HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-08-23, Page 3Fcundry workers cha
over to ' continental
Almost 250 employees began
working "continental" shifts at
Western Foundry this week. The
change has come in response to the
increased product demand the
foundry has experienced this
summer.
The change means that workers
will put in 12 -hour shifts instead of
the more common eight-hour shifts.
This provides workers with longer
consecutive periods of time off,
while allowing the company to meet
the needs of its customers.
The foundry is operating 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, turning
out products for its major
customers, Ford and General
Motors. Management became
concerned with the amount of over-
time it was necessary for workers to
put in to ensure that contracts would
be met. Before the change, em-
ployees were working six days a
week. Under the new schedule, in a
28 -day rotation, each worker will
receive 14 days off.
The decision to change to the new
hours came about through dis-
cussions by a joint union -manage-
ment committee.
Several alternatives were pre-
sented to the workers and 80 per cent
of them favored the change to con-
tinental shifts. ..
According to union representative
Brian Leachman, the change may
not be permanent. "Hopefully it will
only last until peak season is over,"
he says. Wayne D. Phibbs, the
human resource manager for
Deadline is threatening
Blyth Festival project
Plans for expanding facilities at
the Blyth Festival Theatre have
been threatened by an announce-
ment that the provincial govern-
ment's commitment to the program
will lapse on Sept. 7, if the theatre
has not raised its share of the
expansion costs.
The community theatre, whose
reputation as the home of new Can-
adian plays is becoming increas-
ingly well known, had hoped to con-
struct facilities t i alleviate the over-
crowded, artistically -inadequate
and sometimes unsafe conditions the
company has been rehearsing and
performing under for over 10 years.
The proposed theatre expansion
qualified for a 50 per cent subsidy
-some time ago; - but- since then the
grant program has been
restructured. A letter received from
the provincial -citizenship and
culture ministry on July 7 informed
that the theatre had only two months
to take advantage of the grant for
which it had qualified.
If the festival cannot raise $750,000
by that deadline (locally and
through a hoped-for $613,000
commitment from the federal
government) , it will have to re -apply
for thegrant under new rules that
limit provincial commitment to 33
per cent of the costs.
The theatre beard intends to raise
a total of $620,000 independent of
government grants. To date it has
raised only $195,000, $115,000 short of
that demanded by the government.
The letter from the ministry took
the board by surprise. Several
major fund-raising events had been
scheduled to take place after the
arbitrary Sept. 7 deadline and can't
be rescheduled quickly enough.
The board has resorted to appeal-
ing for help to patrons, audience
members and private sponsors. As
part of this effort, the theatre is
emphasizing its value, not just to the
performers and area theatre fans,
but to the community as a whole.
Among the facts, mentioned in a
recent media release were the
following:
—A 1985 study by the University of
Waterloo indicated that the theatre
injected over $690,000 into the local
economy each season.
—Over 3,000 people attend the
Blyth festival each week,, many of
whom spend, much, n ore than the
price of their ticket on, meals,
accommodation and souvenirs.
—Almost 40,000 people will have
seen plays at the Blyth Festival by
the end of this season.
—The seasonal theatre company
of over 100 creates a' significant
demand for housing and services in
the town.
—The cultural sector is the sixth
largest employer in Ontario: the
average Ontario consuine spends
$216 each year on cultural activities.
There is concern, however, that
even if the community does manage
to somehow raise the needed funds
by the September deadline, funding
from the federal and provincial
governments may still be delayed.
The theatre finds itself in some-
thing of a Catch-22 situation. The
federal government is unwilling to
commit itself to financing the con-
struction until the provincial
government does. The provincial
government says the festival must
obtain federal coMmttments before
it is wiling to commit to its share of
the price.
The festival was hoping that the
provincial government would foot
half of the,$1,8 million bill ($900,000)
and the federal government another
third ($540,000), leaving the festival
to raise $360,000.
Worried that one level of govern-
ment might come through with
fewer funds than expected, the
festival is attempting to raise twice
that amount, $720,000.
The proposed $1.8, million struc-
ture is actually something of a bar-
gain. The estimated price of the
facility proposed under the original
feasibility study was $3.5 million.
