Drug epidemic in

By WILLIAM ALLAN

DETROIT — Out at Chrys- ler’s Jefferson Avenue plant here, last summer the young workers, Black and white walk- ed off the assembly lines, when the heat in the shop soared past 120 degrees.

This reporter talked to a group of them at that time and they said another grievance was how workers were being exploited by drug pushers and how Chrysler Corporation wasn’t doing anything, because they were getting production. Also the workers claimed then that drug users, would go to first aid and get a pill and come back and be “high,” working in a frenzy on the line, endanger- ing others, also pushing up pro- duction.

Now, Don Bostic, one of the rank and file leaders in that “heat” strike last July, talks about the need to take a hard look at drug speedup in the shops. He charges in-the-shop drug taking has reached the epidemic stage — shooting hero- in, swallowing amphetamines at the water fountain, sniffing co- caine, cooking up a dose of heroin in the washroom, some- times passing out for lack of a fix—all this is now common- place at Chrysler Jefferson plant.

Said Bostic: “We know it, management knows it, you can get just about any kind of drug you want these days in the shop, all you have to do is ask, ‘where is the bag?”

Bostic said if this widespread use of drugs were the end of the problem, some might want to live with it for some time (the United National Caucus in Chrysler, of which he is one of the leaders — a_ progressive group, doesn’t take that stand).

Problems Multiply

He continues, “but the use of drugs by the workers has many: other dangerous tentacles. It destroys working-class solidar- ity. It reduces your fellow work- ers, good human beings, into ro- bots. It creates antagonism be- tween workers, it brings crim- inals into the shop, it breaks up families, it increases crime and vice in the shop where we work, and in the community we go home to after work.”

From his observations in the shop he drew this picture! Some- times it just starts with a $5 a day habit, which means it’s more than a day’s pay. So, he said, workers to meet this deadly habit, begin to borrow money from the loan sharks who are allowed to spring up and roam the shop unhindered, profiting from the pain and misery.

Bostic said eventually the worker reaches the point where he must leave his whole pay-

cheque at the shop to pay the.

loan shark, leaving him nothing to take home or pay expenses with. Then, Bostic said, steal- ing becomes the order of the day. He asked and answered the question, “when did all this come about? When did it start to mushroom?

Auto

War Hangover

“In 1967 young workers back from Vietnam and the rebellions in the cities against racism, poverty, slums, police brutality, brought into the shop with them all the problems from the war and the misery of their lives. Management didn’t care. The whiskey drinkers who have always been in the shops, get penalized because foremen,man- agement can smell it on their breaths.

“The drug user can only be detected when he begins to grimace with pain and sweat because he can’t get the drug.

Need Union Program

Bostic, speaking for the Unit- ed National Caucus bloc in Chrysler Jefferson plant, said the union, the United Auto Workers (UAW) does nothing on this situation, while lots of publicity is given to joint com- pany and union programs on alcoholism. He proposes a pro- gram for smashing drugs in the shops, for all rank and _ file groups to press on the UAW:

1. Talk to every young work- er who comes into the shop and explain to him or her why they shouldn’t get caught up in drugs.

2. Everyone who is not a non- user will pledge not to use.

3. We will refuse to asso- ciate with those who get the stuff, of the loan. sharks; they are assets to the company, liabilities to us. .

4. Encourage those on the stuff to kick it, we do not be- lieve in methodone, it’s piling drugs on drugs.

~ oe SS

Former GI drug addicts testify at hearings held by Vietnam Veter”, ans Against the War which exposed the military’s role in supplying drugs in Indochina. At the hearings, held in New York City last Aug: ¢ ust, vets charged that heroin and marijuana were widely availabl, and heroin was sold by CIA, Army brass, and high officials of tht 2

By DON CURRIE

The visit of Manitoba NDP Premier Ed Schreyer to the Soviet Union on an inspection tour sponsored by Energo- ‘machexport, the Soviet government agency dealing with hydro electric tur- bines, is one of a series of develop- ments in Manitoba underlining improv- ing trade and cultural relations between Canada and the USSR.

A few days before Schreyer’s de- parture, the Manitoba Lieutenant- Gov- ernor W. John sponsored a luncheon in honor of Boris P. Miroshnichenko, ambassador of the USSR to Canada who was in Winnipeg on an unofficial engagement. During his stop in Winni- peg Miroshnichenko addressed a !arge

gathering sponsored by the Winnipeg branch of the Canada-USSR Society on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union.

Premier Schreyer’s visit to the Soviet Union followed announcement of the acceptance by Manitoba Hydro of a Soviet bid to sell the province five turbine generators at the Jenpeg power station on the Nelson River. The Soviet bid was ‘lowest of five tenders and is valued at $15.6 million. The first unit will be in service by Dec. 1, 1975.

This is the second successful Energo- machexport bid in Canada. The first was to B.C. Hydro and Power Author- ity last April involving two turbines for $5.2 millign.

