The Tuherm&n
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Representing The Organized Fishermen And Shoreworkers of British Columbia
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! IN THIS ISSUE
I Canadian Storage Holdings ________________Page 3
■ Halibut Landings_____________________----Page 5
I Gillnet Gear Prices _______________________Page 8
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Vol. IX. No. 17
(376)
VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1947
Union Printers
2» 650 Howe Street
PRICE: 50
Salmon Canners fail Jo Meet Union
Price Demands for Pinks, Chums
Half a cent a pound for pinks and chums separated B.C. salmon fishermen and fish companies last Friday after the second negotiating committee meeting of 1947, but this difference may determine whether or not gillnetters and seiners will start sockeye fishing at the end of June.
Pickets at Night
Although the men in the drawing above are pickets in the Nova Scotia miners' strike, they could very well be the pickets in any of the B.C. strikes which have taken place. Settlement of the long, bitter fight in Nova Scotia appears fairly certain within the next few days.
HOMER STEVENS DELEGATE TO WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL
Homer Stevens, executive member and organizer of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union, has been chosen by the B.C. Section of the National Federation of Labor Youth as one of four delegates from this province to attend the World Youth Festival which opens in Prague, July 20, continuing through to August 17. His companions will be Glyn Thomas, chairman of the Vancouver Federation of Labor Youth, Denny Arse-nault, a Port Alberrii logger member of IWA Local 1-85, and Max Martin, of the Youth Section, Association of Ukrainian
Canadians. In addition three B.C. young people will be sent under the sponsorship of the Vancouver Young Adults Committee.
Since delegates will require some $500 each to finance their trips, a drive to raise funds for each of them is under way. Already the Shore-workers local, UFAWU, has donated $10 to Homer Steven's campaign. Other contributors include Charlie Person, New W e s t m i ni-ster, $10; Canadian Seamen's Union, Vancouver George Miller, five dollars. Collection cards are being distributed on behalf of delegate Stevlens, ^tiia fhe-~-shore local itself voted to undertake the distribution of collection cards.
Homer Stevens local, $5; and
TKH PRICES
VANCOUVER
Prices to fishermen at Campbell Avenue dock, Thursday, May
22:
White Spring Salmon . . 13c lb. Red Spring Salmon
Large ............ 23c lb.
Medium .......... 20c lb.
Flounders .................. 2c lb.
Soles ....................... 6c lb.
Dogfish Livers (ontest), av. 25c lb.
Grey Cod Livers ........... 4c lb.
Fresh Grey Cod (dressed,
heads on ............... *-5c lb.
Ling Cod (live) .............. 9c
Folnt Grey Herring ........ 6c lb.
SEATTLE
Wednesday, May 21
English Sole .............. 4c lb.
Fetrale Sole ............... 6c lb.
Ling Cod .................. 7c lb.
Rockfish ................. 3!4c lb.
True Cod .................. 5c lb.
Flounders ................. 8c lb.
TROLL FISHERY
Spring,
Large ............. 30^c-Slc lb.
Small ............... 29C-30C lb.
White ............... 18c-20c lb.
Coho ...................... 18c lb.
KETCHIKAN Tuesday, May 20 Spring (Troll),
Large ................... 24c lb.
Small ................... 18c lb.
Whit* ................... 13c lb.
Any reader wishing to contribute to the compaign, may send a donation c/o The Fisherman, 138 East Cordova Street, or to Glyn Thomas, National Federation of Labor Youth, 410 Holden Building, Vancouver.
The B.C. group plans to leave Vancouver, June 9, for Montreal, New York, then to France aboard the Aquitania.
They will be in Prague two weeks to take part in the varied events which will include exhibitions, ballet, parades, rebuilding of Lidice, sports activities, drama festival, folk dancing, and pinging.
Delegates will be the official guests of the Czechoslovak government and will join with some 50,000 others from 60 countries in meeting and hearing such personalities as Trygve Lie, United Nations general secretary, Paul Robeson, world noted singer, and Dmitri Shostakovich, great Russian composer.
