CANADA

Peace priorities
set at CPA meet |

WINNIPEG — The _ second
nual convention of the Cana-
n Peace Alliance closed with a
-unanimous call from the
legates for an all-out campaign
Jainst Star Wars and for a nuclear
apons test ban, with the CPA to
ve a more active Canada-wide
le and higher profile on such
Campaigns in the coming year.
Over and over, in the workshops
4nd on the plenary floor, delegates
from every walk of life and every
Ype of peace group emphasized
that the Stop Star Wars campaign,
ked to the struggle for the test
, must be the top priority of the
Canadian peace movement, given
the outcome of the Reykjavik
eting where an arms control
igreement was blocked because of
the United States administration’s
istence on pressing ahead with
U.S. first-strike Star Wars plan
d the militarization of space.
The CPA delegates also high-
lighted Canada’s role in escalating
€ nuclear arms race by adopting
Olutions for the CPA and its
Member. groups to give priority
Pport to campaigns for Canada

#4 KIMBALL CARIOU

REGINA — Though it re-
“ted a growing militant mood
“ anti-Tory sentiment among
'orkers in Saskatchewan and ac-
SS the prairies, the SFL conven-
n, Oct. 22-25, couldn’t over-
‘Me its internal differences to
hite around a strong alternative

4

a the 1985 convention, after
nths of negotiations would
tensions in the federation.
~ years the Saskatchewan
ent Employees Union
Other affiliates charged that
Sen Were denied adequate repre-
Req WOR on the Saskatchewan
Puen of Labor executive.
tablishment SFL leaders
wad campaigned for nomi-
from these unions, but they
~ hot chosen by their respec-
a, -aucuses. Last year’s
‘Ndments radically altered the
oi procedure, allowing
‘Ses to select vice-presi-
» two each from SGEU and
~~anadian Union of Public
Oyees — the two largest
ch ao the province — one
q,.0M the mid-sized unions,
he from among the affiliates
A SS than 1,000 members.
“W internal storm was un-
is i July, when the Cana-
r Congress rejected the
‘Ments as unconstitutional.
lanation for its ruling was
. “ed until September, when
se Scussion began in an ef-
Come up with a new for-
inae Peable to all.
,._¥» a congress proposal,
the 1985 decision was
Te the convention and

ny

as a nuclear weapons-free zone
and for ending low-level NATO
flight tests over Labrador and nor-
theast Quebec.

These were 128 delegates and 40
observers registered for the two-
day convention held Oct. 31 to
Nov. 2 at the Hotel Fort Garry in
downtown Winnipeg. At the end
of the convention, the CPA
reported in a news release that the
alliance now links at least 2,000
peace organizations, including
Canada-wide, regional and local
organizations and coalitions.

At a post-convention reception
hosted by the Tribune, delegates
were in high spirits because the
convention was able to preserve
and strengthen the unity of the
alliance after a set of difficult nego-
tiations early on about the CPA’s
role in Canada-wide campaigns.

One of the convention highlights
was the stronger role played this
year by organized labor. Canadian
Labor Congress Executive vice-
president Dick Martin, a former
president of the Manitoba Federa-
tion of Labor, attended and
chaired one of the plenary sessions.

was amended to make it accept-
able to most affiliates.

The SGEU, however, held out
for stronger guarantees that their
caucus nominations would be
elected. The union met alone for
more than an hour on the second
day of the convention. As the
business of the convention was
delayed, the SGEU delegates
came to an agreement on a
“‘Statement of Principle’’, which
the convention later adopted,
pledging that ‘‘all affiliates as a
matter of principle will honor and
respect caucus choices of other
affiliates.”

Averting an SGEU walkout,
the convention got down to busi-
ness passing a wide range of reso-
lutions from demands for anti-
scab laws, and the canceling of
employer rights to impose new
contract terms after agreements
expire, to stopping the use of
court injunctions and the police to
break strikes.

Potash miners from Local 922
Energy and Chemical Workers
Union on strike for the past eight
months at Lanigan gave detailed

accounts of the increasing use of’

force and the denial of the organ-
ized workers’ legal rights.

Other resolutions adopted by
the delegates included a decision
for the federation to launch a
major campaign in favor of pay
equity; support for the campaign
against free trade; opposition to
longer store hours; action on
health and safety issues such as
VDTs, job stress, asbestos in the
workplace; and, support for the
South African Congress of Trade
Unions, SACTU.

The provincial and federal Tory
governments came under fire for
their privatization and deregula-
tion policies as well as for their

ba

Labor’s participation was also
crucial in the “campaigns” negoti-
ations, with United Electrical
Workers president Dick Barry and
Canadian Labor Congress senior
researcher Murray Randall
included.

The compromise adopted by the
convention on campaigns instructs
the new CPA steering committee
to “facilitate, coordinate and pro-
vide organizational support” to the
priority campaigns.

Another convention highlight
was the participation by Soviet
guest Sergei Molochkov of the
Soviet Peace Committee, at the
invitation of the CPA steering
committee. He took part as an
observer, was a head-table guest at
the Saturday night gala and con-
ducted a well-attended workshop
Sunday afternoon on the Soviet
peace proposals.

The convention also decided to
tie the CPA priority campaigns
into an election strategy to make
peace a central issue in the next
federal election and to begin prep-
arations for this as soon as possi-
ble.

