Union targets Slade & Stewart —

Wednesday, January 30, 1985

Newsstand Price 40° Vol. 48, No. 4

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Protest momentum

grows as students

Out campaigning in downtown Vancouver, Bruce Yorke stops to talk with Vancouver school students and teachers Jan. 24 as the hectic byelection campaign moved into the home stretch. The last week has seen the COPE—Unity campaign reach all across the city with a seven-day a week phone canvass and door- knocking, a major advertising blitz and the participation of hundreds of volunteers. The unprecedented unity among trade unionists, community activists, New Democrats and long time COPE members was capped

by a gala unity banquet where unionists, NDP MLAs and community leaders reaffirmed their support for Yorke’s bid for re-election. But whatever the achievements so far, Yorke warned, everything depends on turning out the vote on election day Feb. 2. Story, Rankin column page 2.

TRIBUNE PHOTO — DAN KEETON

set action program

The campaign against the Social Credit government's cuts to school board budgets gathered new momentum this week as stu- dents from secondary schools all over Van- couver mapped plans to hold a “black day for education” sit-in Wednesday while par- ents, trustees, teachers and support staff from all school districts on Vancouver Island met. in Nanaimo to demand that the Socreds end education cuts and restore local school board autonomy.

The two meetings coincided with the release-in. Vancouver of.a survey showing that 72.7 per cent.of parents of school age children in the city oppose education cuts. The study, commissioned last year by a then right-wing-dominated school board was carried out Nov. 28 before the campaign against budget cuts got underway, suggest- ing that opposition would be even more massive today.

Throughout the week, there were a var- iety of expressions of the mounting opposi- tion to education restraint, the most dramatic being walkouts by secondary school students in Kitimat and in several Vancouver schools.

In Vancouver, the walkouts began at Point Grey Secondary on the city’s west side and spread to other schools as students used the tactic most readily available to voice their anger against the increases in class size and loss of programs that budget cuts would inevitably bring.

Although on the second day, the walk- outs were often more spontaneous than a conscious form of protest — in many cases, fire alarms were tripped to bring students out — the actions nevertheless underscored the frustration of students at the refusal of the government to respond to the demand throughout the community for more money for school boards.

One student, speaking to an assembly at Point Grey, voiced what has become a common theme, telling students: ““They’re putting money into Expo but there’s none for our education.”

Still, concern that the walkouts would alienate community support sparked action by student councils at all 18 secondary schools across Vancouver. They met last Friday to reject further walkouts and to devise alternative actions that would give “‘more constructive outlets” to the students’ protest.

see ISLAND page 3

on’t ratify salmon treaty,’ gov’t told

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