The filher m&n
Representing the Organized Fishermen And Shoreworkers of British Columbia
In THIS ISSUE
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I COLUMBIA RIVER EXPERIMENT ................ PW » |
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Vol. VII. No. 22.
(301)
VANCOUVER, B.C., TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1945
BROADWAY'
> PRINTERS LTD.
PRICE: FIVE CENTS
Fall Chum Prices Hold Johnstone Str. Seiners In Port
The Vancouver seine fleet is still in port and no seiners will leave for the fishing grounds until the question of the price for fall chums in the Johnstone Straits area is finalised irt a signed union agreement.
The vote at which this decision was made came at a special meeting of the Vancouver local of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union last Wednesday night and was unanimous. The meeting rejected a proposal to leave the issue of fall prices to be settled by negotiations at Alert Bay at the end of August.
The joint negotiating committee of the union and Native Brotherhood has since held two stormy sessions with the Salmon Canners Operating Committee. A new offer was finally received Monday afternoon and will be placed before the Vancouver membership at a special meeting in the Fishermen's Hall this evening, with the negotiating committee recommending that it be approved.
Agreement on minimum salmon canning prices for 1945 was reached on June 29 and all Union and Brotherhood fishermen were permitted to begin fishing from Sunday night, July 1. However, freezer prices for the fall chum catch in Johnstone Straits and several questions concerning the location of weighing stations remained to be finalised before a full agreement could be signed.
At a special meeting of the Vancouver local held June 29 the seine fleet approved the report of the negotiating committee in the canning price agreement and instructed the committee to continue negotiations on the outstanding questions of special concern to the Johnstone Straits fleet. Weighing stations at Growler Cove and Granite Bay were asked plus provision for a shrinkage allowance of 3 percent on longer hauls to weighing stations. When the committee returned to report to the next meeting last Wednesday the operators had rejected the proposed weighing stations at Growler Cove and Granite Bay unless the fishermen were prepared to meet the costs. Any shrinkage allowance for the longer haul from these areas to Vancouver was also rejected. Five cents per pound was offered for 55 percent of the fall chum catch in Johnstone Straits and the canning price of 3 cents per lb. for the remaining 45 percent of the catch, making the overall average price for fall chums 4.1 cents per pound.
At an eight-pound average weight this would amount to 32.8 cents per fish, at a nine-pound average to 36.9 cents, at a ten-pound average to 41 cents per fish. Last year's average price for fall
Fish Prices
Following wholesale fish prices obtained at Campbell Ave. Dock at Vancouver on July 9: VANCOUVER
White Spring Salmon ________10c lb.
Red Spring Salmon _20c lb.
Small ____16c lb.
Flounders, (dressed,
headless) -2Vic lb.
Soles (dressed, headless) —6c lb.
Dogfish Livers______30c lb.
Grey Cod Livers__4c lb.
Fresh Grey Cod (dressed,
headless) -6c lb.
Ling Cod (live)--^_10c lb.
Gillnet Herring . -------- 6c lb.
chums in Johnstone Straits from October 1 on, was 37.85 cents and the prevailing opinion of experienced fishermen was that the fall chum in the Straits this year perhaps would be a small fish not more than eight pounds.
The fishermen therefore considered that the offer made by operators would in all likelihood bring them a lower price per fish than they received last year. From Quathiaski Cove came a similar opinion and prediction that the average weight for fall chums would be closer to 8 lbs than 10.
Rejection of the operators' offer was therefore unanimous in Vancouver and was followed by similar decisions by union seiners in the Sointula and Quathiaski Cove locals.
Following further negotiations the operators are now prepared to provide a shrinkage allowance of VA percent for Johnstone Straits fish weighed at Vancouver and to further give assurance on certain conditions that the poundage schedule will not lead to a lower price for fall chums in Johnstone than was paid last year.
In a press release last week, union President George Miller stated:
"The present dispute between
_ Nicknamed Queen of Hearts, HMCS Wetaskiwin, shown above, is headed C#fl wWCf ff Mill jor fhg graveyard. This corvette, built in Vancouver five years ago, is being scrapped at an eastern yard after a shmt but hectic lifetime in the worst battles of the Atlantic. She spent much of her career on the Iceland convoy run. _^^^^^^
Curb Profiteering, Put Ceiling Price On Homes, TLC Urges
In an attempt to put a brake on the present profiteering spree being enjoyed by housing speculators in Vancouver, delegates at the Trades and Labor Council meeting last Tuesday passed a resolution demanding of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board establishment of ceiling prices on all houses.