Many of the delegates will participate, after leaving Prague, in the Youth Railway of Yugoslavia and the B.C. group expects to
U.S. Frozen Stocks Hold
Frozen salt water fish holdings in the United States at May 1 totalled 56,314,902 pounds compared with 56,429,618 pounds at the same date last year. In both years, the figures reveal a huge increase over March but a drop from April stocks. At March 1, 1946, there were 9,681,015 pounds in storage and at the same time this year, the holdings were even less, only 7,247,305 pounds. On April 1, 1947, however, there were 61,175,407 pounds on hand compared with 62,059,648 pounds on April 1, last year.
Fresh water fish holdings at May 1 this year were 6,281,292 pounds and at May 1 of 1946 were 8,858,909 pounds.
Other species or types of fish in storage were:
Mayl,'47 May 1,'46
Shellfish ...... 7,605,425 10,029,896
Salted fish .23,955,995 14,798,538
"No agreement, no fish," has been the traditional policy of organized salmon fishermen and the Salmon Canners' Operating Committee has been informed that 1947 will be no exception to the! rule.
For pinks the operators offered on Friday %c a lb. increase over last year's prices. By areas their offer was:
Johnstone Straits, Fraser River, including Cape Flattery, 3%c; Central and Northern Areas, except Queen Charlotte Islands, but including Mainland, Barclay Sound, Clayquot, Tofino and Niti-nat, 3 He; Queen Charlotte Islands and the West Coast of Vancouver Island above Estevan, including Quatsino, 3c.
The same minimum prices and areas would apply for chums but the price for Johnstone Straits' fall chums would be left over for settlement later in the season.
Fishermen's committee on previous instructions from local meetings of union and Native Brotherhood members, had informed operators that rock bottom prices were 4 cents, 3% cents, and 3% cents for the areas noted above.
This represent? % cents per pound or 25 percent more than last year and % cent a pound more than the operators offered.
Not only increased living costs but also increased gear costs are being felt by the fisherman this year.
At the union's request, fishermen were informed in advance of this year's gear and other production costs they will be faced with. The complete list is carried on page 8 of this iseaie. Cost of nets for purchase will vary with the type of net, but a few examples show the range that will apply:
* For Skeena river fishing, a Barbour 4/40 ply 5% inch mesh a' green, taking an average of 63 pounds of web will cost $335.50 this year compared with $304.30 laat year.
0 A Barbour 5/50 ply 5% inch mesh for Rivers Inlet, two green strands, if 70 pounds of web are used would require a 2/3 down payment of $247.45 this year compared with $233.95 last year.
The difference between fishermen and operators on pink and chum prices is the decisive issue this year.
Sockeye prices are settled at 15 cents per pound for all areas which represents an increase o, one cent a pound in the north.
On cohoe, the union asked for a price of 11 cents and the operators have offered 10 cents round.
For bluebacks in the Gulf which are likely to become a canning proposition this year, the union and Brotherhood asked 14 cents> dressed and in reply, cannery operators have offered 12 cents. This is one cent above the price paid last year to Gulf trollers.
Negotiations are proceeding on late run pinks, aa is noted in another story on this page.
Two sub-committees are function on salmon prices: (1) on late run pinks (gillnetters); (2) On fall chum price in Johnstone Straits. This is a committee of seiners. Main negotiations at the moment appear to be deadlocked with no meeting scheduled between union and operators.
UFAWU secretary-treasurer William Rigby informed the operators* that instructions to the negotiating committee from the fishermen are not to budge from the prices proposed.
All union negotiating committees on salmon operations (fishermen, tendermen, shoreworkers) will meet in joint session on Saturday, May 31 at 2 p.m. in the Fishermen's Hall to consider action to be taken if agreements are not signed by June.
Late Fraser Pink Price Discussed
An informal meeting was held this week between a subcommittee of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union and the Salmon Canners, to discuss the question of late run pinks on the Fraser. The meeting was held with the understanding on both sides that any proposals would be tentative and subject to ratification by operators and the fishermen.
The following points for discussion were suggested by the operators:
• That a date be set after which the price for Fraser pinks would be reduced.
