Net Fishing Gets Underway on Weekend
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Representing the Organised Fishermen and Shoreworkers of British Columbia
VOL. XIX No. 23
VANCOUVER, B.C., JULY 9, 1957
Salmon Sale . .. Minus Company Profit
-FISHERMAN FOTO
VA/CIPUiKiP Al IT A DIP AMC Frank Saninin weighs out a 16}4 pound spring aboard WtlUnilNU UU I A DIU VJINt the good ship "Exilda" from which the Vancouver sale of salmon for "Operation Strike Relief" was conducted. Collecting money, wrapping fish and keeping the customers happy was all part of the job for these busy members of the CFAWU. Operation took place last Thursday at various points on the Fraser as well as in Vancouver.
—FISHERMAN FOTO
A Kin TUC TDA\A/nC rA/VAC These photos give an idea of the big crowds who thronged AINU I nt LKUWUj LAlVlt Campbell Avenue dock to buy fresh salmon at 36 cents per pound for red spring and sockeye and 22 cents for whites. It didn't take long for 7,000 pounds to go in the city and the gross sale in all areas was over 20,000 pounds. The fellow on the right seems well satisfied with his purchase. By the way, the chap standing behind the wheelhouse in the photo on the left is Ivan Car, owner of the "Exilda."
Reinstatement, Arbitration End Lockout of Monthly Men, Price Issues Settled Sunday
Most British Columbia salmon net fishermen will be making their first sets of
the 1957 season this coming weekend following settlement of the dispute involving 150
locked-out monthly paid shoreworkers on the basis of full reinstatement with arbitration to follow.
Conclusion of the dispute came shortly before 6 o'clock Tuesday evening following meetings between the Fisheries Association and the joint fishermen's negotiating ' and shoreworkers' committees arranged as a result of intercession by the B.C. department of labor.
It also came on the heels of a coastwise ballot among all monthly paid shoreworkers, including those still on the job which resulted in a 64 percent majority favoring a complete walkout. The vote, however, in effect killed the walkout proposal since under the constitution, a two-thirds (66% percent) vote is required for such a step.
Final agreement worked out provided that companies would call to work at 8 o'clock on the morning of July 10 "all monthly rated employees whose employment was dispensed with by reason of the closure notice." The men were laid off June 26 and July 1 allegedly as a result of "lack of work," a claim strongly rejected as incorrect by the Union,
Arbitration as proposed by the Fisheries Association in a letter dated July 8 would be on the basis of "Union's allegations that closure of certain netlofts and canneries was contrary to the intent and spirit of the agreements and that the monthly-rated employees affected are entitled to be paid for time lost during the closure. . . ."
Companies have already appointed lawyer Paul B. Paine as their representative on the arbitration board but the Union has so far taken no action to name its appointee. No date has been set for commencement of- proceedings.
A telegram to all Locals of the Union and branches of the Native Brotherhood over the signature of Union secretary Homer Stevens and Brotherhood business agent Ed Nahanee warned that "strike rules apply and any salmon net fishing other than strike relief prior to 6 p.m. July 13 is classified as strike-breaking." The telegram urged all
groups to "double picket lines
to ensure full compliance and
orderly termination of the
strike."
The central negotiating and strike committee ended its final wire of 1957 negotiations expressing appreciation to the members of the three organisations for standing firm until a settlement was achieved.
"Unity determines everything now and in future years," the joint committee declared. A similar wire was sent to all shore plants along the British Columbia coast outlining terms
of the settlement, by Union busi-i reasonable settlement, ness agent Alex Gordon. I "Forcing the fishermen to strike
It was pointed out that if the before commencing any real bar-
Union wins the arbitration, all monthly men laid off will receive full back pay for the time they were off the job but if the verdict goes against them, they will get no pay for time lost.
It was also reported in the wire that pay for locked out monthly men would start July 10 even if workers involved were not at their place of work as, a result of transportation difficulties. "Nets may be moved from lofts effective 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, whether laid off netmen o hand or not since if not at loft, netmen nevertheless on company payroll," it was stated in the wire. Thus has come to an end one of the most involved disputes in the history of the industry which could have been settled without loss of any fishing time, according to Union officials, "if fishing company representatives had sat at the bargaining table with a sincere desire to arrive at a
gaining was a definite policy this season and the results are now being reaped in bad feeling and lost fishing time.
"There was absolutely no reason for the companies dragging shoreworkers into the dispute in any way. This action of the operators merely forced added complications into an already difficult situation and prolonged the tie-up by a full week.
"At the same time, we must emphasise that it would have been possible to make bigger gains if greater unity and determination had been shown by the membership.
"At the first signs of division of opinion, the operators figured it was the time to test the organisations and drive the hardest possible bargain, even to the point of going back on their word in first agreeing to our termination clause and arbitration with full pay to monthly men and then repudiating these points."
EXCEPT ON FRASER
ADDED 24 HOURS EXPECTED FOR SALMON NET FISHING
Word was expected Wednesday morning announcing a Saturday, 6 p.m. opening this weekend for all salmon net areas on the coast now open with the exception of the Fraser River which comes under the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission.
Part of the tie-up settlement Tuesday included a joint request by the Union and operators for the July 13 opening. Word was passed along to chief supervisor of fisheries A. J. Whitmore who promised to recommend the opening to the federal department of fisheries in Ottawa.
