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LABOR

By FRED WILSON

The declaration of Expo last weekend as an “economic development project” under Section 73:1 of the new Labor Code has qualitatively changed labor relations in B.C.

Its significance extends far ‘beyond the current issues on the Expo site, for with this action the Socred government has for the first time introduced a form of right- to-work legislation.

Section 73:1 was the one section of the new Labor Code that was not proclaimed with the rest of the act five months ago. The government opted instead to hold it over the heads of the labor movement like a club.

With the proclamation of the section

an économic development project under

ished the contractual rights of Building Trades workers to refuse to work with non- union labor, and thereby outlawed union security.

In a factory situation union security is protected by collective agreements which stipulate that all workers employed shall be members of the union, or where the

and the subsequent declaration of Expo as-

the Labor Code, the government has abol- .

Rand formula is in effect, that all workers employed shall pay union dues, whether they opt to'join or not. This elementary principle prevents employers from elimi- nating union organization merely by hir- ing anti-union workers, and forcing unions to reorganize constantly.

In the construction industry a different situation prevails because of the wide- spread use of sub-contractors and the segregated use of the various building trades. Various workers are constantly

’ arriving on site and leaving. The non- affiliation clause in the BuildingTrades’

_ contracts with the major employers has the same impact as the closed shop agree- mentin a factory. It states that if any of the employers, the general contractor or any sub-contractor, hires workers who do not belong to the building trades union, the unions have the right to stop work.

Section 73:1 of the code now states that no union or worker on an economic

. development project, regardless of their contractual rights, shall have the right “to ’ do or to omit to do anything” in respect of the non-affiliation clause. This means that any contractor may hire as many or as few unionized or non-union workers and

Govt imposes its right-to-work’ law on Trades

unionized workers must continue to work. This is clearly a form of right-to-work legislation which in some U.S. states has made all closed shops illegal. ;, Proclamation of the section and its first: use at Expo has qualitatively changed labor relations in B.C. because the cabinet

- now has the unilateral power to eliminate

union security at any time and in any work place.

Although the act presently defines eco- nomic development projects in terms of “construction or related activity” the prin- ciple of the legislation is applicable to all industries. The declaration of an economic development project eliminates contractu- ral rights, the new Labor Code reads, with

regard to “a collective agreement by which”

the employer agrees that employees within the bargaining unit covered by the collec- tive agreement are not required to work in association with persons who are not members of (a) the trade union represent- ing the bargaining unit, or (b) another trade union contemplated by the collective agreement.” How long will it be before those or similar restrictions are placed on union organizations in other sectors of the economy?

If proclaiming Section 73:1 accom plishes anything at the Expo site, it at least clarifies that the Socred cabinet is and has _ been making all the significant decisions — relating to Expo’s relations with the build-— ing trades. The minutes of the Expo Board that the Socreds were so terrified would | become public once turned over to the Labor Relations Board, undoubtedl would have, told a dramatic story 0 scheming, plotting union busting and pub- — lic manipulation.

Roy Gautier’s demand for a publi : inquiry into the labor relations at Expo is ~ timely; surely people have a right to kno what the government’s and Expo’s real agenda is.

However, the imposition of a right-to- work zone on the Expo site requires more | than political demands for inquiries or — statements of protest from the B.C. Fed- eration of Labor. For if the preceden established at Expo is not met with strong — political and economic defiance, it could | be the foot in the door for the Socreds and | the major employers to cripple and ulti- _ mately destroy the power of the trad union. movement.

While the incidence of wage and benefit concessions has been less widespread in Canada than in the U.S., there are certain signs that Canadian trade unionists are going to Have to be more vigilant and more united in their opposition to concessionary demands in the weeks and months ahead.

Current bargaining between the Cana- dian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post, the present strikes between Canada Packers, Burns Meats and the Uni- ted Food and Commercial Workers, and current bargaining between the United Auto Workers and the auto makers, all point to strong pressures by management for-concessions.

This underlines the need for the labor movement to unite and stand firm against

concessions and takebacks and to join with this the fight for substantial wage increases and benefits.

On July 3, CUPW embarked on the first round of negotiations with Canada Post as a Crown corporation.

This brings to an end the two-year period during which CUPW members were denied their rights to collective bargaining by Bill C-124, the legislation which arbitrarily extended the existing contract to Sept. 30 of this year.

In the new round of bargaining, CUPW is demanding a reduction in working time, with no loss of pay, a job-creation program and a real wage increase, coupled with COLA that fully covers the cost of living.

However, in this round, the employer has submitted more demands than the union and the majority of them constitute regres-

sive concessions and rollbacks of one form

“

or another, some of them major.

