ee ae re ee ee

Ignorant of content, but okays pact

—VERNON, B.C. “the Atlantic Sel

mean

Declaring that curity Pact could well Canada’s death warrant,” Bruce

Mickleburg, labor. editor of the Pacific Tribune told a Vernon au- dience that “no member of parlia- ment has any right to support such a pact when not fully informed on ali its implications.”

In reply to charges made by the Vernon LPP club that the Atlantic Pact was “an instrument of ag- gression,” O. L: Jones, MP, (CCF- Yale), had written to the effect that “. . . while a great deal has been said for and against the pact, the information given generally to the public does not give the whole picture, but with the information so given, it seems to me that we have no alternative at the present time, providing the pact is a de- fensive one.”

®

“With millions of lives at stake,” said Mickleburgh, “we cannot ac- cept this complacent willingness on the part of CCF leaders to adopt

- secret clauses behind the backs of

the people.

“The only reason for parading the pact as a defensive measure,” stated Mickleburgh, “and for keeping certain clauses secret, is because they are designed to com- mit Canada in advance to ag- gressive war across the seas un- der command of our govern- ment’s bosses in Washington.”

Many CCF workers are becoming disturbed at the confusion prevail- ing among top-level spokesmen on such vital questions as the Marshall Plan and the Atlantic Pact.

Back in its November 1948 ses- sion the B.C. provincial council of the CCF is reported to have re-

. jected endorsation of the Atlan- tic Pact by a vote of 38 to 2. The Ontario CCYM two weks ago took similar action in a 35 to 5 vote on the pact, branding it as _ “purely military.”

Letters appearing during recent weeks in the CCF News which speak of the “wilful flouting of the democratic expression of our par- ty. . . .” would indicate that the policy statements of Coldwell, Jones and others on the Atlantic Pact and similar vital issues, “are not ap- proved by the CCF rank and file.

Mickleburgh also pointed out the fact to his audience that approxi- mately two billion dollars of the taxpayers’ money would: be absorb- ed in war preparations under pro- visions of the Atlantic Pact. “This money,” declared Mickleburgh, “could better be spent on such pro- jects as flood control, schools, housing, hospitals, health, educa- ‘tion, and for the greater develop- ment of the Okanagan Valley.”

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and hits the small taxpayer, both in

But, in the opinion of competent observers, it did not offer a satis- factory solution.

These observers point out that local elections to school boards give parents and all citizens a vital share in control over schools in any district. This is an important check on efforts of reactionary governments to use schools for mil- itarism and other retrograde polit- ical purposes. :

For Victoria to assume 100 per- cent-of school costs would give com- plete control over the purse strings, reducing local elections si a form- ality.

But majority opinion throughout the province is agreed that the time is long overdue for Victoria to assume a much larger share of school costs,

The problem in the Okanagan is roughly typical of that through- out the province.

The B.C. Teachers’ Federation has won a new round of salary in- creases in several districts. The teachers aim at 25 percent increas- es in their salary scale, with steep- er anual increases, both calculated to compensate for cost of living boosts. (They still have to surpass depression standards in terms of take-home pay).

In such districts as Kelowna and

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Civic workers fight Tory bargaining ban

—-VICTORIA.B:C.

Delegates from’ over 5,000 organized municipal employees packed

the legislature's Cedar

Room _ this

week to battle before the

municipal committee a Coalition-inspired plot to torpedo their collective

bargaining power:

United opposition of police, fire- men’s, school board employees’, outside workers’, inside staff's and other unions dismayed Mayor Percy George of Victoria. The latter, act- ing as spokesman for the Union of B.C. Municipalities, was there to argue for a proposed amendment to the Municipal Act illegalizing any wage awards brought down after February 15 of each year.

George claimed to be deeply hurt at hearing the proposal branded as “restrictive,” ‘vicious,’ -“outrage ous,” “strike-fomenting,’’ and “para- doxical.”

He began to plead that he had not been instructed to press: the question, but “merely to put it for- ward in the interests of the employ- ees.”

Opposition included employees of his own city, and he finally of-

fered to drop the whole matter.

He then tried to shift all the blame to Municipalities Minister R. C. MacDonald, notorious for his police state schemes, who last year made the proposal in the House “to help municipalities put their financial house in order.”

FRED DOUGHERTY, presi- dent of Vancouver Police Federal Union, bluntly told the commit- tee that<under the proposal coun- cils could stall till February 15, then say, “Well boys, you’ve had it. Come back next year!”

Coalition chisels on school costs to split taxpayers from ieachets

—PENTICTON, B.C.

The Okanagan Municipal Association, representing all municipalities in the Okanagan Valley, last week voted to demand that the provincial goverament pay the entire cost of public education. action was symptomatic of the continuing crisis in educational finance, a crisis that lowers school standards

This

province.

been won. Kelowna’s increase costs $5,400 this year.

But this increase—plus all other increases in school costs—comes out of the pocket of local taxpayers.

The government's contribution remains fixed because the govern- ment has reneged on the recom- mendation in the Cameron report to review its contributions to school districts in line with changing costs. The BCTF urges the govern- ment to act at once on this recom- mendation.

The Pacific Tribune has consist- ently proposed that provincial sal- ary grants be based on the BCTF’s “minimum defensible scale” (which it now seeks to enforce throughout the province) and that school main- tenance and pupil transportation egvants be increased to four-fifths. This would ease the local tax bur- den, pave the way for educational advance, and still ensure sufficient local control.

Although the Cameron Report planned for the government to pay at least 55 percent of schoo! costs, .a step towards the above goal, it is doubtful if the Coalition today pays 45 percent.

Behind the “ultra-radical”’ pro- posal of the Okanagan Municipal Association lies Tory influence aimed at using taxpayers’ griev- ances to weaken democratic control and lower school standards.

This was sharply evident in re- marks of Kelowna Alderman. J. Horn, who became president of the Association. Horn jaunched an

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anti-labor tirade against the BCTF and claimed that many teachers were “second class goods’ for which school districts were paying “a first class price.” ,

Fact is that low salaries are to blame for the staffing of hundreds ot B.C. classrooms with teachers lacking: proper academic or pro- fessional (as distinct from person- al) qualifications. Even half of the. students accepted in Normal schools do not possess required status, so great is the continuing teacher shortage.

The hard-boiled attitude of the Coalition government make it clear that only a combined effort of teachers, parents, labor, farmers, taxpayers and all friends of edu- eation can win fulfillment of min- imum obligations to our children and youth.

Other comments were as fol- lows:

JACK PHILLIPS, secretary Van- couver Local 28 (outside workers): “Our 1,500 members, plus all other civic employees, plus the Vancou- ver Trades and Labor Council, plus the Trades and Labor Congress, are against any such legislation. Some argue that municipalities are in a poor way financially. What about the financial position of civic workers?”

HUGH BIRD, chairman fire- men’s legislative committee: “Our union is always willing to’ speed up negotiations. But in Vancouver the mayor and council always de- lay. Let them bargain in good faith and there is no need of special legislation.”

ALEX TOOTH, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 213: “It is impossible to even start all negotiations by February 15. Pass this legislation if you want to, but if you do, we will lay our demands down in January, and; there will be a settlement by Feb- ruary 15—or else! Strikes are a last resort, but such a law would leave no other course.”

WILIIAM BLACK, Joint Coun- cil of Public Employees: “It would mean the end of friendly collec- tive bargaining, and leave us no alternative except the one offered by Mr. Tooth.”

ARTHUR TURNER, CCF MLA for Vancouver East, a member of the House committee, asked several questions concerning the financial plight of the municipalities.

LPP forum presents timely study topic

Three of the most prominent labor leaders.in the province will speak at the LPP Labor Forum, Sunday, March 6 at 8 p.m., in the lower hall of the Pender Auditorium.

Bill stewart, president of the B.C, Federation of Labor, Har- old Pritchett, president of the Woodworkers’ Industrial Union .of Canada, and Alex Gordon, business agent for the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union, will share the spotlight in a panel discussion. The sub- ject for discussion will be “Un- employment and the Marshall Plan.”

The speakers will go into the whole question of mounting un- employment in B.C., its funda- mental ‘underlying causes and the solution to this problem.

These labor forums provide a full opportunity for the audi- ence to express its views on the subjects under discussion.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MARCH 4, 1949 — PAGE 6