DECEMBER 16, 1998
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52 Pages

returned |

io court

Bob Mackin

Contrilmting Writer

s A man who bolted
from West Vancouver
provincial court.
almost 13 years ago
was in’ Vancouver
court Tuesday to face

_ charges relating to

the escape:

Eric Valois, 36, ‘originally
from Montreal, was arrested Jan.
: 26,1986 in'a West Van house,

- Police acting on a search war-,,..,

rant found a revolver, ammuni-

tion, blasting caps, dynamite and:

‘a small. quantity of cocaine. and
‘heroin in a. suitcase’ police
believed belonged to “Valois.”

Valois cappeared in. West’
Vancouver provincial court the
next dav, but? was remanded to
Jan. 30 for a show-cause hearing.

“< During his appearance he vault.

©; ed out of the prisoner’s box and
© fed through: an exit “door, He
way not wearing shoes, ;

White) on) the) loose he
-allegedly stole a yacht trom West

Palm Beach Florida. He was
caught eight months later in the

Bahamas, but escaped custody en

route to) Florida to: face yacht
“theft. charges, Valois was recap’

tured; returned to Montreal and

» disappeared in April 1987 while

ron aiday pass.

“2 $a October 1987 hewassen-

tenced to 13 months in a Greek

"fail after pleading guilty to pos-

. sessing two unlicensed rifles and
injuring 3. harbour official of the
Greek, island of Rhodes,’

“While i in transit between pris: 05

ons: ‘in Greece. he. escaped ~
through. a eporthoie. He was
“wentually” caught “ine Leeds
England in 1996. He was acquit-
‘ted for-drug trafficking charges
"there: but extradited to Canada

o Last year.

Valois-entered the courtroom

Tuesday with a shaved head..He
wore an. Adidas track. suit. and
: shippers: His: ankles were
chained. cn vet!

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NEWS photo Terry Peters

ON the picket line: ‘projectionistF Rod Frew presents his case e outside the Esplanade Cinemas complex in 1 North Vancouver.

Katharine Hamer

Contributing Writer:

‘ROD Frew’s boss i is asking him
‘to take a pay cut of 60% — 20% a
. year over three years.

Frew, who says he wor! ks over 90 hours per week
“365 days per year, is the only staff projectionist at

* North Vancouver's Esplanade Cinemas, He's a

member of the “64-strong B.C, Projectionists’
Union (BCPU)'— a, branch of the International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees: (IATSE ),
“focal 348,

Together ‘with fellow union member: Jim:

Morrison, Frew has been. picketing the Esplanade

Projectionists asked
to take major pay cut

" complex as'part of a KCPU strike action, alerting,

cinema-goers to the plight of B.C. projectionists.

Famous Players Inc. and Cineplex, Odeon
‘> Corporation say B.C, projectionists earn too much

money, According, to the cinema chains, projec:
Honists in other provinces carn an average of S14

an hour, compared with $33.27 an hour in B.C. '

theatres.

But Frew, who has been working i in the iield

since 1980, scoff at the chains’ perceived need for
a national wage parity.
“People get paid less i in Third World countries,”

ANIDEABE Sop

he said. “Does that mean we should make the same
“as them?”

This is the third ti time in 1 10 years that B.C. pro-
jectionists have been asked to mke a pay cut.
Projectionists’ salaries took a nosedive of. 20% J in
1989, and another of 15% in. 1995, ° ‘

A collective agreement berween BCPU meme

bers and Famous Players/Cineplex. Odeon’ chains
expired June 14, 1998, Negotiations between cin-
éma chains and tthe union began, June'29, With a >

» resolution not yet reached; cinema and union reps

returned to the bargaining table Dee. 7. The union |
rejected the employers’ offer “and the. cinemas

walked away from negotiations. BCPU members ¢ :
voted 95% in favour of a strike mandate and served

See Managers paae 3

TaN
“FO aN Wi
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ct AL OETALE AY LAS, : ;