THE STORY OF A UNION

Fishermen reap the
returns of unity

E organized strength and un-

ity of fishermen and shore-
workers in British Columbia’s
great fishing industry has proved
their first line of defense in beat-
ing off a double squeeze against
their living standards. On the
one hand fishermen are confront-
ed with sharp increases in gear
costs and boat expenses, to say
nothing of the general steep rise
in living costs. On the other hand,
the operators, seeking to increase
their already bloated profits, re-
fused to pay decent prices for
fish or living wages to their em-
ployees,

The United Fishermen and Al-
lied Workers’ Union, built through
years of struggle from an amal-
gamation of several unions, has
met this double sqeeze by joining
in labor’s public campaign for a
rollback of prices, and by secur-
ing a round of fish price and wage
increases in this year’s negotia-
tions. To safeguard its own rights
and the rights of all labor it has
fought repressive labor legislation
at Victoria and Ottawa, is back-
ing the CSU strike, and stands for
a foreign policy of peace instead
of the war policy fostered by its
big business enemies.

The shoreworker section was
the first to win out in 1948 nego-
tiations. Most of the workers on
a monthly rate won a $20 gain,
with exceptions ranging from $10
to $36 in various classifications.
Casual laborers gained 13 cents
an hour, and other groups from
9 to 19 cents. Among other ad-
vances registered in the complex
shoreworker contracts was an in-
crease in piece work rates rang-
ing from 8 to 10 percent. Board
rates have been held down to $30
a month, and work week eis ing
44 hours.

Minimum prices for salmon
were boosted from 20 percent or
3 cents a pound) for sockeye to
100 percent (or 8% cents) for
pinks. Crews of the packers which
service the salmon fleet won $20
a month across the board plus an
additional $10 on their board al-
lowance.

e

HAT the UFAWU means to
its members can be measured

by a comparison with conditions
in the old days before it was for-
mer. In 1939 cannery linemen re-
ceived $165 per month—now they
get $245. Wages for third class en-
gineers have climbed from $150
to $235, Casual labor used to get
45 cents an hour, a long way be-
low the presen rate of 88 cents.
Women workers were most ex-
ploited, receiving 35 cents as com-
pared to present rates ranging
80 cents. Qualified netmen have
boosted their earnings from $110
to $225 a month.

There was no control of hours

in 1938. Monthly rates did not

vary, no matter how many hours
were worked, and hourly paid
workers received straight time for

all work. Today, although the op-

erators, through the Coalition
government, have prevented ap-
plication of: the Hours of Work
Act to cannery, net and reduction
plant workers, the union has es-
tablished the 44-hour week in the
industry, with time and a half
for overtime worked by hourly-
paid workers, and straight time
for monthly-paid employees.

Vacations with pay, once a
dream, are now in effect, and the
union has also won tremendous
improvement in living accommo-
dation and working conditions.

In 1938, when there were still
seven organizations bargaining
for fishermen, prices were low and
subject to almost daily revision by
canning companies. The Pacific
Coast Fishermen’s Union signed

a 1938 agreement for dressed blue- ~

backs at 7 cents a pound as com-
pared with the 1948 minimum of
15% cents. The Salmon Purse
seiners’ Union asked 5% cents per
fish for pinks, but this year’s min-
imum is 7 cents a pound—a 473
percent increase.

e
: E gains have resulted from
stern struggles conducted by
the men and women who catch
and process British Columbia’s
“silver horde.” The story of un-

‘jonization of the fishing industry

is full of strikes caused by the
ruthless policies of the fishing
companies, which have only been
curbed by the solidarity of the
fishermen and shoreworkers.
Old-timers remember the vici-
cus Fraser struggles back in 1901
and 1902. Many more can recall

*

BY HOMER STEVENS

the spectacular 1938 strike when
the entire salmon seine fleet ar-
rived in Vancouver in mass for-
mation after a nine-day fight on
the grounds for higher prices.
Only after such battles did the
companies come to sign even such
agreements as exist today.