The lower-priced construction which
is hoped to be undertaken will
provide the bare minimum facilities
to allow the festival to continue
growing.
"It's certainly something we need
desperately in order to continue to
flourish artistically," artistic
director Katherine Kaszas told The
London Free Press, "What we want
is fairly simple e .. not luxurious by
any, means. What it will do is serve
us 10 to 20 years down the road in
terms of allowing our various
artistic programs to continue to
develop."
Included in the $1.8 million price
tag is an expanded rehearsal hall,
larger wings, new seats, a higher
stage ceiling and new, larger
dressing rooms.
A garage on Dinsley Street, which
has in the past been used for
rehearsals, storage, workshops and
the occasional performance, will
have heating, air conditioning and
ventilation installed. Also, an
addition almost three times larger
than the garage itself will be built to
provide adequate space for storage,
workshops and rehearsals.
Theatre fund-raisers are con-
cerned that a failure to raise the
needed $310,000 will result inas long
delay in the construction of new
facilities. The staff would end up
going through the entire -application
procedure again without even the
possibility of receiving as, much
money as it .had under the original
application.
Western Foundry agreed that the
new shifts were being employed on as
trial basis.
Mr. Phibbs says he realises that
some employees are not pleased
with the deal, but considers it the
best option open to the company.
"Clearly it (the change to con-
tinental hours) is a change in a small
community, but we have had to find
some way to meet customer
demand.
"I'm not trying to suggest that it's
easy for anybody to work a 12 -hour
shift," he says, "but I've worked
before at places where they've gone
from eight to 12 -hour shifts and
loved it." When asked if the longer
hours would result in a decline in
production quality, Mr. Phibbs said
it is not anticipated. "We don't
expect a decline in the quality of our 1
products. We have really dedicated
workers. People here are proud of
the quality of the products they
produce."
Maintenance staff at Western
Foundry have been working the
longer shifts for some time. As of
Sunday, the vast majority of
production workers changed over to
the new hours as well.
Although workers will enjoy
longer periods of time away from
work under the new schedule, they
will have to work some nights and
two weekends a month.
WHITE HOT ® Western Foundry workers have
hour shifts and the plant is operating 24 hours a
tracts.
changed over to 12
day to fill major con-
CKNX
'BROADCASTING .
LIMITED
FESTIVAL MUST RAISE FUNDS — The Ontario government has
set Sept. 7 as the date when the Blyth Festival must have a commit-
ment in place for half of its proposed $1.8 million expansion project
if the province is to contribute. The proposed expansion will provide
better work and storage space for the festival, as well as improve-
ments to the theatre itself.
Building permits
are approved by
Morris council
A. N. (Al) Skelton
Robert V. Elsden, presi-
dent of CKNX Broadcasting;
Limited, announces the ap-
pointment of A. N. (Al)
Skelton, to the position of
vice-president and general
manager.
CKNX Broadcasting is a
Blackburn Group Inc.
company.
Several building permits were
approved at a recent meeting of
Morris Township Council to be
issued on the recommendation of
Chief Building Official Leo Sanders.
Permits were approved for:
Bodmin Ltd., south half of Lot 11,
Con. 5, a swine barn; Ross Nichols,
Lot 26, Con. 6, a sunporch; Bert
Hastings, south half of Lot 9, Con. 2,
a granary; Betty Kelly, south part of
Lot 6, Con. 7, a carport and Creg
Duck, Lot 1, Con, 4, a residence.
ELECTED MODERATOR
rev. Dr. Perrie of Wingham was
elected Moderator of the Presby-
terian Synod of Hamilton and
London, meeting in Hamilton in
April of 1927. He was nominated by
five presbyteries and had served in
the ministry for many years.
If you had to entirely
rebuild your home
tomorrow, could you?
With State Farm, you can get guarantees 100%
coverage on your home plus extra contents
protebtion. Call to see if you qualify.
Richard Gibbons
318 Josephine St., Wingham
357=3280
Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.
State Farm Fire and Casualty Company
CanadiaW Mead Office: Scarborough, Ontario
STATE FARM
!t777l1.
COO
INSURANCE