Hie
ffiherman
MARITIMES SECTION
Vol. XXX, No. 31
SEPTEMBER 8, 1967
FIRST CHARTER
We erred in reporting the details of this picture of Con Mills Jr. (left) and UFAWU general organizer Bert Ogden when we ran it in our August 18 issue. Mills is president of Louisburg Local 1A, which received its UFAWU charter, first on the Atlantic coast, from Ogden. Charter of Lunenburg Local 2A is to be installed this coming Monday, September 11, at a meeting in Capitol Theatre, Lunenburg.
Newspaper Answered By Yarmouth Local
A bulletin issued by Yarmouth Local 5A of the UFAWU in Nova Scotia urges acceptance of advice proffered by a local newspaper on August 24. In a front page editorial the Yarmouth Light-Herald alleged that the West coast "fishing fleet had been tied up on strike for some time" and went on to suggest "that it would be wise to take a long, hard look at the Union and not only about what they can do to help but also what will happen if a repeat of their actions on the West coast (takes place in) our fishing industry.
The Yarmouth Local bulletin replies that "the suggestion is a good one — let's take a look."
In the first place, it points out, the B.C. fleet is not tied up and hasn't been except for a section of the trawl fleet which sailed in July after a four month strike which won a written agreement providing for 60 percent crew share, compensation coverage and other benefits.
The bulletin also turns its attention to a comparison of her-
ring fishery conditions on East and West coasts and notes that the negotiated labor rate to herring fishermen in B.C. amounts to $2.17 per ton while corresponding prices to their counterparts in the Maritimes, who are often working for the same employer, range mainly in the $1 to $1.05 per ton bracket.
And while B.C. herring fishermen have full compensation coverage, medical plan coverage, welfare plan and shipwreck benefit, Eastern crews work without any such protection, it adds. In addition, while B.C. herring men fish a five day week and have specified lay up periods, Atlantic coast crews fish a seven day week without established lay-ups.
Organizing results so far indicate that more and more workers in the East coast fishing industry are indeed taking a "long, hard look at the Union" and concluding that "a repeat of UFAWU actions on the West coast" could only improve their own conditions.
Cooling Off Issue Snags Co-op Talks
By JACK NICHOL
Negotiations for reinstatement with full seniority of almost 50 Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-op Association employees have been stalemated by Co-op management's refusal to budge from its proposal for a 13 month "cooling off period" during which the employees' seniority would not be recognized.
The workers concerned labelled as unacceptable this employers' proposal which would return few, if any, people to work and leave jobs filled by junior employees over the fall, winter and spring months.
The UFAWU shoreworkers involved have been displaced from their jobs because of their refusal to cross the Union's picket lines during the trawl-longline dispute with the Prince Rupert Fishing Vessel Owners Association.
While an impasse seems to have been reached at the Co-op, it is now one month since agreement v/as reached with management at Royal Fisheries for return to work of a number of that Company's employees who had also refused to cross UFAWU picket lines. Agreement at Royal Fisheries provided for a 30 day "cooling off period" during which seniority would not be applied but would be restored after September 6.
In early August, the same basis for settlement was proposed to the Co-op and rejected. Co-op treasurer A. G. Mise told a Union committee that "neither a 30 day, 60 day nor even a 365 day cooling off period" would resolve the issue and, at that time, management was not prepared to reinstate the workers on any terms.
SOME CHANGE
Management's current position, if nothing else, reflects some change of attitude. It now says it will accept the workers back but under conditions designed to place them in a position of complete submission to their employer and in such a way that very few, if any, will gain employment prior to the 1968 season.
From the workers' own experience, it is obvious that the number of people currently working in the plant is all that is required in a normal off season operation and, despite management's claims to the contrary, fishing for the balance of the season will not create sufficient production to require services of most of the displaced men and women.
The Union contends that the workers have been penalized sufficiently and should be reinstated immediately with  full seniority
and call outs to work on the basis "hot" products without being in
tinue to pay medical plan premiums for the employees.
In view of this fact, and management's admission that the collective agreement still prevails at the plant, it is difficult to understand how the Co-op can attempt to justify its continuing refusal to recall these workers.
Management's expressed fear of hostile attitudes between the groups inside and outside the plant is not a valid reason for its position.
SENIORITY KEY
The Co-op has demanded that the Union reconcile differences between the two groups; this is recognized as being a Union responsibility and one that will be tackled. But it can best be accomplished if the groups are integrated in employment.
A 13 month "cooling off period," on the other hand, would perpetuate the two factions concept and greatly reduce the chance for harmony in the plant.
Seniority often creates controversy in the highly seasonal fishing industry and this can best be avoided by adherence to the agreement's seniority provisions. These provide for seniority based on length of service and seniority listing is the basis for being called out to work. An immediate return to this procedure as demanded by the Union is fully justified and the fairest and quickest way to end the dispute.
