‘

in a little over a week — July 15 — rockets will be launched from Cape Kennedy in the U.S. and the Baikonur

cosmodrome in the USSR beginning the joint Soyuz-Apollo experimental space flight. Above, the
participating astronauts at the Baikonur cosmodrome, |. to r., American Ronald Evans, Soviet Anatoly

Filipchenko, Americans Jack Lousma and Alan Bean and Soviet Nikolay Rukanishnikov.

—Tass photo

An industry wide strike appears
imminent as B.C. salmon fisher-
men vote this week on_ their
negotiating committee’s recom-
mendation for strike action against
the monopoly dominated B.C.
Fisheries Association.

The fishermens’ section of the
United Fishermen and Allied
Workers Union is expected to vote
overwhelmingly in favor of a
strike, joining with shoreworkers
and tendermen who have already
polloed 90% and 91% strike votes.

The result of the.coast wide
ballot was to be released this

VOTES

Cont'd from pg. 1

“We are aware of the fact that
this is something more than. an
ordinary contract  dispute,’’
assistant secretary-treasurer of
the Federation Clive Lytle com-
mented. It is clear that the attack
by the employers in the forest
industry on the wages and con-
ditions won by the unions over the
years is a key part of an over-all
campaign by employers in B.C. in
conjunction with the federal
government, to create a con-
frontation with organized labor in
this province in an attempt to
prevent us from continuing to
improve wages and working
conditions for all working people in
the province.

“For this reason, it was clearly
recognized by the unions at today’s
meeting that the forest unions’
fight is the fight of the entire trade
union movement. We will win that
fight.”

Friday, just after Tribune press
time.

The negotiating committee
recommended unanimously that
strike action be taken when the
giant fish companies refused to
budge from their offer which would
mean a substantial cut in the take-
home pay of all B.C. salmon
fishermen.

“<Fishermen’s operating costs
have skyrocketed faster than
general living costs since 1973,”
UFAWU president Homer Stevens
said, “‘meanwhile companies have
slashed prices to fishermen by
reducing competition and bonus
systems, and raised prices to
consumers. The _ association
companies have profiteered by
paying as little as possible for
fishermen’s labor power, wages to
shoreworkers and tendermen, and
charging consumers in all Canada
and around the world all that the
traffic will bear.”

The Fisheries Association’s last
offer to the union was. no change
from 1974 contract terms. The offer
has incensed UFAWU members
who are demanding increases in
fish prices to cover cost of living
and operating cost increases over
the past year.

UFAWU demands for fish price
increases include a hike in sockeye
prices from 52 cents a pound to 80
cents a pound, a raise in coho
prices from 42 cents.a pound to 80
cents a pound, a raise in pink
prices from 22 cents a pound to 45
cents a pound, and an increase in
spring salmon. prices from a
minimum of 24 cents a pound to 80
cents a pound.

The fish companies have offered

SS ay

shoreworkers only a nine per cent
increase in wages—52 cents per
hour—which was rejected by a
more than 90% vote among
workers. The Fisheries
Association claims that their offer
would make B.C. shoreworkers the
highest paid in North America.

This is as it should be says Jack
Nichol, UFAWU _ secretary
treasurer. Nichol said _ that
shoreworkers in B.C. ‘‘work in the
richest fishing industry in North
America. Because workers are
ripped off in Alaska, Puget Sound
and California — by Canfisco and
B.C. Packers we might add — is no
reason to import substandard
conditions to B.C.”

The companies have offered
even less to tendermen, a mere
five per cent increase of $50 or $55 a
month.

On every union demand, be it for
wages or improvements to welfare
fund or working conditions, the
Fisheries Association has replied
with a non-negotiable _ no.
Negotiations began April 25 and
since then have served only to
frustrate the UFAWU negotiating
team.

Union organizers have been
conducting the strike vote in each
port, camp, plant and local on the
coast since June 26. In addition to
the strike vote union members will
be deciding on a strike deadline.

The strike deadline is a con-

tentious issue for the UFAWU as it
determines whether all sections of
the industry will. be on strike
together and whether all sections
of union members will share
equally the burdens of a strike.
After vigorous debate
throughout the union the UFAWU
executive board has recommended

’ an August 1, 1975 strike deadline.

Shoreworkers had voted for an
earlier date because they feared
that the summer influx of casual
labor would result in a diluting of
union membership and lessen
solidarity in the event of a strike.
The fishermen section had coun-
tered with the argument that July
salmon runs will be small this year
with the major runs in August. An
August strike would also allow for
a more even involvement of all
sections of the fishing fleet.

