'HANDS OFF FISHERMEN'S UN'
Canada's union fishermen have warned the Mulroney government that cuts in fishermen's unemployment insurance will not be tolerated.
In a 30-minute meeting May 6 with Conservative Employment Minister Flora MacDonald in her Parliament Hill office, representatives of four fishermen's unions from five provinces warned that they would fight any cuts in fishermen's UI.
But MacDonald refused to give her word to protect the vital program, now under special review by the Forget Royal Commission into Unemployment Insurance. In fact, she told fishermen, she had specifically asked Forget to review fishermen's coverage.
In a statement that confirmed the unions' conviction that fishermen's UI is on the chopping block, MacDonald argued that fishermen are a "special case" who cannot be handled under a universal program like UI.
And despite the repeated assaults on UI in recent countervail actions in the United States, the minister conceded that no studies have been done to determine the impact a free trade agreement could have on the fishermen's UI program.
The fishermen's reply was blunt. As UFAWU president Jack Nichol told NDP leader Ed Broadbent, "We want to make a political statement that if they make a move to take unemployment insurance
away from fishermen then Tories in ridings were there are numbers of fishermen will find their^eats in peril."
The unprecedented lobby brought together Canada's fishermen's unions for the first time in a common program of political action. Nichol proposed the lobby to the other unions in February when it became obvious that fish processors were using the Forget commission to demand the elimination of fishermen's UI.
The Forget commission came in the wake of three other royal commission reports recommending elimination of fishermen's unemployment insurance — the Pearse Report, the Kirby Report and
The Tif Herman
the Macdonald Commission on the economy.
The response to the UFAWU's call was swift. From May 5 to 7,17 fishermen from the UFAWU, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1252 of Newfoundland, the Maritime Fishermen's Union and the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers — representing more than 20,000 fishermen — met members of all three federal parties in Ottawa to state their case.
In a news conference May 7, UFCW secretary-treasurer Earle McCurdy told reporters that fishermen "are very much afraid unemployment insurance is on the table in free trade talks."
See UNEMPLOYED - page 6
Vol. 51, NO. 5
Vancouver, B.C.
May 21,1986
LAKES UNION -p. 3
■•■■nam
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talks open
CORRECT WEIGHT
• Roe herring landings brought B.C. fish plants back to life last month as the process of popping and brining the roe began. At Canfisco's Home Plant, Eileen Newman checked tray weights at the end of the popping line. A review of this year's herring season and a study of prospects for 1987 has been scheduled by DFO in Nanaimo May 29.
Indian fishery debate erupts
The long-simmering crisis over Indian river fisheries in B.C. exploded into open conflict between Indian and non-Indian interests last month as the result of what many see as federal government dishonesty and incompetence.
The explosion came at an April 18 meeting of the Minister's Advisory Council, which already was two days into an intensive discussion of fisheries minister Tbm Siddon's controversial proposal to commercialize Indian river fisheries in 1986.
With the consultative process barely begun, a fisheries official told stunned MAC members that four Gitksan-Wet'su-
wet'en Tribal Council bylaws — designed to give council fishermen — the power to manage and sell stocks in the Upper Skeena — had been approved by Indian affairs minister David Crombie.
The government bombshell set off an even greater explosion that was felt in Victoria and Ottawa. Within four days a humbled government scrapped Siddon's policy paper, pledged to shelve the bylaws and threw the issue into the lap of a joint committee made up of Indian and fishing industry representatives.
Crombie and Siddon promised the bylaws would not be allowed to come into effect on the scheduled date of June 15
unless the new advisory committee achieved what the Tories had failed to: broad consensus on the scope and direction of Indian fisheries based on aboriginal rights and title.
Among commercial groups there is a large and influential lobby, centred around the Pacific Fishermen's Defence Alliance formed by the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-operative Association, which rejects Indian claims to marine resources.
The UFAWU supports resolution of claims, but rejects the bylaw approach. (See editorial page 4.)
See INDIAN - page 17
UFAWU bargainers are gearing up for a tough set of negotiations following wage and price conferences which outlined far-reaching demands for increases and job security.
"There is no doubt that the last two years have been lucrative for the companies," said UFAWU secretary-treasurer Bill Procopation. "Workers in all three sections have said they want increased company profits reflected in any settlement."
Shoreworkers negotiations — which are focusing on tech change, wage increases and better benefit packages — got under way May 2.
Fishermen are expected to go to the table on May 22 and tendermen will be at the bargaining table shortly afterwards. (Details of shore proposals are on page 12. Tendermen's demands are on page 9.)
All three committees are armed with the latest research showing strong markets and good returns for fish processors during the last two years.
After three meetings with the companies, shore negotiators have explained the union demands and the companies have responded only briefly.
Early indications are the companies are demanding concessions in several areas and on the key point of protecting jobs, the companies have been unwilling to open up the discussion to include job security and staffing clauses.
At a two-day price conference held May 7 and 8 in Vancouver, fishermen vowed to ensure the minimum prices accurately reflect the value of the fish.
"On some species the minimums are clearly what all fishermen get paid," said Procopation. "But on other species the minimum guarantee must move up to reflect the return to the companies."
The fishermen are demanding $1.60 a pound for sockeye, 60 cents a pound for pinks, $1.15 for coho, $1 per pound for all chums in all areas and $1.75 for all springs.
"These prices are in line with markets and company profits," said Procopation.
Other demands by fishermen include a safety program, increased payments to Fishermen's Benefit Fund, survival suits, crew share protection for all fishermen delivering to major companies, packing charges and guaranteed fuel rebates for all company crew members.
For tendermen, UFAWU business agent John Radosevic said the major issues are money and protection of jobs.
"There has to be an absolute halt to fish boats packing other fishermen's fish," said Radosevic. "Now is the time to nip a bad practice in the bud."
Tendermen are also demanding wage increases and a better severance pay program for all tendermen.
See TALKS - page 2