• The amount of the reduction to be based on the percentage of Fraser pinks canned as Grade B after the agreed upon date during the past three cycle years—1941-43-45.
• The operators intimated that the basic price of Grade B would be based on the difference in selling price per case.
As sufficient data on percentage of Grade B canned in each of these year's wasn't available, it was agreed that a further meeting would be held on Wednesday, May 28, when it is hoped that concrete proposals will be brought forward by both sides.
Representing the UFAWU were Pete Cordoni (Albion); Alfred Hansen (Port Mann); Harry Christiansen (Sunbury); Ronnie Turner and John Berg (Steves-ton); and Homer Stevens.
The sub-committee of the Salmon Canners Operating Committee included Don Haywood (B.C. Packers); Ed. Paulson (Canadian Fishing Company); and J. A. Macdonald (Queen Charlotte Fisheries).
spend two weeks in Yugoslavia. I Smoked Fish . 1,942,975 1,781,589
Pact Terms Proposed Covering Cannery Men
Negotiations have been completed for the present on terms of an agreement covering cannery machine men and miscellaneous classifications of male cannery workers, according to UFAWU business agent Alex Gordon. An offer has been made by the operators and recommended for acceptance by the negotiating committee. In general, the offer is the
same as that made to net workers: a reduction in hours from 48 to 44 per week, with a $10 increase in the monthly wage.
In several classifications, however, there were no increases proposed. In others, raises of from six dollars to $16 were put forward by the operators.
Because of the fact that a number of minor points have still to be finalized, and because complete proposals are not yet drafted in their final form, details will not be published until next issue of The Fisherman.
Prior to that date, union business agent Gordon told The Fish-
erman, a general letter will go out to all plants in the industry with copies of the proposals and an explanatory letter. Members of the union affected will be asked to vote acceptance or rejection of the agreement proposals.
Union Organizer Tours Lower Gulf
Organizer Fred Olsen left Tuesday morning to pick up the IWA boat Amart to complete a tour o locals in the lower part of the gulf. He will hold meetings to discuss plans in connection with blueback price.
Halibut Landings Not Far
Below Last Years Figure
Halibut landings to the end of last week totalled 9,440,000 pounds, according to a report from the International Commission. This compares with 10,100,000 pounds to May 18 of last year. Thus, despite the absence of the Seattle halibut fleet from the fishery owing to a tie-up, 1947 landings are not far below those of last year. Prices after a drop to 15.9 me-
dium and 13 cents chix and large at Prince Rupert on May 15, have held steady and in fact gone back up.
So far this week, there have actually been no vessels landing at Vancouver. Though the Wm. C. Todd did sell on the exchange Monday, it had originally placed its trip up for sale the Saturday before. Bad weather has been an important factor, particularly in the past several days, In limiting landings here, though prices being paid are also responsible for the lack of vessels.
Average prices for the days that figures are available are:
VANCOUVER Chlx Med. Lge.
May 16 . . 15.4 17.5 15.4
May 17 . . 15.7 17.8 15.6
PR. RUPERT Chix Med. Lge.
May 14 . . 13 16.5 13
May 15 . 13 15.9 13
May 16 . . Only co-op boats.
May 17 . . 13 16.6 13
Prices in Alaskan ports are
holding up very well, keeping in practically all cases so far, above
the former OPA ceilings which prevailed last year. Prices then were:
Juneau, 13% medium; 12>4 chix and large; Ketchikan, 14% medium; 12% chix and large; Sitka, 13% medium; 12% chix and large;
Petersburg, 14 medium; 12% chix and large; Wrangell, 14 medium; 12% chix and large.
Landings and prices for Alaska, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, and Seattle are listed on page 5.
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SPECIAL MEETINGS i
NEW WESTMINSTER FISHERMEN
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 8 P.M.
Canadian Legion Hall Lounge
Business: SALMON PRICES
SALMON SEINERS
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 7:30 P.M.
SALMON TENDERMEN
FRIDAY, MAY 30, 7:30 P.M.
FISHERMEN'S HALL
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