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June 8, 1986.

News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

most capable in Canada
COALITION
‘DEMANDS |

_ICEBREAKER

A’ COALITION, of. labor, industry’ ‘and municipal . goy-

~ ernment has-been: formed to Jobby the federal government .

for icebreaker contracts for North Vancouver shipyards.

The announcement was made in
a Friday press conference at Van-
couver City hall.

Spearheaded. by. the Greater

- Vancouver.’ Regional District

(GVRD), the ad hoe committee,
‘consisting of representatives of the

Marine Workers and Boilermakers.
Industrial Union’ (MWBIU), the -

Metal Trades ~Council,: the B.C.
Federation .of: Labor, Versatile
Pacific Shipyards Inc., Allied
Shipbuilders Ltd., the City of

North Vancouver and the District:

of North Vancouver, will travel to
Ottawa next week.

COALITION LOBBIES

The coalition is scheduled to
meet with Conservative, NDP. and
Liberal caucuses Wednesday in an
effort to convince the federal gov-
ernment to approve construction
of the Polar 8 icebreaker and to
award the icebreaker contract to
B.C. shipyards.

MWBIU president John Fitz-
patrick said Friday the ad hoc
committee was formed as the result
of resolutions passed by the
District.of North Vancouver and

the GVRD urging the federal gov-.

ernment to award icebreaker con-

.tracts to North Vancouver ship-

yards. ;

“The important thing here is
that labor, industry and local gov-
ernment will be acting together on
this thing for the first time,’’ Fitz-
patrick said. ‘We are taking a
page. from the book of people in
the East." ~

900 JOBS

Fitzpatrick said the West Coast
shipbuilding industry has always
been reluctant to form a united
front to lobby for contracts, ‘but

if we don’t get the Polar 8 contract
you can write. us (West Coast
shipbuilders) off now.”’
Fitzpatrick estimated that the
--¢450 million contract would pro-

“vide 900 jobs over four years and..
generate $180 million in wages J

alone. ;

Versatile vice- president Dave
Alsop said the purpose of the
committee was to encourage the
federal government to take steps to
ensure the-survival of the West
Coast’s shipbuilding industry and
to increase public awareness of the
industry’s value to Lower
Mainland and North Shore
economies.

North Vancouver District Mayor
Marilyn Baker said one in four
jobs on the North Share is directly
connected to shipbuilding. She said
the number of shipbuilding jobs on
the North Shore.had dropped from
3,000 in 1982 to the current 1,000.

EXPERTISE HERE
“We are not going to Ottawa

with hat in hand looking for a
hand-out,”’ Baker said. ‘‘What we

are saying is if the icebreaker is go- .

ing to be built, award the contract
to our shipyards, because we have
the expertise, and the region is due
some of the economic renwal
pie.”’ ‘ aaa

“Versatile, one of Canada’s
largest yards, and considered to
have the best icebreaker - building
expertise in the country, was one
of three shipyards asked to bid on
the original Polar 8 contract.

Baker said it was critical to
secure the contract so as to ensure
that the core of expertise now in
North Vancouver remains here.

Circulation 986-1337 52 pages 25¢

N. Van firm considered

Police
publish
book
PAGE 29

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