—Continued on page 8
Joint Requests Go Before Board
A joint application has been made by the UFAWU and the companies concerned for institution of the new conditions established in agreements signed recently with Vancouver Ice and Cold Storage and Edmunds and Walker.
A hearing of the Vancouver Ice and Cold Storage case will be held before the board tomorrow.
Application for institution of conditions set forth in the Deep Bay agreement, signed a short while ago, has also gone before the board.
Basis for setting such prices would be the assessed value plus a percentage mark up.
"In order to put them right on the spot," city council will be presented with a copy of the resolution as suggested by Trades Council President Birt Showier.
"Somebody is holding up buyers at the point of a gun," exploded Sam Shearer in bringing forth the resolution. "I see where two boys got five years for trying to pull a hold-up. That's one kind of a hold-up. »
"But there's another type," he declared. "An honest man is held up at the point of a gun when he wants a house.
Shearer was referring to a search he had made in company with an ex-serviceman friend in search of a home for the latter.
"The prices they are asking are absolutely filthy and ridiculous," he charged. "They want four thousand dollars for little old four-roomed places."
Shearer warned that serious trouble was bound to result from this type of exploitation. "Men coming back from the front are not going to sit back in the face of a situation like this."
Another delegate told council
SEATTLE
Wholesale prices obtaining on July 7:
Salmon (King), coast troll,
dressed, heads on, large . 22c lb. Small 18'/4 lb.
White 14c lb.
Salmon, Silver, coast troll -IBttc lb. Petrale Sole _ 6c lb.
Ling Cod ..........8c lb.
Rock Cod 4Vic lb.
True Cod 6c lb.
C.F. Vitamin Oil Case Goes Before Labor Board
An application on behalf of employees in the Canadian Fish
Home Plant Vitamin Oil operation has been sent to the B.C.
Regional War Labor Board by Alex Gordon, business agent of
the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union.
This is an individual application*-
• Rate of pay for maintenance
signed by the union only, since, according to Gordon, it was found impossible to reach mutual agreement with spokesmen for Canadian Fish.
Major , points upon which the board is being asked to rule, are listed below.
• Establishment of time and one-half overtime for hours over eight daily and for Sundays and legal holidays.
The company offered time and one-half for hours over nine in one day or 48 in a six-day week, whichever happens to be greater. In view of the fact that similar or better conditions than those requested by the Union are now in effect at the Washington Laboratory vitamin oil plant, at Western Chemicals' vitamin oil plant, and United Fishermen's Co-op vitamin oil plant, union negotiators found it impossible to accept the condition offered.
By accepting such conditions, business agent Alex Gordon points out, the union would be contributing to the "gross injustices" suffered by Canadian Fish vitamin oil workers.
man in the operation.
Union requested a rate of 86 cents per hour in line with wages paid to maintenance men in other industries. The company made a counter offer of 80 cents per hour, three cents more than the 77 cent rate now being paid.
• Length of quaifying period for inexperienced helpers.
An hourly rate of 71% cents was asked for these workers with a three month qualifying* period after which the employees concerned would be classed as experienced helpers and receive 75 cents.
In this case, the company agreed to the wage scale but insited on a one-year qualifying period. During the negotiations, employee representatives suggested a compromise of six months. This, Gordon declares, was accepted by the manager of the vitamin oil plant but proved unacceptable to other members of the company negotiating committee.
As a result this question, along with several more, are now before the Regional War Labor Board for a ruling.
members that he was laughed at in several real estate offices when be told them he had $500 for a down payment.
City council came in for a well-reserved verbal berating following receipt of a letter from Alderman H. C. Corey over the site suggested by the Trades Council for a civic centre. Although Corey expressed agreement with the choice, he stated that the question of a distributor street had been overlooked.
"We are holding the matter up until the engineer and Mr. Bartholomew, the town planning consultant, can get together on this feature.
"As soon as some settlement is arrived at in regard to it, we hope to be able to take further steps toward the consummation of what we, as well as yourself, have in mind," the alderman concluded.
W. Black of the Civic Employees stated that with the resignation of city engineer Brackenbridge taking place at the end of the year, the new appointee would have to be consulted.
"That will take another 20 years," commented Birt Showier.
There was nothing to stop construction of a distributor street in another direction, R. K. Gervin, Trades Council secretary stated.
A building is now under construction on the proposed centre's location which had been licensed by the city council.