More Trade Ahead

Although nof large, these sales are significant for future trade. The sales illustrate the high level of Soviet technology in the field of hydro projects and its competitive price on the inter- national market.

The turbine sales add to a groving list of economic contacts between western Canada and the Soviet Union. The. biggest deals are still in the area

of wheat sales, the latest was last April’s $330 million bonanza sales which helped offset an even more serious economic situation than is presently faced by Prairie. grain pro- ducers.

In addition to turbines and wheat at least three other industries in Manitoba are seeking to make business contact and deals with the Soviet Union.

The St. Boniface firm, Spiroll Cor- poration Ltd. was invited a year ago to the Soviet Union to exhibit a range of patented machinery for the precast concrete industry. The machines which Spiroll is selling in Moscow run about $65,000 to $70,000 each but after instal- lation and operating, total cost is closer to $500,000. The plant is undergoing $400,000 expansion in ‘anticipation of sales in the Soviet Union and other markets.

Idea Taking Hold

Another Manitoba firm looking to the Soviet market is Co-op Implements Ltd., a farm implements manufacturing firm which plans to export tillage equipment to the USSR. This firm is already selling farm implements to Cuba. Versatile, another ‘ Winnipeg farm implements firm, last February sent three company representative to the Soviet Union to sell swathers.

One of the more novel and startling suggestions for more economic rela- tions with the Soviet Union came re- cently from James W. Burns, President of Great West Life Assurance Co. which is based in Winnipeg but does 45% of its business in the United States. This multi-millionaire insurance tycoon predicts vastly broadened trade with the USSR and China but admits that there is little likelihood that they will be interested in buying insurance. But not to be outdone by other ex- porters, Burns thinks there might be a

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1972—PAGE 8

puppet Saigon regime. See story at left on drugs in industry. ia

‘field for his firm in the Soviet market

in the sale of, ‘financial experience and knowledge.”

In addition to sales and trade.delega- tions to the Soviet Union the Manitoba Provincial government has attended business meetings in Czechoslovakia. Manitoba Industry Minister Len Evans last December reported, “Canada buys four times as much from Czecho- slovakia as we sell them and the Czech people are very aware of this and very kéen on developing more trade with us. They have informed us they would like to buy food products from us. In addi- tion negotiations have begun with the establishment of two factories here.”

Czechoslovakian Tractors and Diamonds

Trade between Canada and the Soviet Union began in earnest in Febru- ary 1956 after a trade agreement was signed based on the most favored na- tion treatment principle. In an article in the September 10, 1971 Globe and Mail A. Manzhulo, Deputy Foreign Trade Minister of the USSR points out that the 1956 agreement provided the legal framework for expanding two- way trade.

In the period between 1966 to 1970 Soviet exports to the Canadian market totalled approximately $75 million while Soviet purchases of Canadian goodspwere worth $770 million.

The Soviet Union supplies the Cana- dian-market with cotton, cotton yard goods, plywood, piate wood, rolled steel and ores and some _ metals. Chromium ore, diamonds and jewelry, pneumatic punchers and some consum- er goods — in particular cameras and watches.

In 1970 the first batch of Soviet-built tractors arrived and proved to be highly functional in Canadian conditions.

While this volume of trade is: small in comparison to Canada’s trade with

Vv the United States there is a big poteniy tial future growth to the advantage olyé both countries. The effect of the larg¢¢ wheat sales on the Canadian economy in particular the western provinces if well known. In 1971 overall wheai sales brought $84 million in freight, returns to the railways. It requires 7 1,300 ships each spending about $10,00( ¥ in Canadian ports to ship the wheat », Last year’s exports of wheat broughi fi $1.2 billion to Canada a good portior , the result of sales to the Soviet Union ¢

Trade Means Jobs |

Growing trade relations betweer f Canada and the Soviet Union cannoj be built on wheat alone. A.. Manzhil¢ points out that prospects for two-way 6 trade lie in trading finished manufac, tured goods, machinery and equipmenj rather than in an exchange Of ray materials and goods. While bott f Canada and the Soviet Union are greai; buyers and sellers of machinery ang ¢ equipment (21% of total Soviet exports and 35% of imports — 30% of tota ‘ Canadian exports and 55% of imports) less than 1% of the two-way trade be: tween Canada and the Soviet Union ig; made up of these products.

A step-up of trade between Canad , and the Soviet Union in machinery and ‘ equipment would greatly strengthen ; the Canadian machine building indus: , try. Canadian manufacturing industries ; in general are being hard pressed by ; the effects of the Nixon government's , DISC policies and such legislation as , the Burke Hartke Act, which threatens , to-curtail operations of U.S.-owned sub: sidiaries in Canada and throw Cana: dian workers out of their jobs. |

The immediate effects of more tradé. with the Soviet Union are jobs and more income for the Canadian economy and the long range effects will bé to strengthen independent economi¢

development.