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Connexions Digest #52 News Briefs
Compiled by Ulli Diemer
News Briefs published in the Connexions Digest
#52, August 1990
CBC ad policy criticized
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is refusing to allow anti–nuclear
activists to buy advertising time for ads opposing nuclear energy,
claiming the subject matter is controversial and opinionated, and
thus not suitable for advertising. The CBC will continue to run
ads promoting the nuclear industry, however. The decision is being
criticized by Students Opposing the Slowpoke (STOP) in Saskatoon,
who say that they consider the pro–nuclear ads opinionated and biased
since they convey the impression that nuclear energy is “somehow
benign and safe.” STOP’s ads were intended to respond to commercials
from the Canadian Nuclear Association, which spends $2.5 million
per year on television and magazine advertising. According to STOP
member Hermann Krebs, “If they allow one side, I can’t understand
why they don’t allow the other side. We’re being shut out of reaching
a large audience. We’re not getting a chance to get our message
across.” STOP has received a letter from John Davis, the CBC
manager of advertising standards, stating that the ads were refused
because of the CBC’s policy “that the airwaves must not come
under the control of individuals or groups who because of wealth,
special position, etc. might be better able to influence listener
or viewer attitudes.”
(CX4081)
CBC losing national unity mandate
The Progressive Conservative government is dropping the section
of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s mandate that requires
it to “contribute to the development of national unity”.
Some critics have cautiously welcomed the change because they say
that the CBC has used the mandate to justify biased coverage of
issues such as Meech Lake and free trade. On both issues, the CBC
was widely seen as provided biased coverage promoting the government’s
position in favour of free trade and Meech Lake. The federal government
has said that the change to the mandate removes any pressure on
the CBC to toe the government line. However, a number of opponents
of the change have characterized it as another step in the government’s
systematic gutting of institutions and policies that promote Canadian
national interests, including VIA rail, the Foreign Investment Review
Agency, and the National Film Board.
(CX4082)
Book seizures challenged
The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is challenging
Canada Customs’ practice of banning or detaining books and magazines
at the border. The association is seeking to have the seizures and
delays stopped as contrary to the freedom of expression provisions
of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. According to association
president John Dixon, “hundreds and hundreds of books and magazines
are stopped at the border.... What’s appalling is the number of
absolutely inoffensive materials.” Owners of gay bookstores
say that they are routinely singled out by customs officials. The
Glad Day bookstore in Toronto has launched two lawsuits of
its own: one to claim damages for business lost in delays in receiving
materials due to lengthy decision–making by Customs, the other to
challenge Canada Custom’s right to ban several books. In one recent
seizure, a book by Canadian writer Jane Rule, destined for Glad
Day, was held at the border although it had been sold in Canadian
bookstores for 13 years.
(CX4083)
Penguin destroys books
Penguin Books Canada has destroyed about 6,200 books and issued
a public apology to settle a lawsuit by the capitalist Conrad Black.
The book, Whose Money is It Anyway? The Showdown on Pensions,
by Ann Finlayson, was reviewed in the December 1989 issue of Connexions
(see CX3719). It describes how corporations, including one owned
by Conrad Black, have repeatedly removed money from employee pension
plans. All copies of the hardcover edition remaining in stock have
been destroyed (not including the review copy in the Connexions
office, now a collector’s item). A revised paperback edition has
been issued with the offending comments removed. Black objected
to a statement that he had engaged in “corporate banditry”
in removing pension funds from Dominion Stores.
(CX4084)
Post box rates hiked
Canada Post Corporation has imposed massive increases for the rental
of post office boxes. The smallest size of box will go from $26.20
a year to $50 a year, with larger boxes ranging from $80 to $200.
Canada Post justifies the huge increase by stating that “all
Canadian households and businesses have access to one free method
of mail delivery”. However, this is clearly not true for small
non–profit associations, one of the most frequent users of postal
boxes. Citizen groups and small publications which are too small
to have their own office space frequently have no viable alternative
to using a post office box. Using the home address of an individual
member is usually undesirable because members often move and because
of security considerations in the case groups that may attract “crackpot”
opponents, such as feminist groups.
(CX4085)
Landlord sues tenants
A Toronto landlord has launched a $1.5 million lawsuit against tenants
who organized a protest about conditions in their building. Goldwin
Properties Ltd. has filed a statement of claim alleging that tenant
and co–operative housing representatives conspired to “interfere
with the plaintiff’s economic relations... and to coerce a sale
of the apartment building for an unreasonably low price.” Goldwin
claims that the people named in the suit “inflamed the tenants
and created an atmosphere of hostility” with the goal of placing
Goldwin under duress so it would sell the building at a depressed
price. Goldwin also complained that the tenant leaders had “orchestrated
an extensive media campaign to damage the name and reputation of
the plaintiff with respect to the state of repair of the building
and the management of the building” thereby eroding the market
value of the building. According to Michael Melling, president of
the Federation
of Metro Tenants’ Associations, one the people named
in the action, “basically what we are being accused of is trying
to help the tenants organize and secure their rights under law.
