THE YWGICE November 18. 1992 OF NORTE AMO WES 64 pages ~e é Office. Editoria! 985-2131 IRC orders union back to work after wildcat strike strands Bowen commuters, idles H. Bay ferry terminal NORTH SHORE ferry travellers hoping to sail between the mainJand and Vancouver Island and to and from Bowen Istand and the Sunshine Coast were forced to make other arrangements Tuesday Marine Workers’ Union threw up picket lines Ferry Corp. (BCFC) terminals. But the BCFC later announced that ferry service would resume at 3 p.m. Tuesday after the Industri- al Relations Council ordered strik- ing ferry ermployees back to work following a BCFC appeal to the council earlier in the day. The initial job action left ferry iravellers furning. A Bowen Island woman. said she was angry at the BCFC for what she called a lack of com- munication between the Crown corporation and Bowen Island res- idents, many of whomn commute daily to the mainland, BCFC spokesman Erin Caldwell said Tuesday that “the unlawful work stoppage’’ was sparked by a dispute over the staffing level of a BCFC vessel working on the Long Harbor route from Saltspring {stand. She said the ferry corporation traditionally puts a smaller vessel on the route at this time of year, but that some ferry crew members refused to sail on the smaller vessel. On Monday, the Queen of Tsawwassen replaced the larger Queen of Nanaimo on the route, which cut the staffing level from 24 to 18. “Some of the crew felt it was unsafe to sail with the smaller staffing level, buc other crew members were willing to - sail,” said Caldwell. The Queen of Tsawwassen, she said, meets all Canadian Coast Guard regulations. The labor dispute spread Mon- day night to other BCFC termi- nals, including Horseshoe Bay, and by Tuesday morning all BCFC terminals around the pro- vince were behind picket lines. after the B.C. Ferry and at all B.C. By Surj Rattan News Reporter Bowen {sland resident Julie Ovenell-Carter said the labor dispute caught most island = resi- dents off guard. Water taxis run between be- tween Bowen Island and the maintand but only transport pas- sengers, not vehicles. “If you take a cab from downtown Vancouver to Horse- shoe Bay, that’s $35. Our work takes us all over ‘Ne place, and you can’t really take a bus. ‘*The biggest frustration people here have is better communica- tion. You have to tell us what's happening. We need this (ferry) service,” said Ovenell-Carter. She added that a neighbor had left her child with a babysitter on Monday night while she went swimming in Vancouver, bur by the time she was to return, the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal was behind a picket line. Caldwell said the BCFC and the union are currently in mediation over negotiations for a new collec- tive agreement. The two sides had been negotiating since Sept. 25, but contract talks broke off on Nav. 5 A two-year collective agree- ment, which covered 3,885 BCFC employees, expired on Oct. 31. The union is set to take a strike vote later this rnonth. The BCFC and the union have agreed to discuss the staffing situ- ation that initiated Tuesday's shutdown of the province's ferry fleet. RSE AT ER SE EE OE Ee OL index @ 3udget Beaters......... 50 Wi Lifestyles.............. 47 @ Business .............. 45 North Shore Now ..... 21 W Classified .............58 WM! Sports ..........0..... 45 MComics ............... 44 BTV Listings ........... 39 @ Frugal Gourmet........ 49 @& What's Going On ...... 14 Weather Thursday. Friday, Saturday, rain. Highs rc. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 VANCES u YER + WEDNESDAY WV glass artist lawrence Ruskin Now spotlight: 25 Classifieds 986-6222 Distribution 986-1337 25¢ Display Advertising 980-0511 NEWS photo Mike Wekafreld Gates of rage ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS biocked logging trucks on Tuesday marning by chaining themselves to gates at the Capilano watershed. See page three for details.