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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-02-15, Page 1Sports - AB-Al0 Dublin - Al2 Obituaries - Al2 Births - A17 Walton - A17 Serving the communities and areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and Walton [ Seatorth, Ontario HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1989 50 cents a copy Another offer rejected by General Coach employees While employees walk the picket lines at Hensall's General Coach plant, their union turned down 'a new proposal from management. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 3054 has been negotiating with General Coach since September in an attempt to reach a collec- tive agreement. When the employees voted 94 per cent in favor of not accepting the company's . final offer they found tt$mselves locked out on•December 30. The employees rejected the company's original offer for a two year agreement in - eluding a $200 signing bonus, 25 cents per hour effective April 1, 1989, and a 20 cent per hour increase effective April 1, 1990. The agreement would have expired on.Oc- tober 31, 1990. The employees rejected the proposal because they felt they got too far behind the inflation rate on their last three year collective' agreement which included a one year wage freeze, and want to catch up with the forthcoming agreement. On Tuesday, February 7. 1989 the com- pany presented what it felt was a substan- tially revised monetary proposal to the union bargaining committee. But union representative Adam Salvona says the modified offer was just a rearrangement of the amounts originally discussed, and it was rejected by the union. "We feel that it was a waste of our time, that the company had no.,intention of com- ing to the meeting with a view of settling these negotiations," said Mr. Salvona. The proposal was for a three year con- tract. Year one would see a 25 cent per hour increase effective on ratification, and payment for New Year's Eve, 1988 and New Year's Day 1989. In addition to -this, all employees with seniority of 10 years or more would receive an extra 10 cents per hour, and employees with five to nine. years would receive an extra five cents per hour effective on ratification. In the second year a 20 cents per hour in- crease would be added effective November 1, 1989. In the third year a 35 cents per hour in- crease would take effect on November 1, 1990. Ontario Dentist Association rates effec- tive November 1, 1989 would be 1986 ODA rates, and November 1, 1990rates would be 1987 ODA rates. It was noted that'employee benefits paid by the company total about $3.69 per hour, making total average compensation about $15 per hour. In a letter to its 209 locked out employees General Coach explained its position in forwarding the proposal: "General Coach wages and benefits are among the very highest in our area. The company's average wage rates are about $2 per hour more than our major com- petitors in Ontario, making it more dif- ficult for us to compete. As well General Coach employees receive the best employee benefits in our industry: OHIP, 11 paid holidays, vacation pay, supplemen- tary health benefits ( drug plan ), sickness and accident, vision care, dental and life insurance. Retaining our market share has become extremely difficult in light of the Eastern Canadian competition. We also face severe competition from U.S. manufacturers who pay lower wages and benefits and are able to undercut out prices as a result of the change in the Canadian dollar. The advent of free trade could worsen this." Mr. Salvona pointed out that the recent offer does not include a signing bonus, and mentions pay for holidays he says employees are entitled to anyway. General Coach General Manager An- drew hnanse felt the possible 90 cents over ,.twee years was a significant change, and that the union should take the offer to the employees and let them decide for themselves. I feel' that it's only fair that the membership as a whole vote on it so we can see where we stand," he explained. The offer is on the table until February 16. Gregor Campbell, a Seaforth man employed at the plant, said employees see no bargaining movement in the near future. "They (the company) think they've real- ly moved, but as far as we're concerned they have yet to start bargaining. If that's the way they're going to continue they can shut the place down," he said. Mr. Campbell said about a third of the plant's employees have other jobs, and summer will provide many of the employees from agricultural backgrounds with income. "It's going to be long, and both sides are going to be hurt." What appears to be frustration generated by the lockout has resulted . in the windows on one side of the plant being smashed. dI'skaittng a . pna sa`b�asseur=.of St -Jean -sur ,pture<idthe sentmr 1-34,Re3aii f adian Figur8? 1,, ri EEe a ett'-a•. p *ad .last week WI) Bte:,<a afar-�' c. Te- . 1114iifies ..... a t ilnish , A 2 :It AEP guru Sti ti ndth o not eui tel ld`." hamPlonships ield:in ttdapest, .'l lie co ,uplellinoved taanth ;; 2.kdn .the • lEthaMiles, `3to veilth ttheS011iEWOrlds.litOctillierifty •finishedd"first itAkate Canada :atit int•. ttimtmiimitgrstyleiat Ahemational <Eisler, : 5,oand' asseur,:`.'18 'beat; out Manitoba's.? ndoniiohnstonsandQuehec's • Indy ani takeiihe- 9 title en - t g rehampions Christine Ioug Mated it a lretk 'Vaneouver '%.f{ RllRafat 1 N v f.7'� .4 ,44 r ,, eeele C t t I.•' f to..e ,,,ft.l f,A 1.,;>of •ar'. 1 utit witiag t.1=tuud,.