British Columbia/ Canada

——

NPA decision ignores housing needs

After months of stalling while facing growing community pressure and criticism the Non-Partisan Association-dominated city council finally adopted city policies for future development of the north shore of False Creek on Aug. 30.

But as many expected the NPA defeated the main demand from many community organizations to adopt a strong policy on the provision of an adequate amount of affordable, low-income and family housing for the site.

More than 40 organizations representing housing, church, women’s and labour organizations made it quite clear that the key issue is the type of housing needed for

Libby Davies

Bruce Eriksen

the development. A large majority of the delegations urged city council to stipulate that at least 33 per cent of all housing to be designated social housing for lower income households, and 33 per cent for moderate income households.

The Shad power plant near Estevan has become the scene of the latest clash between the union-bashing government of Premier Grant Devine and workers in Saskatchewan. At issue is the decision of SaskPower, a Crown corporation, to make construction of the $500-million coal-fired generator open to non-union contractors.

SaskPower’s president, George Hill, a long-time Conservative and member of one of Regina’s wealthiest families, has rejected calls for a union agreement at the project.

Over 300 subcontracts are to be awarded by SaskPower at the plant,

i

Sask. labour fighting Tories’ ‘open shop’

Kimball Cariou

katchewan today. ; In July, the Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories Allied Council of Building Trades workers held several days of demonstrations at the site, involving up to 100 workers per day.

The council wants a project agreement similar to that reached in J uly 1986 at the $650-million co-op oil upgrader in Reg- ina. The labour movement won an important victory at that project, defeat- ing plans to build the upgrader with a non-union workforce.

At the Shad site, the council has pro- posed an agreement that would see non-

Ran a Sabla eee ar which is scheduled for completion by July 1992. (A second generator is slated at the same site after the first is finished).

Hill claims the open site policy is “fair” because contracts are awarded on the basis of “competence, ability to do the job, and price.” Minimum wages have been established at the project, to ensure “fair competition” between union and non-union firms, says Hill — for example, $17.25 per hour and $45 in subsistence pay for journeymen boiler- makers.

Building Trades union spokesmen argue that these minimum rates under- mine union collective agreements, point- ing out that hundreds of organized trades workers are unemployed in Sas-

FROM SASKATCHEWAN

union workers join their respective unions within 30 days of starting work, in return fora no-strike guarantee for the project’s duration. Hill has remained flatly opposed.

Speaking to the media about the situa- tion, South Saskatchewan Building and Construction Trades Council leader John MacLeod stated recently that “SaskPower’s policy marks a first in Canadian history, wherein a Crown cor- poration has interfered in the private sec- tor free collective bargaining,” by trying to prevent unions from organizing at the site. The issue will be taken up on Sept. 8, when the Building Trades national exec- utive board will meet with local unions in Regina to plan further actions.

TIM LOUIS

= | & company A

Trial Lawyers

Uncontested divorce $200* Conveyancing $200* Incorporations $200* Probate of will $500* Separation agreements $300* Wills $50* ICBC contingency fee agreement Welfare/UIC appeals No fee *All prices plus disbursements

Divorce and Family Law

Criminal Law (including impaired driving) 108-2182 West 12th/732-7678 Tim Louis Michael Hambrook

Ranain COMPANY

Barristers & Solicitors

4th Floor, 195 Alexander St. Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1N8

682-2781

Offers a broad range of legal services including:

° Personal Injury & Insurance claims 9 Real Estate & Conveyancing

9 Divorce & Family Law

5 Labour Law

9 Criminal Law

5 Estates & Wills

2 e Pacific Tribune, September 7, 1988

Some groups also wanted to see 50 per cent of all the housing designated for fami- lies. But motions from Committee of Pro- gressive Electors aldermen Libby Davies and Bruce Eriksen to adopt these targets were rejected by all other members of city council.

Instead the NPA settled for zoning a 20- per-cent target of social housing for “‘core needy” persons and only 25 per cent of all the site’s housing for families. This repres- ents a drop in the bucket in light of the serious housing problems facing Van- couver.

The NPA has clearly failed to show lead- ership to ensure that our housing needs are met. We are left with tokenism in a devel- opment that caters mainly to the provision of exclusive, expensive housing for people with high incomes.

