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Fryer’s stand casts doubt

on support to AUCE strike

**John Fryer, general secretary of
the B.C. Government Employees
Union, has announced that because
of a recent B.C. Supreme Court in-
junction, the union has been forced
to withdraw its active daily support
from striking Simon Fraser Univer-
sity workers.””

That opening paragraph in an
April 2 news release: from Fryer’s

office momentarily surprised a

number of active members of Local
2 of the Association of University
and College Employees on strike at
Simon Fraser University.

AUCE Local 2, representing 650
library and clerical workers at the
university, launched a_ full-scale
strike on March 15. This followed
almost one year of fruitless negotia-
tions and a number of partial
strikes.

As reported in the Tribune March
16, the 43,000-member B.C.
Government Employees’ Union im-
mediately pledged its support to
AUCE, donated $20,000 to the
Local 2 strike fund and offered
other assistance, including the ser-
vices ofa full-time media co-
ordinator.

Then came the picket line
demonstration of March 22, on a
road leading to the university
grounds. According to a friend who
was there, John Fryer, one of the
speakers at a support demonstra-
tion, said the strike would go on
forever ‘‘unless we do something
about it.’’ After he stepped down,
he went out to the middle of the
road and was followed by men and
women who had gathered to show
their support for the strikers.

Fryer marched back and forth
across the road for a few minutes
and then left to attend to other
business, but the picket line con-
tinued to march across the road, in
the hope that vehicles would turn
away and that this would help win
the strike. Most of the vehicles were
private cars, carrying students on
their way to classes. Later in the
day, the RCMP moved in and
physically removed the picket line
from the road, arresting 18
picketers in the process.

The university administration

then applied for a court injunction |

Fed urges
mediation

The secretary of the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor last week called for
“thigh level mediation”’ to end the
strike-lockout at
University.

Federation secretary Dave
Macintyre issued the call Wednes-
day following a meeting with the
Association of University and Col-
lege Employees, Local 2. ©

“It’s time that both parties
entered into high level mediation in
order to find a solution to the
dispute,’’ he said.

Board rules on
dummy boss

In a precedent-setting decision,
the Labor Relations Board has rul-
ed that Whistler Vale Holdings and
R. J. McArthur Construction Ltd.
must pay some $58,000 in back
wages to Carpenters’ Union
members.

Making use of a practice which
unionists have charged is wide-
spread in the construction industry,
the companies had set up a third
company in a bid to circumvent the
union agreement.

to limit the number of pickets. They -

argued before Justice Victor Dryer
that the picket line constituted a
nuisance and intimidation, violated
the Motor Vehicle Act and
Highways Act and prevented access
to and from the campus.

The Vancouver Express of
Wednesday, March 28, in reporting
on the court hearing, quoted an
AUCE spokesperson as follows:

‘Union co-ordinator Joan Woed-:

ward testified Tuesday that AUCE
did not organize last Thursday’s

LABOR
COMMENT

BY JACK PHILLIPS

Simon Fraser.

rally, nor did the union invite B.C.
Government Employees’ Union
leader John Fryer who led_ the
pickets across the intersection.
Wood said the rally was organized
by the student strike support com-
mittee.’’

Another paragraph in that news
report is most revealing: ‘‘AUCE
lawyer Leo McGrady argued that
the union executive never encourag-
ed or-condoned illegal activity by its
members.”’

When I read those statements, I
knew that an injunction restricting

the number of pickets was a.

foregone conclusion. As it
transpired, a court order was issued
on Thursday, March 29, limiting
the number of pickets to ten, and
prohibiting anyone with knowledge
of the injunction from assisting or
counselling the AUCE Local 2, in
regard to picket activity.
Immediately after the police ac-
tion against the picket line, Fryer
became the target of sharp criticism
from both the provincial govern-
ment and from the leader of the op-
position. _Labor minister Allan
Williams said Fryer showed ‘‘ex-
tremely bad judgment from a labor.
leader in this province who, I’m
sure, would be the first to object if
anyone were to interfere with any of
his industrial relations problems.”’
The same Colonist report stated
that NDP leader Dave Barrett, dur-
ing the taping of the TV show
Capital Comment, said he thought
Fryer’s statement ‘‘foolish.’’ But,

he added, ‘‘foolish actions are not—

confined to trade union leaders.”

While condemning Fryer for ac-
ting in a fashion he described as
“*foolish’’, Barrett did not give any
words of encouragement or support
to the strikers in this bitter struggle
for a fair and reasonable contract
settlement.

The Vancouver Express of March
28 quoted Fryer as follows:

“I have no regrets about en-
couraging setting up a proper picket
line.

“The idea is to let people know
there’s a proper picket line up there
and that anyone who wishes to

_cross it is a scab. And that the trade

union movement doesn’t like
scabs.’ :
Fryer also said in that interview

that he would continue to make
\regular visits to the AUCE picket

line on a daily basis. He appeared
on the picket line, on Monday,
March 26, four days after the
removal of the mass picket line

“across the road, along with a group

of BCGEU members.

Next day, March 27, Fryer made
some additional statements to the
Victoria Colonist. For example:

“He said at first that he didn’t
want to get dragged into a public
dispute with Barrett, who had
disagreed with the blocking of the

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 13, 1979—Page 12

road ‘by pickets. The move, which
led to the arrests, was made after
Fryer addressed the crowd. But:
Fryer was quick to point out that he
had more knowledge of the situa-
tion than the NDP leader.’’

Fryer was then quoted directly:
“‘T was there and I saw what was go-
ing on. I have been in the trade
union movement long enough to
know that when a trade union
picket line is being flagrantly
violated you have to beef up that
picket line.”’ ;

He added: ‘‘The picket line is a
tradition in B.C. that must be
defended.’

