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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-04-27, Page 3Poor turnout for visitX THE LACH HU Wist VISITS FLECK STRIKERS — NDP leader Michael Cassidy visited the picket line at Fleck Manufacturing, Wednesday, marking the first action on the Huron Park site this week. Officials expected 400 supporters, but less than 100 showed up. Cassidy is shown marching arm in arm with some of the strikers. Staff photo & * FtftK St 81 Mitts Personnel costs of Huron board consume 75 percent of budget If quality of education hinges on personnel costs, Huron County should rank as having one of the best education systems in the province, Just under 75 percent of the money Huron taxpayers pay for an education system goes toward salaries for teachers, administrators, secretaries, janitors and bus drivers. Roy Dunlop, superin­ tendent of business affairs for the board of education, said Monday that 74.6 per­ cent of the total education budget is designated for salaries. The total board of education budget for 1978 is $21,381,859 and of that $15,940,760 pays the help. The wages are broken into No names for plaza Gerry Sprackman Hawleaf Developments this week that the shopping centre at the north end of Exeter should be completed and opened by early July. Progress on construction has been moving steadily. To date only Zehrs have been announced as tenants for the building. Sprackman told the T-A that a couple of other tenants have signed but their names won’t be released. Negotiations with prospective firms continuing. He said include a bank, drug cleaners and “a few others”. Sprackman said that most independents don’t usually sign up until shopping centres are nearly opened or even after. “It takes a long „time to negotiate,” he commented. other are these store, Obituaries JOHN MARSHALL In St. Joseph’s Hospital, on Monday, April 24th, 1978, John McKay Marshall, of Lucan. Beloved husband of the late Matilda (Reinhart) Marshall, in his 88th year. Dear father of John Jr. of Lucan. Grandfather of Jon­ ny. Dear brother of Mrs. Lillis Amundson, of Long Beach, California, Florence Ethel Marshall, of Lucan, and Fred Marshall, of Clin­ ton. Predeceased by two sisters, Mrs. Kathleen Schaffer, Detroit, Michigan, Margaret Marshall,-Lucan and one brother Hugh Marshall, Lucan. Also sur­ vived by four nieces and two nephews. The funeral was held Tuesday from the C. Haskett and Son Funeral Home, Lucan with Rev. Keith Brown officiating. RENA NEAL At South Huron Hospital, Exeter, on Friday, April 21, 1978, Rena Ivy Neal, of Ex­ eter, in her 58th year. Belov­ ed wife of Al Neal of Exeter and dear mother of Mrs. Bruce Coen (Donna) and Ian Neal, both of Edmonton, Alberta. Beloved daughter of Mrs. Margaret Walker of Alameda, Saskatchewan and dear sister of Mrs. Bruce Ward (Ila) and Mrs. Grant Forsyth (Joyce) both of Alameda, Saskatchewan, Stewart Walker of Calgary, Dean Walker of Saskatoon and Mervin Walker of Alida, Saskatchewan. Also sur­ vived by 2 grandchildren. The funeral was held Mon­ day from the Martin and Hagel Funeral Horne, Ox­ bow, Saskatchewan. The Hopper-Hockey Funeral Home was in charge of local arrangements. SUPPMT FLECK Stilkcm five categories. Business administration, which in­ cludes Dunlop, some staff at the board’s administrative offices and school secretaries cost $218,192 in 1978. Teachers, principals, vice principals, superintendents of education and the education director cost the taxpayers $14,529,704 this year. Employees in educational services which include audio­ visual technicians and a librarian cost $60,259. Janitorial staff in the county schools cost $980,099 and bus drivers cost $152,506 in wages. The budget, salaries, leaves less the board said new I ZURICH I BAKERY | 236-4912 nlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllinilljlllllllllllllllli Rec Centre deficiencies remain Okay study of drainage project OCCASIONAL TABLES NOW AVAILABLE AT The Junction Guys Jeans are different than guys. jETfRo klENOLV NEW SCOTIA BANK OPENS — The new branch of the Bank of Scotia at the corner of Main and Gidley streets in Exeter was officially opened Tuesday morning. Above, employees Donna Webster and Dianne Hackwell hold the ribbon for the official ceremony by Exeter manager Am Laithwaite, district manager Cam Driedger, mayor Bruce Shaw and administrator of per­ sonnel Jim Walters. T-A photo Things seem to be getting underway for alterations to the 22 acre site on which the South Huron Rec Centre is located as the board of management gave the go ahead for the recreation grounds development com­ mittee to do a survey of the land for possible drainage work. The committee requested the survey to gain a better idea of the costs involved in the drainage of the area. A drainage design proposal that was drawn up by Jack Underwood for the committee, was presented to the board to give them an idea of the actual work in­ volved said committee member Jim Deblock. Underwood, who attended the meeting, said the drainage should be con­ ducted in a systematic way but that there were some aspects of the proposal which would not have to be done immediately. In a reply to a question • continue to be contacted un- from Mayor Bruce Show, Underwood