The Times Advocate, 2004-07-28, Page 1JOHN DEERE
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INHURON
TRACTOR
TIMES -ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
x.25 (includes GST)
Info picket line at Blue Water Rest Home
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
ZURICH —
Approximately 100 mem-
bers of Local 2458 CAW
showed their support for
employees of the Blue
Water Rest Home July 21
at an information picket
set up in front of the facil-
ity.
Members of the rest
home health care unit
have been without a col-
lective agreement since
April 21, 2003.
Representatives of the
local say the board of
directors is refusing to
negotiate unless part-time
benefits are removed and
changes made to full-time
benefits.
The benefits were
approved for part-time
workers when they
became unionized in
1987.
The last negotiations
were held June 21 with
no progress and an arbi-
tration hearing for the
two collective agreements
is being set up to impose
a settlement.
Bruce Dickie, 2458
president, said with the
workers barely making
$20,000 a year it was
wrong to strip them of
what benefits they have.
"Sooner or later they
have to get back to the
negotiating table ... hope-
fully they'll give us a call."
National rep Guy Havell
said employees accepted
less pay because the ben-
efits were important.
"Everything else can be
worked through but they
basically said 'give it up
or we won't bargain' ...
We can't allow them to do
it. It is the most important
issue."
Havell added the infor-
mation pickets would not
affect services.
"We would never affect
services or harm resi-
dents."
Board of directors
chairperson Brian
McHugh said the board is
aware of how long the
process has taken and
would prefer a voluntary
settlement over arbitra-
tion but they support the
negotiating committee in
their efforts.
"We are not willing to
set aside important issues
for the home's future via-
bility and our proposals
are consistent with other
agreements and settle-
ments."
McHugh said there may
have been some miscom-
munications on some
issues, stating "there is
Members of the Blue Water Rest Home health care unit held an information picket line July 21 after being
without a contract since April 2003.The info picket line was supported by over 150 members of Local 2458
CAW From left are: Joy Tyler, Guy Havell (CAW national rep.), Ervin Steinmann, Brenda Shepphard (part time
rep.), Jean Coleman, Jackie McCracken, Mia Creces (full time rep.), Susan Wildfong, Coralie Dykstra (part time
rep.), Jane Lloyd, Sandra Desjardine (chairperson), Darlene Prouse (vice president Local 2458 CAW) and Elze
G root. (photo/PatBolen)
nothing at all" affecting
full or part-time employ-
ees.
"In a recent letter to the
board, the vice president
of Local 2458 stated the
negotiating committee for
the home is insisting part-
time benefits be removed
and full-time benefits
changed.
"The home's proposed
position is to change the
part-time benefit plan to
payment in lieu of bene-
fits only for new hires. All
current part-time employ-
ees in receipt of benefits
would be given a choice
to remain on the present
plan or switch to receiv-
ing the in -lieu payment."
McHugh added their
consultant Bass
Associates has told them
this type of change has
been agreed to by the
CAW in other homes in
the London area.
He said it also allows
the home to introduce a
Retirement Saving plan to
all employees which
would represent a signifi-
cant increase in compen-
sation for current employ-
ees.
While there are no
negotiations scheduled,
McHugh said "we are
ready, willing and more
than happy to meet with
them."
Hensall deamalgamation meeting packs United Church
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
HENSALL — If a public meeting last
week in Hensall is any indication, the
Municipality of Bluewater is not one big
happy family.
A "deamalgamation meeting" was
held at the Hensall United Church July
21 to discuss the issue of Hensall break-
ing away from Bluewater, which it
joined in 2001 along with Zurich, Hay,
Stanley and Bayfield. About 200 people
packed the United Church for the meet-
ing, organized by Hensall's Concerned
Citizens group. Also attending the meet-
ing were similar groups from other
areas not happy with amalgamation —
Flamborough, which wants to pull out
of Hamilton, and Ridgetown, which
wants to leave the amalgamated
Chatham -Kent.
"Wow!" was the reaction of the
Concerned Citizens of Hensall's Kay
Wise to the strong turnout at the meet-
ing.
Introducing the meeting, she said the
provincial government told municipali-
ties in the 1990s they would have to
amalgamate. As a result of amalgama-
tion, Wise said "our lovely villages have
deteriorated and our taxes have not
gone down ... services are one by one
being taken away." Referring to amal-
gamation as "a mess," Wise said, "We
want our town back," garnering loud
applause.
University of Western Ontario political
science Prof. Andrew Sancton, author of
"Merger Mania," told the crowd munici-
palities amalgamated because they
were under pressure from the province
to do so. Chatham -Kent, which was
forced by the province to merge 23
municipalities into one, was held up as
the example of what would happen to
municipalities if they didn't hold merger
talks.
The feeling at the time, Sancton said,
was, "If you don't figure it out for your-
self, you'll get the Chatham -Kent treat-
ment."
Amalgamations, he said, were a quick
marriage.
Looking at the towns and townships
that make up Bluewater, Sancton said,
"I can't figure out what the natural con-
nections are between these places." He
later said, "Ask people where Bluewater
is and no one knows, but ask them
where Hensall is and they know."
Regarding amalgamation and the
belief it would lead to greater efficiency,
Sancton said creating larger municipali-
ties does not save money. While amal-
gamations were happening in Ontario in
the 1990s, Sancton said no amalgama-
tions took place in western Canada, the
U.S. or Europe in the same period —
only in eastern Canada and in Australia
were amalgamations happening.
Sancton said studies had already shown
money isn't saved by amalgamating,
and with the exception of eastern
Canada and Australia, the rest of the
world knew it.
Admitting he's no expert on
Bluewater, Sancton said there's no evi-
dence in larger urban centres that
money was saved by amalgamating and
some evidence shows it cost money.
Another argument in favour of amal-
gamation is that creating larger munici-
palities will attract investors. Sancton
said this is also false.
"It doesn't make any sense," he said.
Sancton said municipal mergers erode
democracy and lead to a belief the cen-
tral government knows best.
Sancton spoke strongly in favour of
people in municipalities working full-
time jobs and sitting on council making
decisions on behalf of ratepayers. He
said Mike Harris's government made an
assault on these people by reducing the
number of councillors.
"What possible benefit was there in
getting rid of those people?" Sancton
asked.
As to the question of whether or not
"de -mergers" are possible, Sancton
replied, "Yes, of course it's possible." He
said pulling out of a municipality might
cost some money at first, but it's a good
investment if it will save money in the
long run or improve the community.
De -mergers are happening in Quebec,
Sancton noted.
Also speaking was Ridgetown
Independent News owner and publisher
Jim Brown, also a member of Chatham -
Kent council. Brown is fighting for
Ridgetown's right to pull out of
Chatham -Kent and said Ridgetown was
undemocratically forced to amalga-
mate.
Six years after amalgamation, he said
things haven't improved, money hasn't
been saved, there is more staff and
spending and taxes are way up.
"There are no savings with amalga-
mation," Brown said.
He told the Hensall residents they
aren't alone and unhappy communities
across the province have to get together
and let them know "we've had enough
and we want our communities back.
They have to listen to us."
What we have isn't working," Brown
said of Chatham -Kent, "And what you
have here isn't working."
He said Ridgetown had no debt before
it joined Chatham -Kent: now the amal-
gamated municipality is looking at a
$155 million debt.
See DEAMALGAMATION page 2