Delegates to 1955 UFAWU Convention
• Part of the more than 100 delegates who attended the eleventh annual convention of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union which took place from Monday to Friday of last week in the Fishermen's Hall, Vancouver.
Hie TiTherman
Representing the Organized Fishermen and Shorewor\ers of British Columbia Single Copy: 10 cents Subscription: $3.00 per year
Vol. XVII    No. 11
VANCOUVER, B.C., APRIL 5, 1955
Union Gathering Favors Offshore Catch Limits, Research Speedup
The annual convention of the UFAWU last week took a principled stand against a mid-ocean salmon fishery "which will open the sal nor. runs to exploitation by all nations to the detriment of those nations which maintain the spawning grounds" adding that "such fishing presents a major threat against any program of rehabilitation and conservation." ' reiterated the
The meeans Union's position which also calls' for a five million fish catch limit by the Japanese offshore mother-ship operation for the next four years.
In addition, it was proposed that during this period, "extensive tagging programs be instituted to determine the origin of salmon being caught by the Japanese; this tagging program to be organised under authority of the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission, with Canada to have adequate direct representation on research team<. Canada must make sure these Japanese expeditions are not exploiting North American salmon runs. Reliance on the scientists of Japan or the U.S. will not guarantee protection for Canadian interests."
The resolution points to the Japanese catch of 20 million salmon in 1954 and its plan for a 63 percent increase in operations this year.
MAJOR TREATY It adds that "The mid-ocean fishery poses a threat to every Pacific nation which has salmon spawning grounds and opens the door to unrestricted exploitation of B.C. salmon in mid-Pacific." The po'nt is made that 'Even the best-informed marine biologists have no exact knowledge of salmon movements in the ocean nor can they tell exactly
where the salmon the are catching originate." A further revolution
Japanese the federal department of fisher-
requests Sea FISHERIES POLICY—Page 8
Sun's Twisted 'News' Coverage Deplored by Union Delegates
The Vancouver Sun was sharply taken to task by delegates at the UFAWU convention last week for a story it carried which distorted the Union policy of labor unity into the opposite position.
Unanimously endorsed by delegates was the following statement:
March 30, 1955
Re Vancouver Sun:
"This Convention of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union deplores the slanted, dishonest, and anti-labor "reporting" of the Vancouver Sun in its story of March 29 headed "Fish Union Urges Breakaway." The heading is false, the lead paragraph is manufactured from whole cloth, and the few quotations used are taken out of context, with the malicious and obvious aim of misleading the public as to UFAWU policy.
"This is the only Convention story printed in the Sun in two days of Convention proceedings.
"We protest the practice of the Vancouver Sun of twisting its news columns to conform with its editorial bias and opinions and draw to the attention of our members that the Vancouver Province at the present time is much more objective and fair in its labor news reporting."
(See editorial on page 4.)
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All Top UFAWU Officers Given Unanimous Vote of Confidence
No referendum vote will be required in this year's elections for officers of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union since al1. top executives were returned to their posts by acclanjation Thursday night at the Union's eleventh Annual Convention.
Heading the Union for another term will be H. Steve Stavenes, Vancouver halibut, salmon and herring fisherman who has held the post for the past year. Prior to that, Stavenes was a Union Vice - President and Executive member for many years, one of the Uniqn's founders..
First Vice - President is Pete Jenewein, also re-elected to the position he has held for some years. Jenewein, a well known River gillnet fisherman, and Secretary of the Union's Fraser River District Council, is Reeve of Maple Ridge municipality. He is a mem- j ber of the Albion Local and was its president for several years.
Second Vice President is New Westminster     fishworker Mrs.' Mickey Beagle, also serving her second year in- the 'position. She is an employee of Imperial Can- \ nery at Steveston and a member
UFAWU Convention Hails Labor Merger
Welcoming the proposed merger of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labor as being "in the long-term best interests of the trade union movement of Canada' last week's eleventh annual convention of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union authorised the Union executive to seek affiliation to the new Congress "on a basis which preserves the democracy and autonomy of the UFAWU." In a resolution unanimously en
dorsed by delegates, the convention expressed satisfaction at the fact that this move toward unity of the two main. Canadian'centres "paves the way for complete unity (of all organised labor) in one Canadian trade union centre."
The resolution, while authorising the executive to seek affiliation, declares that "We favor constitutional provisions which guarantee the rights of all unions to be affiliated on -equal terms with every union retaining full rights to run its own*affairs. We reject political discrimination as being harmful to the trade union movement."
