LEFT: UFAWU secretary Georg Elizabeth Theatre. RIGHT: More than a e Hewison addresses the rally in the Queen 600 fishermen and supporters march “OFF Manitine ea fisheries. YERIES rCANADAS STAND #4 by DIA a AS) Baie] ian Govt! DIABREISHERY ye aa e.. NO RIGHT SPP. through downtown Vancouver to the regional offices of the department of sno ©! CANADAS WAYS, 5 HERR UL F | SHERIES 9 2 ar Sk : JRE —Sean Griffin photos ‘Strategy of surrender condemned Continued from page 1 Statements about the negotiations have been counterproductive and Not conducive to the advancement Of Canadian objectives.’’ But the Union repied that ‘‘all statements Made by Hewison have been fully €ndorsed by the union’s general ex- €cutive board and are in line with Season’s Greetings the policy set out by the member- ship for the protection of our fisheries and sovereignty.”’ The quick response of the union in rejecting LeBlanc’s attack on Hewison and the support given the union position by the Native Brotherhood — the two organiza- tions compromise an overwhelming ‘to the labor movement 4220 Norland, Bby. MARINEWORKERS AND BOILERMAKERS INDUSTRIAL wishes | Season’s Greetings to the labor movement oe UNION Local No. 1 : Greetings to the bis movement UNITED FISHERMEN & ALLIED WORKERS’ UNION TIM Ww \ Was LOCAL 4 _ LADNER majority of the B.C. fishing in- dustry — seemed successful this week in forcing the department of fisheries to back off its demand. Hewison left on vacation im- mediately after the rally December 8 and was replaced by alternate ad- visors Walter Tickson and Frank Cox. At a meeting of the Canadian caucus Tuesday, the chief of the Canadian negotiating team said that the government ‘‘welcomed public debate’ ‘on the isues involv- ed in the fisheries negotiations. The statement was a clear concession to the decisive action of the UFAWU, ‘although it is not yet known if LeBlanc will allow Hewison to resume his position on the Cana- dian advisory team when he returns in January. The UFAWU rallies — about 200 attended a similar meeting held simultaneously in Prince Rupert — were Jamieson in Ottawa with U.S. secretary of state Cyrus Vance to the effect that a fisheries agreement was ‘‘expected by the end of the year.” But Hewison told the rally that if the proposed treaty were signed it would mean ‘‘the surrender of Canada’s fishery resources and of her sovereignty.’’ Canada had backed down in at least 10 or 11 areas of vital. concern, he said, while the U.S. has ‘‘maximized its claims.’’ In 1969 Canada took the position that the Fraser River should be “‘repatriated’’ and that all salmon coming down the river were Cana- dian. In 1973 Canada argued that the river was 75 percent Canadian, and today it is arguing that only 50 percent of the Fraser River salmon are Canadian. Now the U.S. are demanding even more, Hewison said, wanting the present share guaranteed to them -forever, and additional other stocks granted to “‘repay’’ supposed U.S. in- vestments on the river. Canada is also in retreat in the maritime boundaries negotiations, he said, and is apparently willing to give up three miles of Canadian territory in Dixon En- trance to the U.S. In response toa ““maximum U.S. claim, Canada has decided to ‘‘minimize’’ its claim, he added, ‘‘I don’t have to tell you who will come out the winner.”’ Responding to federal govern- ment charges that the union was trying to incite a. ‘‘fish war’’, Hewison said that they were already “in front lines of a fish war — but the politicians in Ottawa are pissing on the powder.”’ The charge that he was ‘‘blowing Canadian strategy’’ by revealing the Canadian negotiating position is ‘absolute rubbish’’, he declared. “What Canadian strategy? A strategy of retreat and betrayal that puts our industry half way down the tube?”’ Hewison said that he would not apologize for bringing the facts before the public and would con- tinue to do it in the future. ‘‘We won’t be part of a treaty to sell our birthright down the river,’’ he said. Native Brotherhood represen- tative John Ribard also spoke to the rally and said that the position of the Brotherhood was ‘‘almost in- dentical’’ to that of the UFAWU. ““These two organizations are the majority of people in the fishing in- dustry and they shouldn’t forget that,’ he said. Also in attendance at the rally in support of the fishermen’s demands were Ernie Hall and lan Waddell of the NDP, Communist Party provin- cial leader Maurice Rush, Van- couver Labor Council represen- tative Mike Stevens and Gordon Halsy, representing the provincial government. A _ resolution given unanimous support in a standing vote said that whereas ‘‘Canada’s continued par- ticipation in international boundary and fishery negotiations with the U.S. cannot produce an acceptable agreement for Canada under pre- sent circumstances and whereas B.C.’s fisheries have become the ‘meat in the sandwich’ between Washinton and Alaska because of the Canadian government’s failure to move decisively on boundaries and fisheries much earlier, be it resolved that government withdraw from the negotiations until we can deal from a position of strength.’’ ee ee eee terd et (OE RRE airy Helmer Seasons Greetings —— and Executive Council B.C. Federation of Labor 3110 Boundary Rd., Bby. V5M 4A2 430-1421 BERBER RAR AR RRR RARER PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 20, 1978—Page 3 ? } ‘ )