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February 21, 1993 52 pages Oifice, Editorial 985-2131

NEWS pholo Terry Peters

Advance guard

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Blackcomb Mountain, where there is lois of exciting skiing to be had.

in Secret Basin at

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travel the world: 34

Classifieds 996-6222

Distribution 986-1337

102-day dispute ends after
N. Shore Taxi Co. workers
reach three-year agreement

AFTER WALKING a picket line for 102 days, unionized
employees of North Shore Taxi Co. bave decided to accept
a new contract offer and return to work.

The three-year collective
agreement calls for wage increases
of 2.5%, 3% and 3.5% over the
life of the contract.

Prior to the strike, wages for
the striking dispatchers, office
staff and mechanics employed at
the taxi company ranged from
$9.26 per hour ior a phone person
to $21.72 per hour for a
mechanic.

Both sides reached a tentative
agreement on Monday, Feb. 15,
and ratified the deal on Thursday,
Feb. 18. The collective agreement
was worked out by Labor Rela-
tions Board (LRB) mediator and
North Vancouver City Coun.
Barbara Sharp.

Teamsters Union Local 213 had
been on strike against North
Shore Tani since Nov. 9, 1992.

North Shore Taxi drivers were
not on strike.

Union spokesman Grant Wood
said there were originally 20
employees who went on strike and

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

that 19 were scheduled to return
to work starting at midnight on
Saturday.

He added that one worker quit
the company during the strike.

Wood said two mechanics will
be laid off due to a lack of work
but may be called back to work
later.

“We're happy that it was settl-
ed. We've been out for a long
time. As far as we know, it will be
a full return to work.

“We got language on virtually
everything except on the voice
machine," said Wood.

One of the union’s major issues
in the labor dispute was the
union’s claim that information
from a company machine that re-

See Union page 8

NV widow loses out
on polka royalties

THE BEER Barre! Polka lives on, but a North Vancouver
widower will now have to share the royalties generated by

the song.

Anna Zeman, third wife of the
late polka king Vaclav Vasek
Zeman, received the bad news
Thursday from the B.C. Supreme
Court in Vancouver.

Vaclav Victor Zeman of Toron-
to, the composer’s only son from
his first marriage, was awarded
one-third of the royalties, starting
this year.

The song, composed before the
Second World War, still generates
an impressive royalty stream:
$86,000 in 1988; $70,000 in 1989.

Figures for the subsequent three
years were unavailable.

The composer, a North Van-
couver resident, died in 1987 at
the age of 78, leaving his entire
estate to his wife of 25 years, An-
na.

Other than a jointly
house, his major asset
song's royalty income.

Vaclav Vasek Zeman escaped
from his native Czechoslovakia in
1948 or 1949.

After he fled, the state
fiscated his property
songwriting royalties,

owned
was the

con-
and

Aaa Sea

By Brent Mudry
Contributing Writer

Anna met and married the late
composer in Montreal.

In 1952, the composer was
ousted by his brother from the
family’s fur-cutting business in
MontreaJ. He was left virtually
penniless, but he eventually found
work as a factory worker.

The son, now 60 and indigent,
spurned his father in favor of his
uncle,

Rudolph Tuschek of West Van-
couver, long-time friend of the
late composer, testified that the
son’s rejection of his father and
his values was very hurtful to his
father, who said hundreds - of
times that he would not leave any-
thing in his wilt to his son.

But Mr. Justice Ross Oliver
ruled otherwise.

The judge noted that there had
been some contact between father
and son, and that the son was en-
titled to a share of the estate.

4 SHORE SINC