Hsinhua,

Solzhenitsyn's anti-Soviet slanders. Above, U.S. Dai

development.

the official Maoist press agency, in an article broadcast throughout China last week, echoed

ly World cartoonist Bill Andrews, gives his reaction to that

LABOR SCENE

Textile workers on strike at woollen mill sweatshop

Workers at West Coast Woollen Mills, members of the Textile Workers of America, launched their first strike January 17 after _the company refused to bargain further on union wage demands of $1.00 an hour over two years.

Wages presently paid at the Vancouver. plant are reminiscent of those paid in sweatshops a generation ago. Many of the some-130 workers earn $2.37 an hour — only pennies above the minimum wage — and the highest paid only get $3.46 an hour — and that for a skilled job.

The plant comprises the only .

local of the union in’B.C. although the Textile Workers of America has several thousand members in the eastern provinces.

’ The final offer of the company — which is reportedly owned by Canadian Forest Products — amounted to some 75 cents over two years but Helen Irwin, presi- dent of the local and a plant worker herself, pointed out that “these are very skilled workers and the wages are pathetic for the skills involved.

“This strike is absolutely necessary,’’ she said. We’re better off pushing brooms. And we're going to stay out till the company sees it our way.”’

** *

Delegates to the New West- minster and District Labor Coun- cil last week unanimously adopted ‘a six-point program to deal with the energy crisis in this country. The program — to be forwarded to the Canadian Labor Congress for immediate action — was presented by Rod Doran, newly-reelected chairman of the Legislative committee of the council.

The program included the following recommendations:

e That the CLC demand the federal government place Cana- dian oil and gas and other energy resources and industries under public ownership.

e That the federal government halt increases in exports of oil and gas until Canadian needs are met.

e That the federal government build an east-west publicly- owned pipeline along an all-

Woodworkers

Cont'd from pg. 1

Bureau of the Communist Party stressed that unity of woodworkers and the labor movement was the key to win- ning substantial gains in this year’s round of negotiations.

It singled out a-shorter work day or week and an across the board wage increase as the top demands woodworkers should go for this year. It also stressed the need to amend grievance procedures, making it man- datory that management get per- mission from the union prior to taking any punitive disciplinary measures; and elimination of the 30 day probationary clause in the agreements.

The Communist Party Wood Bureau also points up the need to strengthen the technological change clause in the agreement, and provisions making parent companies signatory to the agreement responsible for the action of their contractors or sub-contractors.

In its January bulletin which is widely circulated among coast

parley meets

woodworkers. the Woodworker's Rank and File Committee out- lines seven major demands which it says are ‘‘the most im- portant to woodworkers in general and must be resolved to the complete satisfaction of the membership in this year's negotiations.”

The seven major demands it lists are: A shorter work period for all woodworkers: an across the board wage increase in line with the increased cost of living and increases in productivity and a cost of living clause; a one year contract.

It calls for improvements in benefits to include more realistic rates of Pension Plan Benefits, a dental plan completely paid for by the employer, voluntary retirement of age 60 and volun- tary retirement after 30 years in the industry.

With all the issues before the IWA Wages and Contract con- ference on which a stand will have to be taken, there can be no

doubt that the top priority issue’

will be the workers pay cheque and hours of work.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1974 PAGE 12

Canadian route.

e The establishment by the

federal’ government of a Cana- dian petroleum corporation to undertake research, exploration and development of Canadian oil.

¢ Federal establishment of the lowest possible, uniform price for oil and gas in Canada and price controls.

e An end to federal subsidies to private oil companies.

* * OK

The Vancouver Sun came un- der fire from delegates to the UFAWU convention this week for falsely identifying a photo of a meeting held in the Fishermen’s Hall in Vancouver as having been taken in the USSR.

The photo, showing UFAWU president Homer Stevens with three Soviet trade unionists — guests of the UFAWU — was used to illustrate an article by Sun labor reporter George Dobie. Although the picture showed a reception in Vancouver, the cap- tion under it read ‘‘Homer Stevens (left) at a recent labor meeting in Russia.’’ It accom- panied an article commenting on the Stevens’ withdrawal from the CLC presidency contest.