In recommending the August 1
date, union. president Homer
Stevens asked members to ‘use
our heads, our experience and our
best possible judgment. That we
recognize all the problems of all
sections of the membership. That

Cont'd from pg. 1
bitration and prevent irresponsible
strike action.”

Morgan emphasized _ that

although King had admitted that

the powers of the LRB “were
broad, he (King) insisted that
“legalistic methods were needed to
adjudicate complex matters that
come before the LRB,’’ and
rejected all criticism of Bill 84.
The refusal of King to make any
changes in the bill in response to
appeals from the labor movement
has also precipitated a rift between
the organized trade union
movement and the labor ministry
as the B.C. Federation of Labor
announced, ‘‘while we continue to
have full confidence in the labor

policies of the New Democratic

Party, we no longer have con-
fidence in the minister and the
policies developed by his ad-
visors.”’

The Federation emphasized that
Gabelmann, Steves. and Brown,
who voted against the legislation
“spoke for the majority of mem-
bers of the NDP and reflect the
positive and constructive attitudes
of the NDP on labor management
relations.”

Labor minister King, on the
other hand, said the Federation,
“represents the views of liberal
lawyers and law professors such a5:
Mr. Matkin and Mr. Weiler.

“This approach is doomed to fail,

-just as the approach of the

previous government _ failed. In

concluding his remarks during.

second reading of the bill, labor
minister King said that his ap ~
proach could only succeed if it had:
the support and cooperation of both
labor and management.

“Clearly it does not have thé
support of the labor movement
and, by Mr. King’s own definition;
is therefore destined to fail,” thé
Federation declared.

It stressed, ‘‘no progress will be
made in improving labo!
management relations in B.C. until
the government rejects the |
academic theories being embodi
in the labor code and turns to the
practical policies contained in the
official program of the NeW
Democratic Party and advocat
in the Legislature by MLAS
Gabelmann, Steves and Brown.

Canada sends $10M
in aid to Indochina

A first step toward the
repayment of Canada’s enormous
moral debt to the people of In-
dochina was made June 18 with the
announcement by minister of
external affairs Allan MacEachan
that the federal government has
made available $10 million in relief
funds.

The $10 million will be directed
for ‘‘relief and rehabilitation
work” in South Vietnam, Laos,
and, if requested, Cambodia.

Even. though the announcement
coincided with the agreement
reached: between Canada and the
new government of South Vietnam
to establish formal diplomatic
relations, the federal government
chose a more circuitous route to
supply aid than a straight cash
grant to the governments’ con-
cerned.

The funds will be portioned
among various’ international
agencies with the first million
dollars going to the International
Red Cross for its current field
missions in Indochina. A further $4
million in cash and $5 million in
foodstuffs will-be turned over to

two agencies of the United Nations:
the High Commissioner [0
Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF.

Previous to the victory of the
liberation forces in Indochina thé
federal government had 4P
portioned $6.75 : million |
humanitarian aid projects. In spite
of protests from NDP members
the federal house those funds wel®
likewise distributed through 1
ternational agencies with 9
guarantee that aid would reach the
liberated zones.

Ironically, the tardiness of the
federal government in this cast
turned in favor of the liberatio?
forces as the funds were ®
released until three weeks a6
well after the complete liberatl®
of South Vietnam and Cambodl

During the past three weeks, $3:
million has been sent to Indochill@
and possibly to Cambodia, “a
three international }
organizations and a further
million in canned fish oa
powdered milk has been sent Yi
the Red Cross, UNHRC, 2
UNICEF.

Last act of Columbia
sellout set for Aug. 24

Adding what is perhaps an anticlimatic chapter to the long history
sellout on the Columbia River, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

be holding a full day of commemorative activities August 24 as the
open the newly-completed Libby Dam, the steel and concré

monument to Canada’s betrayal.

Situated on the Kootenay River just south of the border in nor
thwestern Montana, the Libby was the main component of the sellov
package delivered up to the U.S. by former Social Credit premier
A. C. Bennett and the late prime minister Lester Pearson. Begun g

1966, it will convert Canadian water into U.S. power and will

evel

tually contribute 850,000 kilowatts of electricity — all of it destined for

the northwest U.S.

It gives the U.S. virtual control over the entire Columbia Riv
power complex but had the McNaughton Plan been endorsed, it w9

never have been built.

Prime minister Pierre Trudeau along with president Gerald Ford
has been invited to the dedication ceremonies to open the first of €!
hydro power generators on the project.

It’s hardly likely there will be many

Canadians applauding as he

in |

QFL leader Louis Laberge was sentenced last week to three years in jail
by a Quebec superior court. The conviction was made possible by a last
minute change in Quebec labor law.

we act in a united manner. That
above all we act in a democratic
manner.”

throws the switch.

a

i
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 4, 1975—Pae |