SFL shows militant mood

lack of support for education and
day care.

The fightback sentiment was
displayed in other ways at the
convention, including large
noon-hour demonstrations in
solidarity with Canada Employ-
ment centre workers in danger of
losing their jobs, and with work-
ers fighting management harass-
ment in their drive to organize
Bi-Rite Drugstores.

However many delegates were
disappointed by the lack of con-
crete fightback decisions. Most
resolutions were limited to state-
ments of principle or calls for
lobbying, rather than mobiliza-
tion of the SFL and its affiliates.

The long wrangling over the
constitution and a proposed in-
crease in the federation per capi-
ta, meant that half of the resolu-
tions before the convention we-
ren’t dealt with.

There was no discussion on
how to capitalize on the Tory
electoral reverses and how to go
on the offensive for labor's de-
mands. Important resolutions on
poverty, freedom of reproductive
choice, cultural issues, Nica-
raguan solidarity and opposition
to the National Citizens Coalition
never hit the floor.

The presidential contest was
the closest in years, with incum-
bent Nadine Hunt edging out
Mike Evanishen of the Canadian
Paperworkers Union by a vote of
253 to 230.

Evanishen, a five-year veteran
of the SFL executive, whose poli-
tical stance differs little from
Hunt’s, won substantial backing
from the convention from his call
for stronger leadership to counter
the attack on labor and for the
executive to carry out convention
policy more consistently.

Labor in action

GEORGE HEWISON

Tech change must
be in workers’ hands

In the run-up to the various federations of labor conventions
this fall, many committees are grappling with the issue of tech-
nological change. All trade unions are affected to one degree or
another. The scientific and technological revolution, delayed in
Canada relative to other developed countries, is arriving in full
force.

Computers and other innovations have been on the production
scene for some time displacing workers, but in many respects, we
are in for yet anothér qualitative leap.

Take the automobile industry for example. In 1960, each auto
worker produced on average, 20 vehicles per year. By 1980,
this figure had reached 41, and by the mid-1990"s will hit 100.
Now that’s productivity in Canada’s largest manufacturing
industry. .

The value added per worker in the auto industry was $27,000 in
1973: $76,000 in 1983: now exceeds $100,000 and will likely
exceed $300,000 by mid-1990. Petroleum, electrical components,
telecommunications, pulp, whatever, tell a similar story.

‘Tragic Spectacle

The other side of Canada’s success story in productivity is the
spectacle of 50,000 working people standing day and night in the
pouring rain for the chance at 3,000 jobs at the American Motors -
plants in Brampton. In all 65,000 applications were turned in. All
this during the boom period of the economic cycle.

This is structural unemployment. According to the U.N. in the
aftermath of the 1975-75 economic crisis there were 15 million
unemployed in the developed capitalist world; following the
recession of 1981-82 there were 31 million; and today there are
over 35 million in these same countries.

Canada is one of the leaders, and has been since the mid-70's.
This is structural unemployment. This is unemployment which
grows as the economy grows, as the introduction of technology
grows.

Thus Canada in the international productivity and competition
scramble, rates very highly in the growth of both productivity and
unemployment. In conditions of the profit motive determining
the pace of technological changé: productivity ‘and ‘unefnploy-”
ment are twinned.

Now the 3,000 ‘‘lucky”’ applicants at AMC are going to be
given yet another shot of technology — mandatory drug
tests. This is technology down to the ‘‘nitty gritty’’ — in whose
interests it is to be used . . . to control workers or to benefit them?

Will it be used to screen and eliminate the thousands of car-
cinogenic industrial chemicals used in the workplace or will
technology be used to spy on the workforce?

The issue of technology involves the matter of control. Full
control by the workers will never be exercised ina system based
on profit motive-capitalism, but only under the conditions of
working class-plitical-power-socialism. That must be the work-
ers’ long term perspective.

However, short of socialism, there are steps which organized
a must undertake to mitigate the impact of technological
change.

First of all, a program for fullemployment whichchallengesthe |

power of the monopolies, overcoming regional disparities; for full
industrial development; and for an increase in social services, is
necessary to deal with the growing number of unemployed which
in turn act as a dead weight upon the trade union movement.
Witness AMC Brampton, Gainers, building trades, etc.

Workers’ Control Needed

Central to a full employment program must be a co-ordinated
campaign for the shorter work week with no loss in take home
pay. (Significantly, along with the introduction of tech change,
the bosses are doing all in their power to stretch the work week in
their quest for greater profit).

These are programs around which, experience has shown, the
unemployed and the broader community, can be rallied by labor.

Second, a campaign by labour for the CLC’s Workers’
Technology Bill of Rights which would include the right to a
decent job; the right to a year’s notice of any technological
change; full disclosure relating to change; participation by the
union in all stages of evaluation, selection, adaptation, and
implementation of tech change; and most importantly — the right
to veto any proposed change.

Further, technology must not be used to monitor, measure or
otherwise control work practices and work standards; and shall
be evaluated in terms of worker health and safety. It must also
include employer-paid retraining.

These and other measures are required if labor is to avoid
reacting to tech change, or to always closing the door after the
jobs, health, safety and union security have been stolen.

Technological change in the hands of the workers can be a

. powerful impetus to a better life. Left in the hands of the powerful
corporate sector and their aides de camp in government, it can, in
this age of Star Wars, terminate life.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 1986 e 3

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