ALEX GORDON
The 40 hour day, time-and-a-half for overtime, and coastwide organization in the shore plants are only a small part of the legacy that UFAWU pioneer Alex Gordon left for today's generation of union members to build upon. g
LAND CLAIMS POLICY
The 46th annual convention of the UFAWU adopted a new policy on native land claims, developed union licensing positions and laid plans for bargaining in
1992 7.8.9
HALIBUT QUOTA DOWN
A rapidly increasing U.S. deep-sea drag-ger fleet catching an incredible 15.8 million pounds of bycatch halibut that is thrown over the side dead and a weak official Canadian bargaining position are reducing Canada's halibut quota.
UFAWU ALLOCATION PLAN
The UFAWU draft fishing plan for 1991 is based on a review of past statistical data, with adjustments made in certain areas to overcome inequities that have developed over the years. -|g
SOUTH COAST NET FORECAST
An expected combined troll and net catch of up to 8,740,000 sockeye as well as 1989 being the lowest brood year in a decade for pinks will make 1991 a challenging year for fishers. jg
WRITING IN THE RAIN
A collection of rambuncious stories of coastal lore and fish tales about gillnet-ters and handloggers by the West Coast's own chronicler Howard White is released in a new book. 21
Japanese roe markets jittery
Salted herring roe markets in Japan took a tumble at the end of December, leaving excess inventory and an unstable market for 1991. The result is great uncertainty in . the herring fleet as fishermen gear up for this year's roe fishery.
Several factors led to the price drop, including an unusually high production of large roe in the 1990 Pacific fishery and some shift in the Japanese market towards lower priced "flavoured" roe.
Most B.C. herring roe is destined to be processed as salted roe for the traditional Japanese New Year's "gift packs." An estimated 12,700 tons of salted roe was available for processing in Japan, roughly 11 percent higher than the 11,900 tons produced in 1989.
Kathleen MacKay, a commercial advisor at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo, says that trade contacts in Japan are estimating a carryover of about 2,000 metric tonnes of roe, up considerably from the 800 tonnes remaining last year.
She says the gift pack market was not large enough to absorb the excess production of large-sized roe. The gift pack market has narrowed in recent years due to the increasing popularity of seasoned roe products which can be processed from lower quality roe.
The effect of the Japanese market on this year's herring roe fishery remains to be seen. Indications are that the Japanese paid a high price for Canadian roe last year, despite the low prices paid to Canadian fishermen, putting Canadian processors in a good profit position. As such, there is no reason for Canadian companies to make any further cuts to prices paid to fishermen for the 1991 season.
The TUherman
Vol. 56, No. 2
Vancouver, B.C.
February 15,1991
• MIKE LADISLAUS AND BRAD CLARK clean wood debris and other garbage off Fraser estuary habitat near Ladner: Ul job program, co-ordinated by the UFAWU, has provided many hands for estuary clean-up project started by Ladislaus and Clark two years ago.
Shore jobs threatened
Mexico free trade deal could jeopardize B.C. processing industries and manufacturing jobs
Free trade with Mexico will mean B.C. jobs lost, the further erosion of provincial and national sovereignty and continued pressure on Canadian social programs.
Unions, community groups and churches say a Canada-Mexico trade deal will hurt both Canadian and Mexican workers. With the federal government announcing it is going ahead with free trade talks with Mexico, a coalition of groups under the umbrella of the B.C. Working Group on Canada-Mexico Free Trade have slammed the potential deal warning that wood processing, fish processing and garment industry jobs will be directly threatened.
UFAWU organizer Jim Sinclair said at a news conference Feb. 11 that it is processing and manufacturing jobs that
will be exported to Mexico. "It is impossible to be competitive with people who are forced to work for $3.25 a day in Mexico," he said.
He pointed out that the technology readily exists for the shipment of unprocessed fish to foreign countries for processing. "Once the fish are iced or frozen,it doesn't matter how far you have to go to find cheap labour. A trade deal with Mexico will strip Canada of
its already limited rights under GATT to impose export taxes on raw resources.'' Sinclair said.
Phyllis Webb from the Garment Workers Union said a Mexico trade deal could wipe out the thousands of garment industry jobs. She said that Canada-US. free trade had already cost the industry 30,000 jobs and a Mexico
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
• MEXICO FREE TRADE Working Group slams loss of Canadian jobs and sovereignty at a Feb. 11 news conference: Canada has announced trade talks with Mexico.
New UFAWU land claims policy adopted
The UFAWU is demanding that the government greatly accelerate land claims talks to ensure that the issue of aboriginal fishing rights becomes part of overall land claims settlements on the West Coast.
The union will continue its strong support for the settlement of native claims, but intends to take a tough stand in defending the interests of the commercial fishing fleet.
The 46th Annual Convention of the UFAWU passed a new native land claims policy that accents the need to open a direct dialogue with native groups to explore ways to produce a settlement that will not cause dislocation in the existing commercial sector.
The union stands firm in rejecting any commercialization of the native food fishery and is demanding proper enforcement of native food fishing regulations.
The convention also adopted a new
policy on commercial fishing licensing that hits at speculation in the sale and leasing of commercial licences. The idea of individual transferable quotas as a means of managing West Coast fisheries was soundly rejected by delegates given likely concentration of ownership
of quota, environmental problems from highgrading and dumping, and the threat to shore jobs from foreign ownership of fish resources.
SEE FURTHER CONVENTION COVERAGE ON PAGE 7 and 9
Inquiry to start in early April
A public inquiry into commercial fishing licensing will begin a public hearing process in early April after the end of the herring fishery.
Headed up by commissioner Don Cruickshank, former president of Seafood Products Ltd., the inquiry will travel coastwide to get input from fishermen and fish industry workers on alternatives to current DFO licensing policy.
The inquiry is being co-sponsored by major fishing industry organizations in the hope of forging a consensus in the industry on ways to protect jobs, livelihoods and coastal communities.
The inquiry will hold hearings in several dozen coastal communities from April to June, and continue with informal meetings on the fishing grounds during the summer. Details of hearing dates should be available by mid-March.