‘TO HELL WITH SICK’

Cont'd. from pg. 1

98 nurses, Heather Pavilion 12, the
Fairview Burns and Isolation area
12, the Women’s pavilion 35 and
Emergency 11. Other areas such as
admitting and out-patients will lose
anywhere from 2 to 5 nurses.

As well as direct reduction of the
nursing staff, VGH plans to reduce
the actual direct patient care to 3.5
hours per 24 hour day, from the
current 4.74 hours. By providing
4.74 hours of nursing care per day,
British Columbia hospitals are
already giving the shortest period
of care per day in relation to all
other Canadian provinces. With the
proposed reduction in hours, the
disparity between B.C. and the
other nine provinces will only
widen.

The VGH plans also call for the
elimination of any vacation or sick
relief so that temporary absences
will not. be filled. This again
represents a cut of over 100 nursing
positions.

Probably the most disturbing
aspect of the VGH contingency
plan, is the possible closure of up to
25 per cent of the hospital’s
available beds. This however,
would be feasible only if the
provincial government agreed to
pay the hospital the per diem rate
of $125.40 per day, meaning that
the government would pay VGH
the same rate for an empty bed as
it does for beds in use.

Staff reaction to any possible bed
closures is unanimous opposition.
As one nurse- said, ‘Already
serious surgery is being held back
for up to six months simply
because we haven’t the beds to put
patients in. If they close beds, who
knows how long people requiring
surgery will have to wait?

* “We (nurses) are being asked to
sacrifice principles in service and
care in order that the hospital can
save a few dollars. Already the
nursing level is one of gross

overwork, and if they go ahead
with their proposals patient care
will suffer.”

Other aspects of the VGH plan
call for a moratorium on contract
negotiations with both the Hospital
Employees Union, and _ the
Registered Nurses Association of
K.C., so not only will patient care
suffer, but so will the working
conditions of those employed by
the hospital.

Several VGH programs will have
to be shelved if the hospital is

unsuccessful in wringing more -

money from the _ provincial
government, including the in-
tensive care nursery which is
scheduled to open March 15 but will
be unable to do so with the
proposed cuts. Other probable
victims of the Socred cutbacks are
the intensive care and special burn
units of VGH which will be
operating well below their normal
level.

A number of the hospital’s
medical staff have stated that if
cutbacks are required, it should be
in the administration of the
hospital instead of in the area of
patient care. But, as one nurse told
the Tribune, ‘‘That still wouldn’t
get to the heart of the matter, the
fact that the hospital is already
understaffed, and instead of cut-
ting back the government should
be expanding the health care in the
province.”

MORGAN

Cont'd. from pg. 1

Socreds are heaping on auto users,
and their projected cuts in services
to people. Common action — strong
enough to compel the government
to change its course, and move to
satisfy the pressing needs of
people, is what’s needed,” said the
Communist leader. :

Bob Towle mourned

The working class press and
progressive moyement lost one of
its most active and devoted sup-
porters this week with the passing

of Robert “‘Bob’’ Towle, after a -

short illness. He was 83.

Born into a farming family in
County Exeter, Ontario on August
12, 1892, his family moved to
MacGregor, Man. when Bob was
seven years of age. As a young
man he homesteaded with his
brother Bill, near Quill Lake in
Saskatchewan, and later worked
on the railway.

Moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Bob became active in the labor
movement and was involved in the
Winnipeg General Strike following
World War I. It was in Winnipeg
that he met Ada who became his
wife on April 16, 1919. They were
deeply devoted to each other, and
Bob missed her deeply after her
death September 11, 1970.

He moved with his family to
Vancouver in 1936 and lived for a
time in Grandview, later moving to
Burnaby where he lived for the last
28 years. He was an active member
of the Communist Party for many
years. Particularly outstanding
was his devotion and support to the
working class press. In many
financial campaigns for. the
Tribune he headed the drive,
raising the largest sums of money
and was often honored for his press
work at the conclusion of press
drives

Despite his failing health in
recent years, he continued his
activity for the working class press
and in support of labor and
progressive causes. The Tribune
staff expresses its deep sorrow at
the passing of this staunch and
devoted fighter for the working
class and socialism. We express
our sincere condolences to
members of his family.

A memorial service will be held
Saturday, February 28 at 11 a.m. at
Boal Memorial Chapel, 1505
Lillooet Rd., North Vancouver.

ROBERT “BOB” TOWLE

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 27, 1976—Page 12

Speaking to the Canadian Area conv
Harry Bridges told delegates that ca
problems and is striving “to place the
we have to do here,” he said, “is to map out a program to fight back.”

ention of the ILWU in Vancouver Tuesday, international presidet!
pitalism is no longer able to create wars to solve its economl
burden of all those problems on the backs of working people. Wha

j
:
|
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|

—Sean Griffin phot

Meeting in convention at. the
Pacific National Exhibition this
week, the Canadian Area of. the
International Longshoremen and
Warehousemen’s Union, has
spoken out clearly in opposition to
the federal government’s wage
control program.

