Participants in the Steveston annual Salmon Queen parade July 1 had a rather different audience this year as some 50 UFAWU members pressed the demand to one of the parade entrants, environment minister Jim Nielson, for government action to reopen Queen Charlotte Fisheries. Three days later, however, economic development minister Don Phillips, after failing to get a federal subsidy, announced that it was “too late’ to save the plant. —Richard Morgan photo NEB decision termed ‘political blackmail’ Cont'd from pg. 1 the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, the Catholic, Anglican and United Churches, and a number of other political, environmental and labor groups, reiterated the position of the Working Group that .a moratorium is needed on all northern pipeline construction. The NEB decision for the Alcan route over the Mackenzie Valley route promoted by the Arctic Gas consortium has been heralded by the media as a victory for the en- vironmental and social arguments against the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. The Alcanroute through the Yukon and northern’ British Columbia, however, faces similar en- vironmental problems and an equally as devastating social impact. Neither has the Alcan proposal been submitted to the same rigorous investigation as the Mackenzie Valley route. Com- missioner Peter Lysyk began his investigation of the Alcan route orly in May of this year. Moreover, the ‘Dempster link’ to tap Canadian reserves in_ the Mackenzie Valley Delta which the NEB added to the Alcan proposal, has never been subject to any study with regard to its en- vironmental or social impact, nor with regard to its cost. The NEB decision “blatantly ignores” the land claims of the Yukon Indians, CYI chairman Johnson charged in his statement. He noted the recognition given to the Dene of the NWT in the NEB report which acknowledged that “the Dene are passing through a major reconstruction of their society’’ but challenged the assertion that land claims in the Yukon are ‘more advanced.”’ “The Council of Yukon Indians insists that we are passing through a similar transition,’ he said. ‘A pipeline through our land would destroy our land claim. “Tt will be little wonder if acts are committed after this decision, prompted by rage, bitterness and frustration,’’ he warned. “They have recognized Dene rights, but rejected Yukon Indian rights,” No Pipeline Now spokes- woman Debbie Delancy added in a telephone interview. The NEB decision recognized an ‘“‘in- compatible time restraint’’ she said, between the pressing American need for energy supplies and the time required by the Dene to complete their land claims. “Surely the same arguments apply in the Yukon,’”’ she added. The national coalition also took issue with the NEB supply and demand projections on Canadian energy needs. ‘We do not agree that northern gas will be needed in Canada in the early 1980’s,”’ Delancy said. “Our evidence shows that the earliest that gas will be needed is the early 1990’s.” Still another danger of the Alcan route is its unspecified financial requirements. The NEB decision passed over economic con- siderations with the comment that there will be no serious negative economic impact on southern Canada. But unlike the Mackenzie Valley proposal, the Alcan route has no firm financial guarantees. This could result in the Canadian government being burdened with massive debts due to cost over- runs. And with, or without, the Demp- ster link to the Mackenzie Delta, the Alcan pipeline will grant the United States a permanent energy corridor through Canada, owned and controlled by the U.S., that threatens to siphon off Canadian resources and endanger Canadian sovereignty. The large multinational oil corporations, headed by Imperial Oil, who were openly allied in the Arctic Gas consortium have already moved to become a part of the Alcan proposal. The Dempster link is seen as a direct concession to Imperial Oil, which holds the majority of leases in the Mackenzie Delta. By opting for the Alcan line the NEB has lined up with the U.S. federal power commission which also granted approval to that route. The rationale was, no doubt, the same. The Berger report and the militant position of the Dene will make the construction of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline a dif- ficult and prolonged project. The Alcan route, however, is a less known project without che weight of a Berger report against it — and thus a much quicker route for meeting American energy needs. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 8, 1977—Page 8 The battle by rank-and-file members of the Construction and Genera] Laborers’ Union against a questionable pension plan went to the provincial government last week as the unionists pressed the demand in Victoria for a full inquiry into the establishment of the plan, described by a leading actuary as “not really a pension plan at all.” The Laborers’ members, led by spokesman Charlie Shane, also called on labor minister Allan Williams to investigate what they called ‘“‘the unprecedented con- fusion surrounding the elections”’ in Local 602 of the Laborers’ Union. Although the elections were to have been held June 9 according to constitutional requirements, the officers of the local have yet to conduct them — nor have they offered a satisfactory explanation for their unprecedented delay. The Committee of Concerned Members of the Laborers Union met with deputy labor minister James Matkin June 29 and presented him with a substantial folder of supporting documents all of which suggest irregularities in Local 602 and the sub-regional office of the