Fishermen's —

plea gets
support

LANGLEY, B.C.

Langley Municipal Council
promised last week to support a
resolution asking that fishermen
be taken into the Unemployment
Insurance ‘scheme after hearing
a delegation of three members
of United Fishermen and Allied
Workers present the union’s case.

Erie Burnell, Ben Chiste and
Pete Cordoni of the UFAWU out-
lined the plight of fishermen fol-
lowing this year’s disastrous fish-
ing season. :

Councillor Eri C. Flowerdew
agreed that “if unemployment
insurance works for fishermen in
the U.S., it will work in Can-

ada” but asked for more facts
relative to the situation.

The UFAWU is proposing to
extend coverage under the Un-
employment Insurance Act to
cover all bona-fide fishermen.
Licensed buyers of the catch
should make deductions and put
stamps in the fishermen’s UI
books. Rate of contributions
should be on the basis of the
earnings of the fisherman for the
trip.

Definition of GAW

‘Treating workers no
worse than machines’

“The workers’. demand for a|when there is no other income

guaranteed annual* wage (GAW

that men be treaed no worse
than machines by the employ-

ers,” says an article in The Com-.

pass, a new four-page paper
written and published by mem-
bers of the lLabor-Progressive
pary employed in the fishing in-
dustry. ,

“In none of :he labor agree-
ments signed during the past
year has a guaranteed annual
wage been fully realized, but an
important beginning has been
made in agreements in the auto
industry, and recently in the man-
ufacture of agriculture imple-.
ments,” the article continues.

“These agreements provide for
payments by the employer into a
fund, the proceeds of which are
used to pay part wages to the
workers during a- layoff, subject
to varying-conditions as to seni-
ority and- duration of payments.

“Such part wage payments are
to be made irrespective of un-
employment insurance benefits,
since it is recognized that these
benefits are totally inadequate

ESANANASSESA A BENS NSA A AR BATT RS ENT SAA

Vancouver 4, B.C.

ERAN AGRE RANE ARLES IRIE ESA IAI AGRE SASSER IR FERGAL GRRE RIA GAIA GR FLAIR IA LGR IA IO PEGA IER IPR EGR IOGA IOLA I OER GAGA

“Time's ruuutug out
This year why not give
a gift subscription to.
the Pacific Tribune ?

Circulation Manager, Pacific Tribune, Room 6 - 426 Main St.,

Please send the PACIFIC TRIBUNE for: |

Six months
$1.60
One year
$3.00
NARERS o e
To
ADDRESS: *—.-.: =.
NAMES ss
From |
ADDRESS: —~—-.buec

A notice announcing your gift willbe sent to the person for
whom you subscribe.

Sa AR PR CN ER PRS VE BES PN BERS YRS PARE BES RE PRS BS PIE YRS PEE BS

*

wee eee ee oe a ee oe

lavailable for the worker.
for short) is simply the insistence |

“What is involved in the de-
mand for the GAW? In effect the
workers are demanding work and
wages, and are refusing to accept
the plea-of lack of work as a
justification for lack of wages.

“The employers own the means
of production and the plants in
which the workers are employed.
By virtue of their ownership they
insist that they alone have the
right to decide when and if the
plants are to operate.

“Tf they decide to close down a
plant they do not.scrap the ma.
chinery and equipment. On the
contrary, although the machinery

is not producing, they must keep |

it well-oiled and in good repair
and carry the cost of depreciation
until such time as the plant is
put to work again. Why then
should they be able to throw
the workers on the scrap heap
for, indefinite periods of time
without cost or responsibility?”

Dealing with the serious situ-
ation in the fishing industry, the
article said: ;

“Herring fishermen and tender-
men who demanded a seasonal
guarantee during their negotia-
tions this» year were not asking
for a guaranteed wage in the
same sense ‘as that demand has
been put forward and partly re-
alised in the auto industry.

“The herring men proposed to
tie their guarantee to the actual
total production. They were striv-
ing to ensure that fixed maximum

production be not divided into’

so many units as to make impos-
sible a decent earning for a full
season. Hence they settled their
agreement by accepting a formu-
le for fleet limitation which they
hope will lead to the same re-
sults as the type of guarantee
which they originally demanded.

“In the case of a fish failure,
the fishermen gets work without
wages and at'the end of the sea-
son unemployment without un-
employment insurance. The need
for a guaranteed annual wage is
obviously no less urgent for fish-
ermen than for those employed in
other industries.”

Loggers hit
by new act

Hundreds of loggers will be
unable to collect unemployment
insurance under the. revised act
which came into operation Oc-
tober 2. :

Thousands of fishermen and
other seasonal workers have al-
ready found that the act dis-
criminates against them, particu-
larly the amendment which
switched to the weekly stamp
system, requiring 30 weekly con-
tributions in the past two years.

Loggers are hit by a clause
which excludes any stamps gain-
ed before a previous claim, which
are also more than one year
old. This means that most log-
gers will need 30 weeks’ work
in one year to make them elig-
ible, and many will not be able
to qualify for benefits.

ADVERTISEMENT

A MESSAGE |

_ from the
CIVIC
REFORM

ASSOCIATION |

The Civic Reform Association was organized more }
than 10 years ago to advance the interests of homeowners, —

tenants, working people, pensioners and small business

people. We believe our record speaks for itself. We have

steadily opposed the Tammany-like NPA machine which
has dominated Vancouver for 18 -years.

Most citizens will agree it is not good for a city when
a political machine fastens its grips on civic government.
Corruption and bad government inevitably follow. The
scandalous situation in the police department is a warning
to all citizens what NPA control means.

It is in Vancouver’s interests that the NPA, monopoly at
city hall be broken by your votes December 14.

The CRA endorses Effie Jones, its president, but does not —

itself. nominate candidates. However, we feel that we
have a responsibility to the citizens to recommend those
who have the best chance of ousting the NPA. We name
these candidates below.

The CRA does not necessarily agree with everything
for which these candidates stand. Nor do they necessarily
agree with everything for which the CRA stands. Their
names are included here for the simple reason that a united
effort by all voters is needed to oust the NPA. These

candidates have the best chance of doing that.
; be a

Vote for
these candidates

FOR ALDERMAN
Four to be. elected

JONES, Effie ,
JENKINS, Samuel B.

RUSH, Maurice X|

BOWMAN, Sydney A. Ix|
FOR SCHOOL TRUSTEES

‘ Five to be elected ;

BLUMES, Joseph x|

EDWARDS, Catherine M. “(Xl

MORGAN, Mona L. : x|

RANKIN, Harry .
(for 1 year term)

WAINWRIGHT, Horace F.

FOR PARKS COMMISSIONERS

Three to be elected
Be Sure To Vote For These Two

‘DOUGLAS, William J.
STEPHENS, Charles F.

On Sunday Sports — Vote “YES”
On Land Assembly By-Law — Vote “YES”

YOU CAN END |

4

_ NPA RULE

IN VANCOUVER ©

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — DECEMBER 9, 1955 — PAGE