Railworkers outline demands

Nationalize the CPR

TORONTO — The Toronto and District Railway Workers Council has submitted a circular letter to all Railway Workers Councils outlining the demands of the council and soliciting a response of the other councils. The letter, in part reads:

If Railway Workers Councils are to function to their full po- tential we must co-ordinate our efforts. The only way we can do this is to exchange views frank- ly with each other. Please let us know honestly what you think of our proposals. They are as follows:

1) To strive for the formation of an all-in Canadian Federation of Railway Workers in Canada, which should include, eventual- ly, workers in all sections of transport.

2) To communicate with all transportation workers in an ef- fort to formulate plans which will compel the Federal Govern-

What justification can there _be for the multi-billion dollar in- crease in the price of oil? The cost of producing a barrel of oil at the well-head is still $3.80. Canada is an oil exporter, and the profits made by the oil com- panies have been nothing short of phenomenal. Surely, no’ one will suggest that the oil indus- try does not have the resources needed to undertake exploration and development. of new re- sources needed to undertake ex-

BY BRUCE MAGNUSON

>

ploration and development of

new resources. If the private oil companies are unwilling or unable to do so, the ownership and control of the ° industry should be taken out of private hands.

With proper planning Canada can be self-sufficient in energy resources. But for this to happen there must be integrated national energy policy. There is no rea- son or justification for a 70% price hike in the price of oil. This is holding the Canadian people up to ransom to guaran- tee super profits for the oil car- tel. It is a plot carried out be- hind the backs of people of this country, who are being deprived of both resources and buying power. The action taken by Prime Minister Trudeau and all Provincial Premiers wil increase both uemployment and inflation.

Index Will Sky-Rocket

Where are all the political knights in their shining armor who have long proclaimed their firm resolve to “do _ battle against inflation”?

Why their silence now, when finding themselves unable to blame labor for the inflationary spiral?

There is simply no way they can pin his 70% increase in oil price on wages paid to labor. But when the chain reaction of this huge inflationary price in- crease finds its way all down the line of prices on everyday commodities, the price index will sky-rocket.

This will come on top of a 56% increase in cost of food, a 55% average increase in_ shelter costs, and nearly 100% increase

‘in the cost of good quality .

clothing over the past three years. :

ment to adopt a new transporta- tion policy acceptable to all transportation workers.

3) To pressure vigorously for

public ownership of the whole transportation system in Can- ada, (a) nationalization of the Canadian Pacific Railway, (b) pressuring the Federal Govern- ment to declare transportation a vital public necessity to the general welfare, and that no in- dividual group be permitted to exploit such a vitally necessary part of our social structure for private profit.

4) To pressure federal mem- bers of parliament to amend railway legislation to (a) permit equal representation of railway workers with those drawn from industry and agriculture, to serve on the board of directors, thus ensuring the democratic public ownership of the Cana- dian National Railway (b) to change the financial policy of the CNR and cancel payments

to holders of bonds in perpetu- ity.

5) To launch a strong legisla- tive program on a national scale to amend the Federal Labor Dis- putes Act, to provide railway and other transportation work- ers full and equal collective bar-

aining rights, b degela- . < Bae vane) pesca . 19,300 workers, the company

tions of union members organ- ized to visit local members of pareve (b) prepare from

etters being distributed to all

union members for mailing to their member of parliament.

6) To continually strive to bring -about’a more militant at- titude in our own existing unions, urging them to adopt policies and programs likely to create more interest and parti- cipation among the members, designed to replace apathy with militancy, expediency with re- solution.

7) To - vigorously campaign against acceptance of voluntary arbitration in any form.

Wks Another rip-off to stoke intlation

Working men and women of Canada! Measure your wage in- creases over the past three years against this jump in the cost of living and you have a clear picture of how far you lag behind in real buying power:

Another way of looking at it is to compare the buying power of your dollar with what it was in 1949, Relative to 25 years ago your dollar. today is worth about 32 cents, and it could drop below 20 cents before the end of this year..

Billion on Armaments

We are. told this week that bungalows, built on 40-foot lots under a co-operative agreement between the city of Kitchener

and private builders have risen

in price from $22,100 last year, to $35,770 now. This shows that cost of shelter—which has long since passed beyond the citi- zen’s pocket book in Toronto— is rising everywhere. Where is it all going to end? That is what everyone is aSking. Is it true that there is ‘no escape from inflation, that nothing can be done? Is it an act of God? If not, who and what is responsible for prices running wild?

In the past 25 years, mem- bers of NATO have spent nearly $200-billion dollars ($200,000,- 000,000) on armaments. A pure waste for which no values have been created. In that time Cana- da has spent close of $50-billion on its military establishment. Canadian troops overseas, for- eign troops training in Canada, U.S. nuclear arms on Canadian military bases; all of this at public expense. And the arms budget, which is $2,143-million dollars is to be increased to over $3-billion by 1979, or an increase of close to 50%.

Immediate Needs

Militarism and corporate pro- fits are the basic reasons for in- flation. Both of these evils, plus large scale speculation in land and other commodities, arise out of a monopoly stranglehold over our economy. The so-called control-mechanism of supply and demand has long since ceased to operate in our eco- nomic system. Monopoly price- fixing has taken over.

