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THE WG

August 15, 1993 44 pages

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Caught in the act

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Office, Editorial 985-2131

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NEWS photo Mike Wakatield

A YOUNG raccoon helps itself to a residential buffet of prime North Shore garbage.
Residents are urged to secure their refuse to ensure that it does not become an easy
meal for local wildlife.

Hurting business community calls for government action to end dispute

sioner.

A GROUP of BC Rail customers, including one North
Vancouver terminal, are calling for an immediate end to a
strike that has cost North Shore and northern industries
millions of dciiars in lost revenuc.

Group spokesman Tony Jarrett,
president of North Vancouver-
based Fibreco. Export, which ex-
ports woodchips to foreign mar-
kets, said the strike is resulting in
the permanent loss of business and
revenue as well as additional
transportation costs incurred by
‘the companies usually serviced by
BC Rail.

“There are already reports of
job losses and it very likely
there will be significant layoffs
through the province if the strike

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

continues,’ said Jarrett.

Tle suid that the strike has cost
Fibreco alone approximately $4
million in lost revenue, $2 million
of that being fost sales to Sapan.

Jarrett said that what cannot be
estinuted at this time is what im-
pact the strike will have on B.C.'s
reputation as a reliable supplier of
products.

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mR ON THE NORTH S

and added that the labor dispute
has to be solved between the two
sides.

But officials for the rail com-
pany and its workers say someone
else must make the next move.

West Vancouver-Garibaldi
MIA David Mitchell said Friday
that Harecoust was to blame for
the strike lasting as long as it has.
He said the provincial government
should appoint an industrial in-
quiry conimissioner to the labor
dispute and that BC Rail should
“accept this request in exchange
for an immediate return to work.”

Labor Minister Moe Sihota has
already rejected a union request
for an industrial inquiry commis-

“What message are we sending
by delaying or not being able to
meet shipments for which we have
contracts? In many cases, B.C.’s
customers have no choice but to
go clsewhere,** said Jarrett.

Squamish Terminals has closed
its Operations us a result of the
strike because all of the terminal's
export cargo is delivered by BC
Rail.

Jarrett said his group ts calling
for the provincial government to
show feadership in getting the
raliwuy back to work again before
further damage is done.

On Thursday, Premier Mike
Harcourt said his government has
no plans to step into the strike

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“What is ex-

Said
traordinary in this case is the NDP
government’s ridiculous claim that
this strike can be resolved at the
negotiating table. Let's be clear

Mitchell,

thee the is the
employer here.
The Council of Trade Unions
(CTU), which represents seven BC
Rail unions and 1,600 employees,
went on strike against the North
Vancouver-based Crown cerpora-
tion on July 19 to back contract
demands.
This week
down what

government

”

the CTU turned
BC Rail called its

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