LABOR

—_—

Clause ‘smokescreen’ for port problems

In a report delivered to all members of
Parliament Monday, the Canadian Area of
the International Longshoremen’s and
Warehousemen’s Union termed the employ-
ers’ attack on the union’s container clause
‘a smokescreen” that is being used to cover
up the problems of the port of Vancouver.

The report appeared on MPs desks as
they were preparing to deal with back-to-
work legislation introduced Monday by
federal Labor Minister Pierre Cadieux to
end the lockout on B.C. docks and impose
the terms of federal mediator Dalton Lar-
son’s conciliation report. The proposed leg-
islation, called the Maintenance of Ports
Operation Act, 1986, would also refer the
contentious container clause to an indus-
trial inquiry commission which would bring
down binding recommendations by June
30, 1987.

ILWU secretary-treasurer Dan Cole told
the Tribune Nov. 18 that NDP MPs would
be seeking to introduce amendments to the
bill which would turn all the issues in the
dispute over to the inquiry commission,
with the existing collective agreement to
continue until the report.is brought down.

““We’re asking that there be no legislated
Larson report and that all issues be put to
the commission for binding recommenda-
tions,” Cole said.

He emphasized that the Larson report
“heavily favors the employers. It breaks the
pay structure that we've established over a
long period, it introduces a 12-hour day on
some bulk operations, it offers nothing on
pensions and it changes the work rules in
some cases.”

The report also provides little in the way
of wage increases, offering only zero per
cent, two per cent and three per cent over a
three year agreement. If the back-to-work
legislation is passed in its current form,
those would be the contract terms until the
agreement expires in 1988.

Cole said that the scenario enacted by the
federal government in introducing the legis-
lation Monday was basically that written by
the B.C. Maritime Employers’ Association
which twice imposed a lockout on the pro-

DAN COLE...ILWU launches ‘port
awareness’ campaign.

vince’s 3,500 longshoremen with the aim of
getting back-to-work legislation.

ILWU president Don Garcia com-
mented angrily Monday that the heavy fines
provided for in the legislation leave long-
shoremen with no choice but to accept the
legislation. ““We’ll wait dumbly, like lambs
going to the slaughter,” he said.

The BCMEA has waged an unrelenting
campaign in the media and at the bargain-
ing table against the union’s 16-year-old
container clause.

Under that clause, first negotiated in the
1970 collective agreement, containers des-
tined for more than one location within
roughly a 90-mile radius of the port — east
to Hope, south to the U.S. border and west
to Vancouver Island — must be unpacked
by ILWU members.

The BCMEA has attacked the clause,
claiming that it is union “featherbedding”
and that the continued existence of the
clause is causing shippers to divert container
cargo to U.S. ports such as Seattle and
Tacoma.

But that fixation with the container
clause only covers up the inadequacies of

Vancouver’s container facilities, the ILWU
argued, and nothing would. be solved by
eliminating the clause.

“We know that eliminating the container
clause and crossing your fingeéts in the hope
that increased business will cost us jobs
without insuring that one more container
moves through Vancouver,” Cole said.

Significantly, that point was underscored
by Mic Dinsmore, the director of marine
operations for the Port of Seattle, who is
quoted in a union background paper as
stating: “In Canada, you have issues that far
exceed the containér clause. We have spent
a lot of time and money ensuring that we
have the most modern state-of-the-art facili-
ties, not only in North America, but in the
world. You’ve done none of that in Van-
couver.”

The union has launched a campaign
entitled ““A World Class Port for a World
Class City” to highlight the need for major
changes to port management and the devel-
opment of new container facilities to meet
growing trade on the Pacific Rim.

Cole said that the short term objective .

was to get MPs to see the issues more clearly
before they voted on the back-to-work legis-
lation. But the union will continue with the
campaign to convince the federal govern-
ment as well as local businesses, shippers
and transportation companies of the need
for long range planning and development.

The union is calling immediately for the
establishment of a “port users’ committee,”
made up of representatives of the city of
Vancouver, the federal government, ship-
pers, railways and the labor movement,
which would have a mandate to develop
plans for the port and advise the port
authority.

The union is also pressing for greater
autonomy for the port of Vancouver and
increased funding for upgraded facilities so
that Vancouver can compete with U.S
ports.

In a background paper, the union noted
that Vancouver has only five container
cranes compared to 10 for the port of
Tacoma and 21 in Seattle. ““We need at least

three new container cranes to become mort
competitive with U.S., ports,” it stated.

In addition, the U.S. ports have beet
“agoressively marketing” the availability °
their facilities and have consistently invest
in new equipment. Vancouver has dont
neither, because decisions “are made 3,0%¥
miles away and Ottawa has not made#
financial commitment,” the union said. ~

Employers have also stated that shippers
are unloading at the ports of Seattle and
Tacoma and trucking cargo to Vancouve
because of the container clause. But there
are no guarantees that the cargo WORT
come to Vancouver if the clause were elim
nated, the ILWU emphasized, because 0"
port authorities “will do whatever they can
to keep containers flowing through thet!
ports.

Many shippers now use U.S ports even
for B.C=bound cargo because they
shipping to both U.S. and Canadian des
nations and can cut costs by carrying con
tainers for both countries on the sames¥
and taking advantage of volume discou®
for terminal lease charges. Those od
reductions more than make up for the add
expense of trucking cargo from Seattle
Tacoma to Vancouver. -Y

Despite the compelling arguments, Cole
noted, the federal government hasn't listen
so far to demands for port changes. In Ke

y
he said, citing the proposed changes
Western Grain Transportation Act. ‘
change in particular would allow coe
cargoes to be trans-shipped to U.S. porte"
shipment overseas. Pe

ey a

“If those changes go through (th ‘
) the

now before a parliamentary committe
result will be the loss of direct port job
longshoremen and many spin-off j@ Le
Vancouver,” he warned.

Cole said the union would be pressing lit ?
port campaign over the next several We
including a lobby of western premiers =
ing the first ministers’ conference in Val
couver this week and meetings with oth
groups.

We need your help in getting these out

Mike wants to move our bundles.

Of papers, that is. Tidy soul that he is, our business manager Mike Proniuk (he’s the
one in the picture with the Tribs) hates seeing unordered bundles of the Tribune lying
around the office. For that matter, so do the rest of us.

At just past the half-way point in our annual fall circulation drive, we've found a
good response among our readers and supporters to our entreaties to spread the pape
news around B.C. Many have taken us up on our special, limited, introductory offer ©
three months for $3, have taken out a full year’s sub or have renewed their curr

But there are still a few bundles lying around after mailing day.

To really help the Tribune clean up in this year’s drive — and to help British
Columbians clean up in the fight for better working conditions and a better life
generally — we’re urging our friends to help distribute the paper on picket lines, at
community meetings, and wherever else people roll up their sleeves to fight for peace,
jobs and progress.
By ordering a bundle today for your trade union meeting, civic organization OF peace
group, you'll help bring a fresh perspective to the task. And it'll make more room OF
so we can perform our other duties.

a en aoe es ease ee

FIRIBUNE

Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C V5K 125. Phone 251-1186

ee ee ee era re A a Se

oo €4 6 Ble eee 8. bed wt ee 6b fb 00 + 0.0.3: 0) 0. ©: ee See ON RRRES 908 oe

Postal Code
lam enclosing 1 yr. $160 2yrs. $280) 6mo. $100
Introductory Offer $30 Foreign 1 yr. $25 LD) Bill me later Oo

READ THE PAPER THAT FIGHTS FOR LABOR as

1'5
f

ent one

—

_ 12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 19, 1986