What is needed immediately — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1974—PAGE 8

is to bring wages in line with living costs; to roll back prices, rents, and interest rates to what they were in January 1973 and

beyond; a $3 minimum wage,:

along with a retirement pension of $250 per month, starting at 60 years of age, for all Cana-

‘dians, plus a guaranteed an-

nual income as a right, and; an indexation of all welfare and transfer payments to keep them in line with rising living costs.

Prices on food, fuel, housing and rents, must be rolled back

and frozen by legislative action.

Housing made a public utility and the land taken out of the hands of the speculators.

The military budget ‘should

be cut by at least 50%, instead of the other way around. The money saved should be used for needed social expenditures, par- ticularly in the areas of housing,

‘health and education:

All federal and provincial sales taxes should be abolished on all of life’s necessities, par- ticularly as it relates to food, clothing and shelter.

Instead, a 100% excess profit tax should be imposed, along with a 100% rate of taxation on capital gains, realized or unrealized.

It is measures such as these that are proposed and fought for by the Communist Party, and which are more and: more coming to the fore as. demands of the trade union movement

and other peoples’ democratic

organiaztions.

The people are fed up and angry about being ripped off and robbed by the corporate elite and its political errand boys at all governmental levels. A few Communists in Parliament would strengthen the fight-back.

Total stock of honey held in

‘Canada on December 31, 1973,

amounted to 23.7 million pounds compared to 23.0 million pounds on the same date a year earlier.

“The fate of millions should be in the hands of millions and not millionaires” . . . Appeal of Hamburg GCP Congress to Working People of FRG.

CHRYSLER ANNOUNCES

MORE SHUTDOWNS DETROIT — .Chrysler Corp.

announced it will shut down

_ four U.S. plants for periods

ranging from one to two weeks next month because of con- tinued declines in car sales,

The closings will idle. some

said.

The company still has 12,500 workers on indefinite layoffs be- cause of the industry-wide sales slump. At Chrysler, sales are down nearly 20% from year- earlier levels.

3-WEEK HOLIDAYS AFTER ONE YEAR

REGINA — Saskatchewan’s new labor legislation giving em- ployees three weeks holidays after one year on the job was given royal assent Thursday af- ternoon.

The bill, amendments to the Labor Standards Act, was one of

- 35° given royal assent by Lt.

Gov. Stephen Worobetz.

ATOMIC ENGINEERS SEEK CERTIFICATION

TORONTO — About 270 nu- clear scientists and engineers employed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., at Sheridan Park, Ont., haVe asked the Canada Labour Relations Board to cer- tify the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates as their bargaining agents Among the employees are those who helped design Candu, the coun- try’s basic nuclear reactor.

CLC GIVES UP ON BLUE-COLLAR DRIVE

OTTAWA — The Canadian Labor Congress has given up on an attempt to mount a blue-col- lar worker organizing campaign through donations solicited from affiliated unions.

The ‘congress announced the campaign last year and contrib- uted $50,000 to a special organ- izing fund, while requesting affiliates to make their own fi- nancial input.

But a congress spokesman Said that only $9,000 had come from affiliates — nowhere near enough to mount an effective campaign. The $9,000 will be re-

turned to the contributing affi- liates,

QUEBEC INCREASES MINIMUM WAGE QUEBEC — Labor Minister Jeén Cournoyer announced the frovincial minimum wage will ke increased to $2.10 from $1.85 ‘an hour effective May 1. , The minimum wage was al- ready scheduled to rise to $2 May 1 but numerous citizen

lion bushels annually).

QUEBEC—City drivers marched on the Quebec legislatur “ week to generate public sympathy for their strike. The 400

who have been on strike since March 9, conducted the Pe? hour-long demonstration outside the assembly building.

groups and labor bodies de- manded an immediate re to $2.50 to help low-salari workers meet the rising living.

STEELWORKERS WANT 1 A CHANGE IN RAIDING : VICTORIA The Unit nd ae: Steelworkers of America callet for a change in the new ing labor «code to prevent raid applications in the seven j =lahth months of a labor cog tract. id The Steelworkers, involved, a a controversial raiding cas¢ "i the Canadian Association of

dustrial, Mechanical an Ae Workers, suggested the be

season” for union raiding ths: changed to the last two mo of a contract.

UAW ASKS FOR A HALT ON IMPORTS at WASHINGTON — The bee} 10 Auto Workers asked Congres a restrict imports of foreign u pe because of the energy short’ UAW President Leonst 2 Woodcock told the Seni out nance committee hate A t import quota» _ United States. automobile ine a try may face economic disa' ot | “For UAW members in ant ticular, the energy sho nore brought about a situation

e disastrous than anything 0 the Great Depression, cock testified.

THREAD WORKERS

END 3-MONTH STRIKE MONTREAL—Striking Toad ers at the J. and P. Coats thre io 4. manufacturing plant yee ie accept company offers, 1). the strike which began Jam % The 250 workers voted 10?

posals which will ve 98-cent-hourly wage inc we | a two-year agreement. ; 5.80 |

wage before the strike Wa

an hour, | —————

Canada to sell e |

wheat to frag

The Canadian Wheat Be ‘a announced. the conclusict “9 long-term agreement wie gale Grain Board of Iraq for t cnele | and purchase of Canadian oat over a three-year perio . maths my

The agreement, which Me the first direct relationsIuP, at

the Canadian

-

a maximum of 300,000 q mil tons each year (3.7 to 1!