Burnaby school trustee Ann Blakey is shown tagging for Vietnam

medical aid last Saturday.

The Burnaby tag day, in which more than

100 took part, raised over $1,100, Nanaimo city council approved a tag

day in the Island centre for Sat.,

April 14 which is sponsored by the
Nanaimo and District Labor Council.

—Sean Griffin photo

Cont'd from pg. 1

‘but we should commend the
government for this: it is more
than the Socreds ever did for
people”

In answer to some doubts
raised in the council about the
takeover of a dying industry,
Homer Stevens, Fishermen’s
Union, reminded delegates of
the similar situation that
existed before the government
of Nova Scotia took over the
Dominion Steel plant in Cape
-Breton.

‘‘When people were told it was
a dying industry,”’ he said, ‘ the
workers moved in and made it
go. What came out of it was
higher steel production and now
there is construction going on
towards a $90,000,000 plant.”

‘‘We should look at this as a
beginning; we'll see some day
socialist Canada and we should
be looking at the steps in be-
tween,’ Stevens. said to
applause.

Unions should take up fight
against rising food prices

LABOR COMMENT

Once a trade union signs a
collective agreement, it has the
-responsibility of policing that
agreement and taking up griev-
ances ina timely fashion. Every
union which does these things
well is to be commended. But.
the unions cannot afford to stop
at this point. For example. what
about the continuous rise in
prices, particularly food prices?

Can we blame members for be-
ing dissatisfied when the wage
increase they win at the bar-
gaining table is largely eaten
away by rising prices? Can we
tolerate a situation in which the
worker seems to be on a tread-
mill, running faster to stand
still, that is, to keep up with
rising prices caused by mono-
poly control of the economy?

And if the organized worker is
unhappy, what about the un-
organized worker who is earn-
ing much less? And what about
the pensioner and the recipient
of asocial service allowance? In
most cases, the latter are
surviving, not living.

The Canadian Labor Congress
from time to time makes a stab
at improving its image through
supporting community  pro-
jects deemed worthy of support.
For example, from coast to
coast, the CLC supports the Red
Feather charity drive and
similar projects. While some of
the money collected in such cam-
paigns goes to socially useful pur-
poses, the best we can say about
these endeavors is that they are
a poor substitute for an all-em-
bracing social security system
financed out of state revenue.

It would serve a more useful
purpose if the CLC and other

labor organizations would or-
ganize community actions on
such vital issues as the high
price of food. They certainly
wouldn’t win the praise and
acclaim of the big monopolies,
but they would win the warm re-
sponse of their membership and
the gratitude and support of
hundreds of thousands of people
outside of organized labor. We
can't think of a better job of
public relations the labor
movement could undertake at
this time.

Continued failure to take up
such vital issues in a public way
and in conjunction with other
social groupings leaves trade
unions opento attack as being no
more than a selfish, self-interest
group.

Recently, Statistics Canada re-
ported that all consumer items
have increased by 5.8 percent
between February 1972 and
February 1973, with a 10.2
percent increase in food prices.
Prices of beef. pork and poultry
rose by 4.5 percent, 6.1 percent
and 3.5 percent respectively in
February of this year, as com-
pared with the previous month.
The fruit index was 10.2 percent
higher as compared with
February. 1972 and vegetables
rose by 9.3 percent over the prev-
ious year.

No trade union can arbitrarily
increase the wages of its mem-
bers by five. eight or ten
percent. The union must serve
notice during a specified period.
negotiate with the employer. go
through a process ofmediationor
conciliation and. in some cases,
suffer a lockout or a strike. Why
then. should the big food mono-
polies, Canadian and foreign. be
able to impose increases in food

prices by the arbitrary orders of
their head offices?

A logical demand for the trade
union movement at this time
would be: Halt all increases in
food prices! .No further in-
creases unless authorized by a
food prices review board!

Earlier this month, we saw the
president of the Canadian Food
Processors Association thumb
his nose at the Commons special
food prices committee. When re-
quested toname the five biggest
companies among its 104
members who dominate the
Canadian fruit and vegetable
packing industry, he refused.
This led to a warning that if the
information is not given volun-
tarily, Parliament will use its
power to obtain the information.

Four big fruit and vegetable
packers account for three quar-
ters of all the sales in the Mari-
times and eight giants account
for two thirds of all sales from
Quebec tothe Pacific Ocean. Or-
ganized labor cannot sit by
quietly while these corporate
giants thumb their noses at
Parliament.

