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Zurich Citizens News, 1974-12-19, Page 5THURSDAY, DECEMBER" 19, 1974 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS The decision made Septemb- er 21, by the Civil Service Association of Ontario, to de- mand a 61.5'' wage increase this year and to strike if that demand is not met by Decemb- er 31, is a storm warning that cannot be ignored. Civil Serv- ice strikes were outlawed more than two years ago hut there will be a dislocating protracted and acrimonious strike anyway unless the Government acts promptly, decisively and in good faith to restore order and reason to its labour/manage- ment relations. Clearly the Provincial empl- oyees are not deterred by the fact that their strike would be illegal and in fact the compul- sory arbitration aspect of the Government's heavy handed and insensitive bargaining procedure has intensified their current militancy. If the Gov- ernment acts now to modify its restrictive Crown Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, then a strike can be avoided. Otherwise an illegal strike ap- pears inevitable. Leader of the Official Opp- osition, Robert Nixon, believes that the present statute which became law on May 30, 1972, is unnecessarily restrictive. The Liberal Party opposed it when it was put through the Legislat- ure and Mr. Nixon said during the debates that he believed it is wrong in principle and that anyone who supports it will regret it. It is now apparent that the legislation is self def- eating --that rather than prevent• ing strikes it has engendered a bitterness and frustration within the Civil Service that threatens to provoke a strike. The arbitration provisions which leave a two to one built- in majority favouring the Gov- ernment and the exclusions of almost all conditions of employ- ment except salary are two areas that trust be corrected before useful negotiations can continue. Mr. Nixon suggested that a joint committee of MPP's and repr ;sentatives of the Civil Service Association should be established immediately before relations with the 60, 000 govern Jottings by Jack from Queens Pork went employees deteriorate further, to redraft the law gov- erning Crown Employees contr- act negotiations. The new leg- islation should establish free and open negotiations in all areas dealing with salary and working conditions for Provin- cial employees. The new law must recognize, however, that certain employees of the govern trtent perform essential services, which they cannot be permitted to withdraw by means of a strike or a walkout. Specific- ally police protection and cert- ain other services such as the basic care of patients in psych- iatric hospitals, should be rec- ognized by reasonable people as essential. The joint coinmit- tee should determine which other categories of employees, if any, would endanger the health or safety of the comm- unity at large if they were to withdraw their services and should provide for an efficient and fair arbitration procedure for these employees. There is no way, however, that any essential characterist- ic can be associated with the people who work for example in the liquor stores or many of the government offices, whose serv- ices, while important to a community are not se essentail that their withdrawal would endanger health or safety. During the last two years elected representatives have had experiences at the Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels with strikes in the public service area. There have been illegal strikes among the fire fighters at airports and by some hospit- al workers in this Province and in other jurisdictions. Obviously the solution is not simply to put those people breaking the law, as it presently is,in jail. It trust be recognized that if the laws are so constructed that broad categories of people find themselves unable to obey thein; then we do not have the proper solution to the problems, that our laws are designed to solve -- problems that have been with us in the past and are growing in intensity and scope day by day. This view is apparently shared Installing ALU YL and IUM Soffat :v. Facias Covered ' Favestlroughing'' Alumiau° Stor = s* a iltters* Awaiags *Additions and renovations* FOR FREE ESTIMATES CALL 236-4808 AFTER 6 P.M. by Senator Carl Goldenberg, who was recently appointed by the Davis Government as med- iator in the Toronto Transit Commission labour dispute. He wrote last year that "comp- ulsory arbitration will not in itself eliminate strikes. In Australia where it has been in effect for many years, there are many more strikes and walk- outs annually than in Canada. Its experience shows that comp- ulsory arbitration does not prev- ent strikes; it only makes them illegal." Surely the Goverrunent's objective roust be to prevent strikes not simply to make them illegal. In the present circum- stances, it appears that a Civil Service strike cannot be prevent. ed unless the law is changed to provide greater freedom of negotiatio land to restrict comp• ulsory arbitration to employees whose services are essential, The composition of the Arb- itration Board which as present- ly established, is seen to he weighted in favour of the Gov- ernment, is an additional prob- lem. The procedure which allows the government to app- oint one member and the Chairman of the three-man Board reinforces, in the view of the employees and many objec- tive observers, the impression that the legislation as it now stands is fraught witli problems and possibilities for unfairness and injustice. At the upcoming session of the Legislature the government trust bring forward new legis- lation as dev loped by the joint committee of MPP's and Civil Service representatives that will correct this situation and also make it possible to negotiate with provincial empl- oyees in a free and open man- ner in all areas dealing with salary and working conditions. Once again emphasis crust be placed on the fact that certain employees perforin essential services and must be so regulat- ed but the general categories of employment crust have acc- ess to free negotiation if we. are ever -to restore some harm- ony and co-operation to labour - management relations in the Provincial Civil Service, The present advertising camp- aign by the Civil Service Ass- ociation has eiuphasized this aspect even more than the financial issue, andit is Mr. Nixon's belief shared by the members of his Caucus that it would be impossible for any reasonable negotiation to take place on salaries and wages until the ill -feelings related theurethod of negotiation are dealt with. In the opinion of the Official Opposition, the demand for a PAGE 5 61.55, pay increase is unrealist- ic and inflationary, and crust surely be recognized as an initial bargaining stance adopt- ed by the government employ- ees. It is the feeling of the Official Opposition that there should be interference at this stage with the negotiations bet- ween the representatives of the workers, that is the executive of the Civil Service Associat- ion, and the Management Board of the Province, which has the responsibility to bargain for the management side. If the atmosphere of bitter - (continued on page 13) API,E LEAF 13ONE-TN $1.09• ivL Lia ,s ii10 ��� ���' Hums.... cUTs LL $1.29 SCI.1NiET1'ER'S 'I'IIURTNC;ER 3 SKIM a R�9 S5N SELI ", 1: `', SLICED t13 $1.4 SC11NEl DER'S REGULAR 1.0 1.3 130X 131:11.,1: FROZEN SCIINETI)Eht'S rs FREEZER GUYS Sides of"eef Fronts of Beef Hinds of Beef 1.1.3 YUNGBLUT'S Meat Market PHONE 236-4312 ZURICH i 1 Fur Fr No ON ALL itur Until Christmas DROP I1 AND SEE OUR WIDE SELECTION DASHWocD if rnottu