TReTITherman
Vol. XXVIII, No. 31
2 10 CENTS VANCOUVER, B.C., OCTOBER 1, 1965
WEST COAST GILLNET FLEET Vessels of the west coast gillnet fleet are pictured here tied up at Sooke during closure period at site of former J. H. Todd and Sons trap operation headquarters. The vessels, incidentally, chopped off their purchases from BA oil station at Sooke after being informed by UFAWU representatives of strike and after other arrangements for fueling up had been provided.
THREE SUBMIT STATEMENTS
Canadians Confirm Scarab' Treatment
Three Canadian fishermen who were crew members on the tuna seiner Golden Scarab during her maiden trip last spring have submitted statements to deputy fisheries minister A. W. H. Needier refuting allegations made by Capt. Norman Ryall, the vessel's owner, in his own statements to the fisheries department and an interview with the Canadian Fisherman.
Two of the fishermen, John Bunn and Bill Roberts, are members of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union, and the third, Aubrey Roberts, is a member of the Native Brotherhood of BC.
The Golden Scarab is the 168 foot tuna seiner launched at Lau-zon, Quebec, in November last year to pioneer development of a Canadian tuna fishery off the Pacific coast of Central and South America.
The vessel sailed from Halifax in February and began operating out of Panama in March. On her first trip she carried a 12 man crew, three of whom — the captain, engineer and deck boss — were • Americans, eight were Canadians and one was a Costa Rican hired to replace a Canadian who had quit at Panama. The vessel also carried a scientist from the Canadian fisheries department.
UNION ASKS PROBE
In July, acting on information received from crew members, United Fishermen and Allied Workers' secretary Homer Stevens wrote to fisheries minister
Herring Hits 40,000 Tons
British Columbia's reduction herring catch, though still far behind last year's total, now stands at the second highest figure of comparable years back to 1958.
As of September 25, the catch was 40,037 tons, compared with 72,233 tons in 1964 and 31,768 tons in 1962, the next highest year.
Meal production to date is 6,746 tons and oil yield is 1,038,761 gallons.
By districts, the catch to September 25 was: lower east coast, 2,454 tons; middle east coast, 250 tons; upper east coast, 10,546 tons; west coast, 10,150 tons; northern, 12,308 tons; central, 4,329 tons; Queen Charlotte Islands, nil.
H. J. Robichaud asking for investigation of specific charges and expressing concern over operation of the vessel.
The Union's main concern, Stevens told Robichaud, was that taxpayers' funds had been used to subsidise construction of a vessel which now had few if any Canadians in her crew complement.
Noting that six of the original Canadian crew members had quit and three had been fired. Stevens said the Union was convinced that "life was made almost unbearable for the Canadian members of the crew by the American master and deck boss, and that the owner or owners of the vessel expressed the idea on more than one occasion they didn't care whether there were any Canadians at all employed upon the vessel.
"In fact, from their actions in support of the American bosses, it would appear they preferred to get rid of the Canadians rather than .try to settle their grievances."
PRINCIPLE SUBVERTED
Stevens declared that government financing of fishing vessels for development of new fisheries was unacceptable if it was subverted to employ foreigners.
"The basic idea is to provide employment for Canadian fishermen, and the owners of the vessel should be required to employ Canadians except where special skill may temporarily be required," he said.
"There should also be a basic requirement that the necessary skills will be obtained by a combination of on the job training and vocational training, so that eventually the entire crew complement, inclusive of officers, will be drawn from the Canadian working force."
Stevens asked Robichaud to investigate these specific charges:
• The vessel's first catch of some 730 tons, half yellowfin and half skipjack, was sold at Ense-nada, Mexico, prices quoted at the time ranging from $270 to $286 a ton for yellowfin and $220 to $235 for skipjack. The crew, however, was paid for only 601 tons on the ground that some of the fish was spoiled by faulty refrigeration or faulty operation of the system.
• Payment to crew members was to have been at the rate of $80 a ton. Actual payment was either $60.50 or $62.50, dependent on whether the vessel's complement was 12 or 13 men. The captain received $15 a ton, engineer $12.50, deck boss $8, for a total of $35.50 a ton. Other crew members divided a total of $25 or $27
a ton, the wheel man receiving $5, second engineer $4, cook $3, winch man and remaining crew, len $2. "SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT"
Replying to Stevens in August, Robichaud conceded that the information on which the Union based its charges was "substantially correct," but held that some of the conclusions were "subject to rather broad and varying interpretations."
Robichaud said officers of his department had reviewed the Union's charges and interviewed Capt. Ryall, "who recognises the validity of your complaints but feels you will appreciate the fact that arrangements for the overall venture had been most difficult to consummate and that problems had arisen on the first operational trip which were difficult to control by reason of its distance from Canada and the unfamiliarity of a number of the crew with the particular fishing endeavor."
