petition

Continued from page 1 be on exposing the anti-democratic nature of the legislation.

The petition itself, worded in formal legislative language so it can be read into the legislative record, states that the govern- ment’s budget and 26 bills introduced July 7 “Seopardize the social, economic, democratic and human rights of British Col- umbians (and) are destructive of economic recovery and the ability of citizens to share in that recovery.”

Tt calls on the government to ‘“‘withdraw

_ the legislative package’’ and to ‘‘guarantee

the maintenance of fundamental, social, economic, democratic and human rights.”’

The petition campaign is expected to be conducted on a door-to-door basis in many areas although unionists will get petitions through their trade unions which will also be responsible for conducting the campaign throughout their own membership.

Also reportedly being considered is a can- vas of every voter in some key swing ridings to demonstrate that a majority of voters in those ridings are opposed to the Socreds’ legislative assault on rights.

Much of the legwork for the campaign will get underway this Saturday with a workshop at Britannia Community Centre Saturday at which Solidarity Coalition representatives from around the province will coordinate plans.

Because of the length of the petition drive and its timing — coming after a series of

groups as well as hundreds of people all over the province to ensure that the tempo of pro- test does not abate.

If the petition is signed by several hundred thousand people, it could have a con- siderable impact on even a government as in- transigent as the Socreds.

_ Certainly, to be successful, it will have to intensify the pressure on the government to withdraw the legislation.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

LABOR NOTES

Wood unions forge united front

The latest proposal for a three-year con- cession contract tabled by the forest in- dustry this week brought a swift — and united — response from the three wood unions which met Tuesday to hammer out a joint bargaining strategy.

The meeting of officers of the Interna- tional Woodworkers, the Canadian Paper- makers Union and the independent Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada agreed to-a bargaining common front to take on the industry employers who have continued to insist ona three-year pact with a wage freeze in the first year and major concessions on contracting-out and work

scheduling.

Following the meeting, the IWA will proceed to conduct a strike vote among its 48,000 members, the results of which are expected to be known Sept. 23.

The CPU and the PPWC have alrady. conducted strike votes among their res tive memberships. But CPU Ticorreadent

Art Gruntman told the Tribune Wednes- day that the pulp unions would go to the bargaining table once more to seek a ‘‘final offer”? from Pulp and Paper Industrial Relations which would be put to the membership for a vote, with a recommen- dation for rejection.

When the results of that vote and the IWA strike vote are known — on Sept. 23 — “‘we will be setting some action,’’ he said.

Forest Industrial Relations, representing employers bargaining with the IWA, has also conducted a lockout vote, further preparing the ground for a showdown.

The forest employers’ concerted attempt to wrest concessions from all three unions was signalled Monday when, in simultaneous meetings, FIR and Pulp and Paper Industrial Relations presented only slightly reworked versions of the same con- cession contract tabled at the beginning of: negotiations and universally repudiated. by all three unions.

The offer, which the industry spuriously claimed was intended to “‘break the log- jam”’, called for a three year contract with a first-year wage freeze followed by in- creases of three per cent in the second year and 3.5 per cent in the third. It also reiterated demands for contracting-out of logging which, if granted, would mean hundreds of union jobs lost.

Chief FIR spokesman Keith Bennett, in a prepared statement, continued to repeat the employers’ line that the agreement was necessary to ‘‘solve difficult economic pro- blems.”’ ~

Significantly, several major corpora- tions in the industry, including MacMillan Bloedel and Doman, have recently raised their profit levels through massive cut- backs and rationalization.

Gruntman called the employers’ pro- —

posal ‘‘the most reprehensible document I have ever seen put before a trade union.’’

Students back Kwantlen strikers

More than 500 students of Kwantlen

College respected picket lines at the college’s three campuses, and registered for courses at a special booth set up by the striking support staff — but the college ad- ministration has refused to recognize the registrations. . The administration succeeded in winn- ing a court injunction quashing the unof- ficial registration the striking members of the B.C. Government Employees Union Local 59 had established at the Richmond Inn, but rejected the union’s offer to merge the applications with those taken at the col- lege’s Richmond campus.

“The administrator’s plan to have students re-register if they filled in their forms at the alternative registration desk is an AES costly attempt to punish

those students who supported the union’s position,’ charged BCGEU negotiator Linda Tosczak Wednesday.

The support staff walked out and set up pickets Monday following a breakdown in talks with the administration, which refus- ed to match an offer accepted by union members at Douglas College, of which the

_Kwantlen campuses were formerly a part.

The Kwantlen administration refused to consider parity, claiming they were told by a Compensation Stabilization Program of- ficial that the Douglas settlement exceeded CSP guidelines, said BCGEU director Cliff Andstein. The union has said it plans to lay a charge of failing to bargain in good faith before the Labor Relations Board.