Ina report to the convention, the
Canadian area officers reaffirmed
ILWU opposition to the controls
program. “Although the Anti-
inflation Act has been designed to
give the appearance of striking at
prices, profits and professional
incomes as well as wages, the
actual apparatus set up, and ex-
perience with it so far, clearly
indicate that it is only in the area of
wage contrel that the government
intends serious enforcement.”

The officers report noted that the
trade union movement in general
has vigorously expressed op-
position to the anti-inflation policy
and that the Canadian Labor
Congress has undertaken to fight
the regulations at the political
level. At the same time the officers
said that labor’s program still
must be strengthened to coun-
teract the false propaganda of the
employers and government
regarding the federal controls. —

The federal government also
came under strong attack from the
ILWU for its strikebreaking
legislation this past summer which
ordered striking longshoremen
back to work. ‘‘Legislating striking
workers back to work has become
the favorite pastime of both the
federal and provincial govern-
ments,”’ the report said. The of-
ficers said that such legislation has
become a pronounced and
dangerous trend in Canadian
politics and in labor-management
relations.

“Tt not only negates the whole
process of collective bargaining
and replaces it with compulsory
arbitration; it also destroys all
negotiations.

“Why should employers
negotiate in good faith when they
know that they can get govern-
ments to impose settlements which
they themselves are not strong
enough to impose,” the report
asks.

The report warned that the
question of how to deal with ‘this
government-employer gang up on
our right to bargain collectively
andon our right to strike must bea

matter which the whole trade
union must face.”’

Commenting on the December 11
provincial election which put the
Socreds in office in Victoria, the
officers expressed concern over
the number of cutbacks which the
new government was proposing,
and referred to indicated bus fare
increases, expected increases in
ferry fares, and indicated’ in-
creases in electricity and gas
rates.

All of these proposals, the report
points out, are part of the many
actions of the ‘‘Social Credit
government aimed at increasing
the cost of living, cutting social
services, making more money
available for corporate welfare
and increasing corporations
corporate profits.”

The ILWU officers pointed out
that even though the NDP
government went down to defeat it
did increase slightly its percentage
of the popular vote, and did leave
many beneficial social reforms
including Pharmacare, Mincome,
rent controls, and general im-
provements in social services and
health programs.

The report drew a number of
lessons from the provincial elec-
tion, including the need for
organized labor to campaign
publicly and vigorously for labor’s
program and to bring pressure on
all parties to support it.

The officers’ report devoted
considerable time to a review of
international developments over
the past two years. In particular, it
hailed the victory of the people of
Vietnam in their 30-year struggle

against foreign intervention a!
called upon the Canadian gové
ment to extend ‘‘aid and long-te
credits” to Vietnam.

“The government of Cana
which contributed heavily to U
arms for use against the people
Vietnam, has a moral obligation!
undo some of the harm it helpt—
create,” the report, stated. J

Another particularly ‘he
tening development in 1975’ Wa
the Helsinki conference
European Security. While warnl
that there are a number of fore
such as “‘the military industt
complex, the multinationals, 4
the military who do not welco
detente” the report said that
“spirit of detente is growing.
Canada and around the world.
task now is to. follow through
spirit of detente by ending
arms race and bringing ab
world disarmament.” 3

In relation to the question of ¥
arms race, the officers added the!
voices to the growing pro
demanding a halt to the ©
struction of the Trident submat!?
base at Bangor, Washington.

The officers roundly condem
the ‘distortion and confusion of 4
key issues in Angola by the Us
propaganda and media campai
and warned that Angola ‘‘must
become another Vietnam”’
stated that the people of Ans! ~
have the right to decide their
affairs free of all foreign | |

ube

tervention.

Other issues expected to
debated include the questions
Spanish democracy and 4
direction of Portugal.

~ Can.-USSR

Representatives of the Soviet Union and Canada met in Ottawa Y
February 5-9 to discuss fisheries matters of mutual concern to pol
countries and ended their talks with a joint communique expressifl
satisfaction with the progress achieved and agreed to meet again S®
to conclude negotiations on some issues. i

The representatives of the two governments agreed to extend #
Agreement between the two countries on cooperation on fisheries ‘
the northeastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Canada for a period
one year beginning February 19, 1976.

In addition, the Agreement between Canada and the USSR y
provisional rules of navigation and fisheries safety off the west ¢
of Canada was extended for year beginning April 15, 1976.

The two sides also exchanged views on matters relating to
elaboration of a bilateral agreement on fisheries cooperation ©
would establish the terms and conditions governing continued fish!
by the Soviet fleet in waters off Canada’s coasts, taking into accolll
anticipated legal and jurisdictional changes of fisheries manage™
in such waters and traditional Soviet fishing.

fish talks

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