Lo

_ BRITISH COLUMBIA

Mid-June may seem a little
late to sound “may day.” But
one look at the returns on this
year’s financial drive tells us we
must.

It’s been close before — but
never, in our 52-year memory,
can we recall it being this close.

tages here.

At press time, Tuesday, June

We're talking big money shor-

16, we were still $35,000 short of
target.

That means only $65,000 has
come in to meet our target of
$98,000 for 1987. It may well
mean many of us are financially
strapped in tight economic times.
But it most certainly means there
has to be a superhuman effort if
we’re going to have a victory to
celebrate at the Victory Banquet
this Saturday.

Urgent: we need $35,000 in ‘87 drive

We do know that these are
tough political times. Bill 19
threatens to become legislation,
and Bill 20 has become law.
There are hard battles ahead to
prevent the elimination of
workers’ protective organiza-
tions — trade unions and the
B.C. Teachers
Federation — from extinction.

The people in that fight will

need the Pacific Tribune to
record, analyze and help guide
that struggle. We’ve said it
before, but it certainly bears
repeating now.

There’s an unprecedented
amount of money to raise in the
final few days. But our suppor-
ters have done outstanding
things before.

Show us a miracle by June 20.

Continued from page 1

Zalm which people will be asked to sign
States: “We, the undersigned, call on your
80vernment not to proceed with Bill 19. We
urge you instead to work co-operatively
with labor, business and other groups to
develop fair and balanced labor legislation,
Job opportunities and economic growth.”

Copies of the open letter have been sent
Out to every local union in the province as
Well as scores of community and women’s
Organizations and NDP constituency asso-
Clations.

In a letter to affiliates and community
groups, B.C. Fed president Ken Georgetti
and secretary Cliff Andstein noted that the
80vernment “has suffered a series of set-
backs as its proceeds along the confronta-

IRIBOUNE Pa

—__.

tional road of ramming Bill 19 through the
legislature.

“Over 350,000 B.C. workers participated
in the largest general strike this country has
ever seen. The Supreme Court threw out the
government’s allegation of sedition and
conspiracy and polls show most people in
the province are opposed to Bill 19 and
support the federation,” the stated.

The letter added: “The executive council
members felt that, even if the government
pushes Bill 19 through clause by clause or
third reading, we still must send a message
to it not to proclaim the legislation.”

The signed copies of the open letter are to
be sent in to the federation offices by July 6,
following which they will be presented to
the government... :

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Dinner 7 p.m.

Full Course
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Press Awards

$12 person -

$8 unemployed/seniors
~ $4 12 years and under

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The open letter proposal was initially
presented to federation meetings last week
in an effort to find some way of demonstrat-
ing the massive public opposition that exists
to Bill 19 — opposition that has been
engendered by the federation’s campaign
and by the one-day general strike June 1.

The government itself touched off
renewed opposition to its policies with its
contentious application for an injunction to
prevent any further job action by the trade
union movement. The application was
quashed by Justice K.E. Meredith June 10,
further undermining public credibility in the
Socreds,

Although Vander Zalm has declared his
intention to force the legislation through
over the next week, a massive open letter
blitz across the province could still hold up
the bill, particularly if New Democrats
question the legislation intensively during
clause-by-clause debate in the legislature.

NDP caucus leaders had initially stated
that MLAs would not take any extraordi-
nary measures to hold up passage of the
legislation — in the interests of maintain-
ing legislative civility — but NDP labor
critic Colin Gabelmann indicated last week
that the policy might be changed. There has
been considerable pressure on the NDP to
impede passage of the bill, forcing the
Socreds to impose closure on debate.

Many trade unionists have also report-
edly urged the federation to organize a mass
rally in Victoria to coincide with the delivery
of the open letters to Vander Zalm and to
use the open letter campaign to escalate the
trade union movement’s campaign against
the legislation.

The program adopted by the federation’s
executive council last week included provi-
sions for rallies in various communities,
with organization left up to local labor
councils.

The council also began making plans for
the boycott of the Industrial Relations
Council in the event that the legislation is
shoved through and proclaimed, and the
withdrawal of labor representatives from all
joint committees and public boards except
those involved with worker safety.

In the letter to affiliates and community
groups, Georgetti and Andstein stated:
“Plans for the boycott of the Industrial
Relations Council are underway. Unions
and members have been asked to withdraw

from joint committees and public boards, ©

agencies and commissions. A co-ordinated
media campaign will continue and a com-
prehensive strategy to assist unions faced
with compulsion, coercion or other signifi-

- cant action through Bill 19, is being drawn

up.

Unions, groups rallied for petition

OPEN LETTER TO THE PREMIE
R FR
PEOPLE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 4h

We, the under signed, call on your government notto

Cooperatively with labo: ;
to develop fair and balanced
Opportunities and economic growth.

NAME (Please Print) ADDRESS SIGNATURE

Return to: B.C. Federation of Labour, 3110 Bounda:

Road, Vancouver, B.C. VSM 4A2, by JULY 6/87,”
KVG: ml (cl)
open.let
oteu 15

Community
protest |

Organizers are terming a success a com-
munity based protest against Bills 19 and 20
side that drew some 400 people Sunday to
Grandview Park on Vancouver’s east side.

“There has been no other community-
based protest against the bills that we’re
aware of, but we hope after this, there will
be others,” commented organizer Donalda
Viaud.

The event, organized by All Women
Against Labor Legislation 19 and 20
(AWOLL) and sponsored by Women’s
Economic Agenda, featured several local
bands and theatre groups, with speakers
from community organizations and trade
unions.

Speakers included Sheila Baxter of End
Legislated Poverty, president Sarwan Boal
of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, and
Phyllis Webb of the International Ladies
Garment Workers Union.

Webb, whose union has the tough task of
organizing B.C.’s 10,000 largely immigrant
garment workers, said the ILGWU was
fully opposed to Bill 19. Provisions of the
bill will make it much more difficult to
organize garment workers, she noted.

Tickets still available

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JUNE 17, 1987 e 3