The operators fight the union
to protect their huge profits,
which are today greater than ever.
For example, in 1947 they receiv-
ed $28.84 for a case} of 48 one-pound
tins of sockeye, as compared to
$16.25 in 1944. Cohoe jumped from
$11.50 to $25, chums from $6.25-
$7.50 to $12-$13.50. i

Faced with a‘ solid block of
union men and women the oper-
ators have used red-baiting, seek-
ing to split the union by open
and undercover campaigns to
alienate the membership from
elected officers and committees.

The answer of the membership
was given unanimously by the
1948 annual convention which had
this to say:

“We are proud of the unity
of our union, of its growth and

progress over the past years.
We wholeheartedly reaffirm our
belief in the fundamental and
constitutional principles of our
union which forbids all forms:
of discrimination against any
member because of race, creed,
color, or political belief, We
call upon all labor organizations
to stand together more than
ever, to close ranks, to beware
of red-baiting, to expose it in
its true light, and thus be pre-
pared to meet the coming on-
slaught now being organized
by labor’s enemies. We serve no-
tice upon all red-baiters mis-
guided or otherwise, that we as
a union will refuse to be intimi-
dated or in any way forced to
deviate in the slightest degree
from our officially declared and
democratically determined un-
ion objectives by red-baiting at-
tacks upon any of our members
or our officers.” :
There are still new fields of
organization to crack open in the
fishing industry, new goals to
win. There is no doubt the UFA-
WU will face very sharp attacks
from the rapacious monopolies
that seek feudal rule through the

smashing of unions and coopera- ||

tives. But there is equally no
doubt that the fighting spirit and
unity of the union can meet what-

ever tests the future may bring.

9g

Gillnetters and seiners are shown here tied up at an upcoast point during the

weekend closed period.

The picket line

By JOSEPHINE WARREN

Several hundred Toronto trade unionists and citizens from

all walks of life recently picketted the Canada Steamship Lines
docks with the Canadian Seamen’s Union. In a fracas deliber-
ately provoked by a few of the army of police on hand, three
seamen were arrested and the picket line pushed across the
street by mounted cops.
had strictly obeyed every dictate of the law. Josephine Warren,
who was on the line from beginning to end, “covered” the event
in verse,

Up to this point, the long single file line

He was just a kid, a slim, red-headed kid.

He did nothing. I know—I was there.

Walked in a legal picket line,

When he'd rather have taken his girl to the beach,
Slugged it out—one foot, then the other,

Down to the lamp-post,

Single file,

Turn around,

Call “hello” to Bill and George.

God, it’s hot.

Down to the lamp-post, sun in back,
‘Turn around, sun in eyes,

Single file.

Keep on going—left foot, right foot
Cold water would be wonderful. : ‘
Turn around. Single file,

Back to the lamp-post.

Light a fag.

Maybe the guy in front hasn’t any. -~
“Here Joe, want a smoke?”

“Don’t obstruct the passengers,

Move on, keep to the left.”

“Who's ‘obstructing? I’ve got a right

To walk here.” i

Three great beeves of cops,

Six hundred pounds of raw cop-meat,
Brawn, muscle, sinew, tensed,

Trained for this. Trigger sharp,

Waiting, waiting, waiting,

(Crouched like jungle beast, the prey

A teen-aged lad with shock of blazing hair.

Two hundred people saw it-maybe more,
Saw brute force pin

Arm behind back

And twist.

Saw hulking, full-grown men,

Three of them—not one, but three—

Fling to the ground and kick
A half-grown kid, who might have been their son.

He didn’t want to cry.

He fought those tears, just as ee fought the cops,
This, his Gethsemane,

To meet like man, to hold the aon high,

Honor unblemished.

Men do not cry for twisted tortured arms,

Men hate,

And hate the fiercer for the tears they shed.

Two hundred people saw it,

And I saw it too, ~

Saw naked fury pour

Into one fleeting moment :
' All the pent-up rage of the dying system. ‘ &

Two hundred people knew and heard and saw.

(Anger congealed into stern, enduring hate)

Knew the day nearer,

Heard the marching feet, millions on millions strong,
_ Marching to rhythm wrought from tortured flesh,

Saw, and in yision scaled, horizoned battlements,

Barring the way to peace and brotherhood.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 30, 1948—Page 4