said that there might be certain areas of the field that might not need draining. A three part motion was approved, calling for the board’s endorsation of lateral drainage for the area, an investigation of possible financing to be con­ ducted by the board and that the committee come back to the board in two weeks with the necessary information. Although there was no promise that the drainage work would be carried out, Shaw said he would like to see the work tendered as soon as possible to get an idea of the actual costs in­ volved. Little public input about with $5,441,099 to operate its education system. That money is used for pur­ chasing supplies for schools, paying legal costs, insurance costs, operation of buses, operation of elementary and secondary schools, debt charges and capital ex­ penses. The cost of wages in the operation of the education system has always been a source of concern for trustees trying to justify annual requisitions to the county’s 26 municipalities. The trustees argue that three quarters of the budget is fixed costs like salaries and they have no power to alter that. Added to that are the fixed costs for debt charges the proposed ground changes has been received with only Gaylen Josephson objecting to the proposal, the board learned. A meeting between the board, building, engineers and contractors of the Rec Centre held last week did lit­ tle to resolve the several deficiencies that are present in the structure. Underwood, in his capaci­ ty as a member of the building committee, said that problems with a leaking roof, inoperative seat heaters and the cracking boards of the rink still exist. “A lot of the things that were not done very well was the result of people not mov- ing fast enough”, Underwood said. When asked by Shaw if any of the problems had been fixed in the interval following the meeting, Underwood replied “no”. He emphasized that Cam­ brian consultants should til the work on the centre is completed. There was some discus­ sion about the discontinuing of the building committee but no action was taken on the matter. Underwood said “I hope that we won’t be leaving you with too many contentious issues (when the committee is disbanded).” Following the official con­ clusion of the meeting, the board met once again with Irv Armstrong of the local camper’s group. At the previous board meeting Armstrong had ask­ ed that May 19, 20 and 21 be set aside for a camping jam­ boree sponsored by the On­ tario Provincial Camper’s Association and that the '/2 PRICE ST. MARYS HOME FURNISHINGS LIMITED YOUR MATTRESS STORE WHERE QUALITY COSTS NO MORE 158 Quden St. E. 284-3080 St. Marys and plant operation which means that if wages are beyond the control of the board’s budget then over 90 percent of the money spent annually is out of the hands of the board of education trustees. The high percentage paid in salaries is a shock to many business minded people. Many claim that if wages exceed 50 percent of gross expenses a company is paying too much for staff. If that rule of thumb applied to education or many other government agencies then one third of the board’s staff would have to face early retirement or school taxes would have to be increased by 30 percent. board set a fee for the event. Armstrong said that negotiations with the board for the cost of using the facility are continuing. The board received a plea­ sant surprise in the monthly accounts with the centre be­ ing charged only $91.77 by Union Gas for the month of March as compared to $1,- 066.35 for February. Rec administrator Kirk Armstrong explained that Union Gas had been overcharging the centre since its opening and the small March bill was their way of righting things. Armstrong also an­ nounced the hiring of the pool staff has been completed. Wendy Beaver and Lynne Mercer will be assistant FRIDAY NITE SPECIAL 7.00-9.00 P.M. FRIDAY TWO HOURS ONLY Just one more reason to shop The Junction for family fashions. Available in size 26 to 36 waist. FLOOR COVERING • WALLPAPER FAMILY CLOTHING • DRAPES — EXETER'S KI1C LARGEST ■ department junction 235-0270 Use Your Charge* or Mastercharge Cassidy says Fleck strikers are winning "I have a sense that maybe you’re starting to win,” NDP leader Michael Cassidy told striking workers at Fleck Manufac­ turing when he visited them at Huron Park, yesterday. Cassidy arrived around 7:00 a.m. to lead a march of less than 100 strikers and UAW supporters from the main gates at the Huron Park industrial park to the Fleck plant. Officials had anticipated upwards of 400 to attend the rally. The OPP maintained their low profile. Two cars sat outside the main gate, while plain clothes officers took movies of the action from the arena roof and also on the building adjacent to the Fleck plant. There were no incidents and none of the militants who had showed up during previous demonstrations appeared to be on hand. Everyone listened politely to Cassidy and the rally broke up. Cassidy’s comments about the strikers apparently mak­ ing some headway in their lengthy battle, were in reference to comments made last week by labor minister Bette Stephenson who told strikers on Friday that their union security demands were reasonable. The comment drew con­ demnation from