Negotiations Open April 29
Salmon Net Fishermen Seek Sockeye Price of 46 Cents
TlieTITherm&n
Vol. XXXIV, No. 8
Vancouver, B.C.
April 23, 1971
A    c;,u ± _. Campbell River Upper Islander photo
» i-isnermeni at Campbell River and other upper Island east coast points had an unusual catch last month when a barge carrying two million board feet of kiln dried lumber overturned in Seymour Narrows en route from Kitimat to Cowichan Bay. Some 40 fishing boats are estimated to have salvaged about 500,000 board feet of lumber, as this photo indicates.
UFAWU^ets Wide Support
CFAWU-Company Collusion Blows Up New N.S. Storm
CANSO, N.S. — Renewed support is mounting in Nova Scotia for the Canso Strait fishermen, who have been waging a year long battle for elementary trade union rights.
It appeared that the struggle, which produced long overdue legislative reforms, had been won to a large extent when an interim agreement was reached last fall between fishing companies and a
Norway Aids Salmon Ban
LONDON — Norwegian fishermen have been prohibited by their government from fishing salmon in international waters between Greenland and the coast of Canada.
A high seas operation in Davis Strait by Danish, Faroese and Norwegian fishermen has threatened to deplete dwindling stocks of Atlantic salmon in recent years.
The ban, ordered on April 2, was described as an effort by the government of Norway to contribute to preservation of the Atlantic salmon.
Denmark has emerged from meetings of the International Northwest Fisheries Commission, representing 14 member countries, as the strongest opponent of any ban on high seas fishing for Atlantic salmon. Two years ago it blocked a Canadian proposal to ban the fishery in international waters, but agreed to restrict the size of its fleet. Under strong pressure, it has agreed to extend those restrictions for another year.
committee of UFAWU trawler-men.
Since then, however, the fishermen have become the target of new attacks in the form of a raid by the Canadian Food and Allied Workers Union, collusion between the CFAWU and fishing companies, and an adverse decision by the provincial Labor Relations Board.
But the fight goes on. This week, backed by a wide cross section of public opinion — among organized labor, clergymen, members of the New Democratic Party, and a few outspoken weekly newspapers — UFAWU members called on the Labor Relations Board to "comply with the spirit" of the Trade Unions Act by granting fishermen representation by the union of their choice.
Jeremy Ackerman, Nova Scotia leader of the New Democratic Party, wired UFAWU members in Canso this week from Ottawa where he was attending the NDP leadership convention. The telegram said:
"Since the situation at Canso Strait is still unstable and likely to continue with uncertainty and ill will, I support your demands for a
vote among fishermen to settle the dispute fairly and finally. The issue is still the right of men to have union of their choice and a vote is the only way to determine this."
BOARD DECISION
These demands follow a board decision on April 13 not to process a UFAWU application for certification on behalf of trawlermen employed by Acadia Fisheries at Canso and Mulgrave.
The board's decision has the effect of maintaining in force the backdoor "voluntary recognition" pact signed early last month between Acadia and the CFAWU.
Although the CFAWU, a division of the Chicago-based Amalgam ated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America claimed to represent a majority of Acadia trawl crews, the real situation was reflected in the recent firing of about 80 trawlermen, out of a total of- 107 employed, for refusing to be forced into the CFAWU.
Most of the men dismissed are the same UFAWU members
See CFAWU—Page 11
The Great Pipeline, Tanker Route Debate
What's at Stake for Canada?
Page 4
Asking 40 Cents for Coho, 20 Cents for Pink Salmon
the UFAWU are slated to
May Day Meet Will Hear Pare
United Electrical Workers vice-president Jean Pare of Montreal will speak at the Vancouver May Day meeting to be held 8 p.m. Friday, April 30 in the Labor Temple, 307 West Broadway.
Both Pare and his co-speaker, Colin Snell, B.C. Federation of Labor unemployed coordinator, will speak on the unemployment crisis.
Sharing the platform with them will be Vancouver Aid. Harry Rankin.
Salmon price negotiations between and the Fisheries Association of B.C. begin this coming Thursday, April 29.
Members of the UFAWU negotiating committee will present demands for new minimum prices and fringe benefits hammered out by delegates from locals along the coast at last week's Salmon Price Conference in Vancouver.
