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Representing the Organised Fishermen and Shoreworkers of British Columbia
VOL. XIX No. 12
VANCOUVER, B.C., APRIL 16, 1957
MEET 1957 UFA WU EXECUTIVE BOARD
• These are the people, who with the five officers, will constitute the general executive board of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union from now till the 1958 convention. Missing from the roster of pictures is Alf Christoffersen of the Vancouver Fishermen's Local. Union officers include president Steve Stavenes, first vice president Buck Suzuki, second vice president Mickey Beagle, secretary treasurer Homer Stevens, and business agent Alex Gordon. Photos of board of trustee members will appear next week.
HARRY ALLISON Vancouver Fishermen's Local
PETE JENEWEIN Albion Local
KAY NYGREN Vancouver Shore Local
ED BERTRAM Vancouver Shore Local
ERIK LIKNESS Vancouver Fishermen's Local
HIDEO ONOTERA Sunbury Local
ALICE COLEMAN Vancouver Shore Local
BARNEY MADSEN New Westminster Local
PETE PAVELICH Vancouver Fishermen's Local
JACK COOK Vancouver Shore Local
ELMER McEACHERN Fort Lang-ley Local
REG PAYNE Sidnev Local
Salmon Pact Parley May 3 in Vancouver
Fishermen's Locals of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union are meeting this month to discuss salmon price agreement proposals and elect delegates to a conference scheduled for Friday, May 3, in Vancouver.
BERT GODDARD Vancouver Shore Local
LEIF NORDAHL ADELINE RATCHFORD
Vancouver Fishermen's Local Steveston Shoreworkers' Local
Representations will come from Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Gulf Locals with one representative proposed from the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Local. In Locals where delegates are not named, the Union has requested that views be submitted in writing.
In addition to the key issue of prices, Union secretary Homer Stevens has drawn attention to other matters on which Locals are .urged to express their opinions.
Elimination of price differentials based on area or time of year was proposed by Union officers in their report to the annual convention in March and this is a key question which members are asked to consider.
The agreement which expires this year was signed in 1955 for a two-year period, but the thirteenth annual convention last month went on record for a one-year contract.
Under the two-year agreement in effect, it is frankly admitted that "The people who benefitted most were the fishing companies" and Locals are urged to indicate their feelings on length of the new contract.
On the conference agenda will be a proposal from the convention to seek a clause in the agreement providing that rental charge be dropped for rented vessels during breakdowns and payment be made to fishermen for lost time in such cases.
Also slated for discussion in the Locals and later the conference is a suggestion to alter the basis of financing the Salmon Welfare Fund from its present per case system to an equivalent amount calculated on fresh fish poundage. Last year, while the pack was down, sales of fresh frozen, and smoked salmon were up.
Seine fishermen are requested to consider terms of the salmon seine share agreement and make proposals for any desired 'changes.
The matter of test weigh boats on which there has been some dissatisfaction, is also presented as one of the questions for consideration. The agreement providing 10 to 20 feet test weigh boats was signed some time ago and applies for this year but in 1956, according to the Union secretary, "There were several complaints regarding lack of test weigh boats on the fishing grounds and we would appreciate any proposals the Locals might want to make on this question."
One of the important questions up for discussion is setting a deadline date beyond which no fishing will take place until the agreement is finalised.
There is no formal opening date for sockeye ^fishing on Rivers and Smiths this year but operations there will likely start about June 23. The Fraser comes under Salmon Commission control on June 26, indicating the Commission is expecting sock-eye that week. The Skeena this year opens on July 7, reversing the trend of two years ago and before that when fishing opened first in the north.
No specific recommendation is made to Locals on the deadline date but in past years, it has usually been set about the time the first salmon net fishery of any importance gets under way.
"Obviously," Union secretary Homer Stevens states in his letter to Locals last week, "the membership of the Union will have to make a serious effort to boost prices very considerably in order to come out with reasonable earnings and decent take-home pay." It is pointed out that cost of living has swept upward since 1955, costs of operating have gone up, and the organised labor movement generally has won substantial hikes in their earnings over the past two years.
