rates.

The union voted unanimously Nov. 3 to
back the bargaining committee in its new
demand that any settlement be based on no
less than the report’s recommendations.

Werlin said that Pocklington’s rejection
of the union’s position “demonstrates his
real objective — to smash the union.

“When the union indicated it was ready
to negotiate on wages and the guarantee the
strikers would get their jobs back, Pockling-
ton said: ‘Forget it — we’re not prepared to
talk about that either.”

In this province, Cherrille said that Gain-
ers is virtually “giving its products away” in
an effort to boost sales from the scab-run
Edmonton plant.

Although the union has been successful
in getting Gainers products out of major
outlets, several small stores and restaurants
continue to contract with Gainers because
of the company incentives, he said. Fhe
UFC Wis currently preparing a list of those
still using Gainers products and will be cir-
culating it throughout the trade union
movement.

Premier’s stance “immoral’

Continued from page 1

the Anti-Apartheid Network, the South
Africa Action Coalition and other groups
that the meeting was designed to discuss
trade relations between racist South Africa
and Socred-ruled British Columbia, in spite
of federal sanctions.

Some 25 local activists filed into the pre-
mier’s Vancouver offices in Robson Square
at | p.m. Friday and announced their inten-
tion to stay until the premier sent a reply to
four questions relating to the visit.

Vander Zalm was asked, through a mes-
sage sent to Victoria by the Vancouver
office, why the government had recently
doubled its imports of South African liquor
products, what the discussions with Babb
were about, whether the premier intended
to increase trade with South Africa, if there
would be further such meeings, if the
government “will abide by the intent and
specifics” of federally imposed sanctions,
and what benefit B.C.’s people can expect
from the meeting.

Some two hours later the protesters
received a telexed reply in which the premier
stated that Canada “has diplomatic rela-
tions with South Africa as it does with many
other countries ...

“T recently met with the ambassador for
the People’s Republic of China, a very
delightful meeting during which politics
were not discussed. I would expect this may
be a similar meeting ...” Vander Zalm
stated, adding the comment: “Let it be said
again that protests only lead to more con-
frontation. Reasonable people will talk rea-
sonably!”

The reply “clearly demonstrates that the
premier of this. province has no moral
backbone,” said network spokesmen Basil
Freeman.

In a statement anti-apartheid activist
Zayed Gamiet called Babb “a representa-
tive of a government which does not repres-

ent the majority of the South African people
or have legitimacy in its eyes.”

The protesters left shortly after the office
closed that afternoon at 4:30, but caught up
to the premier as he was entering a ints Go
Chamber of Commerce dinner at the Pan
Pacific Hotel that evening.

During an exchange, Vander Zalm
repeated the substance of his message to the
demonstrators: “‘There’s a lot of things I
don’t like in a lot of the world. But you
know, we still trade with these people ...
Let’s not discriminate.”

The Socred premier also attacked the
growing international movement to impose
sanctions against the white minority
government of South Africa, saying, “I
don’t believe we’re going to win anything if
we use a club ... it’s never worked yet.”

The premier by his announcements fol-
lowing the meeting with Babb wound up
answering several of the anti-apartheid acti-
vists’ questions. In stating his intention to
examine the feasability of selling pre-
fabricated houses to the country, Vander
Zalm let it be known the Socreds continue
to oppose even the modest sanctions
implemented by western governments.

B.C.’s Socreds are already in “technical”
violation of Ottawa’s sanctions, or are at
least consciously violating the intent of the
sanctions, a local trade union ‘solidarity
group revealed last week.

The SACTU solidarity group — an
organization promoting the aims and obje-
tives of the South African Congress of
Trade Unions — released figures showing
B.C.’s import of South African wines and
spirits had doubled in October over ship-
ments imported one year ago.

The group said the shipments showed the
Socred cabinet had either had prior warning
of the federal sanctions imposed Aug. 5 and
had doubled the order in anticipation, or

had deliberately violated the sanctions after .!

they had been implemented.

12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 1986

7

Louisiana-Pacific: ”
Socred gov’t handout$

and non-union labor

After receiving some $20 million in tax
benefits to build a $40 million wafer-
board plan in Dawson Creek, the U.S.
multinational Louisiana-Pacific is hav-
ing its plant built by a non-union con-
tractor which is flouting the province’s
labor laws, the B.C. and Yukon Building
Trades Council (BCYT) charged last
week.

