—George Legebokoff photo
HAPPY OCCASION Big George Brajcich is all smiles as his attractive daughter Annette breaks the bottle of champagne at christening ceremonies last Wednesday for the Provider, 79 by 22 foot steel seiner built by Benson Bros. Shipyard at a cost of $180,000 for George's three sons — John, Nick,, and George. Jr. John will be skipper and Nick mate when the vessel enters the herring fishery next week following trials scheduled for this Friday. The third son is a UBC student who has fished the past eight summers. Big George Brajcich has fished for the past 41 years, over 30 of them for Canadian Fishing Company whose president Roger Hager expressed his congratulations and good wishes in a brief speech. George Brajcich Sr. owns the well known salmon seiner Freeland. The Fisherman will carry a full story of the new vessel with additional pictures next issue.
Shore Pact Targets Set
Parity Sought For Skilled Men
By JACK NICHOL UFAWU Busines Agent
Shoreworker wage conferences have recommended wage proposals which include $50 per month for skilled workers to bring their rates in line with other industries, $60 for reduction plant workers, and a scale of rates ranging upward from 10 cents per hour for other classifications in the BC
fishing industry,
The proposals have been ratified by a majority of shore-worker locals after being drafted and endorsed by last month's wage conferences in Prince Rupert and Vancouver, the latter a joint meeting with shop stewards from Steveston and Victoria.
Large turnouts at the two conferences indicated a strong feeling that in 1965 negotiations, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union must make a major effort to bring cannery machine and engineer rates to levels of comparable classifications in other industries.
We are demanding a $50 per month across the board increase for these groups, but even this amount would leave a sizeable disparity between our rates and the rates paid to millwrights in such industries as lumber and sawmills and pulp and sulphite. For example, millwrights at the Watson Island plant of Columbia Cellulose are paid $3.29 per hour. Cannery machinemen have a monthly rate condition but their wages work out to only $2.72 per hour. If we achieved the full increase demanded (29 cents per hour) the hourly rate for machinemen would be $3.01, still 28 cents per hour below the pulp and sulphite rate. Moreover, the pulp and sulphite workers' agreement expires next June 30 and they will soon be commencing negotiations.
This is only one example of many illustrating the low rates paid skilled workers, including engineers, in the BC fishing industry.
REDUCTION RATES LOW
Reduction plant rates are also long overdue for revision. UFAWU members this year are demanding a $60 per month wage increase (34 cents per hour) on a current monthly rate of $407.50 ($2.34 per hour).
It is difficult to make comparisons for this group with other industries, but a comparison with
rates within the industry is illuminating. For example, the experienced male fresh fish worker rate is $2.42; cold storage $2.58; cannery retort man, $2.38; net-man (qualified), $2.53 per hour.
Reduction plant operators generally are qualified and required to overhaul and maintain their machines. Quite often, the companies will reclassify an operator and employ and pay him the casual labor rate of $2.02 per hour, a practice we are seeking to eliminate in this year's negotiations.
The efficiency of production methods in reduction plants, which have drastically reduced crews, more than justifies payment of our full demand. As an example of this efficiency, the BC Packers' reduction plant at Steveston will soon process 50 tons of herring per hour with a crew, exclusive of unloaders, of six to eight men for each shift.
Not so many years ago, the
See PARITY SOUGHT—Page 9
Vol. XXVIII, No. 7
10 CENTS VANCOUVER, B.C., FEBRUARY 19, 1965
STRIKE VOTE POSSIBLE
Medical PI an Issue In Halibut Talks
UFAWU halibut fishermen have opened negotiations with the Fishing Vessel Owners Association, the fishing companies and the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Cooperative for a medical services plan.
The Union proposes that all BC halibut dealers pay $3 per 1,000 pounds or 3/10 cent per pound into the longline welfare fund. An equal assessment would be levied on halibut production handled by the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co - op. The same charge would be levied on Canadian halibut landed in Alaskan or Washington ports.
Assuming an annual Canadian catch of 33,000,000 pounds, the longline welfare fund would have an income of $99,000 with which to pay half the cost of a medical plan for halibut fishermen. Actually, since production of halibut is declining, the annual income may be considerably below the $99,000 figure.
Estimated annual cost of a Credit Union and Cooperative (CU & C) medical plan for some 1,500 halibut fishermen would be $170,000. The income from an assessment of $3 per 1,000 pounds would, therefore, be sufficient to pay half of the annual cost. The other half of the cost would be paid by individual halibut fishermen.
