BCGEU OUT: TEACHERS NEXT? (P3) VOLUME 1, NUMBER 3 NOVEMBER 2, 1983 B.C. TEETERS ON THE EDGEjCPAS.ES. 2, 3,8) BCGEU MEMBERS WALKOUT OCTOBER 31 AT MIDNIGHT BEV OAVIES PHOTO • Julian Sher on The kkk Headlines Theatre • corsage Bierman • sexual Harassment David Boswell • schoolboard vancity Boycott • News Briefs • cold Wind in Kelowna • Tranqullle • Events Calendar BEV DAVIES PHOTO DERA ORGANIZER JIM GREEN Larry Huehrt 5574 MacKenzie St, Vancouver, B.C. V6N 1H2 TALES FROM THE FRONT 10/26/34 DERA FIGHTS THE GOOD FIGHT (P5) Stcond-CI»i« Mill Bulk. 3rd Class Rejlstritton Ptrtfing Vincauvtr, B.C. No. 5138 e TIMES, NOV. 2, 1983 changes to a program that president Art Kube unveiled Public Employees to join the ranged from elimination of the an escalating program of job GEU at the bargaining table as province's Human Rights action unanimously adopted observers. It was an un• Commission to labor legisla• .over the weekend by the mistakable signal that the Trouble in tion allowing the government federation's 32-member ex• government had to settle with to override contracts and fire ecutive council. If the govern• the entire public sector, or not public sector workers without ment attempted to retaliate at all. cause. with back-to-work legislation, As the talks proceeded But when more than 50,000 Kramer warned that the through the week with few Solidarity marchers paraded 225,000-member federation signs of progress — and over• past the Socred annual con• would support affiliates defy• shadowed by a startling inter• vention on Oct. 15, two weeks ing such legislation. national event, the invasion of before the slated firing of "We've had a number of Grenada by U.S. troops — the 1,600 members of the B.C. communiques in the past week embattled B.C. workers pick• Government Employees from the private sector unions ed up bits of support here and Ticked Union, the premier had second telling us if the federation calls there. The Ontario Supreme thoughts. Bennett took to for an all-out action, they Court ruled that part of the television Oct. 20. Though would support it. That's as Ontario legislative program vowing that protestors would close to a general strike as preventing workers from not be permitted to "picket damn is to swearing," said bargaining on non-monetary off talks their way to prosperity," he Kramer. items — similar to the Ben- softened his stand once past Provincial Secretary Jim nentt government's proposed the rhetoric, offering Solidari• .'I''.'':.'' Bill 2 — violated the constitu• By Stan Persky • Chabot vowed the next day Even with an additional ty ministerial consultation on that the government would not tion's Charter of Rights pro• hour gained from the seasonal unpassed legislation and in• back down on Bill 3. "Bill 3 is tecting freedom of associa• setting-back of the clock, it viting the BCGEU back to the law and Bill 3 won't be chang• tion. B.C. Attorney General went down to the wire. bargaining table with hints ed .. there is no intention Brian Smith as much as admit• As timepieces ticked toward that an "exemption" was BEV DAV1FS PHOTO on the part of the government ted that Bill 2 was dead in the a midnight, Oct. 31 deadline possible from Bill 3, the firing- At the same time, in an to repeal Bill 3," he insisted. water unless the ruling was for the launching of an un• without-cause law. unrelated labor dispute, pulp Chabot dismissed Kramer's overturned by a higher court. precedented general strike in On Monday, Oct. 24, workers locked out at nine warning, saying, "Our Also in Ontario, B.C. B.C., teams of government government and BCGEU mills indicated they would be negotiations are with the workers got a boost from the and union negotiators jawed negotiators began a last-ditch willing to go back to work in a BCGEU, not the B.C. Federa• annual convention of the their way into the seventh day week of talks behind closed bid to re-start stalled talks in tion of Labor. The talks are Canadian Union of Public of marathon talks designed to doors at the B.C. Labor Rela• the forestry industry. (The separate and distinct." Employees. A string of avert the confrontation. tions Board with the help of lockout was lifted later in the By mid-week, however, the speakers — from Canadian For four months, a board chairman Steven week.) BCGEU made sure the talks Labor Congress president burgeoning organization of Kelleher. For its part, Solidari• But not all signs were were not "separate and Dennis McDermott to B.C. trade unions and. community ty Coalition announced the hopeful. As bargainers met distinct." Making clear that NDP MLA Rosemary Brown groups — the Solidarity Coali• same day that it would take up under a news blackout, B.C. the 40,000-member civil ser• to newly-elected CUPE presi• tion — had marched, rallied, Bennett's offer