The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-04-11
ALASKA TROLLERs ASK
 NEGOTIATION OF FISH PRICEl

| KETCHIKAN-Seeking to estab- fish minimum fish prices, standard and uniform conditions for all troa l fishermen in Alaska, United Trol- lers Union lIFWA-CIO) has begun negotiations and made a proposa. to fish buyers to assure themselves d just profit on their investment and labor, Myron Dean, Interna- l uOnal representative, announceu yesterday following a meeting O. the Union group this week. All os- ganized trollers in Southeastern AL aska have. discussed the current situation and action Is being sought on behalf Of all Alaska troll lers.
 Monday operators and the Union will confer, followed Monday night ] by an open meeting for all trollers and possibly a special session later. Mr. Dean said that no counter. proposals have been made by oper ators thus far to the Unions pro posal of March 20.
 The Union issued this state- ment on it's current problems anu aims:
 History of this division of tue fishing industry definitely proves ] that the Alaska trollers have con. slstently received a lesser price for their catch than trollers fishing off the coasts of Washington, Ore gon and California. To substantlate this claim the United Trollers Un- ion has applied for and is receiving daily market reports from the Fish and Wildlife Service, showing tisL landings and prices received. These indisputable statistics show that on March 1 there were FOO pounds of large, small and white king sal mon landed at a price of 4s cents per pound. At Neah Bay, Washing. ton, there were 759S pounds land, ed at a straight price of 44h cents per pound and 79 pounds oI No. kings landed at 40A cents per pound.
 Top Prices
 The trollers here received a top price of 30 cents for large kings and 25 cents for small and white kings, a difference of from 15k cents to 23 cents per pound for their fish. April 1, price of from 1 to 43 cents was paid in Seattle for 20,150 pounds of troll caught fish. On April 2, prices ranging rom 5O to 45 cents Der pound were paid on a total of 38,O4O pounds. While these prices were and still are being paid for troll caught fish i'll Washington ports, sne buyers nere have lowered their prIce to 25 cents for large kings and 2O cents for small and white king salmon.
 Proposal Made
 Armed with these statistics and backed by the fact that Alaska salmon are conceded to be the fin- est in the world, that the bureau of labor statistics of the U. S. De- 1 partment of Labor recognizes an in crease of Is per cent in wages over those paid in Seattle is justt- fable in Alaska to cover higher living costs, and the U. s. govern lnent allows as much as 25 per cent premium for it's Alaska em- ployees, the United Trollers Union is demanding negotiations to assure themselves a just profit on their investment and labor.
 "A proposal has been made tO the buyers. To date the only ans wer that they have received has been that buyers cannot negotiate anything which will assure the | foh {,{, urfn | fishermen realize that fish prices are subject to market conditions and do not expect nor ask that the fish dealers pay prohibitive price for fish at any time. They ask that a contract and fish prices l be established now, based upon conditions as they now exist, not upon the past nor upon the future which might warrant a change up- wards or downwards, dependent on the market of fish.
 Tn the spirit and meaning of genuine collective bargaining the Union cannot accept flat mo- nor any evasions or stalls of the buyers as satisfactory attempt by them to settle the current dispute in just and American manner.
 "The productive record ana strict observance by the Union or the no strike pledge as well as OPA and all other governmental regualations-du the recent war indicates that the fishermen are willing to sacrifice during any period of national emergency for the national welfare. However, the war Is over and they are unwilling to sacrifice to enrich private in dustry which does very little to- ward benefiting the welfare ant general economics of Alaska. l Most of the people concerned ] in tho nurrant dianl1ta ara raaid anI..