fee

I NT TP

UMA et du

Labor delegates say no
to Burrard 3rd crossing —

Vancouver Labor Council
delegates put themselves on
record Tuesday night as being
unalterably opposed to the Third
Crossing on Burrard Inlet.

Following a brief address by
IBEW member Terry Simpson,
who is running in North Van-
couver as an alderman opposed
to the scheme, council members
passed a resolution which stated
the crossing -would retard the
development of rapid transit,
and called for a referendum
vote before any further action on
the crossing is taken by munici-

pal, provincial and federal
authorities.

Simpson said the crossing was
part of the overall scheme to
impose a freeway system on Van-
couver. He said Vancouver was
the last major city in America
which could have learned from
the experience of other large
cities that freeways were no
answer to traffic problems, only
compounded them. He charged.
there is not enough money to
build the crossing for cars as
well as make a beginning on
rapid transit.

NPA does as expected:
turn down ward system

The NPA majority on Van-
couver City council struck a
blow against civic democracy
Tuesday when they acted true to
form and rejected public
demands for a ward system to
give area representation to city
voters.

Mayor Tom Campbell and
NPA alderman defeated by 7-4 a
motion by Alderman Harry
Rankin that voters be asked ina

plebiscite whether they prefer

the current system, a ward

scheme or a combination of both

for council elections.

Rankin and TEAM aldermen
stated that the numerous briefs
from a variety of citizens groups
and individuals had made it plain
that the majority of voters favor

a change in the method of,

electing aldermen.
Included among those who
urged council to change the elec-

toral system were the follow-
ing: Municipal Affairs Minister
Dan Campbell, the Vancouver
Board of Trade, TEAM, COPE,
the Citizen’s Council on Civic
Development, the New Demo-
cratic Party, the Communist
Party, the West End Com-
munity Council, the Downtown
Business Association, the Van-
couver Tenants Council, etc.

The NPA was the only group to
make a submission in the form
of a letter, opposing any
changes. The NPA sees the
present city-wide vote as the
only means of retaining control
of civic politics.

Public protest must now either
force council to reconsider or
demand that Municipal Affairs
Minister Campbell force a plebis-
cite or amend the city charter at
the coming Legislative session.

AT COMMUNIST PARLEY. Listening attentatively to the debate at the
21st convention of the Communist Party in Toronto Nov. 27-29 are B.C.
delegates, left to right, Nigel Morgan, B.C. party leader, Maurice Rush,
PT editor and B.C. party chairman, Ray Garneau, and trade union

leader William Stewart.

—Rod Doran photo a

Come & Enjoy The

MAC-PAPINEAU
XMAS PARTY

FRIDAY - DEC. 17th - 7:30 P.M.

FISHERMEN’S HALL

138 E. Cordova

Smorgasbord — 7:30 P.M. Dancing 9 P.M.
Refreshments — Door Prize

Adm. $2.50 each All Welcome

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1971—PAGE 12

In other business a letter from
Carl Reich of the Upholsterers
Union informed delegates that
Kroehler Furniture in
Edmonton had refused to
bargain in good faith with
employees. Negotiations have
been going on for nine months,
he said, with nothing accom-
plished. Ninety percent of the
Edmonton output comes into
B.C., and he asked that Kroehler
be put on the Do not patronize
list.

Bill Swanson of the Office and
Technical Workers reported on
the situation in the York Brand
plant at Chilliwack, where
employees have taken a strike

vote. York is part of the Canada -

Packers empire.

Some employees there receive
about .01 cents above the mini-
mum wage, he said. A company
spokesman from Toronto comes
occasionally to meet with the
union members in. negotiations
but has been adamant in giving
union recognition, defining the
hours of work per day and per
week, and has made it clear the
company expects employees to
work a half-hour per day without
pay. Reich asked for support of
all union members should the
employees be forced into strike
action.

The Labor Council will publish
a pamphlet on Phase 2 of
Nixon’s economic program and
will deal specifically with how it
affects Canada and Canadian
workers.

A letter was read from Bruce

Yorke, secretary of the Tenants.

Council, asking that locals be
circularized to get support for
the work of the tenants group.
The request was approved.

RAILMEN ASK:
Where’s money?

Railwaymen have paid as
much as 5 to 6% percent of their
wages into CPR and CNR
pension funds, and now they are
asking Labor Minister Bryce
Mackasey to immediately call
an inquiry into the handling of
the fund.

