‘“‘All labourlaws are a
reflection of the power rel-
ationship within society’’,
explained Renour. He exp-
lained that restrictive labour
laws only exist now because
of the weakened state of the
trade union movement.

If the movement was str-

 

 

onger oppressive laws
could not be passed as
easily said Renouf.
Concerning the questions
of amendments to the AIl-
berta LabourAct Renouf said
“it is a safe bet all proposed
amendments will be more
restrictive against the ability

The Other Press

of workers to organize and
defend themselves against
their employers.’’ Labour
tights are also not a priority
in Canada because of the
massive shift in corporation
profits here, said Renouf.

‘‘From 1977 to the first
quarter of 1980 the Gross
National Product (GNP) in
Canada grew by 42 per-
cent.”’

Correction of the above par-
agraph

‘From 1977 to the first
quarter of 1980 the Gross
National Product (GNP) in
Canada grew by 42 per-
cent,’’ said Renouf. If
distributed proportionally
everybody’s income would
have grown by 42 percent.

Instead wages and _ sal-
aries grew only by 29 per-
cent while corporation pro-
fits grew by 73 percent.
“This is supposedly during
a recession,’’ added Renouf.

Workers compensation
has also dropped from sec-
ond best in the world in a
few years ago to about sixth
in rank now, said Renoug.
This is just some of the
evidence of the ‘‘ warfare
against the Canadian ind-
ustrial worker.’’

However, Renouf added
“‘there are still glimmers of
hope.”’

Two general trends ind-
icate the start of a power
shift in Canada, according to
him.

The organization of the
public sector is first ev-
idence of this change.

“Unions are becoming
more militant and taking an
assertive stance,’’ he said.

The second positive trend
is the growing number of
women union members who
actually constitute the maj-
ority of union members in
the country. ‘‘They have
made the connection bet-
ween liberation and union,’’
said Renouf.

‘*‘The labourlegislation in
Alberta is not likely to
improve,’’ but the unions
are growing stronger, and
awareness is increasing. he

A Chance

Shelley Smith of the Al-
berta Status of Women
Committee (ASWC) spoke
on the principles of Affirm-
ative Action.

Affirmative Action is a
program designed to pro-
vide employment opportun-
ities for minority groups and
women in areas where they
have not previously been
hired.

It exists to redress dis-
criminatory employment
practices of the past, said
Smith.

But it really needed to
alleviate unemployment pro-
blems in special groups.
This means providing day-
care, job training and trans-
portation, to groups of
people who have previously
found it inaccessible, she
said.

Smith said that even
though discrimination is il-
legal it still exists. She
described it as systematic
discrimination discrimin-
ation stemming from the
structure of our society.

The proof that women’s
position is not improving, is
the increase in the percent-
age ot women in service and
clerical jobs. The percentage

 

 

 

 

of women in managerial and
administrative work has not
increased and women are
still a minute percentage of
the controlling positions,
said Smith.

Affirmative Action has not
been illegal in Alberta since
September 1 this year but
Smith says, ‘‘this was-strict-
ly a political move for the
concentration of power to
the cabinet.’’

Affirmative Action pro-
grams for handicapped peo-
vole can be approved by
the Human Rights Com-
mission but programs for
politically active groups like
women and natives must be
approved by cabinet, she
said.

iJ =
The Victim

Wendy Stevenson raged
against the system when she
spoke at the U of A.

She started out explaining
her reasons for taking a
traditionally male job, but
focused mainly on the
RCMP wrongdoings.

“It’s funny. When people
break the law it is a crime
but RCMP wrongdoings are
called dirty tricks,’’ she
said.

Stevenson said jaywalking
is the only crime she has
ever committed.

She is persecuted because
of her beliefs and her sex,
she said. - ;

She described her search
for a job as long and hard. It
is the activists who have to
break through the prejud-
ices that exist, she said.

Before she was fired she
had difficulty finding jobs
because of her sex but now
she is faced with political
prejudices as well, she said.

“‘Few people know what
they are up against when
they want to express ‘their
ideas.’’

She was asked why she is
asking for support from a
system she is against.

She replied that she
thinks it is a sick system and
she has a right to express
that.

““Once you start prevent-
ing a person from airing
views you aren’t living in a
democracy,’’ she said.

She cited a long list of
RCMP crimes, evidence
from the MacDonald and
Keable commissions.

‘‘The history of the RCMP
is one of suppression,’’ she
said. They started out sup-
pressing the Metis and Nat-
ives and went on to sup-
press immigrant workers
and then smashed the Win-
nipeg general strike. After
World War I they started to
suppress communists, she
said.

She told the people at the
forum many people have
trouble finding jobs because
of RCMP files that are
floating around since the
War Measures Act was en-
acted.

“‘But the RCMP are un-
touchable,’’ she said. ‘‘Just
try and sue them.’’

“*The RCMP are not just a
harmless musical ride,’’ she
said.

Stevenson also mention-
ed the lack of support she
has received from the com-
mercial media. She said that
their cause is ‘‘definitely
newsworthy’’ but it is being
ignored for other reasons.

“‘Our only weapon is pub-
{ic awareness and support,”’
she concluded.

 

 

page seven