United Steelworkers joint bargaining council for Trail, Kimberley and Salmo rejected Cominco's final contract offer Friday afternoon in Trail thus setting the scene for strike action in the three Kootenay communities.
Staff unions in Trail and Kimberley have also rejected company offers and both ACTE and Steelworkers are presently picketing company operations in the three centers.
Cominco Ltd. said Friday afternoon, in a statement to the press, that the Steelworker's bargaining committee had rejected an offer averaging $2.40 per hour in wages and benefits plus the right to negotiate wages for the second year of the contract.
The Cominco offer was for a base rate of $5.10 and a journeyman rate of $7 per hour starting July 1. The company would not comment on the pension issue in the contract which is shaping up to be the major point of contention in the dispute.
Tony Belcher, staff representative for the United Steelworkers in Kimberley, said, however, Cominco won't agree to the proposed 30 and out clause for early retirement upon which the union has been insisting.
While Belcher said the company's wage offer was "in the ball park", he mentioned other Cominco operations in the province which have recently settled for more than the base and tradesmen's rates offered in the Kootenays.
Another major contract clause, the cost-of-living arrangement, was not mentioned in the company's final offer.
Instead, Belcher said, Cominco offered the union the right to renegotiate wages in the second year of the contract with the right to strike at that time as well.
Other issues which remain to be settled include sickness and accident insurance, life insurance, dental plan, safety and environment, Kimberley supervisors agreement, contract language changes and H.B. miners' bonus.
Belcher said the joint bargaining council took the company's final proposal to Steelworkers policy committees which, he said, represent a cross-section of all workers for approval.
Belcher said the committees rejected Cominco's offer "100 per cent."
Meanwhile Steelworkers' strike committees are starting to roll. Food distribution is expected to begin July 19 from the old liquor store in Kimberley with strike pay benefits starting shortly after.
Belcher said strike committees are in the process of negotiating moratoriums on loans, mortgages and outstanding bills with local merchants and finance companies while the union will assume payments of medical and insurance premiums for all members.
Both the staff union, which is cooperating with Steelworkers in strike benefits, and Steel have agreed not to sign an agreement until the other has settled. Belcher said neither union will cross the other's picket line.
Kimberley city council decided at their last meeting to phase out the Marysville fire hall and list the fire truck for sale.
The move came on the recommendation of Kimberley Fire Chief Dick Keiver.
He said in a report to council "we would be kidding ourselves if we thought we could get adequate fire protection from that machine."
The report said that there were only a slight difference in time (one to one and half minutes) between the time the Marysville truck could arrive at a Marysville fire and the time for the regular Kimberley truck. Furthermore the Marysville truck is a 1949 model and cannot be expected to remain reliable forever.
One alderman also mentioned that if Marysville needed its own fire hall, what about Lois Creek which in travel time was just as far away.
The fire hall got what may be its last workout Thursday in prelude to this week's Fire Prevention week. The fire truck was pulled out and at top right Doug Flynn, Ron Evans, Curly Unruh, lay down hose for the exercise.
One third of the $525,000 required to expand the North Bowl run at the Kimberley ski hill has been granted to the club by the provincial government.
Leo Nimsick, minister of mines and petroleum resources and MLA for this area announced Wednesday the ski club will receive $125,000 from the community recreation facilities fund.
Ski development is going to be one of the main industries for Kimberley, said Nimsick.
The tourist industry was one of the main reasons the directors of the ski hill proposed expansion. They felt this industry must be built up now, since the Sullivan Mine cannot be expected to run forever.
Previous attempts to lure industry to the area fell through. This brought about the development of Kimberley as a tourist and resort area with a Bavarian theme. The ski hill would become the basis for this endeavor. Along with that, competition from other ski resorts which were expanding their facilities, had to be considered.
Direct expansion seemed more practical to the group than step-by-step work. If the area were opened up immediately the season could open two weeks earlier, which in turn would provide more revenue.
The general plan is to expand the hill facilities westward from the current ski area towards and beyond the North Bowl run. A 3,500 foot chairlift line from the vicinity of the ski-out at the bottom of North Bowl to a point west of the highest elevation on North Star Hill would be installed. This would open up more areas to provide a varied skiing terrain for the different levels of skier.
The club hopes particularly to catch the out-of-town skier. Skiing throughout the weekend could increase along with the heavier weekend period when most of the local people come.
Expansion would be good for the local skiers since the club wants to provide the best possible facilities to them at reasonable rates.
To help pay for this project the directors of the ski hill will also apply for assistance from federal government recreation, depressed area loan and Canada Manpower grants. An $18,000 OFY grant was applied for and received to hire students for such jobs as cutting trails.
Next.Salute to Kimberley - Index Page
Front Cover - Inside Front Cover
Page One 1896 - 1910, - Page Two 1900 - 1911, - Page Three 1912 - 1920, - Page Four 1921 - 1924, - Page Five 1925
Page Six 1926, - Page Seven 1927, - Page Eight 1928, - Page Nine 1929, - Page Ten 1930, -
Page Eleven 1930, - Page Twelve 1931/32, - Page Thirteen 1933 - 1936, - Page Fourteen 1937 - 1939, - Page Fifteen 1940, -
Page Sixteen 1941/42, - Page Seventeen 1943, - Page Eighteen 1944/45, - Page Nineteen 1945/46, - Page Twenty 1946/47, -
Page Twentyone 1948, - Page Twentytwo 1948, - Page Twentythree 1949, - Page Twentyfour 1950/51, - Page Twentyfive 1951, -
Page Twentysix 1952, - Page Twentyseven 1953, - Page Twentyeight 1954/55, - Page Twentynine 1955, - Page Thirty 1956/57, -
Page Thirtyone 1957/58, - Page Thirtytwo 1958/59, - Page Thirtythree 1959 - 1961, - Page Thirtyfour 1961/62, - Page Thirtyfive 1962/63, -
Page Thirtysix 1963/64, - Page Thirtyseven 1964 - 1966, - Page Thirtyeight 1967, - Page Thirtynine 1968 - 1970, - Page Forty 1970, -
Page Fortyone 1971, - Page Fortytwo 1972, - Page Fortythree 1973, - Page Fortyfour 1974/75, - Page Fortyfive 1975, -
Page Fortysix 1976, - Page Fortyseven 1976, - Page Fortyeight 1977/78, - Page Fortynine 1978, - Page Fifty 1979/80, -
Page Fiftyone 1981/82, - Page Fiftytwo 1982/83, - Page Fiftythree 1983/84, - Page Fiftyfour 1985, - Page Fiftyfive 1986/87, -
Page Fiftysix 1987/88, - Page Fiftyseven 1988/89, - Page Fiftyeight 1989 - 1991, - Page Fiftynine 1991/92, - Page Sixty 1993/94, -
Page Sixtyone 1995, - Page Sixtytwo 1996/97, - Page Sixtythree 1997/98, - Page Sixtyfour 1998/99, - Back CoverReturn to Keepers Index
For inquiries or submissions to Kimberley Keepers, please contact us at:
admin@kimberleykeepers.ca - Click Here
