Sixteen restaurant workers at Denny's on Broadway walked out more than a week ago protesting working conditions and discriminatory

management practices.

Their picket line cut heavily into the

restaurant's trade but an injunction was brought down under Bill 43

preventing them from further pick

page.

etting. See labor council story this

—Sean Griffin photo

City Communists call for full ward system

‘A ward, or area system of representation in civic government is sorely needed in Vancouver. There is widespread support for it, said Communist leader Nigel Morgan this week.

“Area representation will broaden the base of civic govern- ment. It will strengthen demo- cracy. It is a sure way of weak- ening the stranglehold of special interests — (the real estate sharks, land developers and corporate interests) — at City Hall. For toolong have the work- ing class sections of our city been neglected and blighted by representatives of powerful monied interests who have had

HYDRO

Cont'd from pg. 1

The Socred government con- stantly cried that we were faced with a shortage of hydro power in B.C. yet all the time they were exporting huge amounts of power to the U:S. for about one- sixth the price paid for electricity by B.C. residential users. Unfortunately this rip-off is still continuing and the NDP government has so far made no move to halt it.

The major corporations in B.C. which benefit from the present pricing structure of B.C. Hydro are listed in the report as being MacMillan Bloedel, Pacific Press, Lafarge Cement and Westcoast Trans- “mission.

The financial report of B.C. Hydro shows that the Socred government took over the B.C. Electric to ensure that the big corporations and their friendsin the U.S. would get large amounts of cheap power at the public’s expense’ The rate structure of B.C. Hydro was drawn up to achieve that end.

Now that we have an NDP government in Victoria the rate structure should be completely overhauled to ensure that the public gets the benefit of public ownership, and not the big corporations. Increasing the industrial rate for electricity last fall was a step in the right direction, but it didn’t go far enough.

a near monopoly on Council because of the money behind them.

‘‘A ward system,’’ he said, ‘‘will guarantee every area direct representation on Council. It will provide a better guarantee of an elected repre- sentative who knows the prob- lems because he lives in the area, can have an office in the area, and be easily reached. Alderman will be able to consult his neighborhood, report back, and develop citizen parti- cipation to help make demo- cracy function and reflect people’s needs.

‘How will it work? The Com- munist Party believes the city should be divided into a number of natural political divisions — probably in the vicinity of 18 to 20 in number. These wards should be constituted as far as possible on the basis of natural divisions, taking into account areas served by various communications media, trans- portation, shopping and busi- ness centres across the city, avoiding as far as possible concentrations of any one na- tional origin.

‘‘Wards should provide one alderman for every tén to twelve thousand electors — all equal and equally responsible— witha mayor elected at large. Talk of ‘‘modified,’’ or ‘‘partial’’ ward systems would only result in relegating ward aldermen to second class status, and keeping things essentially as they presently are— unsatisfactory.

“The Communist Party stands four square for a full ward sys- tem. It will appear before the coming public hearings to argue its. case,’ concluded Morgan.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1973—PAGE 12.

The drive to organize the un- organized, particularly those in the service industries received new impetus from delegates to the Vancouver and _ District Labor Council Tuesday night.

Representatives of waitresses at Denny’s restaurant who were fired after walking off the job had met with the council’s executive earlier Tuesday and got the full backing of the coun- cil in their dispute.

In an official statement, the council stated that it ‘‘abhors the treatment of, and the low wages paid to the workers of this U.S.- based firm and the granting of

an injunction against these workers who desire decent .wages and working condi- tions.”

The council also resolved to meet with the B.C. Federation of Labor and the appropriate union — the waitresses are not yet organized—to discuss the. matter.

A further. motion presented from the floor which passed unanimously, called for a wire to be sent to attorney-general Mac- Donald and labor minister King “‘deploring the granting of an

injunction against the wait- resses.* After the injunction was

granted last Friday, the wait- -resses themselves sent a wire to King demanding an_ inves- tigation into the working condi- tions at Denny’s. They also plan a delegation to meet with King later this month.

In another action, retail clerk’s.delegate Brian Dent re- ported that a strike vote ‘‘has been taken and strike action is likely’’ at nine Shopper’s Drug Marts in the Lower Mainland.

Dent denounced the stalling of the Labor Relations Board on the certification of the union in the drug stores and pointed out that although certification had been applied for in January 1971, it was not finally granted until 1973.

Dent also pointed to the policy of the parent company, Koffler’s, of franchising stores

> by means of a paper transaction

inamovetotry and thwart union organization,

He warned of the possibility of

Striking shingleworkers at Red Band Mill have been on strike since June, 1972.

-giving full

to assist unorganized

scab operation and company newspaper campaigns and called for the full*support of the labor movement in the immi- nent strike. ‘‘We are at a cross- roads in organizing white collar workers,’ he said ‘‘and full support is needed.”’

Delegates endorsed a motion support to. the workers of the huge drug chain.

Another attempt by Labor Minister King to solicit the participation of the council ina conference of labor and manage- ment to discuss labor legis- lation received a justifiably cool response from delegates.

Replying to King’s request for two delegates to be sent to a conference in April, the Council recommended that it examine approaches to the conference with. the B.C. Federation of Labor before naming any delegates. ‘‘If, infact, we name anybody,’ council president Syd Thompson added.

King also came under fire from. CUPE delegate Jack Phillips who noted that an equal number of delegates had been invited from the reactionary Christian Labor Association.

“The best guarantee this government has of defeating those who want tounseat themis to gain the support of the work- ing people,’’ Phillips declared,

‘‘and the best guarantee of the . support is to remove the an labor legislation imme ately.” a He warned that King® ve | calcitrance could well be Hy decisive factor in workt people losing faith in the gov ment. e| A featured speaker ve council meeting .was ae | Vautour, organization rat | tary for the Canadian Peace . gress who is in Vancouve sto | participate in the “New Way? World Peace’ conference ae day.

She thanked delegates for in ing her.to speak to thelt wet | ing and noted proudly that * herself was a delegate © Metro Toronto labor council @ had been for many years.

She emphasized thal A cording to several sources: | position of the Canadian got ment taken during the Co | mas bombing was of dec importance in bringing abou" ceasefire. :

“World peace will never firmly established until all we ing people take up the Ate she said. She urged al] deler ig to come to the Saturday, oi ference and become acl”

the peace movement: |

Labor federation pledges

support to shingle weavers |

A pledge of full support for the striking IWA members at Red Band and Huntting-Merrit Shingle mills followed in the wake of a meeting of union leaders representing most of the unions in the Vancouver area held Tuesday.

The two mills have been on Strike since last summer seeking a thirty hour week and the elimination of piecework. The six hour day was established in the U.S. shingle industry in 1938. -

Labor federation secretary Ray Haynes in announcing the pledge of support stated that strike is being prolonged by the forest industry which is being

dragged, kicking and scr mo! | into the twentieth century: rate

shingle workers in the U.» fol

enjoyed the 30 hour wee care and yet B.C. workers d forced to strike to win this raat “The Federation has jus’ another financial donation a strikers and we intend 10 the local union in every oo! possible to put more press™ ji) MacMillan and Bloede wt Canadian Forest Products iil them back to the bar? table,”’ he said. A i Local 217 of the IW di? presently being sued by cant at Forest Products for ch@ arising out of the dispute.

vk oh Sean Griffin?