Board upholds N. Shore train Safety decision Union appeal over brake test procedures rejected THE CANADA Labor Relations Board (CLRB) has upheld the decision of a Transport Canada safety officer that a Canadian National Railways (CNR) employee work- ing out of the company’s Lynn Creek yard was wrong in thinking a train was unsafe to move from the North couver yard. Ron Dumont and two other CN workers had been disciplined by the company for refusing to move a train made up of 45 cars, two of which were loaded with chlorine, on Nov. 15, 1990 from the Lynn Creek yard to Sapperton, near Coquitam, a distance of about 15 miles. The route the train would have taken runs from = North Van- couver, across the Second Nuar- rows Bridge, through the Thorn- ton Tunnel, past Willingdon Junc- tion and along the CN/Burlington Northern track through Burnaby to Sapperton. Dumont and his co-workers maintained the: it was unsafe to move the treat because, they claimed, a proper brake inspection had not been carried out. And Dumon: said he refused to 44 The labor board has rolled tisis into a labor issue, which it was not. We're concerned about the dangerous commodities coming through this community. 9¥ — BLE spokesman Mark Hobb move the train until a proper physical brake inspection had been carried out by a qualified brake inspector. **T believe that it is both unsafe and unlawful to move a train be- tween Lynn Creek and Sapperton without knowing that 85% of the brakes are operative,’’ Dumont 10 Transport wrote in a letter Canada safety officer Allan Bartiett. ‘*There is no other way that it can be determined that a train has 85% of the brakes operative or that two cars with inoperative brakes are coupled together than to walk (around) the trai,’”’ Du- mont wrote. After Dumont refused to move the train, Bartlett came to Lynn Creek at about 3 a.m. to inspect the train and said that no danger existed. Dumont and others then moved the train without incident. But Local 945 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) later appealed Bartlett’s ruling to the CLRB. In their latest ruling, however, CLRB panel chairman Hugh Jan By Surj Rattan News Reporter Jamieson and members Calvin Davis and Michael Eayrs rejected the union’s appeal and said they were satisfied with Bartlett’s deci- sion. The board found that the train in question was properly equipped and that the movement of the train was to have been done within the regulatory scheme and standards set by the Railway Safe- ty Branch of Transport Canada whose people ure highly skilled and knowledgeable in the area of railway operations and safety. “The board was satisfied that the safety officer had ensured that all those standards had been met.”’ The CLRB panel added that it believed the refusal by Dumont and the others to move the train had more 1:0 do with ‘the on- going feud between CN and the BLE membership over the im- plementation of the yard produc- Uvity project. “It became apparent during the hearing that one of the main underlying concerns for the BLE and its members was the elimina- tion of the walking inspection of the trains by the crew prior (o departure. “Aside from the purported safety worries, this concern can probably also be tied to the fact that walking the trains is well known to be a favorite tool of train crews to slow things down when they are supposedly working to rule.’’ But BLE spokesman Mark Robb said Tuesday that the union vas disappointed in the CLRB ruling. “The labor bourd has rolled this into a labor issue, which it was not. We're concerned about the dangerous commodities com- ing through this community. We didn’t feel that was an appropriate way to inspect the brakes and we sull don’t,”’ Robb said, He added that the union still chinks there is a poxential for a serious accident occurring with trains that carry dangerous voods along the North Shore waterfront. “Without these kinds of inspec- tions a danger does exist. When something does happen, and we feei ic will, they’ say ‘Oh veah, that’s what they were talking about.” That’s a sad commen- tary,"’ said Robb. He added that the union will meet on May 13 to discuss what further action it might take on the issue. index @ Budget Beaters......... 54 WNorth Shore Now ...... 23 Wi Business .............. 7 MDr Ruthow.. 50 @ Classified Ads.......... 55 MSpots ...0.. 413 @ Comics .........-.00. 52 MTV Listings ........... 34 ® Lifestyles........--.... 47) HB Whai'’s Going On ...... 49 Weather Thursday and Friday. sunny with highs of 16°C. laws 6'C. Second Class Registration Number 3885 Viednesday, May 1, 1991 - North Shore News ~ 3 ON MAY 8, 1991, World Red Cross Day, a chain of light will be lit around the globe to observe the efforts of the Red Cross. People are being asked to put a candie in their front window and to sign an appeal on behalf of the victims of war. Acknowledging the ‘‘Light the Darkness" cam- paign at West Vancouver Municipal Hali recently were (left to right) NV District Ald. Janice Har- tis, Norn Cole (North Van branch of the Red Cross), NV City Mayor Jack Loucks, Ray Eagle (Red Cross volunteer}, and West Van Mayor Mark Sager. NEWS photo Mike Wakelield Lions Bay post office to close Canada Post plans to replace operation with retail outlet THE CANADA Post Corp. is planning to turn its Lions Bay post office into a retail outlet. . Canada Post media relations officer Colleen Frick said Monday that the Crown corporation is negotiating with the owner of the Lions Bay General Store, the only retail outict in the Village of Lions Bay, to take over the customer service operations currently being run by Canada Post through a leased postal outlet. Frick said Canada Post is mak- ing the change because the post master in Lions Bay retired in 1987 and since then the operation has been run by a ‘casual employee who is nor a full-time Canada Post employee. “Lions Bay is considered a rural community. We looked to see if the town could support a retail outlet and we've had success with retail outlets in other areas,” said Frick. ‘lc makes better sense for the people of Lions Bay to buy their stamps and do their postal business from a retail outlet that would offer extended hours.” Canada Post held a town meeting in Lions Bay last week to solicit: resident views on the pro- posal to turn the post office over to a retail operator. By Surj Rattan News Reporter Frick said it would make better sense to have a retail outlet in Lions Bay because most Lions Bay residents commute to work in the Lower Mainland and have a hard time getting to the village’s current post office to do. their postal business before the office closes. “Hs not that we are picking on Lions Bay, We know this com- munity can support a retail outlet,"" Frick said. But she added that the owner of the Lions Bay General Store first wants 10 make sure that a retail postal outlet would be a viable business to run out of his store before agreeing to take on the operation. The eartiest a retail post office outer could be operating at Lions Bay. she said, is the end of June, If the store owner decided against running a retail postat oudet, Frick said Lions Bay resi- dents would have to va ta the next nearest community —_ either Horseshoe Bay or Caulfeild — to do their postal business. Canada Post currently has a two-year lease on its building in Lions Bay, and Frick said it would have to continue to deliver mail to postal boxes for the next two years. After that, she said, “some other kind of option for detivering mail would have to be looked at.”’ Onc of ike options is to set up a centralized area for postal boxes. Lions Bay Ald. Dale Klatt said he supports the idea of a retail postal outlet because it would simplify postal business for area residents. Klatt, who attended the town mweting, said emotions ran high at times. “The meeting was one of those where | was waiting for a hockey game to break out,’’ said Klatt. “E can't see any problem in a retail outlet handling postal ser- vices.” In Mareh, Canada Post closed the main North Vancouver post office to afl but business clients. North Vancouver residents must now conduct their postal business at such retail outlets as 7-Eleven stores, The move has been criticized by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers who argue that. retail outlets are nat able to offer the same quality of service as post of- fices.