This is not what the people of Vancouver wanted. The mayor and his friends have shown yet again that they are more willing to stick closely to what the developer wants, rather than what the public wants. ~~

One very important victory was won, however, concerning the issue of contami- nated and dangerous soil conditions on the site. Many delegations expressed grave con- cern over the safety of the land, and the lack of public information.

We learned that the provincial govern- ment, under the agreement with the devel- oper, Concord Pacific, is responsible for paying for the clean-up of the badly con- taminated soils. What is really unnerving though is that the province will also set the standards for safety and clean up. Reports on this issue have been produced but the public has been kept in the dark.

Hungry children focus of Sept. 9 march and rally

Angered over the lack of interest by senior governments in funding a program to feed undernourished children in Van- couver’s schools, a collection of anti- poverty groups is staging a march and rally on Friday, Sept. 9.

The protest begins at noon outside the office of Treasury Board president Pat Car- ney at 1045 Howe St. From there demon- strators will march to Social Services and Housing Minister Claude Richmond’s office and on to the rally at Robson Square.

The Vancouver school board is set to implement a $200,000 food program in five schools by mid-September. But Jean Swan- son of End Legislated Poverty says there are 13 schools where low-income students require the program.

The Vancouver school board adopted the program after pressure from parents and anti-poverty groups. :

Ina series of tie-breaking votes last spring Vancouver city council rejected a call by anti-poverty groups and the school board to contribute to the program. The right-wing dominated council claimed that senior lev- els of government should be responsible.

But attempts to meet with the federal and provincial government ministers responsi- ble have been rebuffed, Swanson says.

““We’ve been after Carney and Richmond for the past month to set up a meeting with us. But every time we’ve been put off,” she

. Creek area. This was approved by city

=

‘Elementary School Administrators’ Asso-

The two COPE aldermen presented 4 motion that there be full public disclosure of all reports, plans and studies addressing soil conditions and contaminants in the Falsé

council. The public and council must be very Vigilant to demand safe conditions fof the site before any developments afé allowed.

Another major issue demanding ov! attention is the so-called “lagoon” concep! proposed by Concord Pacific that will pro duce an island effect for this exclusivé development. The NPA voted to allow further work to examine this idea — yet the public has not had a real chance to evaluaté whether lagoons are any good, or serve only

to increase the exclusivity of the develop |

ment.

There are many questions yet to be ans wered. Will lagoons minimize the unique ness of the False Creek open water body! Will the creation of lagoons disturb and exacerbate contaminated soils? We don't know — and it’s essential these and othef questions are fully examined before thé lagoon plans proceed.

The project on the north shore of Falsé Creek is certainly the most important development facing Vancouver, and the NPA has clearly messed up this one. They were silent when the land was privatized at@ incalculable loss to the public. They refus to adopt public policies for the site when they were critically needed. They rushed in to help the developer plan for the site at 4 significant cost to local taxpayers. 3

Now that they have finally adopted poli- cies, these fall far short of the public’s expec tation for the housing we need. Indeed the NPA has limped along and the mayor has shown a dismal lack of leadership and

vision for a development that will changé |

Vancouver’s future.

The community groups who presented briefs did an excellent job in pointing out the real priorities for this significant land. COPE backs their position. We will con- tinue to speak out and advocate, with the community, that the city protect the public interest instead of that of the developers.

reports.

ELP and groups such as the Vancouver Food Bank have consistently written and telephoned the officials, Swanson says.

“The situation will be worse in November, because that’s when Richmond plans to cut a further $50 from welfare cheques,” Swan- son warns.

The cut is due to a change in the defini- tion in the welfare system’s classification of unemployable recipients. A more stringent rule announced last spring by Richmond will chop GAIN rates for thousands of sin- gle parents.

The Child Poverty Action League says

85,000 children live below the poverty line ~

in British Columbia.

Educators in Vancouver have been cal- ling for a food program, citing short atten- tion spans, absenteeism and underachieving as signs of malnutrition in students.

A study last February by the Vancouver

ciation warned of the growing problem of child hunger and identified between 10 and

chronic .

ee ee es

13 inner city schools as requiring special attention for their students.

In addition to cutting welfare rates and laying off social workers in the Vancouver area, Richmond has consistently refused calls for government funding of the hungry students program.