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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-08-31, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1988. Opinion A tale o f two strikes Poland is in the news here in Canada again as Polish workers, led by the Solidarity union under Lech Walesa close down much of the nations industry in an attempt to make the Communist government bring about reforms to make the lives of workers better. Walesa has become a hero in North America. Canadians and Americans see him as freedom fighter, fighting to give a more human face to a very inhuman government systems. Another familiar union story is in the news on this side of the ocean as once again Canadians hear of another postal strike. The striking union is a different one than the letter carriers or the Canadian Union of Postal Workers which have had so many strikes in the past. This union covers white collar workers and the technicians that service the mail sorting machines in the large postal installations across the country. Probably that doesn’t matter much for Canadians who see mail service threatened again. The talks to solve the strike broke down over whether or not the technicians should get the same paid lunch break most other post office workers get. It seems like a pretty small issue besides the monumental strikes that have hit Poland with demands for a decent standard of living. Yet while comparisons between the two strikes can be taken too far, they should cause us to look at the way we have come to look at strikes ourselves. A stumbling block in bringing peace to Poland is the demand for independent labour unions in the country and the refusal of the Polish communist government to even consider such a move. Most Canadians who do not believe in Communism will back the workers all the way. How can workers have a chance against the great monolith of a Communist government if they don’t have independent unions? A government that has total control doesn’t have to answer to anyone. And yet there are many voices in Canada that would take away the right to strike for post office employees too. Everytime we got to the post office and find the mail hasn’t come through because of another strike, every time we hear on the news that some new union at the post office is threatening strike to get its way, we’re apt to join those who would strip the unions of their right to strike in this vital service. On the other hand, post office workers feel they already are handicapped in their fight for what they see as justice by the fact the government can legislate an end to the strike and throw protesting strikers in jail any time it wishes. They feel that post office management, with the support of the government, is out to strip as much power from the unions as possible, to roll back the clock to the days before unions, when management had complete control. They have been moving in this direction through privatization of the post office and through strike-breaking in past strikes. It’s easy to be pro-union when the union is in Poland fighting for greater rights and anti-union when the union is in Canada, inconveniencing us as itfightsfor greater rights. Maybe, however, we should try to stand back and wonder if we were a half a world away what striking post office workers would look like to us. Paying the cost Grapegrowers in the Niagara area got the bad news they were expecting last week when their marketing board negotiated new prices for grapes, the first effected by the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and prices plummeted. All but one of the 21 classes of grapes saw decreases in the prices farmers will get for their grapes delivered this fall. “It tells us exactly what I’ve been saying -- we must be competitive with California,1’ Brian Nash, chairman of the Ontario Grape Growers Marketing Board said. But as Nash pointed out, although Ontario grape farmers must compete with Californian farmers who already have the advantage of a more favourable climate, the famous level playing field is missing. Canadian producers still must pay more in wages, fuel and chemicals. The situation of Canadian grape growers is similar to one that many Canadian businesses will face under the Free Trade Agreement and may force Canadians to take a look at whether we would rather lose markets to the United States or change our rules to fit theirs when it comes to minimum wage laws, taxes and environmental controls. We’d better start making up our minds which way we’ll go given that hard choice. The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 'Y'know, my dear, / never thought Frank was right for Marcia' Mabel’s Grill There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town [if not in the country’] gather for morningcoffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Fili­ bustering Society. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time MONDAY: Billie Bean said this morning that after hearing about the liquor laws in Britain, he’s not so hoton going over there to see real British pubs after all. Billie wasn’t at all impressed when Julia Flint told him the drinking laws had been relaxed in British pubs now and the pubs don’t have to close between three and five-thirty in the afternoon as in the old days. “They still have to close at 11 at night,’’ Billie said. “That’s about the time things really get unwound here in On­ tario.” Funny thing isn’t it, Tim O’Grady said, the British have ridiculous hours in their pubs but the tourists think they’re quaint and flock in. Meanwhile Ontario, where the bars stay open longer, is accused of having uncivilized hours that are driving tourists away. If we could just convince people we were quaint instead of uncivilized, we could make mil­ lions from tourists. TUESDAY: Tim was saying to Ward Black this morning that some of his federal Tory buddies must have been down advising George Bush in choosing a vice-presiden­ tial running mate. Ward looked a little dubious at this but Tim assured him that it was meant as a compliment. “You’ve obviously got the secret of winning through to Bush,” Tim said, pointingout that since all the trouble with Senator Dan Quayle blew up, the Republi­ cans have come well behind in the polls to being ahead of the Democrats. The Tories have used the same formula in Canada to come out on top of the polls here as the election comes around too. The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company Inc Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17 00, yr ($38 00 Foreign) Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited Advertising Deadlines Monday, 2pm - Brussels. Monday. 4pm - Bl\th We are not responsible for unsolicited newscriptsor photographs Contents or, i he Citizen are g Copvright Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave. Ethel. Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor& Publisher. Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, DaveWilliams Julia said she figures there must be some kind of reverse psychology at work with the voters. Voters figure that all politicians are going to lie to them anyway so the ones they already know are lying end up looking like they’re more truthful than the guys they figure must be lying but haven’t been found out yet. WEDNESDAY: Who says On­ tarians are dull, Hank Stokes was saying when he looked in the morning paper and saw Ontario has picked its official bird. How can anybody who picks a loon as its symbol be dull? Ward Black said it certainly seemed to be a good symbol to be picked by the provincial Liberals anyway. “Just watch them though,” he said, “next they’ll be painting it red and white instead of black and white”.. Julia said at first it seemed an odd choice since she’d never even seen a loon in her life but when she read more about it, she agreed it might be symbolic. It loves water Continued on page 5 Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 696b