to meet with Federation of Labor secretary- vant union was not about to dent Jeff Rose — criticised the petitioned and protested cabinet ministers to discuss treasurer Mike Kramer sketch• cut a deal on its own and leave Bennett regime. My first against a harsh right-wing yet-to-be passed legislation on ed out the high stakes in stark the other public sector workers priority, said Rose, head of package of so-called human rights, health, and the terms. He warned that any hanging out to dry, GEU chief Canada's largest union, is to "restraint" legislation in• rentalsman process. "We want move by the government to negotiator Cliff Andstein in• fight the B.C. government's troduced by Premier Bill Ben• to bend over backwards to be force public sector workers vited representatives from the program to fire civil servants. nett's Social Credit govern• as co-operative as possible," back on the job if talks failed B.C. Teachers Federation, the "That is where the spearhead ment last July. And for four said coalition co-chair Renate would precipitate a general Hospital Employees Union of government repression is months Bennett resisted Shearer. strike. Kramer and B.C. Fed and the Canadian Union of See page 14: TROUBLE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE READ THIS Do you know that: • The provincial cabinet has decided to institute • When government examinations were last used, provincial government examinations for all Grade it was to screen that small percentage of students 12 students, starting in January 1983. who went on to a college career. Now, in a different society, the examinations will downgrade • 1937 was the last year that all students were "non-academic" studies and take us back to a required to write government examinations. pre-World War II pattern. • The two-hour examinations will count for 50% of the • The examinations will discriminate against student's mark in each course; they are worth as students who are not going to university. much as an entire year's work. • Provincial examinations set last year by the • There is no academic evidence that government Ministry of Education were ill-conceived and examinations give any better prediction about a badly administered. We are proceeding hastily student's success in university than do teachers' toward a new set of examinations developed by marks. In fact, the evidence points the other way. the same ministry. • Teachers do give examinations, all year: class • In a time of "restraint" provincial examinations will exams, school exams and district exams. cost $3,000,000 per year. Education Minister Heinrich says that one of the purposes of the examinations is "to respond to strong public concerns for improved standards of education." Parents, school boards, and students have been expressing their concerns about the examinations. Add your voice to theirs and let the minister and your MLA know that the proposed examinations have more to do with privilege and discrimination than with education. message from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation. TIMES, NOV. 2, 1983 and to limit what can be in• the timetable for future job ac• strike," according to Pat cluded in a public sector col• tion looks like this: Clarke, the B.C. Teachers lective agreement. • Nov. 8 — Teachers and Federation's vice president. education employees, in• Strike on; The labor movement has The teachers, whose strike cluding those in universities will be part of Operation also said that the next move is and colleges, walk off the job. up to the government, who are Solidarity's escalating protest • Nov. 10 — Workers at strategy against the legislation, now in the position of either Crown corporations such as talks too making a major concession voted 59 per cent in favor of B.C. Hydro, B.C. Rail and the strike action in a vote an• during bargaining, or using provincial ferry fleet join the By Keith Baldrey their power to order the nounced Oct. 29. The strike strike. will go ahead as planned Twelve hours after govern• workers back to work through • Nov. 14 — Transporta• unless the B.C. Government ment workers across the pro• the Essential Services Act or tion workers, including bus Employees Union reaches an vince went out on strike, their back-to-work legislation. drivers, and civic workers join agreement with the provincial union leaders and the provin• But Operation Solidarity the strike. government. cial government's negotiators and B.C. Federation of Labor • Nov. 18 — Leaving were back at the bargaining president Art Kube said Oct. enough people at work to care "The vote is an expression table. 31 that Federation affiliates for critical patients, the of frustration by teachers," But any hope for an agree• will be advised to disregard members of the Hospital says Clarke.