It is pointed out that the "merger principles'' announced by the two congresses do not speak out against political discrimination and contain one section which could be used as a means of barring or expelling unions in the same way some bona fide unions have already been expelled from the TLC and the CCL.
SUSPENSION Turning to the suspension of the Union by the Trades and Labor Congress as confirmed by the 1954 TLC convention, the UFAWU meeting endorsed a policy statement expressing a desire for reinstatement in the Congress on the basis of full autonomy.
"The action of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada in continuing the suspension of our Union is regrettable," the statement declares, "since it only causes a division in the trade union movement. Such divisions will continue so long as the top leadership of the TLC continues with arbitrary attempts to force affiliated unions to conform to policies which, in effect, destroy their autonomy.
"The United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union will not accept any form of outside interference in our internal affairs nor any restrictions which limit or destroy the rights of our members. We will not allow tVie Trades and Labor Congress to dictate to our members regarding policy decisions, elections of officers or on any matter which involves the right of our members to run our Union as they see fit.
NOT PIECEMEAL 'The UFAWU does not intend to accept the TLC invitation to return to the fold as a group or4 piecemeal under conditions which would give the TLC executive dictatorial powers in respect
to the affairs of our Union. We flatly reject any such invitations which offer to place our members in one big strait? acket or in a series of smaller straitjaekets.
"The UFAWU seriously desires full reinstatement in the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada. The basis of such reinstatement must be full autonomy of our Union. Our Union will count on support from the rank and file of unions all across Canada in future efforts to regain our rightful place | in the Congress.   The time is not■
far off when the overwhelming majority of unions will demand an end to the policies which divide labor and a return to the democratic foundations upon which the trade union movement in Canada was first established. One of the first-steps will of necessity be removal of the undemocratic restrictions in the Congress Constitution which conflict with Canadian law and which are the mainstay  of the  Congress Executive
See UNITY FAVORED—Page 8
U.S. - Canadian Meet Over Pink Salmon Pact
Representatives of the Pacific Coast fishing industry on both sides of the border will meet at White Rock Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m. sharp to discuss the possibility of a pink salmon treaty between Canada and the United States. Sponsored jointly by the UFAWU
and the U.S. fisheries division of the Longshoremen's Union, the meeting will concern itself with a pink salmon treaty aimed at dividing the catch and conserving runs of pink salmon to the Fraser River.
Invitations have been issued to th'e federal department of fisheries, the Fisheries Association and all fishing companies, the Vessel Owners' Association, and fishery cooperatives. Similar invitations have been extended to American organisations by the ILWU.
In a guest speech to the Union Convention last week, John Tatich, speaking for the American fishermen, declared that "Expansion of Ihe Canadian offshore fishery will only lead to ar. expanded U.S. offshore fishery." He was referring to Canadian fisheries department proposals celling for out-fishing the Americans as a means
tween 550 and 575 meshes deep, the purse seiners have learned they can just about double up on their catches.
But, he pointed out, only a minority of the fishermen and operators benefit from this present situation.
"We feel that with an expanded, uncontrolled fishery outside," he said, "there is no way of protecting the fishery anr1 it benefits only a small minority. The majority is hurt by it."
He mentioned old timers who had helped build the Union and the industry but who 'don't want to go out and fight the high seas."
Despite opposition from the minority group, the United States fisheries division of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union is opposed to the present   unrestricted   fishing of
pinks.
of bringing about a pink salmon 1 All members of the United Fish-treaty. | ermen and Allied Workers Union American big boats fishing off J are invited to attend the pink Cape Flattery are learning more salmon treaty conference which about the outside fishery all the will be held Sunday, April 17 at time. He pointed out that adding I 2 p.m. in the Silver Moon Hall, op-100 meshes to the depth of nets j posite the Post Office at White off the Cape, bringing them to be- Rock.
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More Convention News Coming
Many matters of importance which were covered at the Union Convention have been omitted from this issue of The Fisherman. There will be further convention news next week, including excerpts from reports by chief supervisor of fisheries A. J. Whitmore and Dr. A. W. Needier, and further details on resolutions and other matters of interest.
See  ELECTIONS—Page §
"STEVE" STAVENES re-elected president
PETE JENEWEIN . first vice president
MICKEY BEAGLE
. second vice president
HOMER STEVENS . . secretary-treasurer
ALEX GORDON business agent since 1945