LRSOR Meeting turnout ‘overwhelming’ as BCGEU continues strike vote An overwhelming turnout at union meetings in the Northwest and on Vancouver Island — echoed by a rally of 3,000 union- ists in the Agrodome Monday — have pointed to a heavy vote in fa- vor of strike action as the B.C. Government Employees Union continues its month long strike poll among some 40,000 members across the province. Union representatives covering the first strike vote meetings held at the end of last month reported more than 80 percent turnout of union members. And 3,000 members from the BCGEU’s Lower Mainland com- ponents turned out at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver Mon- day, cheering and clapping as col- k lective bargaining director Cliff F Andstein urged them to ‘‘giveusa damn good vote and we’ll get their (government negotiators’) attention.”’ Andstein told the meeting that the bargaining thus far had been ““much more than a tough set of negotiations.”’ The. Government Employee Relations Bureau (GERB) has waged an unprecedented attack “fon every fundamental right we have achieved over the past eight years,’’ he said. The latest attack was on the un- ion’s work schedules, Andstein said, with GERB demanding that the union agree to an increase of four percent in productivity, fail- ing which it would tablea demand for increases in the hours of work. GERB had already stated it would not table a wage offer be- fore the productivity increase was agreed to. Earlier, BCGEU president Norman Richards had told mem- BCGEU members cast their ballots in voting at the PNE Agro- dome following Monday's rally. ea: TRIBUNE PHOTO—SEAN GRIFFIN bers, “‘GERB has absolutely no intention of putting any money on the table until we show we are united in our struggle for a good contract. “Your vote of support is vital tonight if we are to achieve our goal of a decent contract,’ he said, Although it is affected directly by the wage controls embodied in ‘te said. “‘We need your support the Compensation Stabilization Act — which was given third reading and royal assent’June 25 — the BCGEU is continuing to maintain that it can win a decent contract despite the guidelines. BCGEU general secretary John Fryer, in a message to the rally from a hospital room in On- tario where heis being held briefly following a boating accident, reit- erated that contention, arguing that the union “‘has the best case statistically and morally.” But he too emphasized the need for an overwhelming strike vote. “The strike vote is the key to unlock the wage offer box. . .,”’ as never before.”’ Under a provision of the Public Service Labor Relations Act which uniquely covers B.C. gov- ernment workers, BCGEU nego- tiators must get a majority of all the members in the bargaining unit voting for a strike for the vote to pass. That has made the task of turn- ing out the membership doubly important and the union expects that the representation at meet- ings will continue throughout the more than 400 meetings schedul- ed across the province. The vote, to be completed July 24, is to be tabulated within two days. The contract expires July 31 TWU continues fight over layoffs The Canada Labor Relations Board was scheduled to wind up hearings Wednesday into the dis- puted layoffs at B.C. Telephone as the Telecommunications Workers Union continued its fight against company plans to cut some 2,000 of its members off the payroll for six months. The TWU had demanded the Income control plans weighted against labor Continued from page 1 But controls programs never turn out to be equitable, what- ever their labels, Rush warned. “Despite all the assurances and promises that a wage and price control program would be applied to all equally, this has not been the experience of pre- vious controls programs,’’ he emphasized. “The end result of these pro- grams is that workers suffer a decline in their standards of liv- ing while prices and profits esca- late,”’ he said. Income statistics covering the years from 1975-78 when con- trols were in effect in Canada, and in the years prior to that in the U.S. — both involving pro- grams which purported to be price and wage controls — re- vealed that wage and salary lev- els fell while prices and profits continued to rise. “In a society in which in- dustry and finance is controlled by monopoly corporations and in which governments serve the interests of big business, any controls program is weighted against labor,”’ Rush stated. Labor should not consider support for any federal or pro- vincial restraint program, he said. He urged the trade union movement to press for ‘‘more purchasing power for workers. rather than less, since a decline in purchasing power only deep- ens the economic crisis and pro- longs unemployment. “Tf Bennett really wants to take positive steps to lessen the effect of the crisis on the prov- ince, he should take steps to limit the profits and curb the ex- port of capital by the monop- Olies,”’ he said. “‘He should intervene to stop the layoffs by B.C. Tel which, despite its huge profits, is cut- ting 2,000 people from its work force. “And he should change his government’s priorities — and launch a massive housing con- struction and reforestation pro- gram instead of spending millions on megaprojects and the export of Northeast coal.”’ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 9, 1982—Page 8 CLRB hearing last month follow-. ing the announcement by B.C. Tel that it would resort to layoffs hav- ing failed to get an agreement from the union to reduce every one of the 11,000 members hours by approxi- mately five per week. Under the provisions of the Can- ada Labor Code, employers must give 16 weeks notice of layoffs but that notice is waived if the layoffs are for six months or less. In giving formal notice of the layoffs last week, B.C. Tel stated that employees would be recalled to work no later than six months from the time of layoff, indicating that the company was using the labor code provision to the fullest extent possible. “We think they’re playing games with the code,”’ said TWU president Bill Clark. ‘It calls for 16 weeks notice if layoffs are for more than six months. How can the com- pany know if it will be able to bring everyone back in 5% months if the economy hasn’t improved?”’ Clark had earlier questioned whether the company’s tactic might be to bring the workers back to work briefly following the six months of layoff and then lay them off again for another six months. B.C. Tel claimed that the de-. pressed economy prompted the layoffs but the TWU sees them as part of a program of reducing the work force through technological change and theintroduction of new automated equipment. The company also cited ‘‘declin- ing revenues’’ although Clark not- ed that B.C. Tel paid a dividend to its shareholders July 1. “But apparently it wasn’t enough,’ he said, pointing to the recent decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecom- munications Commission setting a : ceiling on the return on sharehold- ers’ investment at 16.5 percent. ‘It looks like they’re determined to get it and nothing less.’’ But while hewing to the CRTC line on investment return, B.C. Tel is making no such attempt to carry out other instructions from the CRTC to upgrade service. A cut of nearly one-fifth of the unionized work force will inevitably result in deterioration of B.C. Tel’s service, which already has a reputation for being poor. Although the TWU is pressing the CLRB for an early decision rul- ing the layoffs invalid without the 16 weeks notice, union lawyers are also preparing an arbitration case to argue that the layoffs are, in fact, the result of technological change. Under the TWU collective agreement, all members with two or more year’s seniority are exempt from layoffs due to technological change. Those with less seniority oo have one year’s notice of lay- off. Postal Code . i Name N | ence meeting in Toronto carne ‘provincial council which d& ing Trades unions were sus 4 be Sy Vote tells officers. to rejoin Congress} In a convincing vote for C44 nadian labor unity, the Canada Conference of Carpenters voted last month to demand that thé international Brotherhood ° Carpenters and Joiners reaffili]) ate to the Canadian Labor Col}) gress. The Carpenters paper,- 08 the Level; reported. this week! that a secret ballot at the confer] 14-6 in favor of a resolution ing on the international to re turn to the CLC. brings together representativ of the union from across thé country. The vote was a major reb to those in the top leadership of the Carpenters who have sup ported the establishment of thé breakaway Canadian Federta tion of Labor, founded earli¢t this year with representatives 0 nine Building Trades unions attendance. ss Although the Carpenters did not send delegates to the CE and declined to affiliate, the 11” ternational officers did send twa Observers to the federation 5 founding convention and there had been fears that there might be further movement towards affiliation. A But the Canada Conference vote will make any such movés extremely difficult. ‘ Rather the vote will strength: en the position of the unions manded, even before the Build- pended from the CLC in April, 1981, that the international pay the per capita dues that were 18 arrears and resolve its diffet ences within the CLC.. 4 The Carpenters Provincial Council has also called on thé CLC to allow locals and cout cils to affiliate directly to pro vincial federations of labor, a lowing them to maintain CL affiliation while avoiding thé confrontation with their intel nationals that would result if they were to affiliate to the CLC new Building Trades Depart ments. So far, the CLC executive has rejected that course althoug! the B.C. Federation is still press ing for a meeting with the CLC to discuss the issue. Published weekly at Suite 10 1 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L : 3X9. 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