New freezers leave workers out in cold
By Jim Rushton
PRINCE RUPERT - B.C. Packers began a major program of automation in 1990 on herring roe processing. The effects of this program are being hard felt in both Prince Rupert and Steveston.
The company is converting its freezing operations from a relatively labour intensive block process to a highly efficient immersion system. It has introduced herring popping machines into the Steveston plant which as they are perfected will greatly reduce employment.
The new immersion freezer at the Prince Rupert plant if it performs as advertised will reduce employment and labour costs by approximately 80 percent. To freeze 5000 tons of herring in 1990 required 150 people on three shifts. In 1991 the same tonnage will be frozen by 33 people.
To put the job loss into proper context we must look at the people affected. Most are in their 30s or 40s having worked for the company 12 to 15 years or more. These employees have had their jobs cut from virtually year round to a short herring and salmon season.
We must consider the future for BCP. This company has virtually eliminated all non-herring and salmon production. Their plants and their employees lie idle for the better part of the year. What should the attitude of employees be towards a
company which demands more and provides less?
The issue of technological change is much broader than labour savings and the loss of jobs. What perspective for the future does BCP have? Is it to simply streamline the herring and salmon operations or is it to invest in new technologies that will better equip Canada to compete in a changing world market, amidst consumer demands for more sophisticated products?
Will BCP develop and handle new products which will make investment in plants and equipment worthwhile and provide meaningful jobs to employees in the communities reliant on the fishing industry?
In the face of no new prospects the union must develop a strategy within the context of the technological change protection provided for in the collective agreement to win a fair share of labour savings for workers who are marginalized by cutbacks. Workers who have stood by for a lifetime deserve pensions.
Younger workers who have committed ten to fifteen years in the industry deserve financial assistance to retrain for other industries, to relocate, and to continue their education.
There is a social responsibility for a company such as BCP to put something back into the communities and people it has counted on for its success over the years.
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• ROE-POPPERS AT CANADIAN FISH and J.S. McMillan are permitted to use a variety of methods to pop roe, in an effort to prevent repetitive strain injuries, but B.C. Packers insists on shoreworkers using high-strain methods in spite of a major health study recommending changes.
B.C. Packers fails to make crucial roe popping changes
B.C. Packers is at the bottom of the heap when it comes to improving working conditions for roe-poppers.
Following the official release of a union-negotiated study into the incidence of repetitive strain injuries in roe popping, B.C. companies are making some changes in popping methods for the 1991 season. But the level of changes varies greatly from company to company.
Allyn Rodden is the plant manager at B.C. Packers Imperial Plant in Steveston.
"We've made some changes," she said. "We've put false bottoms in the bins to make them shallower so the ladies don't have to reach so far. We have also put in footrests so they can alternate resting their feet."
At B.C. Packers the workforce uses what the report called "higher force" techniques. Rodden said the style of popping at B.C. Packers will remain the same.
"We use the method that we feel gives us the highest quality number one roe," she said. "We don't feel that the other methods do that. Our method if correctly used is not a high-
stress method. If people aren't doing the method correctly, it's harder on them, and we give them training to do it safely."
"Our responsibility to insure production of number one roe," she said.
Burma Lockett, shorework-er's vice-president and member of the safety committee at Imperial Plant is outraged.
"We had a study and it proved that the methods we use at Imperial are stressful. Sure they have to produce quality roe, but I think a person's health and safety is a number one issue.
"The studies show that the methods are dangerous. What's all this talk from the company at the plant about safety, safety, safety when they say something like that. That should show people where they fit in the eyes of the company. That's like a slap in the face."
The UBC report stated that new cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (a painful wrist injury) were lowest at Canadian Fish in spite of a longer roe-popping period there than at other plants. Eighty percent of poppers at Canadian Fish reported
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using lower force techniques of roe popping.
"We allow our poppers to use any style they like as long as they don't break the roe," Canfisco plant manager Richard Henley said. "Some use a knife, a chopstick or their hands. A lot of them alternate from one method to the other."
At J.S. McMillan Fisheries changes were made to the workplace prior to the 1990 season.
Charlie Minz is in charge of roe production. "We're pretty satisfied with what occurred last year," Minz said. "We have done most of the changes we were going to do."
Minz says the company has rebuilt the popping tables to accommodate most workers, provided platforms for shorter people, installed footrests and warm water facilities, and trained the poppers in three different methods of popping.
"We encourage them to use the hook-knife method," Minz said. "It produces good quality roe if used correctly and ergo-nomically reduces strain on the worker. They can switch to the ball-knife as well as the twist-cap method too," he said.
Roe machines still at BCP
B.C. Packers is continuing to experiment with two roe-popping machines it has in its Imperial Plant in Steveston.
"We tried it on a research and development basis last year, and spent a lot of time and effort getting one machine to work," processing director Eric Kremer said. "It's not to the point where we're going to install any more, but we've decided that it is worthwhile to continue testing again this year."
Starting with two machines last year, B.C. Packers concentrated on getting one of the machines to work, fine tuning it to improve its production.
"Sure, it's still experimental," said shoreworker vice-president Burma Lockett. "They've done some alterations to the machines, but when they do get them working and install more, they'll eliminate jobs."
8 • THE FISHERMAN / MARCH 18,1991