Pacific Tribune NO JOBLESS BENE FITS FOR You - PAYMENT ‘ CUT-OFFS LABOR SCENE Historic UFAWU convention urging full bargaining rights The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union will be meeting in convention at the end of this week, the first conven- tion since its historic readmis- sion into the Canadian Labor Congress. The convention will be opened Saturday, February 3 by Alderman Harry Rankin. One of the major issues to be discussed at the convention is the right of full bargaining and representation rights to fisher- men working ona catch-sharing basis but still exclude three-quar- ters of Canada’s fishermen. The establishment of a provin- cial fisheries-department will also be discussed as wellas auto- matic UIC. coverage for fishermen. At present small boat fishermen can be covered only if they make application to the U.I.C. and pay both em- ployer and employee premiums. = ie The B.C. Federation of Labor welcomed the recommenda- tions of the Commission of In- quiry into bargaining rights for provincial government em- ployees. and urged immediate action in the Legislative Ses- sion to implement the report. Commenting on the 68 rec- ommendations contained in the 112-page report, the Federation said that ‘‘while there are minor points of disagreement, we have no hesitation in endorsing the report and its major thrust and key recommendations. Now we urge the drafting of the required legislation.” ‘Provincial government em- ployees have been denied collec- tive bargaining rights for so long that there should be no fur- ther delay.” * KOK Delegates to the New West- minster and District Labor Coun- last _week _re-echoed the trade union movement calling for the dismissal of the Labor Relations Board. The motion, reiterating the position of the Vancouver Labor Council and the B.C. Federation of Labor, was adopted unanimously. The first voice of protest was raised by Jack Phillips, CUPE 1004 in a motion presented to the UFAWU President Homer Stevens is shown here with federal environment minister Jack Davis at last year’s UFAWU convention. Vancouver Labor Council meet- ing December 19. Prompted by long-standing grievances with the Board’s decisions it quickly had reverberations throughout the labor movement. All but one of the present members of the Board were named during the Social Credit term in office and four of the eight members of the Board are either management negotiators or from the Canadian Manu- facturerers Association. Reacting to labor’s united call for the scrapping of the Labor Relations Board and the repeal of all anti-labor legislation, Labor Minister Bill King said that he ‘‘wasn’t going to act as “quickly as the unions wish, and certainly not until all groups in the labor-management field have been heard.”’ But management is heard every week in the Board meet- ings, not the trade unions. And Bill 42 and 43 remain on the books— unchanged. Shipyard union welcomes federal subsidy demand Shipyard General Workers Federation president Bill Stewart welcomed Barrett’s re- peated requests to Ottawa for the re-introduction of 40% fed- eral subsidies for shipbuilding. ‘‘What we especially wel- come,”’ Stewart said, ‘‘is the indi- cation that the provincial government will move on the creation of a B.C. merchant marine if the federal govern- ment does not act on the sub- sidies.”’ Stewart pointed out that the federal grants for construction had helped in the past but during the last five years most of the money for political reasons — went to eastern yards. In addi- tion, west coast yards were not ‘“‘ageressive’’ enough in seek- ing other work, waiting instead for government work. The traditional argumell” forward by the federal 80) ment for not building 4%, chant marine has been t that Canada is a trading and that other countr! simply using their ships 1% Canadian goods back t= own countries. : “But the recent oil spi the coast puts the lie to Ht Stewart said, ‘‘Here was . ship carrying B.C. resoul@ Japan.” a “Obviously a ship buildili” dustry, whether B.C.-bas federally subsidized, © stimulate the growth of § dary industry to servict outfit ships built in “ae which would not only provi) siderable employment | would enable B.C.’s res? to be processed at Stewart stated. re Py INBIIHIE LEGISLATURE: By NIGEL MORGAN Thursday’s ‘Speech from the Throne’ (traditionally read by the Queen’s representative, but written by the Government) didn’t tell us much. I can’t imagine those without jobs, the sick and poverty-stricken, those Struggling to pay the rising taxes, telephone and grocery bills, getting much comfort from it. It was a pretty insipid affair. For a party that promised so much in opposition, the NDP gave us little to look atinits first full-dress Throne Speech. It men- tioned only about a dozen of the 80-odd legislative initiatives the new government is known to have underway— many of them more significant than the hand- ful mentioned. In fact the new Premier needs to be reminded that, if he plans to maintain the information levelat the low point it hit Thurs- day, he might as well cancel the ceremony altogether. Most of the proposals— govern- ment auto insurance, a bill of rights, changes in the House rules and additions to the cabinet, amendments to the Lands, Litter, Parks, Medical and Mental Health acts, have long since been announced, and in considerably more detail. Quite obviously (as Premier Bar- Scrap UIC changes'—Labor “We don’t like that bill at all. Don’t look to us for support on that. If you want support on that one (Bill C-125) you will have to get it from the Tories. If any- thing, that billis anappeal tothe Tory backlash.” The NDP group in Parliament has made it known that they will not support the government unless three clauses are removed. These are thesections which deny benefits to those who voluntarily quit their jobs or are fired for ‘‘misconduct.” and the clause which gives the Cont'd from pg. 1 Actually, theamendments the - government wants to write into the Act have already been im- plemented secretly. Last week the startling disclosure came from Manpower Minister Robert Andras that 251.301 job- less Canadians were cui off benefits because they volun- tarily left their jobs during 1972. That was almost double the number cut off in 1971. He told the Commons estimates committee that during 1972 23.754 workers lost 18,638 in the previous year, These disclosures by Andras bear out the charges made by labor, that the government has been using the UIC against the unemployed rather than tack- ling unemployment which is the real problem. This was underscored by the fact that while unemployment inB.C. inthe last half of 1972 was given by Statistics Canada as between 75-80,000. a table recently released by Ottawa shows that in that same period (the third quarter of 1972) there rett had established in au view with the daily Pre few days prior to the oP the new NDP administ? not in any hurry to halt off by ‘‘the goose’’— whl limited vision, “LAY GOLDEN EGG.”’ That doesn’t mean t ernment has nothing to4 Certainly not! It will vb budget in excess of 17 dollars to spend this yeal it is to be spent, and eveyy important, how that $178 is going to be raised, W! fi lined in the Budget Spe pected February 9th. The Premier will Mi round out the picture | government’s intention cate its goals, and come” with a growing disillus!? 1. over the NDP’s attitude , f Sales Tax, and Barrett z ( from bringing B.C. Tel ™ 5 coast Transmission if public ownership; clea the Labor Relations Bow f remnants of the Socred S. aa Dee nee in victor significant and ime advance. The Throne pot shows the need for the 14° democratic forces to ae . mass pressure to compe government to advancé fi reformist, ‘‘social wet stance toa firm — MONOPOLY program. ac creation of a broad alli® anti-monopoly forces. afl Such a course 1s nec eo counter and defeat Pal reactionary interests ) y busy already trying to!” i and intimidate the new fg ment and obstruct the Pi mandate from the last el@ | The Communist Pay 3 support. all initiative? matter how small — ow advance the welfare of tty ing people, farmers. Poe and young people, wh! ing the NDP to take steps to curb monopo! fluence soci-economl™ OD mM on rn