�andMh a _ =ice i e:edheem Opposition growing to trail Opposition continues to mount against a cial government might approve the plan and plan to convert the abandoned Guelph -to- dump the problems of higher costs of main- Goderich CPR Rail line to a recreational . taining municipal drains back onto the local trail. municipality. Her township had a municipal On February 7 a group of concerned Mor- drain to install that would be much cheaper ris Township landowners, calling if an open ditch could be cut right through themselves the Ground Hog's Day Commit- the right of way, than if it had to be closed in tee in recognition of the day they were form- to keep the right of way open for trail use. ed, and their commitment to protecting liv- And Morris reeve Doug Fraser, said mg creatures from motorized vehicles, peti- farmers in his township were very much tioned their council to oppose the rails -to- concerned about the prospect of a trail, and trails proposal. had indicated to him they'd like to see the Their petition came on the heels of con- land go back to the farmers. That concern cern voiced by the reeves of Hulled, Grey led to the formation of the Ground Hog's and Morris townships at the February 2 Day Committee. meeting of Huron County Council. Made up of property owners an ect af- Hullett Reeve Tom Cunningham raised fected by the disposal of the CPR property the issue at that meeting, during a report of on Concession 10 of Morris Township, the the Huron County Planning and Develop- committee, represented by Emerson Mit- ment Committee. He said farmers in his chell, Charles Shobbrook, Arnold Elgi, Alan township were worried about problems, Young and Jeanne Kirkby, at Morris Coiun- such as maintenance and liability, that may cil February 7, expressed a desire to have result hum the presence of the trail. the support and involvement of the Grey Township Reeve Leona , • strong municipal government in furthering the said her council was concerned the provin- best interests of its constituents and li., a ,a Ert.•i�n rl''au rni- :N111 n.4.1 19 4,:111.1 ;.,.rs• rn a a 4 ..41 t CWn a n. n II.e, ': a F1Is1er ` x" { ItIdazyi till,lal `btt'i't.h .4somviluyn 3, even& sonietlirng 1swatit 1 want iif3» e "This showsthat With alll>lhhdetannnma tion and --:work ytuuctut* eve uyegOR7 you want." .. proposal ratepayers. • "Since the earliest development of rail service in Morris Township, the Municipal Council has been involved and represented the best interests of the property owners and ratepayers," noted the committee, "In 1872, they decided to make available grants up to $25,000 to bring the lines into the township. In 1887 negotiations began bet- ween council and CPR to run a straight double -tracked railway between Goderich and Guelph through our township. In 1904, the township council passed a by-law giving a grant of $3,500 to CPR for their share of the Goderich-Guelph lune extension. When the project was finally fully operational with four daily passenger trains the 12th of July was proclaimed a holiday to celebrate the achievement, and 200 tickets were sold at the Walton station for those wishing to at- tend the event in Goderich. Times change!" "It is our understanding that the Cana- dian Federal Governmentibas the first right of refusal to the abandoned land, the Provin- Turn to page 16A • THIS L.A. KINGS jersey was one of the•manyItems aucuonned off at the CelebrityDin- ner this .year, Buyer Wayne Schoonderwoerd is seen here with auctioneer Lance Chomyc, kicker for the Toronto. Argonauts. Corbett;photo. Organizers were a little disappointed in ticket sales for the town's second Celebrity Dinner, but were overall pleased with local support of the event. Approximately 185 people attended this year's dinner, down somewhat from last year's total of 250. Sponsorship of the event, however, by local businesses, increased in 1989 to include 25 businesses who con- tributed in excess of $125 each in support of the event. Organizers are blaming poor weather on Wednesday night for some of the decrease in attendance. They added a hospital fundrais- ing dance held on Saturday may also have held people back. "Twenty-five more tickets and we'd have been away," commented Graham Nesbitt, cochairman of the dinner. "But we're getting down to the hard core people who like it (the Celebrity Dinner) and will attend." While the ticket price remained the same as ini 1988, Mr. Nesbitt noted costs of the dinner were up this year. Approlimately $3,500, as opposed to $2,900 last year, bad to be spent on the celebrities. The auction, however, brought in $1,850, $530 more than in 1988. "We're still tallying, and don't have a figure for the hospital building fund yet. But it should be close to last year," said Mr. Nesbitt. The amount raised in 1988 was $2,590• "Our targetwas to have a full house. That would-baveitade.$4,000." Despite falling short of that goal, Mr. esbitt saidthedinner-was a success. dnad- Turn to;page I6A CLOWNING AROUND • Little Ashley Flanagan had a close encounter with Bimbo -the. Clown Friday morning when she travelled with her mother to the Seaforth Manor The occasion was Children's Day - a day when Manor staff. volunteers and just general guests are encouraged to bring their children in to visit with the residents. Mcllwrarth photo. Winter Interlude deemed a success The word on the street is that "Winter Interlude", Saturday's unofficial kickoff of fundraising for the Seaforth Community Hospital expansion, was a total success. While organizers, members of the lab staff of the hospital, were hesitant to blow their own horns, those who attended the event were impressed by what they saw. "I think it was an excellent evening," said one person. "It was very, very enjoyable, very at- tractive. There were no flaws. Everything went exactly as it was supposed to." "The decor made the evening, the color was exceptional throughout - and you'd never know it was the same arena," he said, commenting on the extraordinary lighting and use of corner murals and flower arrangements to give the event a special feeling. They did a helluva job. It hit you right off the bat. It (Winter Interlude) was a real highlight prior to the fundraising cam- paign - a real prelude of what we can.hope to see in the neat three years. The only peo- ple who lost out w re the ones that weren't there. I think if ey carry this on next year, it's going t be really hard to get tickets to.' \ And credit goes to the people who organized the event. "They sold it and they made it what it was. I don't think there was anybody who didn't enjoy themself. And that shows the calibre of the people we have at the hospital. For them to make it the special night that it was, shows that we have peo- ple who realty care down there." Tickets for the special evening were sold for $100 per couple. Just hew much money was raised for the hospital expansion is not known at this time.