“No one has officially released the new guidelines, and they would be pursuant toa

law which hasn’t yet been passed,’’ said

' Andstein in reference to the proposed

Compensation Stabilization Amendment Act.

Tosczak noted that a ‘“‘large majority”’ of students who registered at the Rich- mond campus signed a petition Wednes- day supporting Local 59’s position and ~ urging the administration to resolve the dispute, before crossing the lines.

The Douglas College agreement calls for wage hikes of six and three per cent over two years, while the Kwantlen administra- tion has offered no more than four per cent in the first year.

College faculty are honoring the support staff’s picket lines.

Anger greets Socred wage cuts for teachers)

B.C.’s teachers and school trustees have

reacted with anger and increduilty following

the handing down of the first of what the provincial government plans will be many

edicts arising from Bill 6, the new Education (Interim) Finance Act.

At a special meeting of the B.C. School Trustees Association last weekend which __ wasaddressed by Socred Education Minister - Jack Heinrich, trustees voted overwhelm- ingly for a motion demanding the withdrawal of Bill 6.

Heinrich had told the trustees they had a choice — either offer teachers no salary in- creases for the next three years, or crowd classrooms with even more students than are already planned under provisions of the bill.

Heinrich’s no-hike policy aimed not only at increases achieved through the normal course of collective bargaining, but also at regular yearly increments granted for length of service. These account for about two per cent of the total salary bill, meaning teachers can actually expect a two-per-cent wage cut, Larry Kuehn, president of the B.C. Teachers Federation, charged.

BCSTA president Joy Leach said Heinrich’s position amounted to “‘an iron- clad guarantee that each school district will go to arbitration this year,’’ at an estimated cost of between $2 and $3 million. Wage talks are slated to begin in mid-September, and arbitration must begin no later than Nov. 16.

- Heinrich took a tough line with the mainly. .

- PACIFIC TRIBUNE SEPTEMBER 2, 1983—Page 8

conservative, Socred-leaning trustees, telling them that there was no money available for wage hikes in the next three years, and, ifany were granted, “‘we would virtually have no alternative but to change service levels once again, and increase once more the numbers of children to be served by each teacher.”’

‘“‘Incredulous laughter’’ greeted Heinrich’s following comments in which he urged school boards to ‘‘bargain hard but be fair’? in the upcoming negotiations, Courtenay school trustee Wayne Bradley told the Tribune.

But trustees reacted with anger as well as laughter to the threatening tone of the education minister’s speech when he told them school boards have a ‘“‘great respon- sibility’’ to ensure that the provisions of Bill 6 are not enacted with the full force when

these become legislation, said Bradley.

Under the terms of the bill the government would be empowered to limit school district expenditures in every department. In effect, the education ministry already has with the edict concerning wage increases, although it was presented as a ‘‘choice’’ for the trustee.

That appears to be the pattern the ministry will follow if and when Bill 6 becomes law. Trustees will be given the illu- sion of power to choose between attacking their teachers’ livelihood; or becoming the villians in the dismantling of the province’s education system by axing some services.

But trustees have by a large majority

_ refused to accept the government’s ruse.

While many continue to support the Socreds’ notion of “‘restraint’’.on wages, they have balked at the severity of the post- election version of restraint contained in the accompanying budget bills. Leach charged that collective bargaining would be an ‘“‘ex- pensive farce”? under the new provisions, and trustees have been outraged at what Bradley called ‘‘the most massive centraliza- tion of decision-making that has ever been imposed on the province’ s education system.”

Bill 6 isn’t the only piece of legislation that has trustees angry. They also demanded the withdrawal of Bill 3, which attacks the wages of public sector employees and promises fines for employers who ignore what the Bill’s dictate. And they ‘‘expressed some concern’’ about changes to the Labor Stan- dards Act, Bradley reported.

Cuts to the Ministry of Human Resources

budget will also negatively affect the school system, chopping adult education co and family counselling services, Vancouvel

School Board trustee Pauline Weinstei?

noted.

The VSB budget has already been cut by 4

$16.1 million and total reductions may eve” — tually hike that figure to $18 million, sh® said. That means many special needs pt” grams — many of which were introdu enhanced when Weinstein and her fellot trustees from the Committee of Progress!

Electors ran the board — will be axed, a we can’t just sit back and be quiet ‘about

Two upcoming meetings are slated to del

with the cutbacks to the VSB budget. a first is the regular school board meeting

the VSB offices at 7 p.m. next Tuesday: followed by a parents’ meeting at Tupper Secondary School Sept. 13.

RIBUNE

é Berea IIO os ec een

| am enclosing: 1 yr.$140 2yrs.$250 6mo. $80 Foreign 1 year $15 0 Bill me later C) Donation 6............

READ THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOR

gg ihttah ne

Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vee Vancouver, B.C. V5L-3X9 Phone 251-1186 q ee

ced OF

Charles .