The BCYT filed an application Nov. 4
under Section 37 of the Labor Code con-
tending that the general contractor on
the site, Becnor Construction Company
Ltd., is a non-union spin-off from the
huge multination- [7 7%
al Bechtel Inter-@
national. Since
the parent com-
pany has signed
collective agree-
ments with the
Building Trades, }
a successful Sec- pies
tion 37 case would f=
force Becnor to¥
abide by the union* ane
contracts. McMURRAY

“We think we’ve got a pretty solid
case,” said BCYT secretary Al McMur-
ray, noting that in the U.S., both Becnor
and another non-union spin-off com-
pany, Becan Construction, operate
openly as subsidiaries . Unlike B.C., the
U.S. has no legislation prohibiting the
practice, known in the industry as
“double-breasting.”

Bechtel International is a huge U.S.-
based multinational with operations
throughout the world and close ties to
the U.S. administration. Both U.S.
Secretary of State George Shultz and
Defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger
are former executives of the company.

The unions’ application to the Labor
Relations Board follows an_ earlier
charge by BCYT president Roy Gautier
that, despite the handouts given Louisiana-
Pacific by the provincial government,
most of the construction jobs were going
to Alberta workers.

From the time it was first proposed
last year, Louisiana-Pacific’s $40 million
waferboard plant has typified the
government’s policy of giveaways to the
corporate sector. Enticed to to locate in
Dawson Creek — his home riding — by
former industry minister Don Phillips’
promises of interest-free loans, tax con-
cessions and cheap electrical power, the
company agreed to build the plant — if
it got free land and if wages at the plant
would be held to $8.50 (U.S.) per hour.

In approving the deal, the Social
Credit cabinet disregarded the report
from it own senior staff which stated that
the subsidies proposed by the govern-
ment “significantly exceed the levels
established by current program policy.

“The policy requires the private sector

to be the major risk taker with
government providing only the :
imum amount judged necessary

ensure the project proceeds,” the $
report stated. :

It also warned that the handouts gt
Louisiana-Pacific could be construed
U.S producers as an unfair subst
prompting an application for a coun
vailing duty.

From its first conception, the P
was clearly intended to undermine un
conditions, both with the $8.50 (U
wage ceiling — more than $2 an howl
less than current IWA plant rates — 4™
with the company’s awarding of the ¢®
‘struction contract to a non-union Of
tractor.

Louisiana-Pacific went to West
many for the technology for the pl
passing over a Vancouver-based ©

pany which produces 80 per cent of
world’s waferboard technology ©
machinery. :

Once in production, the plant W

pose a serious threat to plywood mal
facturers, since waferboard, made
aspen, is a cheap alternative to ply
for construction sheathing and °
applications.

In July, the Canadian’ Plywo™
Manufacturers joined with the IWA?
the Village of Fort Nelson in fill
Supreme Court challenge to the Louls
Pacific plant construction, dema
that the court order a full public h
to investigate the special conces
given the company.

But before a hearing date was seb’
the plywood manufacturers and t
lage of Fort Nelson withdrew fro
case. Because of that, [WA leg!
director Clay Perry told the Tn
Nov. 3, the union had no choice
withdraw as well or face the heavy
costs alone.

Asa result, the full details of the
subsidies have not been disclosed
still not known whether the prov!
agree to the wage ceiling. But taxp4.
do know that the company will bE
ting $20 million in benefits, inclue
$25 million loan, interest free for
years, with interest set at half the
rate following the three years &)
about $10 million); an additional?
lion in provincial tax concessions;
federal investment tax credit
about $5 million.

Although the case currently befo’
LRB will change none of that, 45°
ful application tying Becnor tO ©“
would at least force the conta!
meet Building Trades standards,
thing which construction workers
seen little of in the South Peace 4

The LRB has yet to set 4 date
hearing on the case.

Name

eee eg ee ead

lamenclosing 1yr.$160] 2yrs. $280) 6mo. $10 oO
Foreign 1 yr. $25 __ Bill me later O_ Donation$..---*"*

2 ae Please clip and mail to: KI
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