The rest of the accusations are baseless.”
(CX4086)
CIA set up Mandela
The U.S. government has been embarrassed by the revelation that
the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) played a key role in
setting up the 1962 arrest of Nelson Mandela. In a story that first
appeared in the Atlanta Journal–Constitution, the CIA station chief
in Pretoria in 1962 was quoted as describing how the CIA provided
the South African government with the information it needed to capture
Mandela. “It is one of our greatest coups”, said the station
chief, Paul Eckel. Mandela spent 27 years in prison as a result
of the arrest.
(CX4087)
Unions plan cross–border links
Canadian and U.S. communications workers have agreed to co–operate
against telecommunications companies that try to move to low–wage
areas to avoid paying union rates. The Communications and Electrical
Workers of Canada have formed an alliance with the Communications
Workers of America to engage in joint action “to defend
union and workers’ rights in North America, including Mexico”.
The first concrete step is a joint organizing campaign directed
at workers in a company that manufactures computer components in
Ontario, Quebec, and New York state, which pays “substandard
wages and benefits, exploits immigrant workers and threatens to
move jobs every time the people try to organize.” The idea
of the joint organizing campaign is to “create a situation
where the company has no place to run to.”
(CX4088)
Union urges fish boycott
The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union is promoting
a boycott of buyers of Canadian fish who export the catch to the
United States at the cost of local jobs. According to union president
Jack Nichol, the Canadian processing industry is being destroyed
as fish are sold to the U.S. for processing rather than being processed
in Canada. He is urging salmon fishermen to place large “pro–Canada
fleet” stickers on their boats and to refuse to sell to U.S.
fish buyers who truck the fish south for processing.
(CX4089)
CAW get GST protection
The Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) has successfully negotiated
a precedent–setting contract with Air Canada that will give 3,200
employees protection against the inflationary effect of the proposed
goods and services tax (GST). The agreement ignores calls from Finance
Minister Michael Wilson for unions to accept wage increases less
than the rate of inflation. Wilson has said that the high interest
rates imposed by Bank of Canada governor John Crow will be continued
until wages increases are dropped below the rate of inflation. CAW
President Bob White said that workers will not take the blame for
the federal government’s “stupid economic policies.”
(CX4090)
Crow flying high
Bank of Canada Governor John Crow and senior members of his staff
have been pocketing large pay increases even as they publicly demand
that ordinary Canadians settle for less pay to combat inflation.
The government refuses to reveal exactly what Crow himself is paid,
even though his salary is paid by the taxpayer, but it has confirmed
that his salary range is now between $162,000 to $243,000, up from
the $120,000 to $150,000 range it was in three years ago. This amounts
to an annual rate of increase between 12 and 21 per cent. The average
salary at the Bank of Canada went up 24.2 per cent between 1985
and 1989, whereas the cost of living went up 16.3 per cent over
the same period. The average weekly wage in Canada increased by
only 16.1 per cent over that time period. In his reports, Crow has
stated that wage increases averaging 5.25 per cent in 1989 and 4.5
per cent in 1988 are too high and are contributing to inflation.
(CX4091)
165,000 factory jobs lost
Canada lost 165,000 manufacturing jobs in the first year of free
trade, according to Statistics Canada. This amounts to almost 6
per cent of the sector’s total work force. Statistics also reveal
that the trend is accelerating. In May 1990 alone, 43,000 factory
jobs vanished. Manufacturers tend to place the blame primarily on
high interest rates, while trade unions see free trade as being
the main culprit. In either case, the figures indicate that the
free trade era has been something of an economic disaster. Many
of the job losses are expected to be permanent.
(CX4092)
Free trade harassment charged
The United States has become even more aggressive in harassing Canadian
exporters since the Canada–U.S. trade agreement came into effect,
a Senate review of the bilateral deal has concluded. According to
the Senate foreign affairs committee, Canadian goods are being met
by various kinds of harassment at the border, ranging from increased
inspections, to slowdowns, to court challenges.
(CX4093)
U.S.–Mexico free trade talks
The United States has entered into preliminary free trade negotiations
with Mexico. Because Canada is now tied into a free trade pact with
the United States, this means that Canada would also in effect have
free trade with Mexico without having any say on the terms and conditions
of an eventual pact. One likely result is that U.S. car manufacturers,
for example, would be able to get their parts from Mexico, where
workers earn $1.60 an hour, rather than from Canadian parts suppliers
which have substantially higher labour costs.
