The Huron Expositor, 1989-01-04, Page 1Sports — P. 8, 9, 10
Birth — P. 11
Obituaries — P, 11
Graduates — P. 11
Dublin — P. 7
Walton — P. 4
Cranbrook — P. 7
Serving the communities
and areas of Seaforth,
Brussels, Dublin, Hensall
and Walton
uron
xpositor
LSeafor Ontario
Gen
HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1989
50 cents a cop
ral Coach locks out 209 employees
It was a dismal New Years for 209
employees of Hensall's General Coach who
were locked out after rejecting their
employer's final offer to settle a collective
agreement.„ •
yam'" The employees, about 20-25 of whom are
from Seaforth, are still in high spirits, but
are preparing for a long picket line vigil.
"The company is suggesting that it'll be
long, and, we're prepared for a long term
lockout," says Errol Skillender of Seaforth,
who is a bargaining committee represen-
tative. But Mr. Skillender believes the union
had to stand it's ground on the issue of
wages in these negotiations, and says
employees need compensation for what he
feels have been inadequate wage increases
in the past.
"It's the type of thing that can't go on
-accepting 2 per cent increases. A person
has to live. Hell, the inflation rate is going to
be five per cent next year."
The employees voted 94 per cent to reject
the company's offer of a two year agree-
ment, effective November 1, 1988 to October
31, 1990. This agreement gave employees a
$200 signing bonus, 25 cents per hour effec-
tive April 1, 1989, and a 20 cents per hour in-
crease effective April 1, 1990.
The company had previously warned that
if the employees did not sign the agreement
by December 29, 1988 they would be locked
out,. Also, if rejected, the offer would be
removed from the bargaining table and
would no longer be available.
The union, The United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiner of America, Local
3054, has taken the position that the past col-
lective agreement was inadequate, and the
workers should be given a chance to catch
up, and keen up with the inflation rate.
Adam Salvona,union representative, says
heg had a feelinP
there would be problems
with.these• negotiations.
"They took a very obstinate position on
most proposals," says Mr. Salvona of the
company. Language proposals which were
suggested to clear up ambiguities in the
agreement, and achieve goals. such as im-
proving the grievance procedure, met with
disapproval from the company, and were
eventually dropped by the union's
negotiators. They instead concentrated on
wages.
The last collective agreement was for a
three year period and gave workers a one
year wage freeze, a 30 cent increase in one
year, and an additional 30 cents in the next.
Over the three years, Mr. Salvona estimates
the employees got about nine percent behind
the inflation rate.
Mr. Salvona also points to plants in British
Columbia where workers are paid $2.48 per
hour more than the average $10.50 at the
Hensel) plant, and also get superior
benefits.
"It is very important to note that the com-
pany has enjoyed excellent production and
sales over the past three years," says Mr.
Salvona, adding that the union would like to
see the fruit from these good times shared
around..
The union representative says the
negotiators will have to reconsider its
original monetary demands because of the
company's action and says: "we won't set-
tle for less, I can assure you." •
THE COMPANY'S POSITION
Andrew Imanse; the general manager of
General Coach, says the package the com-
pany has offered its employees• is fair, and is
considerably better than the wage and
benefits package offered by other manufac-
turers in Ontario.
He points out that the $10.50 which is the
average wage at the plant is actually about
$13 or $14 per hour once one considers OHIP,
a drug plan, dental and vision care and life
insurance.
"If you want to be a responsible employer
HENSALL LOCKOUT - 209 employees of General Coach in Hen -
sell have been locked out, as a result of their rejection of their com-
pany's final settlement offer to renew a collective agreement. The
always been high paying in its industry, has Mr. Imanse feels the company had no
agreement expired on October 31, 1988. The negotiating sides are
far apart on many issues, of which the primary concern is wages,
and emplo)tes are preparing for a long lockout. Corbett photo
you have to remain competetive, says Mr.
Imanse. He says he is competing in Ontario,
not in'B.C., and he has to be competetive
with companies in Ontario who are Offering
wages of $2 to $2.50 less than what General
Coach offers, and says there is a factory in
b Saskatchewan that pays in the $8 per hour
range.
