Plumber ED GAVORCHIN ... ‘We have to fight this legislation; not just for ourselves but for others.’ ‘We must fight Bill 19:’ Georgetti continued from page 1 “This is anti-people, anti-trade union leg- islation,” B-C. and Yukon Building Trades Council president Roy Gautier told Mon- day’s rally. ““The last time a piece of labor legislation that was this sweeping was intro- duced was in 1921 — and it was brought in by Mussolini.” But Gautier brought the 2,000 unionists to their feet with a roar of approval when he told the meeting: “Bill 19 has to be scrapped and we have to be the instrument in the trade union movement to see that takes place. “If this legislation is not taken off the order paper, there will be job action — it will unfold,” he declared to applause. Carpenters Provincial Council president Bill Zander also touched a nerve among unionists at the meeting with his call for militant action to fight Bill 19 before it is — enacted. “In order to turn B.C. right side up, we may have to turn this province upside down,” he said to cheers. “First of all, we’ve got to stop this legisla- tion,” he emphasized. “Barring that we’re going to have to resort to the kind of jungle warfare and resistance that our forefathers taught us.” BILL ZANDER...’in order to put this pro- vince right side up, we may have to turn it upside down first.’ 12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 15, 1987 Zander warned that the legislation, if allowed to become law, “will destroy the trade union movement as we know it. “We're going to have to fight back because Vander Zalm has left us no choice ... unless we want to see the rights of the trade union movement thrown into the gut- tL. He added: “We've got to stick together, not just among the Building Trades, but with teachers and the rest of the trade union movement who are being attacked.” After platform speakers had finished, more than a score of unionists took the microphone from the floor, most of them urging their union leadership to put more action into the campaign against the legisla- tion. Carpenter Ray Hawkes called on the leadership to be more aggressive in fighting the legislation, calling on leaders to “be pre- pared to go to jail if necessary.” Plumbers Local 170 member Ed Gavor- chin drew a standing ovation from the meet- ing when he told unionists that they were “here to build unity. ““That’s what we are, after all — builders. And we’ve got a rich heritage in this province that we’ve built over the years.” he said. Trade unionists “will have to get out there and demonstrate against this legislation” — and not just for themselves but for others as well, he said. At Tuesday’s rally, the boisterous crowd of 6,000 had also clearly come looking for the next step in the campaign against the legislation. Waving placards and banners, unionists echoed the condemnation of the legislation voiced by B.C. Fed secretary Cliff Andstein, B.C. Teachers Federation president Elsie McMurphy, Gautier and North Island NDP MLA Colin Gabelmann. But it was evident that many were wait- ing for federation president Ken Georgetti to outline the program of action. Georgetti reiterated the steps endorsed by the federation’s executive council last week including a withdrawal of labor repre- sentatives from all joint boards, an informa- tion campaign against the legislation, rallies throughout the province and a boycott of the agencies that would be established by the legislation. He also emphasized the ballot being con- ducted among some 250,000. federation affiliates as well as affiliates of the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council. Through- out the province, members are being asked to vote “yes” to the question: “Do you support our union’s opposition to Bill 19, including a boycott of the legislation.” The vote is expected to take until the end of the month. But Georgetti drew the loudest applause when he told the meeting: “We are also putting in place additional strategies more traditional to the labor movement. “In the days to come, in the privacy of your union meetings, you will find out more about those strategies,”’ he said. “This bill spells death for the trade union movement,” Georgetti warned. ‘““We must fight it and we must defeat it.” Outside the rally, Georgetti told reporters that following the province-wide rallies, the federation would be meeting with local unions “to discuss with them further strate- gies if Vander Zalm doesn’t respond to our request to withdraw the legislation. “The premier of the province should take a look at the rally that took place here tonight and understand that the people in this province will not be compelled to obey laws put forward by a government that is out to break the back of the trade union movement,” he said. BCGEU: ‘Don't privatize liquor sales’ Privatization of liquor sales will lead to an increase in health and social costs and a decrease in provin- cial revenues available for social programs, the B.C. Government | Employees Union charged Monday in a brief to the government commit- tee reviewing liquor policy. “Major cuts in services, an in- creased deficit, or increased taxes” — would result from a government decision to permit beer and wine to be sold in supermarkets and neigh- borhood convenience-stores, BCGEU president John Shields told the committee hearing in urging the government te reject privatization of liquor sales. The brief — which described alcohol as a “highly dangerous drug” — cited Ministry of Health figures totalling some $2 billion annually for health care costs, law enforcement activities, reduced pro- ductivity and social programs as the cost of alcohol abuse in the province. “B.C, is tied with Newfoundland for the highest per capita consump- tion of alcohol in Canada. Drinking is a major contributor to spouse and child abuse, family break-up, crime, accidents, time lost off work and job loss,” said Shields. “Greater availability of alcohol leads to. increased consumption, more social problems and _ higher costs to the taxpayer,” said Shields, who cited a variety of U.S. British and Canadian studies which have shown that increased availability of alcohol leads to increased consump- tion. He also emphasized that the $430 million annually that the govern- ment receives through its controlled liquor sales “‘supports a wide range of social programs.” The Vancouver hearing of the committee, chaired by Social Credit — Chilliwack MLA John Jansen, was the first of a series to be held in major communities around the pro- vince. But there is widespread suspi- cion that the hearings are intended to give the appearance of public con- sultation while the government has already set plans for privatization. The BCGEU in its brief set out recommendations that would see improvements in the present system of liquor distribution, including expanded and more flexible hours of operation, expanded services for cus- tomers and better access to specialty products, as an alternative to privat- ization. _ Ce Name eS eS ee ee ee ee ee ae ee ee ae FIRIBUNE Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5. Phone 251-1186 ne ole re ee ee ee ee eee er ee Yee a eB ad de 28 08 ey SS oe oe me, @ oo we 0 086 FO 8 UE pe ee OR eo 4 ca Oe Vive ke 8 ere este OWE Postal Code lam enclosing 1 yr.$160) 2yrs.$280) 6mo. $100 Introductory offer, 3 mo. $3 Foreign 1 yr. $250 Bill me later U0 6 Bs e 6 .b 0.2 10 06 4 0 & oes 6: 8 08m READ THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOR