Barron, Tickson challenge Ney

NANAIMO — Labor backed candidates in Nanaimo are Presenting a stiff challenge to the rule of mayor Frank Ney and the city’s real estate establishment in the current

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regime in Nanaimo ©

and owner of Nanaimo In- vestment Company, is the single largest landowner in the district. A majority of aldermen

on city council are directly or

indirectly linked to his real estate empire.

Barron’s main campaign plank would see a reduction of municipal expenditures on land held by real estate promoters.

a, ‘municipalities was written by

municipal election campaign.

Retired pilot Pat Barron is challenging Ney for the Mayoralty position with a pledge to clean out real estate control of city hall. Barron has

€n endorsed by the Nanaimo and District Labor Council, along with incumbent alderman Nelson Allen, a teacher running in Ward four, and.Jack Little, a B.C. Hydro worker, who was elected by acclamation in Ward 2. Fisherman Walter Tickson has the council’s support in his bid for school board.

Little’s election was secured when IWA delegate Joe Lychak stepped down ina show of unity to ensure a solid left wing vote against the incumbent, Alex Virostoko. Sensing defeat, Virostko pulled out of the race just prior to the close of nominations and instead filed nomination for the mayor’s job. Observers note that Virostko’s move was with the blessing of Ney and is intended to split votes away from Barron and ensure the mayor’s re-election.

The developers, and not the city, should pay for the ex- tension of services necessary

WALTER TICKSON . . . UFAWU member running with Pat Bar- ron and Nelson Allen to end real estate control of Nanaimo city council. :

“Ney, a real estate magnate

for real estate -promotion, he argues. .

Barron’s campaign com- mittee points out that with a population of 40,000 people, Nanaimo has one of the largest civic budgets on Vancouver Island, about $67 million in 1978- 1979, and a further $120 million in capital expenditures are planned over the next five

’ years. The vast majority of the

extra money being spent in Nanaimo goes to providing services to the land holdings of real estate developers.

Running for school board, United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union executive board member Walter Tickson is also secretary of Barron’s campaign committee. Tickson’s platform calls for the removal

. of school taxes from homes, and

for reversing a previous Board decision to support provincial funding for independent schools.

Tickson has also attacked the Board for its decision in en- dorsing the hiring of a US. citizen as president of Malaspina College, Nanaimo’s community college. The presidency of the College should be filled by a Canadian, Tickson said, rejecting the premise that education is international.

“education must reflect our national peculiarities and needs, or else we won't last as * an independent country,”’ he said.

Tribal council to co-ordinate land claim struggle

PRINCE GEORGE — About 100 delegates from 18 tribal groups and various Native political organization met here last weekend and agreed to establish an aboriginal council to co-ordinate land claims negotiations with the provincial and federal governments.

The council will be made up of representatives from the - 21 tribal groups in B.C. and from three of the major Native organizations, the United Native Nations, the Alliance of Indian Bands and the Native Brotherhood of B.C. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, however, is reportedly not participating in the new council.

Also in Prince George, the Prince George and District Labor Council last week en- dorsed the candidacies of aldermanic candidate Earl Mattanley and school board’ candidate Frank Logan for the November 18 municipal elec- tion. Logan is president of an NDP constituency association and a_telecommunications worker. ~

Alberni labor council president

seeks election

PORT ALBERNI — The Port Alberni Labor Council has

a

thrown its support behind labor council president Walter Behn and secretary Terry Thompson in their bid for aldermanic seats on Port Alberni municipal council. Thompson is running for a first time, but Behn sat on council 1975-1977 before being edged out in a close vote. Both were endorsed by the labor council at its regular meeting of October 10.

The main issues in Port. Alberni are centered on taxation and the gross un- der assessment of the giant MacMillan Bloedel industries which dominate the district.

The giant forest company owns two sawmills, a plywood plant, a pulp mill and operates three

logging camps, Sproat, Cameron and Franklin divisions, all within Port Alberni.

In addition to the under- assessment of MacMillan Bloedel’s property, the com- pany is not taxed for its machinery values. Under the B.G; Assessment Act, machinery. is assessed for school tax purposes, but it is exempt for municipal general revenues purposes. An issue in all B.C. municipalities, it is particularly important in Alberni because of the massive values in heavy machinery owned by MacMillan Bloedel.

Employers Council linked to GVRD scheme

That has long been an objective of the Employers’ Council and Lanskail was for years a key figure in it, Stair said. “The Employers’ Council is not a disinterested party in this,” he said, ‘“They see it as an important step towards holding down public sector wages and benefits.”’

Lanskail is now a West Van- couver alderman and a member of the GVRD’s task force on labor relations, chaired by Richmond mayor Gil Blair. But Stair said that he has relable information that the report recommending 4a

A Greater VAncouver Regional District task force report aimed at securing an accreditated em- ployer’s council of GVRD

former Forest Industrial Relations director Don Lanskail, CUPE regional director Len Stair told the Tribune Wednesday.

The task force report, vigorously opposed by CUPE members, would see municipal councils give up autonomy to bargain with municipal employees to an ac- creditated employers council under the auspices of the GVRD.

Gur circulation drive needs your help - now

The Tribune’s fall circulation drive is almost half finished, and although we are pleased to report that already 67 new subscribers have been signed up, we are also concerned that there are less new subs, and less renewals in than at the same Point in the drive last year.

You remember that last year we pulled in 187 new subs and about 600 renewals over the 10 week drive. This year we in- tend to better; but to date we have only 67 new subs and 221 renewals. That is 14 less new subs and 74 less renewals than last year at this time.

We’re convinced that we can easily sell the 200 new subs we want by December 22. And we know that almost all of our Subscribers whose subs come due in this period will renew. But it won’t happen by itself. Please, give us a few moments of your time this week and help make our circulation drive a success.

creditation that was adopted by the task force was authored by Lan- skail and GVRD director of labor relations, Graham Leslie.

‘“The important question to ask is what is it that Lanskail and Leslie are after,” Stair said, ‘“We have had joint bargaining for years, and it has worked fine.”

“What they want to do is to remove the autonomy of individual councils to ratify agreements and put this power into the hands of a centralized employers’ bargaining group. They would then be in a position to lock out the municipal work force without going back to council for ratification. That is what he really wants.”

The task force report will go before nine municipal councils in the GVRD for approval before the end of November. Burnaby council unanimously rejected the scheme last Monday, noting the harmful impact on labor relations that an

accreditated employers’ group produced in the Okanagan.

The GVRD report holds out what Stair called ‘‘a carrot on a stick”’ with a proposition that any council could withdraw from _ the bargaining group after two rounds of bargaining. ‘“‘You have to read between the lines on this,” Stair

' warned, “The point is that the

council could withdraw subject to Labor Relations Board approval. And the policy of the Labor Relations Board is not to let in- dividual employers opt out of the group on the basis that a com- munity of interest has been established.”

It is still uncertain whether a majority of councils will accept the task force report, Stair said, but CUPE is taking no chances. A union delegation will argue against the move before each of the municipal councils, he said, and at

‘the same time take the issue to the

public.

Nurses feel weight of Bill 92

About 2,500 registered and psychiatric nurses in B.C. are feeling the weight of the provincial government’s essential service legislation.

' With an aggressive bargaining position by the Government Employees Relations Bureau demanding cutbacks in long standing union conditions and benefits, the nurses were forced to send unresolved issues to binding arbitration under terms of the Essential Services Disputes Act.

‘We're fingered,” Psychiatric Nurses’ Association spokesman Bill Ross told the Tribune Tuesday, “Technically we have the right to strike, but that right has been blunted and it hardly exists.”” The nurses are classified as an essential service in the legislation.

The last contract was signed 18 months ago after the nurses voted 95 percent for strike action, but in the interim the Essential Services Act has intervened on the govern- ment’s behalf, Ross said.

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COMING EVENTS

NOV. 4 — Celebrate the October Revolution, Novemberf4 at 6:30 p.m., Sunnyside Hall, 154 St. and 18 Ave., Surrey. Admission $6. a South Fraser . Region,

NOV. 5 — Don’t miss the Concert- Meeting on the occasion of the anniversary of the Russian Revolution with guest speaker William Kashtan, Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m., Templeton Auditorium, 727 Templeton, Van. Concert program: Spare Change, Tom Hawken and George Hewison. Child care provided.

Following the meeting a light supper social will be held bet- ween 4:30 and 7 p.m. at the Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Hot meal and refreshments. Supper $4 per plate, $2.50 children under 12. Everyone invited. Both events spons. by the Greater Vancouver Regional Cttee., CPC.

NOV. 11 — DO YOU KNOW KAPPLER? — a documentary film about the resurgence of fascism in West Germany, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 535 E. Broadway — 8 p.m., $2.50 DO YOU REMEMBER? (Please note address E. Broadway).

NOV. 13 — “‘The New Cuba” slide presentation by author, lecturer Philip Russell, Britannia Centre, Room L2. Coffee, collection. Ausp. Canadian Cuban Friend- ship Association.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE--November 3, 1978—Page 11

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