Ryall told the department that "in the crewing of the Golden Scarab he had made every effort to engage Canadians and felt that
See STATEMENTS — Page 12
Canners Agree Herring Rate Hike Justified
But Turn Down Pension, Paid Holiday Demands
Fisheries Association spokeman Malcolm Robertson twice conceded during a herring negotiating session September 25 that a boost in the fishermen's labor rate was justified this season but he turned down flatly pension and holiday benefits proposed by the herring fleet. 'There is no great need to dif-
fer on markets at the present time," Robertson told Union representatives. "We can see there is room for an increase in herring price."
Despite his flat statement, however, he failed to put an offer on the table, saying it would likely be done at the next meeting. The Association later asked that the next meeting be held October 9 in spite of a Union committee statement that it was prepared to meet October 2, when a full membership meeting has been called.
And Association spokesman Robertson, answering the fleet's proposal for a two week annual holiday with pay based on four percent of the previous year's herring earnings, said that "the men may be determined to get a paid holiday, but the operators are also determined in not granting one."
NO PENSIONS, HOLIDAYS
Earlier, he had stated: "We are not prepared to negotiate a two week paid holiday plan in this contract nor are we prepared to negotiate pension plans," repeating his remarks during the meeting.
Main demands, put forward on behalf of the Union committee by spokesman Wally Paulik, are for a $6 per ton increase in the fishermen's labor rate and the equivalent of $1.94 per ton in fringe benefits.
Under the set of proposals advanced by the UFAWU herring
Herring Trawl Talks Underway
Negotiations have opened between the UFAWU and J. S. McMillan Fisheries over terms of a herring trawl agreement. Labor rate, based on that requested for seiners, works out to $38.40 per ton.
October 76 Deadline For Co-op Operation
Both the Prince Rupert Vessel Owners and the Vancouver Vessel Owners Association have been notified by the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union that a strike may result from failure to settle herring agreements by the October 16 deadline.
A letter to this effect September 30 follows a letter September 17 and earlier correspondence last February on contract terms.
In the event that no settlement has been reached by October 16, the Union wrote Thursday, "we reserve the right to take strike action or such other action as may be considered advisable by our membership in order to finalise all the proposed contract changes."
The same deadline applies to settlement of, contracts between the Union and the Fisheries Association.
Agreements between the Union and vessel owner groups do not stipulate price since the herring is handled through the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-op.
Division is based on a share arrangement set out in the contract with the Vessel Owners
Association but this is not up for negotiation at this time.
The issues in dispute include the socalled fringe benefits being sought in this year's agreements — four percent holiday pay, 1.8 percent of gross earnings to be paid into the Canada Pension Plan, 3.2 percent of earnings to be paid into a Union pension plan with an equal contribution by those engaged in the Co-op operation, and an improved medical plan for all those engaged in the operation.
In addition, a matter raised last February, that of crew complements aboard Co-op vessels, has not been settled.
In a letter to vessel owners September 17, the Union summed up its position this way: "With the exception of the section referring to the labor rate, the balance of the proposed changes (in the Fisheries Association contract) could become applicable to the herring share agreement."
Union secretary Homer Stevens was scheduled to leave for Prince Rupert early next week for discussions with the Prince Rupert Vessel Owners October 5 or 6 if meetings can be arranged.
fleet, new labor rate for herring would be $20.48 per ton. FRINGES SPECIFIED Specific fringes sought include:
• An additional 10 cents per ton over the present 10 cents paid into the Pilchard and Herring Welfare Fund "in order that all the liabilities of the Fund are adequately covered and to provide for an annual surplus sufficient to allow for extension of benefits . . ."
• An annual paid holiday during the first two weeks of October paid for on the basis of four percent of gross earnings of each herring fisherman during the 12 month period immediately preceding the holiday.
• Effective January 1 of next year, payment by operators of 1.8 percent of gross earnings of herring fishermen into the Canada Pension Plan to the maximum annual earnings specified under the plan ($5,000 per annum
less $600 or $4,400). In addition, the Union wants operators to deduct the fishermen's share of 1.8 percent at the source and forward the full 3.6 percent to the department of national revenue on behalf of herring fishermen employed under terms of the agreement. (Under present legislation pushed through parliament by the Liberals, fishermen must pay the full 3.6 percent of their earnings into the Pension Plan while other workers by law are required to pay only 1.8 percent, employers also being assessed 1.8 percent).
• Apart from the Canada Pension Plan, the Union is proposing a herring fishermen's pension plan based on payment of 6.4 percent
See HERRING TALKS—Page 12
HEAR . . .
PROF. LINUS
PAULING
(Twice Nobel Prize Winner)
(Chemistry, 1954 - Peace, 1963)
Why the War in Vietnam Must Be Stopped
Friday, Oct. 8
8 P.M.
EXHIBITION GARDEN PNE GROUNDS
FREE ADMISSION
Sponsored by The Ad Hoc Committee to End the War in Vietnam.
Meet October 6 On Coast Guard
Notices have gone out to 15 maritime organisations over the signature of acting secretary Tom Parkin to convene a second conference on proposals for improving coast guard service.
The conference will be held this coming Wednesday, October 6, starting at 10 a.m. in Fishermen's Hall.