In the U.S., anger is. growing in labor’ = ranks at the postmaster-general’s decision to hire George Tichy, an infamous union-

busting consultant, to direct the Reagan

administration’s drive to force a “two-tier” wage-cut on 600,000 postal workers.

The American Postal Workers Union set up informational picket lines at all major

post offices the week of Aug. 13 to mobilize

support for their struggle. By a 60-per cent margin, Canada Packers

workers in 10 cities across Canada, rejected ~

a recommended company offer and went on strike July 30.

The tentative contract would have a wages for two years, meant that new hires would have to start at $3 an hour below the current starting rate, and other concessions in existing contract language.

-In 1983, Canada Packers slashed 960 jobs, closed down beef and hog kill opera- tions in Toronto, claiming they were losing money. Yet when it came time to tally prof- its the company had made a healthy $26 million.

- About 1,100 Burns Meats workers have been on strike for 10 weeks, in addition to the 3,700.Canada Packers strikers, and are

fighting against essentially the same conces- _

sion pressures to drive down wages.

GM, Ford and Chrysler have also warned they will be looking for significant conces- sions during this round of bargaining, but with the industry booming and record

profit gains being recorded, the UAW has _

rejected profit-sharing and is looking for shorter work time, higher pensions and a substantial wage increase.

Recently, economists in North America have been arguing that a major factor con- tributing to the persistence of high unem- ployment levels has been a refusal on the part of organized labor to permit a suffi- cient ~ downward aepstent of real wages.”

The average increase in the first quarter of 1984 was 3.9 per cent, as compared with 12.8 per cent two years earlier, and this

Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5. Phone 251-1186

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|am enclosing tyr. $140 Sys $250 -6 mo. $380 Foreign 1 yr. $200. Bill me later 0 Donation.

READ THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOR

8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 29, 1984

JST. THINK MAKC US , 2,000 YEARS FROM Now THEY'LL BE ‘OFFERING WAGE - Cuts FOR WHAT we've ALREADY

likely will be the eighth ca eetes year ofa decline in the purchasing power of Cana- dian wages,

Since 1977, real wages, that is nominal wages adjusted for inflation, have fallen by a total of 12. per cent.

This would appear tobea significant and

“sufficient downward adjustment” by anyone’s standards and shows that the real pressures for concessions and wage restraint have been taking their toll.

The Officers’ Report to United Flectrical 39th Convention, held last’ April in Toronto, tackled the question of wage res- traints and concessions and placed the ques- tion this way:

“In January of this year, Business Week

- magazine proudly announced that ‘the

phenomenal run of labor concessions is over.’ Their point was that wage increases had been beaten down so much in the U.S. that it was inconceivable that the demand for concessions would continue. “Apparently, they have lost touch with their main constituency — big business

'— which seems to have gained confidence

from its concessions fight to continue press- ing for more concessions, not fewer.

**An excellent case is the Greyhound bus company which recently succeeded in

imposing a 14-per cent reduction in wages

and benefits on its 12,700 workers in a US.

“What is notable about this case is that there was no economic excuse for. Grey- hound’s actions. Unlike Chrysler in 1979,

"be: no concessions. Our job is to fight @ ‘

Greyhound could not claim it was facing bankruptcy. In 1982, it made an afer profit of $19.3 million, and its conglomer parent made an after-tax profit a $103-million. . . p “Nevertheless, Greyhound ‘argues ter with deregulation, it needed to becom competitive with smaller. non-union D -and airline companies. “The dishonesty of this argument shoul be apparent, for the effect of deregulati on over the long run is to concentrate © nomic power in the hands of the biggest companies at the expense of the small ones. .

eFivplovert are attempting to grind the working class down — to get all they cat while the getting is goad. With the economy y depressed for workers, with unemploy continuing at double-digit levels, wi the dominant ideology being that unionized workers must sacrifice to help competitt ut ness, with governments only too willing © intervene against workers, we must ex continuing onslaught on the collective gaining front.

“Tt is important to be aware that oi sions are not just taking the form of wae, freezes and reductions and a weakening is workplace rights. 4

“A demand, which is becoming wide spread in the USS., is for a two-tier W system.

“Under © oe a program, all ne employees would be paid at lower rates than existing employees — meaning W*, two workers, working side-by-side # doing the same job, could be receiving iy ferent rates of pay.

_ “The two-tier demand is an attemp take workers back to the conditions bel@ industrial unions, to undercut the solidat’’ and collective approach which has been trade union movement's greatest streng™

“While a wage freeze is a concession Hi" must be fought, a two or more tiered wage

system permanently divides workers i undermines the whole basis of trade unionism.

“Our response to any attempt to tale away or undercut what we have won mt ©

improve the lot of workers, and that is w™ we must do.”

This article, slightly edited, is from the -Aug. 27 issue of ue UE News. se