Fryer then hit out at his citics, in-.
cluding politicians, for not
understanding what was at stake:

‘And all of a sudden we get this

self-righteous claptrap from politi-
cians.’’ When he was pressed to
answer whether he was including
Barrett in his criticism, he replied:
‘*T said political leaders.”’

It is understandable that AUCE
strikers expected that John Fryer
would, after taking stock of the dif-
ficult situation created by the in-
junction, devise new means of help-
ing to win the strike.’

Instead of help, there was the
press release of April 2, referred to

above, a melancholy document if I _

ever saw one.

The third paragraph, declared, in
effect, that the strike is lost: ‘“The
effect and relatively resourceless
union will severely restrict its ability
to bring the dispute to a successful
conclusion,’’ Fryer said. ““The ex-
parte nature of the injunction also
effectively removes the possibility
of AUCE receiving outside help
from the labor movement.”’ ~—

The fourth paragraph contained’
this gem: ‘‘Quite apart from the
economic needs of AUCE members
is the question of whether or not a
small union, with limited member-
ship and funds can receive the same:
benefits from a collective bargain-
ing system that larger and more
powerful unions do. The scales
have. now been tipped by a legal
maneuver in favor of a powerful
employer against a small group of
working people. When this happens
the collective bargaining system is
effectively rendered unworkable.’’

What reads like a final goodbye
was contained in these words:

“The BCGEU offers no apology
for its attempt to help a smaller and
weaker union in its fight for what,
in reality is its survival against an
employer that has the combined
weight of the governments and
courts on its side and, although we
have been effectively blocked from
offering further assistance, we are
urging AUCE to continue their
legal picket line until they win a de-

‘cent contract.’’

If I was an AUCE striker, I
would be tempted to say ‘‘thanks
for nothing, John.”’

However, some one should fe-
mind John Fryer about one aspect

of the history of the Canadian labor ©

movement. Neither unjust labor
laws nor court injunctions have
prevented the growth of that move-
ment. No matter how difficult the
situation confronting a particular
union at a given time, the labor
Movement as a whole can always
find the forms of active solidarity
best suited to help the workers who

are in difficulty, provided the pro- —

per leadership is given. I would sug-
gest that John Fryer, as leader of
the second largest union in the pro-
vince, and as an officer of the B.C.
Federation of Labor should address
himself to this problem. It is possi-
ble to bring this strike to a suc-
cessful conclusion provided that
AUCE is not left on its own with no-
support from the rest of organized:
labor.

JOHN FRYER. .

questioned.

ota in AUCE sits at Simon Frise” Unive

— Sean Griffin photo

Ul overpayment appe

set by referees nail

The Unemployment Insurance
Commission board of referees has
set April 20 as the date for the next
appeal in the contentious UIC over-
payment issue — although trade
unionists preparing the appeal still
have no assurances that the hearing

room will be large enough to hols .

all the appellants.

The board called the hearing for
the government office complex at
4285 Canada Way, rejecting an
earlier offer from the United
Fishermen and Allied Workers’
Union to use the union hall for the
hearing to ensure that the 115 ap-
pellants as well as witnesses and
legal counsel would be able to at-
tend.

The UIC had earlier rejected pro-
tests from the Vancouver and

District Labor Council that UIC

referees board chairman R. K. Ger-
vin had acted arbitrarily in hearing
the first appeals, involving non-
union claimants.

To. be heard April 20 is -a
representative appeal on behalf of
some 115 members of various
unions including the UFAWU, the

Carpenters, the ‘Internati
Woodworkers and the. Hospi
Employees Union.

All face repayment of UIC o
payments supposedly paid to thi
in 1977 when a computer error
the regional unemployment fr
higher than the rate official
byf Statistics Canada. ~

Lawyers for the appellants
arguing that the money should 1
have to-be paid back, submit
that the ‘‘national
unemployment and the rele
regional rate were such to warr:
the payment of_such benefits.’”

Even if there may have been an
overpayment, they have added
would be ‘‘an appropriate time”
write it off, considering
economic hardship repayment
past benefits would cause.

A further appeal to the. umpire |
may also be pursued if the appeal to

the referees board is unsuccessful.

rate of

Unionists in Nova Scotia: are ex: |

pected to pursue their appeal on
same issue of overpayments to-
federal appeals court. The umpire
rejected earlier spp iar 29.

NDP spokesman Ernie Hall and
Communist Party labor. secretary
Jack Phillips will be among the
speakers at Vancouver’s annual
May Day celebration.

The Vancouver Trade Union
May Day Committee; organizers of
the annual event, announced this
week that the May Day concert
-meeting has been set for Sunday,
April 29 at 7:30: p.m. in the
Templeton School Auditorium, 727
Templeton Dr., Vancouver.

In addition to Hall, NDP provin-
cial candidate in Surrey, and
Phillips, CP federal: candidate. in
Vancouver Kingsway, the meeting
will hear a zeparsenire of the

_time, 7:30 p.m. rather than the 2;

years, and that child care will be
‘provided at the meeting.

May Day Rally April 28

B.C. Federation of Labor and the
CUT of Chile. Vancouver Labo

_ Council secretary treasurer Pai

Neale will chair the meeting and
musical program will include T
Hawken and Steve Gidora _
Spare Change.

Proceeds from the meeting
be donated to the Sudbury IN

strikers and for humanitarian aid Mp

Vietnam.

The committee has asked su
porters to take note of the differen

p.m. afternoon time of previous

PA iF IC

FRiBbUNE

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