international, par- ticularly in relation to the con- : tentious pension plan. While a few retired union members received the first benefits from the plan May 25, members of the four locals in- cluded in the pension plan have not been allowed to see the trust document which outlines the plan, nor have they been fully apprised of what professionals think of the scheme. Shane pointed out that the B.C. membership of the Laborers Union voted by a 59 per cent majority to’ accept the plan on the basis that it would provide $400 a month on retirement at age 60 after only 15 years of service — with a con- tribution of only 14 cents an hour. “There is no plan in North America that could provide such benefits,’ Shane emphasized. “In fact, the plan will provide those benefits only for about three per cent of the members. The other 97 per cent will get only a few dollars — basically what they put in,’’ he said. A particularly questionable aspect of the plan is that it provides for benefits to some people without .their ever having made con- tributions to the plan. “Some union officials receiving high international union pensions will also get benefits from this pension plan at no cost to them- selves,”’ said Shane. In fact, the plan is so threadbare that it has failed to pass inspection even when only given perfunctory examination, based on available information. Among the documents presented to the provincial government were letters from actuaries, an economist and a federal official, commenting on the plan. Dennis Morice, departmental as- sistant to the minister of national revenue noted, ‘‘the small brochure presented to union members prior to the vote does not state either in dollar amounts or by formula what the basic benefits will be for an employee who does not qualify for the minimum pension benefit. The ‘basic benefit” is a straight money purchase benefit and would appear to be quite small for a considerable number of years.”’ The director of the Vancouver- based Trade Union Research Bureau, Emil Bjarnason, stated: “The benefits mentioned in the brochure are available only to a very small, closed group. This plan | Tribune discriminates between men of equal age, men of equal service and between young and old. It is not an acceptable plan.” ; Kenneth Camisa, senior vice-- president of the actuarial firm of Martin E. Segal, noted in his‘letter that the plan was ‘‘not really a pension plan at all’”’ and added that the long-range interests of the members would better be served _ by ‘‘a real pension plan.”’ That letter, however, was not made available to the membership before the vote on the plan, even though Camisa’s report was commissioned by the international office of the union. The same was true of another letter from W. A. Rivers, manager of Martin E. Segal Company, which said of the pension plan: “This is very much a savings type retirement program, with very few of the traditional pension plan features.” Rivers also noted: “If B.C. at any time implements provincial registration requirements, it might be very difficult for this plan to meet potential funding and vesting requirements! that might be legislated.” That comment is of central importance to the Laborers’ concerned members committee who have stressed the need for the province to enact legislation governing pension plans. At present only Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and B.C. have no pension legislation on the statute books. “Pension legislation is long over- due,’’ Shane said. ‘And it will have to deal with all aspects of pension plans including vesting rights, investment policies and funding requirements. “Above all, it must provide for disclosure of the contents of any pension plan to the contributors.” But even before legislation is considered, the government has a responsibility to undertake a full” investigation into the Laborers’ pension plan, Shane emphasized, noting that 9,000 laborers will soon be contributing millions of dollars into the plan. “We believe that if the present intolerable situation continues unchecked, irreparable damage will be done to the entire trade union movement and the con- struction industry in British Columbia. CHARLIE SHANE never allowed to see_ pension documents. TRIDENT Cont'd from pg. 1 arrested were taken to a security building where they were photographed, searched and questioned before being turned over to the sheriff’s officers who took them to the Tacoma city jail. After a night in jail, they were released on their own recognizance, he said. One — protester, however, a woman from Mobile, Alabama, refused release ~ and is apparently still being held. | All of those arrested are to ap- pear in Seattle July 15 for 4° preliminary hearing where pleas — will be entered anda date set for 4 trial. > The Pacific Life Community iS — also planning actions around the — base during the period August 6 to 9, commemorating the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and on August 14. All are intended to heighten public — concern over the Trident sub- marine base. Protests over the construction of the base — located less than 50 miles from Victoria — havé mounted in recent months with spokesmen for the three leading churches in the _ province; Anglican, Roman Catholic and United, adding their voices to those who have already demanded a halt to the base. Z JJoin the Fight | Read the. Pacific “B.C.'s ONLY _ LABOR WEEKLY" Vancouver, B.C. Clip and Mail to 101 - 1416 Commercial Drive, Enclosed: ..... $8-1 yr... . + .$4.50-6 mos. ee ee eed Ce ee ec ey ee ee ee ee FIGHT V5L 3X9 ee eee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee ee ee eee