$1.25 an hour demanded
Shoreworkers need increases in '84
By JACK NICHOL
Like many industrial workers in British Columbia's hard-hit resource industries, shoreworkers settled on a wage freeze pact in 1983 negotiations while inflation and employment cutbacks continue to exact their toll on shrinking seasonal earnings and depressed living standards.
Like other industrial workers in B.C., shoreworkers expect a wage increase and improved working conditions in 1984 in a contract that counters the Fisheries Associations relentless pursuit of contract rollbacks.
Setting aside for this year many important contract goals shoreworkers have shaved their demands to a workable number and set their sights on a modest
wage increase of about 11 percent.
The Fisheries Association has countered with proposals that, if conceded, would hack away at the basic conditions in shore-workers contracts that make the fishing industry a half decent work place.
The companies, by their proposals, would delete overtime after the regular quitting time and pay overtime only after eight hours have been worked.
To qualify for pay for a statutory holiday an employee would be required to work every day that work is available in the seven days preceeding and following the holiday including Saturdays and Sundays.
A vacation year would be earned only when an employee had worked a minimum of five
days in an accumulated 26 pay periods. Thus to earn 6 percent vacation pay a member seasonally employed in the three summer months might have to work 16 seasons where now it is earned after 4 years.
To earn 10 percent vacation pay — now paid after 18 years — an employee working 6.5 pay periods a year would have to work 72 years for the employer.
The Companies continue their assault on monthly rates by proposing to strip monthly rates from towmotor operators and tally dock crews. Reduction plant classifications and net-workers would also lose their monthly-rated conditions despite the fact the industry now operates one lone reduction plant and few networkers remain employed.
• Dave Quinn wrestles a halibut to the deck of the boat during the recent opening. Catches were high during the first opening, but without a minimum price to protect fishermen, the companies slashed the prices down to about $1.10 a pound. Last year prices opened at $1.70 and settled at $1.50 by the second opening.
Improved profits leads to tendermen's call for raises
By JOHN RADOSEVIC
Citing improved conditions for company profits, UFAWU tendermen tabled demands for a 12 percent wage and benefit increase at an opening round of bargaining May 11.
Any market difficulties claimed by the companies are far outweighed by wage freezes and fish price cuts of 40 percent slapped on industry workers last year.
Tendermen are also demanding improved job security provisions in the contract which include:
• strengthening of seniority provisions in the contract, wehre in the case of lay-off, high-seniority tendermen would replace those of lesser seniority, with the full cost of transfers to be borne by the companies;
• a severance pay provision, where employees with seven years or more of consecutive service with a company would be entitled to seven days' pay for each year of service;
• a recognition of holders of Marine Emergency Duty and Industrial First Aid certificates through an additional payment of five dollars a day;
• a recognition of holders of Captain, Engineer, and Mate certificates, through daily increases of $2.7.r), f2.50, and $2.50, respectively;
• an increase in the grub alio wance from $11.25 to $12.50 a day;
• moderate improvements in vacation pay;
• company payment of premiums for union medical and dental plans, and;
• an increase in welfare fund contributions from 85 cents to one dollar a day.
At the tendermen's wage conference April 26, tendermen studied UFAWU research which showed improvements in company profits were made possible by sacrifices in wages and fish prices since 1981.
At B.C. Packers, for example,
1,100 jobs were slashed from the payroll between 1982 and 1983. The wage bill correspondingly dropped from $53 million in 1982 to $43 million in 1983.
Ironically, no such drop took place in the wholesale price for salmon for BCP. Sales income rose to $253 million in 1983 from $241 million in 1982. In the same period, under the guidance of Weston-appointed president Don McLean, the company slashed prices to fishermen to $51 million in 1983 from $71 million in 1982.
Seiners call safety seminar for May 25
All seine fishermen are welcome May 25 at the UFAWU Seiner Safety Seminar.
The seminar, to begin at 10 a.m. at the Fishermen's Hall, 138 East Cordova Street, will review practical issues such as beachline knots, safety procedures on the job, design questions, and Coast Guard regulations for safety at sea.
The seminar will feature workshops where experienced fishermen will be on hand to study the latest issue of the industry safety manual and to assist newer fishermen in developing safety techniques.
Also on the agenda for the seminar are videotapes from the manufacturers of survival suits and from the Workers' Compensation Board on how to investigate an industrial accident.
The employers would make overtime mandatory and tailor the maintenance of seniority to the raft of plant closures that have robbed hundreds of shore-workers of jobs. If not employed for two years employment would be terminated which fits nicely with the recent boss-inspired amendments to the Labour Code of B.C.
