i Union fund established to back plebiscite Labor tocampaignfor ward system Labor this week threw its sup- port behind the fight to win a ward System for the city of Vancouver as delegates to the Vancouver and District Labor Council unanimously backed executive Motions putting the council into the Campaign and establishing a Substantial fund to finance it. Council president Syd Thompson told delegates that support for the ward system ‘‘means we'll have to put our money where our mouths are — and that means thousands of dollars, which will have to come from local unions. “There’s an opportunity to win this vote, and also to elect more progressive aldermen,’’ Thompson said, but stressed, ‘“‘Everybody’s going to have to take an active part in the campaign.” In addition to establishing the campaign fund which will be built from contributions from local unions, the labor council entered notice of motion to contribute $500 Mary Eady, assistant director of the CLC women’s bureau told a conference of women’s rights Satur- ay that women should be voicing their protest over changes in unemployment insurance. (Story, page K —Sean Griffin photo CP unveils program for Burnaby- Richmond- Delta byelection race Communist Party candidate Homer Stevens unveiled a seven Point program this week for the October 16 byelection in Burnaby Richmond Delta, the only federal Contest in B.C. this fall now that a full federal election has been delayed until spring. Stevens, former president of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union, will be running against NDP candidate Mercia Stickney, Liberal Tony Schmand and Tory Tom Siddon in the riding vacated by the sitting member Tory John Reynolds. : Reynolds defeated the NDP Candidate in 1972 by only 600 votes, but the NDP program in this election is to weak to be supported, Stevens said. ‘‘The NDP speaks of a change in economic strategy but shys away from radical measures. In reality it means no change,” Stevens told campaign workers last Saturday in Ladner. ‘‘There is only one candidate in this by- election that stands for real change, the Communist can- didate.”’ Highlighting Stevens’ program in the fishing orientated riding is a call for the defense of Canada’s borders in negotiations with the U.S. and for the excercising of control over Canada’s 200 mile economic zone for the benefit of Canadian fishermen. He also called for federal aid to help develop the Fraser River ‘‘to meet peoples’ needs, not corporation profits.” Gov't contract opposed A provincial government bridge Contract awarded to an Alberta fabricating plant came under. Criticism this week from the ancouver and District Labor Council and Local 712 of the Onworkers both of which have lodged protests with minister of forests Tom Waterland. The contract for the 250-ton bridge, awarded by Waterland’s Ministry to Dominion Bridge in Alberta, has been seen as the first €xample of discrimination against B.C, fabricating plants caused by the recent re-imposition of a 30 percent duty on imported steel. And the blame for that discrimination has been placed squarely on CPR-owned Algoma Steel in Ontario which originally applied to the federal government for the import duty and which, in turn, owns Dominion Bridge. B.C. steel fabricators vehemently opposed the 30 percent duty on imported steel, arguing See UNIONS page 12 Other points included: 0. Boost the economy by raising working people’s living standards, expanding social services, and introducing democratic tax reforms to favor the people, not the corporations. e Strengthen Canadian in- dependence through public ownership and democratic control of decisive sectors of the economy — build industry, basic and secondary, Canadianize research and technological development, for the good of Canada. @ Make Canadian unity real: adopt a made-in-Canada Con- stitution based on an equal voluntary partnership of our two peoples — English and French Canadian in a bi-national state. e Guarantee working people a voice in all questions of concern to them, in keeping with their ‘decisive role in production; begin the conversion to a 32-hour work week without loss of pay. __ e Develop a genuinely Canadian foreign policy of peace, detente and disarmament, accompanied by a 50 percent cut in the arms budget, and a policy opposing the manufacture and deployment of the neutron bomb. e Develop mutually beneficial trade with socialist and developing countries, free from U.S. dictation. The CP has nominated in four of the 15 byelections across Canada on October 16. The other three See CP page 11 |_| LIT | || 1 ABC), ASRNM | L_TL A__R- E_—_1_BLLEA 1 LR___AL 1 L 1, LSS ee to assist in popularizing the fight for the ward system. As well, council representatives will be meeting with organizers for the Area Representatives Electors’ Alliance (AREA), to map out the_ council’s role in the campaign and _ See AREA page 2 Fight back over family allowance cults grows The campaign against federal government cutbacks in family allowances picked up steam all across Canada this week as plans were set for a broad delegation to confront Parliament on the issue when it reconvenes October 10. In .B.C., the Congress of Canadian Women, which has spearheaded the fight against the _ cutbacks, called on all members of parliament in B.C. and on labor councils throughout the province to join in the protest against the cutbacks. ae CCCW president Eunice Parker called for a united protest over the immediate loss in income for most families with the per child allowance cut from $28 to $20 per month, and over the projected loss in income when current tax rebates for 16 and 17 year-elds are phased out over the next two years. Neither is there any indication yet that the $200 per child tax rebate that the government did make available for those earning less than $18,000 per year will ever get to those most in need of it, Parker said, as the provincial government has not yet stated that the added income will not be deducted: from payments ‘ to welfare families. Similar actions have been taken by CCW organizations in Toronto, Hamilton and Thunder Bay, and in Montreal by the La Ligue Des Femmes. Some 150 organizations have been invited to participate in the joint delegation to Ottawa when Parliament reconvenes. A CCW sponsored post card campaign telling Trudeau “‘hands off family allowance’’ has received wide success, with nearly 10,000 reportedly already in the mail to Ottawa. Crown to appeal Combines ruling United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union president Jack Nichol said this week that the “Crown is intent on pursuing an appeal” of the August 31 Combines verdict which found UFAWU members guilty of impeding an inquiry and acquitted the other - five. “Clearly the Crown isn’t satisfied with its two pounds of flesh,’ Nichol commented, ‘‘It wants seven pounds.” Union of- ficers expect to be served soon with the notice of appeal. @ CHILE: The fifth anniver- ® ARTS “Some 31 organizations sary of the fascist coup was marked in Van- | couver by. a _ concert which drew 1,500 people, page 10. The story of a fascist prison camp in Chile is on page 6 and a look at the growing resistance movement in Chile is on page 8. oe QUEBEC: The referen- dum on _ independence has become quite a dilemma for the Leves- que government. Parti Communiste du Quebec president Sam Walsh ex- plores the dilemma, page STOP THE CULTURE FIGHTBACK: involved in the arts have formed the “1812” Com- mittee”’ and have issued a manifesto challenging the federal government's attack on culture, page 10. : LABOR: Jack Phillips analyses the building trades convention last July when U.S. officers stonewalled all efforts by Canadians to manage their. own affairs, page 12. TRANSIT: Two spokes- men for the Coalition Against Fare Hikes say B.C. Hydro should justify their transit fare in- creases in public hear- ings, and_ they're prepared to get a court order to back up the con- tention, page 2.