Fleck presi­ dent Fred Berlet, who said he was shocked at the labor minister’s statement, made after several Fleck strikers staged a sit-down in front of her office. Berlet said there are many employees still work­ ing at the company who are not choosing to support the union and he suggested that to give in on the union security clause, these local employees would be forced to choose between joining the union or paying dues. “It’s not fair to them,” head life guards, Patti Lou Shapton and Mary Helen Linsd'all will be the support staff and Patti Lou Down and Leslie Campbell have, been hired as part-time staff. In other business, the board: Authorized the payment of hydro and electricity for a room above Fred Eyre Real Estate for the use of the card players of the com­ munity. Learned that councillor Steve Pfaff has tendered his resignation from the board. That $200 worth of tickets for the Ronny McDowell show have been sold. It will cost between $700 and $900 to repair the ice flooding machine. was quoted as saying. In his remarks, Cassidy said the government should have acted long ago to say what Mrs. Stephenson said last week. “Men and women trying to get a first contract shouldn’t be beaten back,” he said. “Workers should have the right of union security.” The NDP leader was critical of the vast resources the province has tossed into the Fleck situation. He claimed that one-third of the total OPP personnel in the province were either on hand or on stand-by during the recent visit of CLC presi­ dent Dennis McDermott. He termed as “bizarre in­ tervention” the visit of two OPP to the plant before the strike started. The officers outlined the strikers’ rights under the law and Cassidy suggested it was a form of intimidation. Cassidy also lamented the “ignorance” being shown by the government in the situa­ tion. He said both the labor minister and solicitor general were receiving in- Optimists plan event The new Optimist Club of Stephen will hold its Charter presentation banquet at 6 p.m. April 29 at the Huron Park Recreation Center. Bill McGrath of Huron Park, president of the new service club announced, Sunday. Bob Wahby, Dorchester will present the charter. Mr. Wahby is Governor of the Ontario District of Optimist Inter­ national. Cecil Desjardine, reeve of Stephen township will ad­ dress the new Optimists and their guests on the subject of the community and its needs. The following officers will be installed Vice-President. Bob Pinter; vice-president, issued firm’s efforts to do correct information. The newly-elected leader said much of the problem could have been avoided if Premier William Davis had advised his “friend” Jim Fleck to talk to the manage­ ment at the Huron Park plant. Fleck is a deputy-minister and his family owns half the firm. “If you own half the company you should have some power.” Cassidy said in reference to the fact Fleck could have some orders to the management. “I support your and will continue everything I can at Queen’s Park to get you a first con­ tract,” he said prior to leav­ ing Huron Park. When a questioner asked if the Liberals could be en­ couraged to join the NDP plea, Cassidy hinted this would be unlikely, noting that Liberal MPP Jack Riddell was already facing charges under the Labor Relations Act for comments he has made that were not in support of the strikers. “It’s hard to get that Ed Walden, both of Hurpn Park. Secretary is Tom Lessard, treasurer Jim Smith, of Derifield. The board of directors of the new club include Bob Lawrence, Al Lavier, Tony Jones, Jim Gage, and Andy McIntyre, Huron Park and Tom Tomes, Centralia. Stewart McLay, past Governor will conduct the installation of officers who were elected at the organizational meeting of the club, 12 weeks ago. Regular bimonthly meetings are held: for breakfast at 9 a.m. on the second Sunday at Bob & Shirl’s Restaurant. On the fourth Sunday at 12 noon at the Les Pines Hotel in Exeter. Times-Advocate, April 27, 1978 Page 3 bunch of dinosaurs into the modern age,” Cassidy said of the Liberals. In another development, the Ontario Supreme Court issued a permanent injunc­ tion Monday prohibiting picket lines at all Ford Motor Co. of Canada assembly plants in southern Ontario. Ford received an interim injunction two weeks ago after 20 striking Fleck workers had set up a collec­ tion booth at the gate of the Talbotville plant. Workers refused to enter the parking lot and over $2 million worth glllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllE | Bakery Specials of production was lost. The UAW had threatened illegal walkouts at various Ford plants unless the com­ pany stopped using Fleck products. Scene quiet The scene at Huron Park has been extremely quiet this past week. Many days there have been no pickets in sight. The OPP have reduced their force considerably and only a handful of extra per­ sonnel appeared to be on hand to look after the Fleck situation. FRENCH BREAD Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, etc. COOKIES BRAN MUFFINS We Feature "Tasty Nu 2 doz. 49* *1.29 6-s 59* WHITE SLICED BREAD "fresh daily Cheese Specials lb. lb. *1.80 *1.85 lb. lb. lb. MILD CHEDDAR MEDIUM CHEDDAR OLD WHITE OR YELLOW MILD GOUDA SPICED GOUDA CHEESE HOUSE ZURICH built for