He says the union had been- asking for a
$1.40 per hour increase over each year of a
two year contract, and for a pension plan in
addition. But after three and a half months
of bargaining this was lowered to 80 cents in
the first year, and 70 cents in the next.
Mr. Imanse says General Coach has
C /
HCBE and teachers get back at` negotiation
The Huron County Board of Education
and its elementary teachers are back at the
bargaining table.
The board contactedsthe teachers, who
have been without a collective agreement
since August 31, 1988, and on December 16
negotiators for the Board and for the Huron •
Elementary Teachers' Association met.
Once again the two sides couldn't find a way
through the tangle of issues which remain
unresolved: preparation time, staffing,
salary and benefits being the major sources
of contention.
But included with the Boards invitation to
the teachers to meet Was an indication that
the board is willing to once again have ,a
mewator. At me meeting on Ueeember 16.
the two sides decided that a mediator should
be appointed in 1989., Two attempts at
mM
mediation were held, in ay, and a fact fin-
ding hearing was'held in September.
The last meeting prior to this most recent
one was held on September 22.
On November 28, in an action un-
precedented in Huron County, almost 400
elementary teachers were bused to the
Board office in Clinton where they hoped to
declare their support for their negotiating
committee, and pressure the Board back to
the negotiating table. The teachers were not
heard at the public meeting, however, as
chairman John Jewitt ruled them out of
order for attempting to negotiate in public.
The teachers read their statement intended
for the meeting outside the boorcl office
before reboarding the buses.
The board's position concerning the
delays in negotiations was that the past year
was an election year, and it will take time
before newly elected trustees are educated
about the issues involved in and"surrounding
the negotiations'.
Flo Keillor, of the Huron Women
" Teachers' Association, said the tone of the
negotiations held on December 16 was very
amiable. The Education Relations Commis-
sion has been approached for a mediator,
and one is expected to be appointed in
' January. 1
enjoyed good employee relations in the past, choice but a lockout after three and a half
and has close to 100 employees with over 10 months of nego ' ons, ending • with a
years of seniority. meeting, betwe the 'on and a provincial
"On my part, I want to get operations mediator la riday.
back running again, but it's important that A cone' ator issued a nom rd report on
everyone becomes informed on what's going Decembe 12, which states that th sides are
on in the rest of the industry." too far ape for there to bean reement at
This time of year there is little demand for this time. The report allows legal strike or
the recreation vehicles produced at general lockout. The union voted over 90 percent in
coach, and existing stock will allow the com- favor of striking, but elected not to strike,
pany t+r.keep up with the current demand. nor did they suggest a strike deadline.
Town officials make resolutions
Some New Years' resolutions have been or August of 1989.
set w 'ch could determine Whether or not Mr. Smith would also like to see a doctor .:i
:1909 be a successful year for Seaforth. recruited by the hospital" board's recruit-
:;: Se forth's newly elected Mayor Hazel ment committee, successful fund-raising.for
;;Mild rand has set 1989 as the year in which the building fund, and the smooth construe -1"
rth's landfill problems will be finally tion of the hospital addition. It is estimated
tisol ed. Other goals Mrs. Hildebrand says the addition will be closed imby April.
if she would like to see Seaforth meet this year
:are the starting of the streetscape project,
s''Ijthe completion of the Seaforth-Manor and
lhospital expansion projects, and for regular
-;;;:;town maintenance she w,oilld like to see as
.N ;many Streets and sidewalks as possible pro-
perly surfaced.
El "I know it takes time, but I'd like to see a
recycling program go ahead," says the
Mayor, and itis her intention to see the foun-
X dation for such a program laid in 1989.
Don Smith, administrator of the Seaforth
.; Community Hospital, also has ambitions he
S would like to see fulfilled this year.
`" The hospital will be having an accredita-
tion, and it is Mr. Smith's goal to have it
receive the maximum accreditation of three
years.