There is no economic justification for concessions to the companies, concessions that would turn the contract clock back 30 years. Shoreworkers are demanding a wage increase of $1.25 an hour in a one year contract and $1.60 an hour for tradesmen.
As well, they demand overdue improvements on vacation and health and welfare benefits and contract language to protect against adverse effects of technological change and contracting out of work properly coming within the scope of UFAWU agreements.
A study of processing costs produced by Clarkson Gordon firm, commissioned by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, shows that labour costs have flattened out at about 12 percent of total production costs for the years 1978 to 1982. Mechanization and plant closures have more than absorbed the more than four dollars an hour increase in wages paid to
shoreworkers over that period of time.
B.C. Packers this past year closed, or reduced in scope, the Masset and Namu plants and the McCallum Sales plant while divesting itself of the N.B.F. Marineways and Port Edward fleet servicing facilities. Virtually all of its netloft facilities have been closed. Now it's every fisherman for himself while B.C. Packers tightens its grip on the narrow market upon which fishermen depend for disposal of their catches.
In 1983 salmon fishermen, shoreworkers and tendermen declared a truce in contract negotiations by terminating a strike that could only have inflicted considerable harm on the unions membership. A wage freeze and price cuts resulted.
The Companies have engineered a turnaround from loss to profit and fishing industry wage earners need wage increases in 1984 to offset the devastating effect of inflation last year and this year and the ruthless layoffs that have slashed annual earnings to workers who formerly earned a livable wage in the fishing industry.
If the companies persist in their exploitation of current economic conditions to roll back hard-won gains then the responsibility for confrontation in 1984 will rest on their shoulders.
Fishermen demand hikes in '84 contract
The UFAWU bargaining committee has met once with the companies to demand price increases and improved benefits for fishermen in 1984.
Fishermen are asking for a one year contract with increases to $1.35 per lb. for sockeye, 57<T per lb. for pinks, $1.00 per lb. for coho, 85C per pound for chums (all areas), $2.00 per lb. for large red springs, $1.00 per lb. for small red springs, $1.25 for all white springs and $1.25 for each jack spring.
Last year fishermen voted to accept 98C per lb. for sockeye, 25C for pinks, 65C for coho, 62<t and 25C for chums, $1.15 for large red springs, 65<t for small red springs, 62« for white springs and 75C for each jack spring.
The UFAWU is also demanding an increase in welfare payments of 1.4 cents per lb., better medical coverage paid for by the companies and an industry safety program.
"The companies made profits last year and fishermen took more cuts," chief negotiator Bill Procopation said. "That is not acceptable nor necessary this year if fishermen stick together and demand a fair return for their fish."
Part of the 1983 contract included a market sharing formula, Procopation warned that fishermen at the salmon price conference were adamant that minimum prices should not be compromised for this.
Although the companies have asked for another meeting to discuss the market sharing formula, Procopation wanred that the only true guarantee for prices is in the negotiated min-imums.
He said the companies have not yet paid out on the market sharing formula for fish delivered in 1983. No agreement on the formula has been reached.
Inventory levels, usually a major issue at the bargaining table, are nonexistent in most species canned or frozen, Procopation said.
Welfare fund payments must be increased to cover the cost of
better benefits including the newly-instituted dental plan for fishermen and their families.
"Companies have got to mvoe into the 20th century and start paying into the fund so fishermen can have the same benefits most other unionized workers enjoy," he said.
Fishermen at the salmon price conference also called for meetings, bulletins and radio conferences to keep fishermen informed about negotiations. A series of meetings are outlined on page one of this paper.
Procopation said the committee is asking for a one year agreement, but did not rule out discussions on an extended agreement if it is beneficial to the best itnerests of fishermen.
"We are going to need a high degree of unity in the fishing industry between fishermen and all secitons if the gains we justly deserve are to be won this year," he said.
Union seeks dredge ban
The Fraser River District Council of the UFAWU is demanding a halt to plans to dredge Ladner Slough for expansion of marine facilities for pleasure craft.
In a telegram on behalf of the council to DFO officials and Delta Mayor Ernie Burnett, UFAWU organizer Dennis Brown said; "The project will dislocate commercial fishermen from traditional moorage space and the dredging will pose a serious threat to valuable fish rearing habitat."
"We totally condemn the fact the dredging took place without DFO permission," the council said.
DFO stepped in and called a halt to the dredging after it got underway without permits or permission from DFO and valuable habitat was destroyed.
The council demanded the project be halted permanently.
THE FISHERMAN — MAY 18, 1984/3