det IL WL

The Vancouver-based.
Canadian Aid for Vietnam
Civilians Committee this week
issued an urgent appeal for
contributions to be rushed to
South Vietnam to aid the
Civilian population in the
present. emergency.

Drawing attention to an
appeal by UN secretary-general

Kurt Waldheim on March 31,

1975: ‘To all who may be in a
position to help to do everything
to relieve the plight of innocent
persons,” and the appeal by the
Provisional Revolutionary
Government to the _ In-
ternational Committee of the
Red Cross, Dr. Alan. Inglis,
chairman of CAVC, issued the
following appeal: —
“Canadian Aid for Vietnam
Civilians has been sending

assistance for civilians in South

Vietnam, including the
territories under the
Provisional Revolutionary

Government since our com-
mittee was formed in 1966. We
are thus in a most favored
position to send immediate
financial help from Canada for
civilians in South Vietnam.
“There is an urgent need for
medical supplies, food,

blankets, clothing and other
essentials to aid millions of
men, women and children-in
South Vietnam. This aid has
been made more urgent than
ever with the collapse of the
Thieu government.

‘‘We call on Canadians to rush
financial contributions to
Canadian Aid. for Vietnam

Civilians, Box 2543, Vancouver,

B.C. for immediate despatch to
South Vietnam.”

CAVC also announced this
week that the 45th shipment of
goods valued at. $14,247 will
leave Vancouver on_ the
freighter Anton Chekhov on
April 14 bound for Vietnam. The
committee has also*sent sums
totalling $8,000 since the end of
February to aid Vietnam
civilians.

ILWU international president Harry Bridges chairing the unions

—Sean Griffin photo

Convention meeting in Vancouver this week. (see story).

The international convention of
the International Longshoremen’s
and Warehousemen’s Union began
in Vancouver this week and opened
with a denunciation of the West
Coast Ports Operation Act, ram-
Med through Parliament two
Weeks ago to force striking B.C.
longshoremen back to work.

“Our members voted to reject
the proposed contract which they
Nad every democratic right to do,”
International president Harry
Bridges told the 800-odd delegates.
“But that doesn’t add up to a
ewiation whereby the government
Of Canada can suggest that the
Continuation of the strike is a
threat to the economy of the
Country.

“Tt doesn’t add up to a situation
Where a law can be rushed through
Which busts their strike and drives

€m back to work,” he declared.

“This union is not going to stand

Y and see our members lose one
Penny because of phoney labor
legislation.”

The reality of compulsory ar-
bitration for B.C. longshoremen
and the threat of further attempts
by governments to impose
restrictions on

argaining in the wake of

collective |

deepening economic crisis per-
vaded the opening sessions as
delegates began their week-long
convention.

Provincial labor minister Bill
King also sounded a note of war-
ning and told the meeting: ‘‘There
is a growing clamor from the
media, from various political
parties and from much of the
public for a more punitive ap-
proach to labor relations, for more
compulsion in collective
bargaining.

“‘T hope you will be aware of the
reaction that is growing across
Canada,”’ he said..

At the same time, he openly
contributed to the clamor for more
punitive labor legislation in noting
what he called ‘‘a tendency among
union members to reject contract
settlements proposed by their
leadership.”’

He suggested that workers often
reject settlements for ‘‘frivolous”’
reasons and declared: ‘“‘This is the
test. of leadership. It is the
responsibility of leaders to go to
the membership with a strong
position and sell the package.”

King’s comments — voiced only
two: weeks after longshoremen
rejected their proposed agreement

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1975

Tribune
BUT OTTAWA FAILS TO ACT

VOL. 37, No. 15

EDITORIAL

The failure of the federal
government to act on the serious
housing and unemployment crisis
deserves the strongest con-
demnation from all Canadians.

Figures released in Ottawa this

‘week show that housing starts

across the country have taken a
startling drop at a time when the
housing shortage in most major
centres is already at a critical
point. Central Mortgage and
Housing (CMHC) reported that the
annual rate had dropped to 138,000
which is far below the minimum
220,000 new starts Canada needs
just to keep up with housing needs,
let alone do anything to relieve the
shortage.

These figures by CMHC show

and were legislated back to work —
also gave validity to the position

See BRIDGES, pg: 12

that in the first three months of this
year housing starts in Canadian
cities, where the crisis is most
acute, were down 49 per cent
compared to last year. In Van-
couver, where housing ac-
commodation is almost zero, this is
bad news indeed.

At the same time that CMHC
reported the sharp drop in housing,
Statistics Canada disclosed that
unemployment across Canada had
taken asharp jump and stood at 7.2
per cent in March. It was 6.8 per
cent in February.

According to ‘‘seasonally ad-
justed” figures there are now
840,000 Canadians without jobs.
The actual figure is much higher.
It is more than likely that the total
now Stands at closer to one million.

B.C. has been particularly hard
hit with 8.4 per cent of the people
without employment. Particularly
significant is the fact that the
hardest hit industry has been
forestry. Thousands of wood-
workers who produce lumber are
forced into idleness at the very
time when Canadians face what is

probably the most serious housing
shortage in our history.
The promise this week by

finance minister John Turner that

he is considering bringing down a
new budget in May is too late and
promises too little. The govern-
ment must be forced by public
opinion to take immediate action to
deal with the crisis. Ottawa knew
this crisis was upon us, but refused
See EDITORIAL pg. 11

Concert Sunday

Only a few days are left to get
tickets to what promises to be one
of the most exciting programs the
progressive movement has staged
for several years — the Pacific
Tribune 40th anniversary concert,
this Sunday in the Queen Elizabeth
Playhouse 2t 8 p.m.

Tickets are still available from
Tribune agents or from the office
at $3 each. They will also be
available at the door on the
evening of the concert for those
unable to obtain them beforehand.

The first time « ever that an international union hae Beek ate to Ban farerhel dstogateest to its convention, the
ILWU brought these three members of the Sea and River Workers Union in the USSR to its international
convention meeting in Vancouver this week. Left to right, George Oleshkevich, secretary of the union’s

central committee,

Baranovsky, a rank and file union member.

Boris Chashchikin, with the -union’s international relations department, Anatoly