In 1970, it was reported there
was a surplus of $1,414,744,356 in
the pension fund, yet there were
1,000 retirees who received only
$29 per month, and as many as
8,000 retired railroaders who get
less than $100 per month.

CN and CP employees are
compelled to pay into the
pension fund even though they
are sick and off the job, or are on
compensation.

Last weekend some 200
railmen from the CN, the CP,
Pacific Great Eastern and B.C.
Hydro (rail) met to formulate a
demand that the funds be investi- :
gated; that adequate increases
for those on small pensions be
instituted; a contribution by
the railways in lieu of wages
dollar-for-dollar up to five
percent of the employees contri-
bution, and that pension boards.

_be set up to include four repre-

sentatives of the employees and
four from the companies.

Last year the CNR was
reported to be behind in its
payments into the pension fund
as much as $700 million, and the
CPR as much as $200 million.

© \\\ ees

AS ae

‘a

DAILY WORLD bs : a3

rhe \
\/¥

(8. GIMPLY APPLY THE NIXON DOCTRINE IN BANGLA DESH — MASSACRE!”

Labor hits Trudeau policy

Federation of Labor officers
of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba met recently in
Vancouver to discuss the
growing economic crisis in
Canada. At the end of the confer-

ence the officers charged in a

press release that the country is
facing the most serious
economic crisis since the depres-
sion of the 1930s:

They blamed the Trudeau gov-
ernment for deliberately
creating unemployment, and
said the serious situation
brought about by the callous
policies of the federal govern-
ment have now been com-
pounded by the adoption of new
economic policies by the United
States.

Young people are being forced

to assume a large share of the -

cost of the government’s ill-con-
sidered policies. It is an under-
statement to say, as does the
prediction of the Economic
Council of Canada, that failure to
meet the needs of young Cana-
dians will produce ‘‘serious

economic and social strains in.

the 1970’s.”’
Canada will need one and half

million new jobs to provide work ©

for young people coming into the
labor force, the stateme?
pointed out. The ECC has recom:
mended that governme?

policies be directed to promotion -

of greatly increased grow
rates. Organized labor supports
this position.

The Federation statement com
cluded: ‘‘Already too many
plants in various parts of Canada
have been closed, throwing ad if
tional thousands of Canadians
out of work. Governments oH
both the federal and provincia
levels must take immediate
steps to halt further plant
shutdown.

“At the same time, there is 2”
urgent need to increase fat™
income and farm purchasiné
power. The federal government
in consultation with 3
provinces, should act withou
further delay in doing evely”
thing possible to relieve t
plight of those who are already
the victims of unemployment mn
instituting both short and 10M8
term economic policies 4?
programs which will protect the
economic independence

Canada and assure all Cana

dians of the opportunity
work.”

Third crossing opposed

Cont'd from pg. 1

‘“‘The people of Toronto
through an unprecedented
campaign of public pressure
stopped the Spadina Express-
way, even after over $70 million
had been spent on its con-
struction. We’re in a better
position with the third crossing—
it hasn’t been started yet. Let’s
keep it that way.”

¥ EH

The tip-off that big business
interests were getting ready for
the big push to put over the third
crossing as the key to imposing
freeways on the public came
with the appointment of William
Rathie by the Liberal govern-
ment as “‘co-ordinator.”’

Public response has been quick
and sharp. In Vancouver the
Citizens Committee for Public
Transit announced it is holding a
public rally in the Queen
Elizabeth Playhouse on Sunday,
Jan. 16 at8 p.m.

On the North Shore, where 4
recent survey showed that
percent of the public welé
opposed to a third crossing #
against a rapid transit syste™
protests are mounting. Mone
night a delegation represent? 4
the North Shore Transportall?
Committee appeared before
District Council opposing
third crossing. It present
brief along with a 1000-nam
petition, gathered in six hours;
oppose the crossing and favor’
a rapid transit system. The 1c
gation demanded a publ
referendum on the issue WH!“
the council rejected.

In Vancouver, the Communist
Party’s city secretary willia®™
Turner said the crucial momé
has arrived when the decision |
freeways or rapid transit ¥
have to be decided. He called ‘ld
the public to flood local coun¢!
with the demand for action 2°
for rapid transit— not freeway*

on