These accreditations are done in hospitals
Canada -wide; and the inspectors look at the
standard of medical staff,, ecuipment, etc.
at the hospital, and recommend that
another accreditation be done in anywhere
from six months to a maximum of three
:years. Seaforth's last accreditation was two
id
ears ago.
o.Y g
"y , Mr, Smith says the entire hospital staff is
"'involved in making sure the accreditation is
aa success, and will be ensuring that quality
,assurance programs are in place.'
Marlen Vincent, chairman of the hospital
fundraising committee, has set March as
the month when the door-to-door canvassing •
campaign will take place. . ,
"My goal is to raise $900,000 .with help".
from a lot of volunteers,"says Mr. Vincent.
"We think the people of Seaforth and
surrounding area will put us over the top."
The fundraising committee has three
years to raise the $900,000 needed for the
hospital expansion.
Tom Eplett, the Manufacturing Super-
visor at Wallbank Precision Springs which;:':
purchased the former Genesco building in'
1988, has set a goal to get the 'plant going
with three full time shifts m 1989. Mr. Eplett-
estimates
estimates this will r,.,,r' about six months.
And Marnstr, 1 "„e linator Alex Shev-`<
chuck has : • • I • M"to throw a really big s>
party at the en, re Malnstreet Program :!1!
in Au;' ' '
But w,.., what is left of the program in
1989, Mr. Shevchuck hopes to see the first:."
of the streetscape plan, the civic
court, built before July 1, 1989. Mr. Shev-''
chuck says he would also like to "work with
the BIA (Business Improvement Associa-<;; '
Lion) and the Economic Development Com- ..
puttee, to organize and promote Seaforth's`
r•r .. <: F4 1..1911+::: ;::L !1 :: , Gl9... ii io::,o; .:40+ lfl:9Ma # ?fftif ,B 0V.i/s' ilk,'.
Goderich roman busted
A Goderich man was arrested on
Seaforth's Main Street and police seized ap-
proximately $1,500 in drugs on Wednesday.
The arrest and seizure came as the result
of an investigation conducted across Huron
County by Stratford RCMP. Plain clothed
RCMP officers made thea rest in front of
Keating's PharmacyAand several
employees of Main Street businesses
witnessed the incident. They saw two men in
an unmarked car approe r a pickup con-
taining a man and wo' handcuff the
driver to their vehicle, •ar' h the truck, put
both the man and woman in their vehicle,
and drive away leaving the truck on the
street.
The search revealed 94 grams of cannabis
resin (hashish) with an estimated street.
value of $1,080, and 82 units of suspected
LSD valued at $410.
The Goderich man has been charged with
possession for the purpose of trafficking in
hashish, and possession of LSD for the pur-
pose of trafficking The woman is a juvenile,
and is not being charged.
The man charged wi11 appear in court in
Goderich on January 3, 1988.
Sterdm nr s is changing hands
Seaforth's"`, e will be closing guess un uuuuays fur two or tnree weeks to
at the enof ' n, ,1 out w ill be re -opening get some rest. Mr. Deighton says they are
in March ow look and under new not necessarily retiring,and will be looking
ownersl for a new prospect which
DOR ar desn't take up as
d 1 e rihlun, who haverbeen the much time. The Deighton' will be staying in
owners ,1 the M areal business for the Seaforth.
pears, are giving the sstore.The store is not going to be left vacant.
post 1
I wouldn't have given it up if they didn't
"No doubt about it, we're going to miss it, have someone to take my place," explains
• , ' ,,e're going to miss the public," says Mr. Deighton.
tvli. .. ighton, "but there's a few things Dave Deighton, Don's nephew from
we'r'e ,ti„ ted to do." Midland, will likely be taking the business
over. He hie beep managing a K -Mart in
Midland, and has been hoping to got a store
of his own. Turn to page 14A
• A FEW INCHES OF SNOW COVER was all that was needed tc
entertain Jenny Armstrong of Monkton, and her two local cousins
David Nuhn, and his brother Jordan of Seaforth. Corbett photo.
;en. , Ily, owning the store has meant
that Mr. and Mrs. Deighton work full time at
least six days a week, but noW they will be
11
A