HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-11-05, Page 1F TABLOSP1ED ON 18.73
"THE SEPOY TOWN" ON THE
HURON -BRUCE BOUNDARY
.... l ISHEDIN y UCKNO . NAR ...•,.,r....
24 PAGES 404 PER COPY
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Sometimes, even witches and tweety-birds, have to take a break from 'their. Hallowe'en
festivities. Here, Lucknow Central Public School students Julie Cleland (left) and Margo
. ,Abbott enjoy a popsicle after, delighting the residents at the Pineerest Manor with their
costumes on October 31. (Alan Rivett photo)
Canada Post fails to show
at rural courier's meeting
By Alan Rivett
The rural mail couriers in the area again
met with a stone wall in their attempt at a
meeting with Canada Post officials to
discuss a controversial, new ruling regar-
ding rural mail service.
Over 100 rural mail couriersmet at the
Dunkeld Hotel near Walkerton on October
29 for a meeting with Canada Post regar-
ding the ruling which will place all rural
mail routes up for public tender after the
five-year term has elapsed.
However, according to Mary Cummings,
co-chairman of the mail couriers, she was
told the day before the meeting by Dan.
Coldwell, the director of transportation
contracting services with Canada Post in
London, that no representives from the
corporation would be attending the
meeting.
In conversation with Grey -Bruce MP Dr.
Gary Gurbin, who was also unable to at-
tend the meeting, Mrs. Cummings said the
MP had talked with Mr. Colwell about hav-
ing a representative from the corporation
in attendance, but was unsuccessful:
"Dr. Gtirfn said 'Canada Post would
:not meet with a ;group' --but would meet
with. an executive' of the rural couriers,"
said Mrs. Cummings, a second generation
mail courier for RR 5 Paisley for the past
20 years:
The recent meeting is the second time
Canada Post failed to have represen-
tatives at a meeting of the rural mail
couriers. Two weeks ago, the couriers held
a meeting which met with a similar 'fate.
The meetings were called . by the
couriers to air their grievances to Canada
Post after it announced three weeks ago
that all rural mail 5routes, would go 'to a
public tender -after the courier's five-year
. term .had expired. Before' the ruling,
Job searching skills
focus of conference.
•
By Shelley McPhee Hoist
Remember. the scene from the movies
where a young girl. goes to the big city in
search of a wonderful, new career? She
spots a Help Wanted sign in the, window,
presents it to 'the drug store owner, is im-
mediately hired for the job, and, goes on to
live happily ever after.
That situation may be suitable for after-
noon matinee movie fare, but it does not
realistically portray job searching in the
1980s.
Kim Coulter, a career counsellor for
Womanpower in London says, "We're not
born with the knowledge to job search. It's a
skill, it's something you learn. It's impor-
tant not to be hard on yourself. Job sear-
ching can be discouraging, but you're going
to be rejected, that's part of job search."
A group" of women, from all walks of life
and interests, took part in a job search
seminar held as part of the Women At Work
Conference in Goderich recently.
The half-day seminar was led by Ms.
Coulter from Womanpower, a` career
counselling centre for women. Woman-
power operates in London as an outreach
project . funded by Employment and Im-
migration Canada. It has been running for
more than 12 years and provides free voca-
tional counselling and career 'resources,
rather, than direct job placement.
Womanpower offers group counselling on.
self-assessment, resume writing, job nter-
views, job search and non-traditional jobs
and training. All of these aspects come into
play in job searching.
Tom Jackson, author and Manpower con-
sultant, says, "It's not the best qualified
people who get the best jobs, it's those who
are the most skilled job seekers."
Job searching in the 1980s has gone
beyond the limits of using a bit of luck to get
a job, and the "who you know" connections.
Today, job searching requires education
Turn to page 8
Engineer resigns
vm jaunty post
• By Alan Rivett
R, A. (Bob) Dempsey, the Huron County
Engineer for the past nine years, has
resigned from •his position, effective
January 4,1987,•,
He said he tendered his resignation at a
special meeting of the road committee on
October 28. •
Mr. Dempsey is the second County
department head to resign this year with
Dr. Harry Ceislar, the County's Medical
Officer of Health, resigning in June over
differences with county administration.
However,.Mr. Dempsey said his decision
to resign was strickly of a personal nature.
"There's no story there at all. It was a
personal decision because of an opportuni-
tyo£fered to me. It may just look like bad
timing. The County of Huron has been good
place to work and raise a family. My wife
(Mary Ann) was on the Board of Educa-
• tion, and we were well entrenched in
Huron County life.
"I found working for Huron County had
its up and down days, but I have no axe to
grind. I build bridges I don't burn them,"
said. Mr. Dempsey in an interview on Oc-
tober 30.
Mr. Dempsey said he is taking a position
as the division manager of the Personal
Lines Insurance Guarantee Company of
North America at their office in
Woodstock.
•
, couriers,' contracts would be automatical-
ly
utomatically renewed i� an agreement could be
reached with Canada Post, The new ruling
will take effect on April 1, 1987. •
During the course of the meeting, the '
rural mail couriers chose an executive to
meet with Canada Post, including Co- .
chairman .Mary Cummings, Co-chairman
Donna Mink, a courier of the RR3 Chesiey
route, and Publicity, Director Harvey
Kleist, a courier of the RR3. and. RR 4
Walkerton. •
• Mrs. Cummings said MP Dr. Gary Gur-
bin will make the necessary arrangements
for the executive meeting with Canada
Post. lifter the meeting with Canada Post,
the couriers will hold another meeting
Joe Pickering, a representtive from the
Canadian Union of Postal Workers,, said
the union is behind the rural couriers 100
per cent .and promised them aid it) fighting
-the new Canada Post ruling.
"The way they've been treating you in
the pasttwo weeks, you got just cause to be
militant. You can't get Canada Post to
come to your meetings because they won't
speak to a crowd. Yet, they'll speak to a
. crowd. if they open a new post .office.
"They're basically treating you like dirt,
Loyalty doesn't mean a damn thing to
Canada Post. They don't give a damn:
about. anybody," he said. -
Mr. Pickering said his attendance at the
meeting was not to talk union, but to,show
support for the rural couriers, However,
he said he' would have union cards at the•
next meeting if anyone was interested.
Harvey Kleist of Walkerton, the publici-
ty director.for the group and a mail courier
for RR 3 and RR 4 Walkerton for the past
40 years, said Canada Post's new ruling is
part of their purge through the entire mail
Turnto page 3.
is
Lottery
The 49th draw in the Lucknow and
District Arena Complex Lottery was
held on November 3.
The winners were: $500 - Man
Hackett; $300 Gerry Wilbur of RR 3
Teeswater; $100 - Randy Kerr of RR 6
Goderich and $100 - Susan Cooke.
School news
Over the past week, the school
children in the area have been busy
with various Hallowe'en activities with
everything from "monster" art to a
whole workshop built around a
Hallowe'en theme. at the schools. For
this and other school news, see the
LOPS Insider and the Brookside Broad-
castTht this week's Sentinel.
Hockey's back
Hockey's back in town, and the
Lancers Intermediate team are off to a
good start with a win and a tie 3n their
first two, games. For the game reports
from area teams... SEE PAGE 18