—Fisherman Photo

Hundreds of “spectators” maintain a round-the-clock vigil at Northland Navigation Co.

Victory closer in
aterfront battle

Federal Labor Relations Board dismissal of an application to have the Engineers Union
-decertified at Northland Navigation, coupled with a local move to dismiss contempt of court
proceedings against 38 B.C. Federation of Labor officials and members here who had backed
engineers and longshoremen in the dispute, appeared to pave the way this week for a possible

B.C. labor, united behind,
the locked-out longshoremen
fighting. for their jobs, and
the engineers battling for their
jurisdictional rights, knows
that the solidarity displayed
daily in the “spectators” line
-outside Northland played a
vital role in winning these
victories.

The Ottawa decision means
that the Engineers Union will
be able to place a legal picket
line near the dock again.

When Mr. Justice Macfar-
lane said he would dismiss
contempt of court proceedings
against the BCFL officials and

~ "members unless ‘he finds new

information. in legal prece-
dents quoted to him Tuesday,
Northland’s attempt to hobble
united labor action collapsed.
In capsule form, the. great
waterfront struggle developed
in this manner: ;
® For the past three months
the Seafarers Union had been
raiding ‘the Marine Engineers
in the Northland Company.
@ The Canadian Labor Con-
- gress suspended the SIU for
raiding.
® Engineers accepted a con-
ciliation board’s award, but the
company refused to sign. On
June 26 the Engineers Union
placed a legal picket line at the
entrance to Northlands.
@ Members of the Internation-
_ al Longshoremen’s and Ware-
housemen’s Union refused to
cross the picket line.
®@ The company applied to ‘he
courts and obtained an injunc-
tion against picketing at 5 p.m.
June 26.
@ Members of.the SIU began

~ early settlement: of the waterfront situation. .

scabbing on Longshoremen,
and SIU head Norm Cunning-
ham said his union intended to
take over longshore work.
Longshoremen who turned up
for work were locked out. An
SIU goon squad appeared to
protect SIU scabs at work.
@ Longshoremen established a’
locked - out picket line. The
company again moved for an
injunction and had the picket
line removed.
®Longshoremen met with B.C.
Federation of Labor, were
promised full support, Several
hundred longshoremen and
other workers descended on
the waterfront, chased the SIU
scabs off the job, and set up
a “spectators” line. =

@ Teamsters refused to
take their trucks. past the
“spectators.” +

@ Pat O’Neal, secretary of
B.C. Federation of Labor, said
the BCFL “will fight to pro-
tect the rights of trade un-
ionists who refuse to scab.”

® The “spectators” grew in
number, kept up a 24-hour
vigil near the dock. (See story
on page 7).
~ @ BCFL declared all North-
land vessels “hot” along the
whole B.C. coast — a declara-
tion of war on Bill 43, which
forbids boycotts. i

@ Northland launched a
suit for damages against the
BCFL. :

@ The SIU. expelled 12
members for refusing to scab.
Dissension, growing in SIU
ranks, A

® William Smith, president
of the 35,000-strong Canadian

Brotherhood of Transport
Workers, declared: ‘This is a
clear line-up beween the
Bankses and the legitimate
trade union movement.”

@ Summonses were served
on a number of BCFL execu-
tives and individual members
to appear in Supreme Court
and show why they should
not be held in contempt for
ignoring the anti-picketing in-
junction.

@ IWA strike began Mon-
day, and IWA strikers began
joining the “spectators” ‘out-
side Northland as a gesture
of solidarity.

©. Capt... J.C, Terry,
Northland president, took per-
sonal command of the Island
Prince and tried to take her
out to meet.the incoming
Northern Prince. He was forc-
ed to return to port as deck
officers refused to sail ships
tied up by the strike.

@ Federal Labor Relations
Board refused to decertify
Engineers Union as bargain-
ing agents for engineers on
Northland’s 10 ships.

@® Mr. Justice Macfarlane
said he would dismiss con-
tempt of court proceedings

against 38 BCFL officers and.

members unless he finds new
information in legal prece-
dents quoted to him Tuesday.

@ SIU forced to withdraw
scabs, Northland left with no
one to sail ships, Way open
for resumption of bargaining
with unions involved in dis-
pute, “Spectators” continue
to crowd the waterfront,
keeping a sharp eye on de-
velopments.

VICTORY FOR UNION

-Way clear to re-op
fish price negotiatiol

Legislation introduced into the Commons this week |
the way for the opening of negotations between the
Fishermen and Allied Workers Union and the F
Association of B.C. The move by Justice Minister Fult
pends any action against the union under the Com
for two years, thereby guaranteeing the fishermen th
to organize, to bargain collectively and to take strik
. to defend their agreements.

This signal victory for the
workers of one of B.C.’s pri-
mary industries is a victory
for the whole labor move-
ment. By defeating ‘the at-
tempt of the government to
strangle their union the fish-
ermen have struck a major
blow at the boss-instigated of-
fensive against organized la-
bor. i

Not only was it the deter-
mined stand of the fishermen
that won but the unified sup-
port of unionists throughout
the labor movement. The de-
cisive nature of unity of all
workers can be seen in the
decision of Fulton to suspend
action. The workers, seeing
that an attack against one

Bonner orders action
against George Norti

Attorney-General Robert Bonner this week ordered
tempt of court proceedings against The Fisherman at
editor, George North. The paper is the official publication ®
the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union. = |

Bonner instructed J. A. Clark, Q.C. to bring action

the newspaper’s publisher and
editor. They have been cited
to appear before Mr. Justice
Manson next Tuesday.

Manson. said his attention
had been. called to an editorial
in the union paper of June 26
headed “Injunctions Won't
Catch Fish or Build Bridges.”

“It has been held that the

Negotiations resume
in lronworkers strike

Negotiations will resume this week in an attempt
the province-wide Ironworkers’ strike. Management an
Wednesday that a new union demand for separate negot
with individual companies may be accepted. :

Meanwhile contempt of court proceedings against

_workers’ Local 97 will proceed

~The. action was launched by
Lyle H. Jesley, counsel for
Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd.

An application was made to

Mr. Justice Manson for a
writ authorizing the sherriff
to seize the union’s property
and assets for disobedience of
a court order.

The order was handed down
by Manson, who directed the
‘union’ to make its members
resume work on a section of
the Second Narrows Bridge.

Members of the union were

‘ pressure has had its re

_courts are not above crit

was an attack aga
looked upon the use ©
Combines Act as a th
the whole of organized”
and acted according]

From the very beginning
UFAWU had branded the
of this Act a misuse Of
original intention, thi
curbing monopolies, me
cartels, and trusts.

James Sinclair, B.C. :
eries Association president
who had refused to negok
prices with the fishermen
the grounds that the ©
nies might be  prosecult
under the Combines Act,
that talks with the UF
will resume this week.

in the press,” said I
“But to suggest partiality 2
prejudice is quite an
matter.”

In the past 12 days
strife 11 injunctions have
issued by the Suprem
against trade unions and
union officials. ae

informed of the order,
the workers decided indi
ally not to work on the
ern span for safety reé
Consulting engineer Col.
liam G. Swan had la
the southern section ‘
bridge, “hazardous the 1
is now” because pane
resting on a falsework

“We still see the gh
the 18 men who were
last year when the bridge
lapsed,” one striker told
Pacific Tribune.

July 10, 1959 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE

¢