From time to time we are re-
galed with the myth of big labor
holding the country to ransom—
and that’s all it is. a myth.
Barely one third of the wage
earners in Canada areorganized
and the trade union movement
suffers from divisions and lack
of social perspectives.

If the trade union movement
will join with other organiza-
tions in a massive drive to bring
food prices down, millions of
little people will regard the

name “big labor’ as a badge of
honor.

“Seafarers delegate Himes
said that it was one of the first
times ‘“‘any segment of Cana-
dian government had invested
in the Canadian people.’ The
motion passed unanimously.

Earlier in the meeting, Len
Norris representing the Cana-
dian Committee for a Demo-
cratic Spain, addressed the dele-
gates and commended them for
their action on behalf of ten
jailed labor leaders in Spain.

The letter sent from the coun-
cil had noted that the ten were
incarcerated for what Cana-
dians would consider basic labor
rights. A return letter from the
charge d’affaires at the Spanish
embassy in -Ottawa_ glibly
reminded the delegates that
there were three labor leaders
also jailed in Quebec.

‘“‘Spain-can best be described
as a vast prison house,”’ Norris
said. He urged the council to con-
tinue its letters on behalf of
Spanish prisoners.

George Hewison, Fish-
ermen’s Union, pointed that May
Day preparations were going
ahead and emphasized the
importance of the labor move-
ment’s reaffirming the historic
struggle for the eight hour day
that culminated in the Chicago
demonstration in 1886.

He noted the possible themes
for May Day 1973— the struggle
for full employment, the jailing
of the three Quebec labor leaders
— and called on all affiliated
unions to do everything pos-
sible to make this year’s May
Day one of the biggest in many
years.

B.C, Communists mou

Labor council welcomes |
takeover of pulp plant _

|
'
;
;
I
:
t

Big business |

|

wants NDP gol!
program scrapie!

et
The Vancouver Board of Li
this week sent a letter 1 vat
ier Dave Barrett 4 ettl
that the NDP governmell | gi
all major legislation intl ef
at this session of he
lature. ;
5 «clatil! |
Characterising the legis
as having, from thelt p nfo
view ‘some extremely | iit
tunate characteristics, sit
ter signed by B of T pr iee
Alan F. Campney said ne ihe
lation should be put ovel aA
fall session.
ade!
The Employers Council yet
similar demand whenthet jg
session opened, but it

nored by the government
JOBLESS

Cont'd from p9- 1 4 ii

the stand of the NDP ane!
House, the Liberal gover (he
is actually implemen a
essence of those ame tion |
through its administt4 .
the Act. soy
If there is an UnempP new
Insurance scandal, 1bS sagem
this government f° jails.
acting. It’s time it was “sn iD)
account and told to gel s oe
the task of creatine i Ap}
unemployed Canadial as
until it can provide thos yet
stop hounding the unemp™" |

ct

. : oS ee , 2 :
passing of Tim Buck
"The B.C. Provincial Committee of the Commusl
over the signature of its provincial leader,

_ the following message to William Kashtan, gene!
_and leader of the party, expressing the sorrow

membership on the passing of Tim Buck. Text ®

_ reads:

_ ‘On behalf of B.C. Provincial Committee and t

_ membership of our party I want to express the deeps
all feel in the passing of Comrade Tim Buck. We shat
of his wife and family and request you convey

sympathy to them.

_ ‘Comrade Buck’s memory will always be cherished
_ pioneering contribution in establishing the Comm |
as a significant factor in Canadian political ©
_ outstanding creative role in charting the road to se
_ Canada; the part he played in the struggle against, e
_ war for half a century, and for the welfare and sec¥

Canadian people.

‘Comrade Tim’s love of people, of his adopté
consistent internationalist outlook, his deep humall
and warm personality won the Communist move
supporters throughout the length and breadth of Cane
won him the respect and recognition of Com™
Workers parties the world around. | :

‘Our party has lost an outstanding leader, a PF!
of exceptional talent, and a dedicated and fearless©
Canada has lost a distinguished Canadian. . -@ wot

whose name, creative writings

and socialist cal

remembered long after many of the Prime Min ate

day have been forgotten.’

Tim Buck memorial meeting, Friday, 8 p.m.

Templeton High School auditorium, 727 Templeton Dr.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1973—PAGE 12