Emphasis will be placed on winning a one year agreement, the conference decided.
Union net fishermen are seeking minimum prices of 46 cents a pound for sockeye (39 cents in 1970), 40 cents for coho (30 cents), 20 cents for pinks (14V& cents), and 27 cents for chums (15V2 to lTVfe cents).
Fishermen also want spring salmon prices "more closely related to market values," asking 70 cents a pound for all springs 12 pounds and over, 50 cents for springs from five to 12 pounds, 30 cents for jacksprings. Last year's price range was 30 to 40 cents for reds and 15V6 to 17'/2 cents a pound for whites.
Minimum price sought for salmon roe is $1.15 a pound.
Other demands call for an increase of three cents a case in company contributions to the United Fishermen's Welfare Fund and payment by the companies of 50 percent of B.C. Medical Plan and Canada Pension Plan contributions.
In a statement issued after last week's price conference, the UFAWU pointed out that salmon fishermen face rising living and operating costs, higher licence fees, and the prospect of drastically reduced catches this year.
At the same time, monopoly profits are increasing, with the Weston interests (B.C. Packers) boosting profits in 1970 by 50 percent over the 10 year average.
"Fishermen have had two year contracts with minimal increases in 1967 and 1969 with the result that take home pay has been eroded by rising costs," the statement said
"It's time for a healthy increase."
Oil Drilling Starts
JUNEAU — Four oil companies are starting exploratory drilling for oil in a joint operation in the Port Heiden area of Bristol Bay.
The four companies are Alaska Petroleum, representing Japanese interests, Gulf Oil, Scurry Rainbow and Skelly Oil.
Association Practises Moderation'
By JACK NICHOL
The Fisheries Association of B.C. is counselling moderation in wage demands of shoreworkers and tendermen this year. And as evidence that it believes in practising what it preaches it can point to its wage offer — moderate in the extreme — tabled during the fifth session of the current round of negotiations with the UFAWU.
The association is offering a wage increase to all shoreworker classifications of 3.5 percent in the first year and five percent in the second year of a proposed two year agreement. It proposes moderate adjustments in warehouse-canloft rates and standardization of overtime conditions between in-town and out-of-town plants.
It makes no attempt whatever to accommodate demands on major overtime conditions, vacations, welfare plan and a number of other demands on important issues.
The imbalance in the wage offer reflects the association's argument of a lowpack year predicted for the salmon industry in 1971 and the ex-See ASSOCIATION — Page 2
Halibut Price Level Remains Below 1970
Longliners delivering catches taken in the arduous Bering Sea fishery have received prices considerably below last year's opening level.
First Bering Sea delivery in Vancouver was on April 12 when the Western Ocean sold 115,000 pounds to B.C. Packers at 33 cents a pound for 100,000 pounds of medium, 28 cents a pound for 12,000 pounds of large, and 25 cents for chix.
She was followed on April 16 by the Mary Todd with a 40,000 pound catch selling to Canadian Fishing Company at 35 cents a pound for 35,000 pounds of medium and 5,000 pounds of large.
On April 20 the Pacific Wave sold to Vancouver Shell at 37.2 cents for 30,000 pounds of medium, 36.5 cents for 20,000 pounds of large, and 25 cents for 1,000 pounds of chix.
Although later deliveries showed some improvement, prices have been well below the 41 cents paid
for medium and large on April 13 last year.
First landings in 1969 brought 36.9 cents for medium, 36.8 cents for large, and 30 cents for chix; in 1968, 30.3 cents for medium and large and 25 cents for chix; in 1967, 28 to 28.1 cents for medium and large and 20 cents for chix; in 1966, 39.5 cents for medium, 39 cents for large and 25 cents for chix.
The five other B.C. vessels which fished Bering Sea openings this year have all made direct sales for which no price is quoted.
The EMing K sold a 105,000 pound trip at Seattle on April 14 and Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-op bought the Western Viking's 80,000 pounds at Prince Rupert the following day.
Selling at Bellingham on April 16 were the Caamano Sound, with 90,000pounds, the Milbanke Sound, with 105,000 pounds and the Shirley Rose, with 40,000 pounds.
See HALIBUT —Page 2