(CX4094)
GM wants U.S. holidays in Canada
General Motors Ltd. wants Canadian employees to take U.S. holidays
rather than Canadian holidays. The company has asked workers in
Windsor to take Memorial Day rather than Victoria Day, U.S. Thanksgiving
rather than Canadian Thanksgiving, and Independence Day rather than
Canada Day. GM says that the holiday transfer would put the Windsor
plant in a better competitive position to get a contract to manufacture
Buick seat covers.
(CX4095)
Furniture industry hurting
The Canadian Council of Furniture Manufacturers says that the Canadian
furniture industry is in dire straits because of the free trade
agreement, and that it may ask the government for emergency protection
against the yearly tariff reductions which are designed to eliminate
tariffs entirely by 1993. According to the Council, 24 Canadian
furniture companies have gone bankrupt since the agreement came
into effect, and another 32 firms have stopped producing furniture.
Imports of U.S. furniture have increased 40 per cent, while exports
to the U.S. have gone down 7 per cent. About 4,700 of 60,000 jobs
have been lost so far in the industry.
(CX4096)
Rail accidents up
The number of railyard accidents in Canada is up significantly from
last year. A spokesman for a watchdog group, Harry Behrend of the
Metro Toronto Residents Action Committee, puts the blame
on the federal government’s deregulation of the rail industry. According
to Behrend, the government is neglecting its responsibility to supervise
rail safety. “They are letting the companies be their own patrollers.”
“There is pressure on the government to make exceptions to
the rule” because of competitive pressures on the rail companies,
said Harry Gow, president of Transport 2000. “It is easier
to make exceptions rather than providing assistance to railways
to make them competitive.” Gow’s remarks were challenged by
CP rail spokesman Paul Thurston, who said that “we conduct
ourselves as if there was always a federal rail inspector watching
us.” However, a report by the National Transportation Agency
reveals that rail officials at several rail yards say that there
is an “informal agreement with Transport Canada which allows
10 per cent of its cars to be found and placed in service despite
one or more minimum–safety standards defects.” According to
Harry Gow, the underlying problem is that “the overall structure
of Canadian railways is crumbling away” under the pressure
of government anti–railway policies.
(CX4097)
More VIA cuts predicted
VIA rail is poised to make additional service cuts, according to
Guy Chartrand, the Quebec region president of Transport 2000. Chartrand
says that he has received information from VIA sources that among
the cuts being planned would be that of the ‘Atlantic’ service between
Montreal and Halifax, and the ‘Chaleur’ service between Montreal
and Gaspe. Sherbrooke, Fredericton, and Saint John would be among
the places losing train service. The cuts would be in addition to
those last January, when almost half of VIA’s routes were axed.
VIA spokesperson Paul Raynor said the reports were “more rumours
and more speculation”, but didn’t deny them.
(CX4098)
Research funding draining away
The Progressive Conservative government is deliberately letting
scientific research in Canada die a slow death, critics say. A number
of prominent scientists have gone public with instances of the bleeding
of scientific research. They cite massive cuts to the budget of
the National Research Council (NRC), which now receives $78 million
less than it did six years ago, despite inflation. Canada now spends
about 1.28 per cent of its gross domestic product on scientific
research, compared to 1.43 per cent when the Mulroney government
took office. By comparison, the United States spends 2.69 per cent,
Japan 2.87 per cent. The Professional Institute of the Public Service,
which represents 1,000 researchers, says that the government is
engaged in the “systematic destruction of the NRC.”
(CX4099)
Sunday shopping conflict
A labour arbitrator has ruled that Steinberg Inc. was wrong to discipline
two Ottawa employees who opposed the company’s stand in favour of
Sunday shopping. Despite warnings from their supervisor, the two
continued to wear buttons that read “Say No to Sunday shopping,”
and were eventually suspended. The ruling against Steinberg Inc.
is an important affirmation of a worker’s right to freedom of expression
because it shows “an employer does not have total control over
an employee’s behaviour in the workplace,” said labour lawyer
Harold Caley, who represented the two workers involved in the arbitration.
(CX4100)
Nuclear facts and figures
After maintaining for forty years that the British nuclear power
industry makes economic sense, the British government has finally
been forced to admit that it is uneconomic. The truth emerged, ironically,
because of the Thatcher government’s privatization drive. Its attempts
to sell off nuclear power plants to the private sector failed dismally
because no private company wanted anything to do with the plants
without a guarantee of huge financial subsidies from the government.