Stevens called it ‘‘the worst kind of yellow journalism, suggesting some connection between my decision and our un- ion’s fraternal relations with a Soviet Trade union.”

Delegates to the convention denounced the Sun “‘in the strongest possible terms”’ for ‘a McCarthyite approach to labor reporting.” - : ‘enc ae eto aaa lan cae

OBITUARY

SUSAN BROWN Susan Brown passed away at Vancouver General Hospital, Saturday, January 26 at the age

of 69 after a long illness. William Stewart of the Marine Workers and Boilermakers Union paid a tribute to her memory at a service in Roselawn

Funeral Chapel Tuesday.

She was an active member of the Women’s Labor League in the Thirties.

The PT express its sincere con-"

dolences to her two daughters, Connie and Helen and to her five grandchildren.

B.C. health services | need drastic overhaul

By NIGEL MORGAN

Sweeping changes have been recommended in medical, dental and health services for the people of: B.C. in the Foulkes Report. And more than that, by directing its aim on achieving universality comprehensiveness, accessibili- ty and efficiency of service, while taking into account the need for continuity of care, ac- countability, and the rights of patients and health workers, the 2-volume, 2,000-page Report fully substantiates the need for radical changes.

Containing a scathing indict- ment of a system (costing in ex- cess of $500 million a year and employing more than 40,000 per- sons) for its inefficient, ine- quitable, ineffective, outdated, unplanned and chaotic methods, the Report calls for encourage- ment of medicine,”’ better use of medical talents, and the decentralization of services through a new network of medical clinics and health centres.

A summary of the 264 specific recommendations, which fall un-

der three main categories, in-

clude:

1) Reorganization and decen- tralization: (a) Establishment of seven regional medical and health service administrations across the Province; (b)

Organization of a network of —

community health clinics; (c) Negotiations of a ‘‘salary”™ system of payments (to replace the present ‘‘fee’’ system under which some doctors chalk up an- nual incomes in excess of $200.- 000 from the government's BCHIS on top of other charges for Workmen’s Compensation, court and private cases) for doc- tors, and the dental profession. (d) Immedicate discontinua- tion of admissions to present mental hospitals and their early phasing out by alternative local services: (e) A feasibility study on a nationwide program (similar to that in use in a number of European countries) to supply ‘‘maintenance drugs to registered addicts’’ to take the

‘‘npreventative

profit out of illicit drug trade; (f) Pressure on Ottawa to remov abortion sections from Hy Criminal Code; (g) Appointmel

of a task force to develop a def

care program; (h) Developme of a program of “‘preventalil® medicine’ to eliminate U! necessary costs, and cover eal

detection of disease and a fl program of health maintenant

2) Integration and coordil® tion of medical services: @ Transfer and reorganization © the medical and rehabilitaltilt services of the Workmel® Compensation Board to tt health Department; (b) Integ!# tion of private and publi laboratories into a new agency? be called the Diagnostic Serv! Authority; (c) Unification of ® vironmental health activities © form a new single agency; (d Setting up of a new provincial funded ambulance service WY assistance from the armé@ forces; is

(e) Acceptance by the Pro cial government of full respe sibility for health service status and non-status Indians: % Establishment of a heal educational program includ program. of nutrition, manpo™ training and investigation = price trends and distributiol

(3) Changed Funt Methods: (a) Discontinuati Medicare payments, with | alternative of raising © necessary funds through ad@ corporation and income @

payments; or from gene revenue; (b) Droppin municipal taxation for heé

services and patient charg acute care; (c) Provision D Provincial government of the costs of capital construction equipment for health © facilities: (d) Bulk buying” drugs througha Crown Agel (c) Provision for a three fold® pension of doctor training at® universities to raise from proximately 60 to 160 the num of doctor graduates annually