Layofts
shut down
Versatile

BUT C:}MPANY OFFICIALS
SAY MOVE IS TEMPORARY

WORK AT the North Vancouver yard of Versatile Pacific
Shipyards Inc. (VPSI) ground to a halt Wednesday after all
but a handful of workers were laid off.

And while the conipany says the
current round of layoffs to hit the
North Shore's largest shipyard wiil
be in effeet for only one week, a
local union official says the
layoffs, which involve about 100
workers, sonnd the death knell for
VPSI's North Vancouver facility.

VPS] personnel manager Bill
Evers said Thursday all but six or
seven workers would be laid of f
for approximately one week.

TREE CE

“This is just a test run for
the eventual closing of the

yard ...””
— Head shop steward
Bob Briere

id earn aac eed if LR a A eg beohen' SALUD ISSR iat

“T s no work for them,’ he
said. ‘‘This has happened
before.. it’s the nature of the
beast.""

Evers also said he did not know
why the cruise ship Wind Spirit
wiil be repaired at VPSI's Victoria
facility this weekend instead of che
North Vancouver yard, which the
company recently announced
would be used exclusively for ship
repairs.

“Sometimes it is at the request
of the customer,”" said Evers.

But Boh Briere, head shop
steward at VPSES North Van-
couver yard, said Wednesday's
layoffs are further evidence that
VPSI plans to close its North Var-
couver svard,

And he blamed the situation on
both the federal eovernment and
VPSI's manag

Pfs is Just it test cun
for the eventual closing of the vard
and building condominiums on the
site,’ said Briere. ** Poday tts tike
the beginning of a tomy hohdas
The svurkers are relieved becausc
lie fension is now over. We knew.
fora dong time it was coming.”

Briere added that the layolts are
the result of the federal govern-
ment’s cancellation in February of
the $680-million Polar Class &
icebreaker contract, which had
been awarded 10 VPSI, and the
company’s failure to win a

News Reporter

$17.6-million B.C. Ferry contract,
which was awarded last: week to
North Vancouver-based Vancouver
Shipyards Co. Ltd.

“There is on my part as much
bitterness towards the federal gov-
ernment for not protecting jobs as
there is towards the company for
moving equipment to Victoria and
the shutting down of one of the
dry docks, which the company said
was not salvagable.

“Had they (VPSI) put money
isto that dry dock when we said, it
would have been salvagable,"* said
Bricre.

North Vancouver District. Ald.
Ernie Crist, who was one of the
¥PSi workers laid of f Wednesday,
suid he, too, believes VPSI is ready
to clase down its North Vancouver
operations,

“That's what they (VPSI) told
us,’ Crist said, referring to the
company’s comment that the
layoffs are only for one week.
“But it’s one event after another
for the last year or so that shows
us what their intentions ure."

Crist added that there is lots of
shipbuilding work available frony
other countries, such as the Soviet
Union, bus that VPST is ‘not
serious about going after those
opportunities.”

He also charged that there is a
“conspiracy? between the federal
governinent and) VPSIs  purent
company Shieldings ine. of Toron-
to to close dows its Norch Vane
COUNT Vurgd,

“We've heard rumors that thes
(Shiekdings) were pitid S38 million
to close those berths (in North
Vancouver). They (Ottawa) took
the Polar S awas from ous. That
would never frase been allowed to
happen in Quebeo.* said Crist.

But North Sameouser Fors: MP
Chuck Cook said Crist’s comments
had racial overtones,

“Mr. Crist is displaying iv-
norance and bigotry with a com-
ment like that.” said Cook. ‘You

See Yard
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NEWS photo Terry Peters

READING THE bad news in the form of layoff slips are three of approximately 100
workers who were laid off this week from Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. in North
Vancouver. Work ground to a halt Wednesday afternoon when the day shift punched
out, leaving only six workers in the yard. Versatile management said the tem-
porary layoffs, which are expected to last for about one week, were necessary due to a
lack of work at the North Vancouver facility. But others argue it is only a matter of
time before Versatile closes its North Vancouver yard for good. The company recently
closed one of the yard’s dry docks and has down-graded the facility to handle ship
repairs oniy, alihough company management were unable to explain why a cruise ship
is going in for repairs this weekend at Versatile’s Victoria shipyard.

——i