(CX4101)
Antarctic airfield
Britain has opened the door to tourism and possible mineral exploitation
in the Antarctic by building an airfield at the remote Rothera scientific
station 1,200 miles south of the Falklands. The airfield will allow
people to get from London to Rothera in 48 hours instead of the
five weeks it takes now. The British Antarctic Survey says it will
make it possible for scientists to reach Antarctica more efficiently,
but fears are being expressed that the airfield will also be used
for tourism and as a base for mineral prospectors. The British government
supports the Mineral Convention, which would allow mineral exploration
in Antarctic.
(CX4102)
Urine tests protested
The Seafarers International Union is urging federal transportation
workers to protest against proposed federal legislation which would
force workers to submit to mandatory urine and blood tests. According
to union secretary Andrew Boyle, the proposed legislation is a violation
of workers’ privacy rights. In addition, said Boyle, the tests are
“notoriously inaccurate”. The union is distributing urine
specimen bottles and urging members to “send a sample of your
opinion” to the federal transport minister. At the Canadian
Labour Congress convention in May, a resolution was passed which
criticized increasing invasions of workers’ privacy, including mandatory
drug testing, psychological screening, electronic surveillance and
personal searches.
(CX4103)
China admits torture
The Chinese government has admitted for the first time that some
of its prisoners are tortured, injured, and die in custody. In the
past, China has routinely dismissed such accusations from Amnesty
International and other human rights organizations. A senior
legal official, Liang Gouqing, said that in the fist quarter of
1990 2,900 case of ‘perversion of justice’ occurred, including death
and injuries. Asia Watch has estimated that between 10,000 and 30,000
people are in jail for their part in last year’s pro–democracy protests,
while many other political prisoners have been in jail for much
longer periods. Many former prisoners speak of brutal treatment,
overcrowding, bad food, routine beatings, denial of family visits,
and torture.
(CX4104)
Cree challenge settlement
The Grand Council of the Cree of Quebec has gone to court
asking that the James Bay and Northern Agreement, the largest land
claim settlement in Canadian history, should be declared null and
void. The Grand Council has also asked the court for an injunction
against any future hydro–electric development in the vast territory.
“There is a very basic principle of contract law known as non–performance,”
said James O’Reilly, the Crees’ lawyer. “The government has
failed to fulfil its obligations under the agreement so it should
be nullified.” He also argued that the agreement is invalid
because the Quebec government does not have any legal rights over
the natural resources of northern Quebec. Canada turned over large
portions of the then–Northwest Territories to Quebec provincial
administration in 1898 and 1912, but, said Mr. O’Reilly, the rights
to natural resources on those lands were never assigned to Quebec.
“The Cree have retained and never surrendered ancestral rights,”
Mr. O’Reilly said.
(CX4105)
Treaty still valid
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a 230–year old treaty
giving Hurons in Quebec the right to exercise their customs is still
valid. In a unanimous decision, the judges said that the treaty
signed in 1760 is still in effect and that the province cannot prosecute
Hurons for practicing native customs that violate provincial park
laws. The case involved two brothers who had been charged with fishing.
According to Native leaders, the decision strengthens their legal
rights and lays the groundwork for several other court cases.
(CX4106)
No base in Goose Bay
NATO Defence Ministers have scrapped plans to build a NATO Training
Centre at Goose Bay, Labrador. The decision was hailed by Native
groups and peace and environmental organizations. Federal Trade
Minister John Crosbie reacted angrily, blaming the Innu for their
opposition to the base. The Innu, said Crosbie, had been “extremely
unhelpful, unproductive and unfeeling”. “Goose Bay lost
out because of the Innu,” Crosbie said. Innu spokespeople were
pleased, but noted that low–level flying would still continue in
the area and might well intensify, even without the base.
(CX4107)
ARMX on the march
Banned last year from Ottawa city property, ARMX, the controversial
Canadian arms exhibition, has left the city of Ottawa and found
a new home for its weapons trade show at the Carp Airport, located
west of the capital. Richard Sanders, spokesperson for the Coalition
to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT), says activists will both protest
and educate the public about the “immoral, unethical and evil
side” of ARMX ’91. Contact COAT at 489 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa
K1N 3N7 (613) 231–3076.
(CX4108)
Women’s centres temporarily reprieved
The federal government has responded to strong pressure from women’s
groups, and is restoring $1.2 million in operational financing to
74 women’s centres across the country, but only for a one–year “transitional”
period. The government cut the operational or so–called core financing
as one of the cost–saving measures announced in the federal budget.
The cuts took effect April 1, and many of the centres have been
on the verge of closing. However, $400,000 in cuts to women’s publications
and national lobby groups will not be restored.
(CX4109)
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Briefs from the Connexions Digest #50
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Briefs from the Connexions Digest #51
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Briefs from the Connexions Digest #53
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Briefs from the Connexions Digest #54
Connexions
Digest Collected News Briefs 1989 – 1992
Compiled news summaries published in the Connexions Digest, issues
50 – 54. (CX4906).
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