Escapement on the Fraser so far has been poor and there seemed to be little possibility the Salmon Commission which meets in Bellingham Friday, would agree to the added open time on the River.
Sunday Somersault
Canners Did About-Face On Arbitration Scheme
Spokesmen for the Fisheries Association Sunday night after agreeing to a compromise settlement of the lockout of 150 monthly paid shoreworkers, made a complete about-face and forced an extension of the dispute.
Fleet Votes 63% Acceptance
Salmon Price Pact Signed Sunday
The '57 salmon price agreement recording a four cent gain over 1955 sockeye minimums and fractional boosts in other species was signed late Sunday night following a coastwise vote of net fishermen.
Fishing was scheduled to resume any time after 6 p.m. Saturday, July 13 following a tie-up lasting almost three weeks.
The fleet, including Union,
Sockeye __________29 c lb.
Cohoe ____________18 c lb.
Pinks ____________10Mc lb.
Chums ___________ 9%e lb.
Red Springs______25 c lb.
White Spring ____15 c lb.
Thus, with the exception of sockeye, on which operators moved from 24 cents, the canners offered very little over 1955 floor prices. In fact, their offer is up from two years ago by a mere half-cent on pinks, possibly Native Brotherhood, and Vessel | the key species this season, and
ting cohoe, and a change in the weigh boat supplement (see page 6).
Negotiations this year opened early in May but it was a full month before companies made any offer and then it was to cut
pink prices by half a cent and increase the sockeye minimum of 1955 to 25 cents per pound.
Since the strike started, operators moved two cents on sockeye, a quarter-cent on pinks, half a cent on chums and cohoe.
It was this action which resulted in fishermen losing pretty well a full week of fishing time following settlement of the salmon price agreement late Sunday.
The matter of a compromise somewhere between the Union position of full reinstatement with full pay and the company position of a return to work without pay and arbitration was actually raised by J. Macdonald, secretary of the Fisheries Association who game down to the Fishermen's Hall Sunday afternoon.
He indicated in conversation with several committee members that canners were prepared to go for a compromise to settle the issue.
The Union spokesmen said one of the conditions must be full pay for lost time and an arbitrator in whose impartiality the Union would have confidence.
As an indication of how far discussions had reached at this point, Macdonald raised the question of possibly starting fishing Wednesday night at 11 o'clock and also asked if the Union would join in requesting a shortening of the weekend closure.
The Association secretary then went back to B.C. Packers' office where he said the company negotiating committee was in session.
Later in the afternoon, he returned with the signed salmon agreement and supplements.
He said his committee was prepared to accept a general settlement based on paying back wages to locked-out shoreworkers, a list of men and amounts involved, a three-man arbitration committee headed by James Sinclair, with the final understanding that if the committee ruled in favor of the company position, the
See CANNERS ABOUT FACE — Page 5
Owners voted last Friday and Saturday by 63 percent to accept a Company offer despite a recommendation of the joint negotiating committee representing the three organisations that men reject the offer.
Prices for the 1957 season under the one-year contract are:
Sockeye __________28 c lb.
Cohoe ____________15V£c lb.
Pinks ____________ 9Mc lb.
Chums ___________ 71/2C lb.
Red Spring_______15Vie lb.
White Spring_____ ^l^c lb.
Final asking prices placed before the canners by the joint negotiating committee were:
only a quarter-cent over last year's prices.
Chums at 7% cents are a cent per pound over 1955 and 1956 floor prices while cohoe are only half a cent over the minimums of the past two seasons.
It was on, the basis of the pink price offer in particular together with failure of operators to move on compulsory checkoff and make any. counter proposal on grievance procedure for rented boats that the committee recommended rejection to the fleet.
The 1957 contract provides new clauses extending Welfare Fund payments, a special rate for gut-
One Year Agreement
Welfare Ante Can Go to 4 Cents Case
The salmon welfare fund has been virtually guaranteed an income of #45,000 from 1957 op-erations according to a clause negotiated between the Union and Fisheries Association. The new agreement on this point, signed for one year only at the request of the Union, provides that operators must pay at least three cents per 48 pound case and up to four cents if payments to the fund fall below $45,000 for the season. The previous agreement provided a flat sum of three cents per case.
The Union stood firm for a short term pact on this point in opposition to a company proposal for an agreement extending up
to five years. Reason for the fishermen's position was that they did not want their hands tied in the event extension of the plan to include pension or lost time benefits might be sought for the future.
Text of the clause covering welfare reads:
SECTION 1: It is agreed that at the conclusion of the 1957 salmon season the Fisheries Association of B.C. shall pay to the order of the Salmon Welfare Fund a sum equivalent to three cents per 48 pound case of salmon packed in British Columbia during the 1957 salmon season by
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each member company. The Union agrees to levy a similar assessment on all non-member companies in B.C. with which the Union signs an agreement.
In the event that the total amount to be contributed by Fisheries Association of B.C. and the amount assessed on non-member companies by the Union falls; below $45,000 by reason of the three cents per case contribution of the Fisheries Association and the assessment of non-member companies being insufficient, then the per case contribution and per case assessment shall be increased to an amount sufficient to provide assessment
See WELFARE — Page 5
