a4 gia it asic Me ~~ Feds anger labor congress with election game playing OTTAWA — The Canadian Labor Congress’ preference for tri-partism over mass political mobilization of its 2.3 million members to affect government policy in a progressive way, led to it be used by the federal Liberals in their campaign to get re- elected. In an angry statement, Feb. 23, CLC Executive Vice-President Shirley Carr attacked the federal government's response to the Jabor-business Overview Com- mittee Report, better known as the Tier-II Committee, reviewing 23 industry sectors. Carr labelled - the government’s response to the labor-business report ‘‘a_self- serving pre-election document that amounts to a breach of faith with private sector participants in the consultative process.”’ : She also warned the CLC wouldn’t let itself be used for the Liberals’ political games and that the Congress ‘‘may be forced to reconsider its participation in fu- ture exercises of this type.”’ What angered the CLC were the implications in the govern- ment’s response to the Tier-II Report recommendations that existing federal government pro- grams largely answered the main recommendations, thus tacitly linking the labor movement to Liberal government policies. Where the Tier-II Report, as an example, had recommended the development of a national Energy Policy by federal and provincial governments in consultation with interested parties, the federal government suggested such a pol- icy was already spelled out in its 1976 position entitled ‘‘An Energy Strategy for Canada: Policies for Self Reliance.”’ _ Carr accused the government of ignoring or distorting ‘‘labor’s Position in this consultative exer- cise,’’ and cited its complete exc- lusion of the Tier-II recommenda- tion that the Manpower Policy should be one of full employment. The Liberals used the CLC’s agreement with business repre- sentatives on the Tier-II commit- tees that unemployment insur- ance payments were too high to imply Tecent cuts by the govern- ment in this program were a re- sponse to the committee’s report. The CLC pointed out that it said Payments were too high because unemployment was too high and Stressed its opposition to the Lib- eral government’s vicious attack on the unemployed. Alberta legislature needs — Real opposition to Tories CALGARY —A group of pub- lic sector unions, sponsored by the Alberta Federation of Labor, (AFL), has placed the election of an effective opposition to the . Tory government of Peter Lougheed as the major issue in the current provincial ballot. The Council of Public Sector Unions, Feb. 23, unanimously endorsed the position. It is composed of representa- tives of the Public. Service Al- liance of Canada, (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees, (CUPE), the Interna- tional Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, (IBEW), the Alberta Union of Public Employees, (AUPE), and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, (CUPW). “We need an effective opposi- tion in the legislature to ensure that proper legislation comes ab- out’’, said Rick Lampshire, chairman of the public sector- council and a member of PSAC. He added that he expected public sector workers would participate fully with the council’s decision because of the tremendous attack being launched by all govern- ments against the employees. The council will also publicize the repressive legislation now being applied to public sector workers and the one-party domi- nation of both the Alberta legisla- ture and the control of the Herit- _age Trust Fund. ; By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — Thirteen unions at the city’s universities have banded together to respond to education cutbacks and their im- ct both on contract talks and the quality of education. Representatives of union and employee organizations at York University, the University of To- ronto, and Ryerson Polytechnical i: - Institute met Feb. 21 to ‘‘discuss -, their collective plight in the face of cutbacks.” : At a press conference the fol- lowing day, spokespersons for the unions outlined the role they would play and focussed speci- fically on the negotiations break- down between York University and local 1356 Canadian Union of Public Employees. The CUPE workers represent maintenance staff at the university. The local subsequently signed an agreement Feb. 27, with York, winning many of their demands, such as a longer contract and a | dental plan which is 75% paid for by the university. They won an 119% wage hike over a 16-month and staff at the post secondary institutions are being asked to take contracts with less in wages and more of a work load. _ The 13 organizations, he said, are banding together because of their concern to protect their liv- ing standards in the face of in- flation, layoffs and staff freezes and because these all affect nega- tively the quality of education. He singled out Queen’s Park as the root of the problems. ‘‘The government of Ontario is not pro- viding the conditions for us to provide the quality education which the students of this pro- vince: deserve. **We’re here to defend both our pact. The local had been without Sa a contract since the end of = December. Steve McBride, vice-president 5 of the Graduate Assistants’ As- sociation at Ryerson told the 9 press conference the organiza- & tions have come togetherto “‘stop Sim the universities playing one group @ off against another.” He noted that while tuition fees are increasing and teaching loads are becoming heavier teachers a University groups unite living standards and the education Standards”, McBride said. Part of the group’s function, he noted, would be to let unions like CUPE know they weren’t stand- ing alone. ‘‘We’re letting them know that all the major organiza- tions representing the education sector in Toronto support them and will back them if they go on Strike.”’ The message they want to con- > vey goes beyond the participating unions in the committee he said. We're going to stand together and the Boards of Governors and the Ontario Goverment should be acquainted with that fact from this day on’’, Unions, faculty, staff and graduate assistants’ organizations at York, University of Toronto, and Ryerson Polytechnical institute told a Feb. 23 press conference they were uniting to defend. themselves against education cutbacks. government and the union centres. $6-million fine against CNTU — Shows union-busting tactics The recent court fine of six million dollars levied against the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU) and its af- filiate, the Syndicat National des Employes de I’ Aluminium is a chilling example of how far the corporations, allied with the courts, will go to wreck unions and trade This new tactic in union busting by the courts in favor of the multi-national corporations like Reynolds Metal Co. has now been followed by similar court actions by other companies. . Their intent is clear. The actions have nothing to do with any so-called “damages and losses’’ supposedly incurred by strike-bound companies but rather are a cold and calculated move to drain the treasuries and destroy the organizations legitimately representing the interests of the working people. The levying of fines against unions which are conducting struggles to protect their members’ rights, along with the onslaught against the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the attempts to undermine the Steelworkers Local 6500 by Inco Metals Ltd., and the drive to introduce “‘right-to-work”’ legis- lation in several provinces, all serve as glaring examples of government collusion with the multi-nationals to demolish the trade union movement in Canada. , The CNTU is appealing the case, but regardless of the outcome, unity in the fightback against this assault with new tactics by the multi-nationals cannot be treated as business as usual. It is a fight for the life of the trade union movement, requiring the co-ordinated actions of all the progressive and democratic forces in Canada. : Patterson and Parrot will speak at rally TORONTO — Five immigrant organizations announced last week they were jointly sponsor- ing a meeting in support of Cana- da’s 23,000 beleaguered postal workers and the 12,000 striking Inco workers in Sudbury. “The struggles of the trade union movement in Canada are our .. struggles’’, Kostas Philipakopolous, spokesperson for the organizing committee said, explaining why the meeting was _being called. The featured speakers will be Canadian Union of Postal Work- ers (CUPW) president Jean Claude Parrot and Dave Patter- son, president of Local 6500 Un- ited Steelworkers, the striking Inco workers. March 7, 7:30 p.m. is the date scheduled for the meeting. It will take place in Toronto at the Music ~ Hall, 147 Danforth Avenue. Sponsors for the meeting are: the Greek Canadian Democratic Or- ganization; the Italian Federation of Immigrant Workers and Families, (FILEF); the Spanish Working Movement, (MOE); the Association of -Concerned Guyanese; and the Portuguese Canadian Democratic Associa- tion. In announcing the meeting as an educational event as well as a show of support to CUPW and the Inco strikers, Philipakopolous said, “‘the attack by the govern- ment on trade union rights and the attempt by the large corporations to roll back the living standards of the people is of direct concern to all of us. **As new Canadians’’, he said, “tas members of Canadian trade unions and as part of the commun- ity as a whole, we feel we must become involved. “We expect a large turnout from the various immigrant com- munities as well as the public at large.” Angry citizens demand ‘No’ to hospital cuts By E. ROGERS THUNDER BAY —A petition circulating in northwestern On- tario requests the Ontario minis- try of health to ‘‘stop the closure of hospital beds, to re-open hospi- tal beds previously closed, pro- vide a substantial number of chronic care and nursing care beds, and to abandon im- mediately the principle of user fees for chronic patients.” The petition arose from a meet- ing of 250 angry citizens at the Labor Centre earlier this month, called by the chairman of the Labor Council social services committee, John Packota. That meeting also passed a resolution, unanimously. calling for the re- opening of all active treatment beds closed during the last two years, and provision for a sub- stantial number of chronic care and nursing care beds. The prin- ciple of user fees for chronic pa- tients was denounced and, as in the petition, it was demande@that this provision be withdrawn im- mediately. It is clear that the population of Thunder Bay and area is deeply disturbed by the continued On- tario Government slashing of medical services. With 110,000 people in the city and a fairly dense population in the im- mediate rural area, we are posi- tively in trouble with health mat- ters and health care. Thunder Bay has three major hospitals and other chronic cared institutions already suffering from bed closures and funds diversion. The diversion of funds from health care coincides with hand- outs to monopoly corporations such as the forest industry. The Tory proposal to. cut beds again to a mere three or four for 1,000 persons in unacceptable in the view of people of this area. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 9, 1979—Page 5