Gervin laid the full blame for the present impasse to lack of initiative on the part of city council. He had been to see the owner of the new building and asked him to delay construction. The man intended to go ahead with his construction to which Gervin quipped, not unjustly, that 'His building would be torn down before city council took action, anyway.' "
A fifty-dollar donation was voted to the Victoria Trades and Labor Council to help cover loss suffered in a recent fire. Local unions will also be asked to lend assistance.
Council meetings will be'discon-tinued till August 21.
Pilchard Men, Save Store Bills!
Pilchard fishermen at their meeting, Friday, voted unanimously to keep all grocery bills obtained from stores at plants during the season and to forward them regularly to the union so that a check can be kept on prices paid. .
Amounts paid for various commodities will be noted and the Wartime Prices and Trade Board will be contacted to see if the price meets government, ceilings.
It was pointed out by a number of fishermen that the exact amounts and weights should be placed on the bill by the storekeeper so that the actual price will be known.
Tuna men Await Seattle Meet
Although a short informal tuna fishermen's meeting was held last Friday, it was decided not to take any steps towards preparation of an agreement until details have been received from the International Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union in Seattle. They are now in the process of negotiating an agreement, details of which will likely apply for B.C. tuna men.
As soon as a copy of the agreement is available, it will be published in The Fisherman.
Sockeye Fishing Good on Fraser
Oh, Where Did They Come From?
Two cases of sockeye were packed at some cannery in district 1, prior to June 30, but no one seems to know just which one.
Although the fish were likely caught incidentally to spring fishing, there is some curiosity as to "whodunnit" After all, there was a strike on.
Sockeye fishing on the Fraser River was reported to be very good last week. High boat last Friday fishing at the mouth of the river landed over 300 sockeye.
On Thursday, high man at Canoe Pass took 336 sockeye. High boat on the outside on North Arm landed 66 fish while on the main river, high man had over 100 fish.
Skeena and Naas fishermen made very good catches during the week but at Rivers Inlet the fishing was said to be poor. No information was available from Smiths Inlet.
Last Thursday on the Skeena, the average outside was nearly 100 while inside it was about 60 with 714 boats operating. On the Naas with 140 boats, average on the outside was 55, and 35 on the inside. At Namu 87 boats averaged 31 fish while at Rivers Inlet 260 boats caught an average of 20 sockeye each.
Pilchard Men Sail On July 11
Despite a strong difference of opinion and only after a long discussion, pilchard fishermen members of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union voted at a large meeting last Friday to drop discussion this season on the proposal for an eighth man to be paid by the operators. Price for pilchards this season will be $6.50 per ton on a seven-man basis.
Chief point of issue still remaining unsettled is the fifth man on packers having no pilot house control. Members took a firm stand on this question, pointing out that the additional man should be second engineer and paid the same share as the mate. This, to be paid by the company, is $94 per month plus % of a fisherman's share less ten cents per ton.
Unless something unforeseen occurs, pilchard men will leave for the grounds tomorrow after midnight. It was felt that this would allow time to conclude pilchard negotiations.
Reduction plant talks open this afternoon but union officials are hopeful that there will be no dif-culties encountered.
George Hill, active member of the UFAWU, was elected to the position of check weighman to cover all plants on the West Coast. He will receive a fisherman's share to be paid by all fishermen and tendermen on the basis of individual ten-dollar deductions which will be handled through the union office. Cooperation of the department of weights and measures will be sought in the form of a representative to work with Hill. However, there has been no definite answer on this point.
In line with a request by the negotiating committee, Nelson Brothers have shortened the flume at Ceepeecee by about one-half. It is now built on a much sharper incline with little likelihood of fish being stuck during unloading.
Another point concerning three engineers who had been refused by Nelson Brothers shipyard foreman the right to go fishing as engineers on company boats, was settled satisfactorily. As a result of this case, the right of skippers to hire their own engineer has been upheld. The three engineers referred to have been reinstated by the company.
A wire from George Hillier of Ucluelet was received requesting information on the starting time for pilchard fishing. Reply was sent informing him that fishing was scheduled to open Wednesday, June 11, at midnight.
Members of the negotiating committee are George Seymour, Jack Helmerson, Harry Helmerson, Alex Main, John Rustad, Bill Purvis, Kurt Larson, Helge Skarpness, George Hill, Art Balkwell, Jean Jean Cadwallader and Jim Guthro.
Reduction Talks Start Today
Negotiations between operators and reduction plant members of the UFAWU started today.
A meeting of reduction men was held yesterday to complete drafting of the reduction supplement to the shoreworkers' master agreement.