SIGN AUTHORISATION
The Union has informed the Vessel Owners Association that at time of clearance each individual halibut fisherman would sign an authorisation for a deduction from earnings of half the cost of the premium. This would be $64.80 for married persons or $22.90 for single persons at rates which were quoted earlier by CU & C for a group plan covering herring fishermen.
The Union has not, to date, received any comment from the halibut dealers.
Letters were sent to companies which operate halibut vessels on February 8, regarding reopening of the longline agreement and mentioning the introduction of a medical plan.
On February 12, a letter was sent to the Vancouver Fish Exchange and the Prince Rupert Wholesale Fish Dealers Association proposing the $3 per 1,000 pounds assessment and an early meeting regarding the medical plan.
The Fishing Vessel Owners Association on February 15 said
there was no doubt in their minds a medical services plan was a good thing and probably inevitable. They said their only criticism was that "the poor boat is contributing again — one way or another — as this will come off the price of fish." FULL COST JUSTIFIED
"Our members would be justified if they demanded the full
cost of the plan be met by an assessment on the fish paid by the dealers," Union secretary Homer Stevens stated to The Fisherman.
"If the theory is that what the dealers pay into the welfare plan will come out of the price paid for halibut, then the fishermen
See HALIBUT — Page 12
Special Halibut Fishermen's Meeting
All halibut fishermen in the Vancouver and lower mainland are urged to attend
Wed., February 24 1 p.m.
Fishermen's Hall, 138 East Cordova Street
FREE MOVIE: "Halibut-Treasure of the Sea" REPORT OF NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE
• Medical plan for halibut fishermen
• Industry pension plan proposal
On MSA in Herring
Companies Position Challenged by Union
The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union has challenged the Fisheries Association on company interpretation of some sections of the herring agreement under which Medical Services Association coverage is provided.
Cases have come to light which indicate companies are applying conditions to men who quit or are laid off which run counter to understandings reached during negotiations and stated in the agreement.
The differences involve qualifications for coverage and terms of coverage following layoff.
One company went so far as to inform a fisherman's wife that he would have to pay full premiums when he became ill and was
Bering Sea Fishermen s Subsidy Raised in Letter to Robichaud
What reimbursement is the federal government prepared to offer halibut fishermen who risk economic loss by going to Bering Sea North Triangle Area 3B this season?
This is the question put to federal fisheries minister H. J. Robichaud this week by United Fishermen and Allied Workers secretary Homer Stevens.
When Robichaud called at Fishermen's Hall during his visit to Vancouver in December, Stevens and other executive members discussed with him establishment of some form of subsidy or guarantee for halibut fishermen going to the Triangle Area.
They held that the federal government must assume some responsibility for losses incurred as a result of the drastic decline of halibut stocks in the two seasons since Canada ratified recommendations permitting Japanese vessels into the fishery.
Stevens' letter to Robichaud this week is in response to Robi-chaud's suggestion that the Union make a written submission to him.
Pointing out that the Union had delayed its submission until the International Pacific Halibut Commission had met and announced its decisions, Stevens said halibut fishermen believe
the government has a direct responsibility to relieve any hardship caused them by its decision.
This decision, he noted, was taken in face of scientific evidence that halibut stocks were already declining, and over the Union's opposition. 1964 EXPERIENCE
"The experience last year was that the overwhelming majority of Canadian halibut boats went into the Bering §ea for the projected quota of something over seven million pounds and were unable to catch enough fish to pay expenses," Stevens wrote.
See BERING SEA — Page 9
forced to leave the boat but later reversed its position when contacted by the Union.
LETTER TO OPERATORS
In a letter to Fisheries Association secretary Ken Campbell this week, Union secretary Homer Stevens outlined the Union's stand on interpretation of the contract on behalf of a herring fishermen's subcommittee.
"We consider there are no grounds for termination of the Medical Plan in the 12 month period from date of enrolment nor during the two year period after he ceases to be a herring fisherman," Stevens stated, "unless the individual states in writing his desire to be terminated out of the MSA plan.
". . . in our view, the individual should not be terminated during the initial 12 months for any reason as the collective agreement provides that deductions may be made from his earnings during that period and the intention is that when he joins the plan, he should stay in for at least 12 months."
FOUR MONTH MINIMUM
In regard to company payment of half of the premiums for stated periods as provided in the agreement, Stevens said, "We believe that when a fisherman ceases to fish herring, the company should pay half the premium for the next four months as a minimum condition.
"If he has been fishing herring for six consecutive months prior to termination of herring fishing, then the company should pay half the premium for the next six months in accordance with the agreement."
See MSA IN HERRING—Page 12
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