TALKS HAMPERED
Talks on reinstatement have hampered Union attempts to finalize the 1967 shoreworkers' agreement with the Co-op. Although they agreed to accept terms of settlement reached in the industry-wide shoreworkers' negotiations, Co-op representatives have introduced a number of proposals which they insist must be part of any settlement.
These proposals come after the Union has gone through all stages of the bargaining process, including conciliation and a supervised strike vote. One proposal from the Co-op is for deletion "in its entirety" of the section that permits workers to refuse to handle
of the seniority list that existed at the time the Co-op was declared "unfair."
Anything less reflects sheer vin-dictiveness against employees with up to 21 years' seniority, 35 of the workers involved having more than five years' service with the
Co-op. . «5
The workers have not been oth-cially fired, nor have they quit. Mise acknowledged this and his letter to the Union on August 25 stated that the Co-op will con-
CONGRATULATIONS
to
UFAWU AND THEIR NEW HALL
Fraser Street, Prince Rupert
We were pleased to do our part in placing it on a Firm Foundation. Excavating, Pile Driving, Crane Work & Rock Fill
by
RUPERT FREEZING COMPANY LIMITED
Box 305, Prince Rupert
Phone 624-2623
12
THE FISHERMAN — SEPTEMBER 8, 1967
violation of the contract.
Although that clause has been part of the agreement for many years, the Co-op rejects its validity and demands it be scrapped. Management, in fact, seeks to ignore its existence and deny workers the right under it to refuse to handle "hot" products.
NO ISSUE AT ROYAL
Agreement with Royal Fisheries contained no such provision and yet management there has reemployed its workers. Walkouts also occurred during the dispute at Atlin Fisheries' and B.C. Packers' plants in Prince Rupert but all employees are back at work in the fresh fish and cold storage operations of these two industry giants.
Management' sattempts to justify its position by citing examples of similar actions taken by employers in other fields are not worthy of Prince Rupert Fishermen's Coop which has alliances with the trade union movement through the Canadian Labor Congress.
The Co-op is not Lenkurt Electric or the Seven-Up company. Serious consideration should be given by officers and directors of the Co-op to the resolution adopted by the Vancouver Labor Council, calling for reinstatement of shoreworkers with full seniority rights.
The Co-op was advised of the resolution by letter over the signature of Labor Council secretary C. P. (Paddy) Neale who knows about disputes of this nature, as do Tom Clarke of the IWA, Jeff Power of the Marine Workers Union, and Art O'Keeffe of the Electrical Workers Union. All four of these prominent trade union leaders served lengthy jail terms as a result of the Lenkurt Electric dispute last year.
MEETINGS
STEVESTON SHOREWORKERS LOCAL
Tuesday, September 12
8 p.m.
STEVESTON COMMUNITY CENTRE
• Business agent's report
LADNER LOCAL Thursday, September 14
7:30 p.m.
LADNER FISHERMEN'S CO-OP HALL
• Strike fund report
• Fraser fishery regulations
• Pollution control report
VANCOUVER SHOREWORKERS LOCAL Thursday, September 21
8 p.m.
FISHERMEN'S HALL 138 East Cordova Street
• Business agent's report
Labor Day Affair Held
Nearly 300 persons attended the joint Prince Rupert Labor Day smorgasbord and dance in the new Fishermen's Hall, held under joint sponsorship of Prince Rupert Labor Council, Pulp and Paper Workers of Canada and the UFAWU on September 1, following the Union's open house.
Council president Rod Doran announced that proceeds would be shared between the Fishermen's Defence Fund and the B.C. Federation of Labor's anti-injunction campaign.
He said the labor movement faced as paramount issues the efforts for world peace, the fight against injunctions in labor disputes, and locally, the campaign to achieve reinstatement for the 49 locked out employees of the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-op.
Entertainers were top notch fiddler Fred Lang, UFAWU shop steward at Cassiar, and folksinger George Hewison.
The Blue Shadows orchestra, all of them Union members at Port Edward, provided music for the evening.
QCI Gets Four Days
District I opens to net fishermen for 24 hours from 8 a.m. Monday, September 11 to 8 a.m. Tuesday, September 12, the federal fisheries department announced this week, and waters of District I west of the blue line will open for an additional 12 hours from 8 p.m. September 12 to 8 a.m. September 13. Area 20 opens as scheduled at 7 p.m. Sunday, September 10 for gillnets and 7 a.m. Monday, September 11 for seines until 7 a.m. Thursday, September 14 for gill-nets and 7 p.m. Thursday for seines.
Openings at 6 p.m. Sunday, September 10 are slated for Area 1 (four days), Areas 2A and 2B (three days), Areas 3, 4, 5 (.Wright-Lewis-Squally Channel portion only), 6, 7, and 8 (two days), Areas 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 (three days), Areas 15 and 16 (three days). Area 18 opens for two days from 8 a.m. September 11 to 8 a.m. September 13 and closures will be in effect in Areas 14, 19 and Areas 21 through 27.
A &Vi inch minimum mesh regulation will be in effect in Areas 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Mainland inlets remain closed in Areas 5, 6. 7, and 8.