UFAWU MEETING CALENDAR
NO.' DON'T S^OOT HIM/
Bring him to the Union Meeting
EULACH0N FISHERMEN
Important Meeting
10 a.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
UNION HALL 138 E. CORDOVA
GIBSON'S LOCAL
7:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
UNITED CHURCH HALL • 1957 Salmon Price Proposals
VANCOUVER SHOREWORKERS LOCAL
8 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
FISHERMEN'S HALL 138 E. CORDOVA
• Report of Thirteenth Annual Convention
NEW WESTMINSTER LOCAL
8 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
ILWU HALL NEW WESTMINSTER
• Election of 1957 Officers
• Salmon Price Conference
NOTE: Regular Meetings Second Thursday Each Month
QUATHIASKS - CAMPBELL RIVER LOCAL
1 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
TRADE UNION HALL CAMPBELL RIVER
BUSINESS: Salmon Prices — Convention Report Annual Elections
VANCOUVER FISHERMEN'S LOCAL
Special Meeting
7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
AGENDA: • Salmon Price Conference
• Tendermen's Welfare Plan
• Herring Trial Report
• Report on Union Convention
LADNER FISHERMEN'S LOCAL
7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
• Salmon Price Meeting_
Eulachon Freezer Fishery Stopped Pending Settlement
Only fishermen selling eulachons on the fresh fish market or those catching them for food purposes are permitted to carry on operations under terms of a motion passed by a meeting of the eulachon fleet last week.
Last week's meeting decided no eulachons would be delivered to companies before this Thursday's meeting. Final decision on action to be taken will be made at the parley slated for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in the Fishermen's Hall.
In the meantime, Vancouver Wholesale Fish Dealers Association which includes all companies on the city waterfront, has refused to negotiate an agree
the eulachon freezer fish operation*.
Nels Gorden of Canadian Fish stated in a phone conversation with Union organiser Harold Wilcox that his Company plans to have no operation on the basis of 4V4 cents per pound.
Companies claim they can get Columbia River eulachons at prices ranging from % of a cent t IV2 cents per pound, according
ment with the Union covering to company spokesmen.
Locals Sponsor Meet For Westminster Candidates
All New Westminster candidates in the June 10 federal election will be invited to address a public meeting in Kennedy Hall May 31 sponsored by Locals and Women's Auxiliaries of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union and the North Delta Ratepayers' Association.
Halibut Talks Deadlocked
No progress has been made in longline negotiations during the past week between the Vessel Owners and UFAWU with the April 23 setlement deadline set by the fleet still in effect.
Issues in dispute, over which no negotiations have been held during the past week, include rental charge for echo sounders and installation of chute, baiting claim, etc.
All work on longline gear will. stop on April 23 and no clearances will be issued prior to that date.
A committee or representatives from the Union's Sunbury Local, Sunbury Women's Auxiliary, Annieville Local and the Ratepayers issued the invitation on April 14, asking candidates to state their platform and answer questions from the floor. Three nominees, sitting member George Hahn, Social Credit, Jack Jones, CCF and Ted Kuhn, Progressive Conservative have accepted the invitation.
New Westminster Liberal Association president Hugh Mc-Givern has also stated that when a candidate has been nominated by his party for the New Westminster riding, he will be informed of the meeting.
Committee chairman T. Buck
Suzuki, first vice president of the UFAWU and a resident of Sunbury, has stressed the importance of the meeting in the eyes of fishermen in the area.
"We specifically want to know the attitude of candidates on the current investigation of the Union by the Combines Branch of the Justice Department. We also want to hear their opinion on extending unemployment insurance coverage to fishermen on the same basis as for other workers, and such other necessities as a proper coastguard for British Columbia.
"Our members want to go into the election knowing the answers to these questions so they can give their support to the candidate in whom they can place their confidence," Mr. Suzuki stated.