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PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of. the Cou nty Town Michael li The.only Whitby newspaper independently owned and oper, IThiniik smll. I byJlm Smith1 NewFarigled Featherbedding God, according te one re- spected source, miade the world in six days. This was accomplished in large part because He wasn't unionized. The labour movemnent be- gan as a good cause but has lapsed increasingly into ab- surdity. Far too much of la- bour's energy today is dedi- cated to the premise that, if one mani can do a job in one hour, it, should take, two union mien two hours to ac- complish the sanie work. Lately, that kind of mentali- ty bas been directed towards solving the unemployment probleni. The "solution" put for- ward by Canada's union lea- ders gets an "A"'for ingenui- ty, another "A" for chutz- pah and a resounding "F" for econornic validity. Basi- cally, every union « nember would put in fewerhours,al- lowing the available work te be spread over a larger nuni- ber of workers. The catch is that each of these workers would get the sarne 4'ke- home pay in retumn for less work. Obviously, the union pro- posai is rather less philanth- ropic than its proponents wouldlike us to believe. Not surprisingly, it enjoys wide- spread popularity within union tanks, however. The federal government has been studying a slightly different approach to the sanie problenm. The approach is known as "work sharing" and it involves amalgamating unemploynient insurance benefits with part-tme work, an idea that has been advan- ced in Germany in recent years. Under work slraring, if 10% of the workers ira com- pany were due to be laid off, the government could ar- range for ail workers to work 10% fewer hours instead. For those lost hours, the workers would r'eceive unemploy- nient insurance benefits. So instead of sorne workers be- ing totally uiernployed, al workers would be partially unemployed - with the U.IC. picking up the tab. If 25% of the workforce would other-' wise be laid off, the workers would aIl work 25% fewer hours. And so on. There's a lot to be said in favour of work sha ring in the short terrni: lInstead of a few workers bearing a tre- mendous financial burden, everyone would share srnie slight fiscal discomfort. But the concept has somne highly disturbing aspects that aren't immediately- obvious. For in- stance, there* is the danger that unemployment would beconie institutionalized; that is, having beconie lock- ed into the unemployment in- surance subsidy, the govern- ment might be unable to cut off the benefits if it became obvious that full employ- ment would neyer be attain- able in the future. And, at al times, the programn would prevent workers ftrn moving to areas where there might be a need for their services. ,Canada Iacks jobs for two basic reasons: our wage rates are too high relative to our productivity and our taxes are outrageous. Both these new-fangled "cures" for un- employment could prove worse than the disease. "Think smail" is an edltorial message f rom the Canadiîan Federation of Independent Business © SERVINO OVER 28,000 READERSr ýan Burgess, Pubiisher-Managing Editor rated by Whtby residents for Whitby residents. You were asking How doe, The Reglonal Offices of the AIB are reporting a number of ",,,ot topics" currently being flided by enquiry officers. From Winnipeg.. Question: The collective ag- reement for my group expired on March 31, 1978, but the union tells us that we arc still subject te contrels. 1 rhought the AIB ended on April 14. Answer: No, a gradua! emergence frem decontrols Community Editor -Brion vv."er Published every Wednesday Çontribtting Editor -Jim Qua'il Produètion Manager -Marie Burgess Print & Promotional by M.B.M. Publishingi Manager -Robin Lyonl and Photography !fC.1 CIassf.ed Ad Manager -S. ManDccker Phone 668-6111 Circulation manager -'Siièiôn Ly4Uf -Màiling Permit No. 460 The Free Press Building, Member of the: -131 Brock Street North, Botter Business Bureau -of Toronto P.0. Box 206. Whitby, Ont. Whitby Charmber cf Commerce . AIB decontrol affect me? began on April 14. An employee group will exit fromn controls according te the starting date of its "guideline year". (This date was established ini relation te the expiry date of the Iast collective agreement entered inte prier te October 14, 1975). In yeur group's case, your new agree- ment and "guideline year" will probably take effect beginning on April 1, 1978, and will remain under controls until December 31, 1978 when mandatory con- trols on salaries and on prices will cease. The effective date of the agreement is what is impor- tant in this case, net the date on which the agreement is signed. Houme economists hold national conference Question: My group's collec- tive agreement was fer a thrce- year period beginning July 1, 1976. Dees this mean that we're under controls unil July 1, 1979? Answer: No. Yeur greup is now in the second year of a thre year contract (Until June 30, 1978). Because the decontrel date of April 14, 1978 falîs in the second ycar of your contract, that contract will remain subject te controls until the end ef the centract year (or "guideline year') which began prier te April 14, 1978, that is, until June 30, 1978. After June 30, 1978, the contract is ne longer subject te niandatory controls. Question: Does the expily of controls mean that a contract which takês effect following April 14 will flot be subject to contruls of any kind? Answer: If, by controls you mean the federal anti-inflation controls then - yes. However it is hoped that the past two and one haîf years have taught us ail, whcther goverfment, business or labeur, that we have te leam te obey the "speed limits" for our own saftey and well-bcing, with- out the threat of the "police- man" around the corner. Co-operative effort needed Economie to achieve life-style goals -"f we aregong obawsawrb '* The Canadian Home Econoniics Association is cern- mitted te assisting people in problem-solving for the purpose of improving the quality of their chosen life-style. In working to achieve this objective, wc feel that co-operation with govern- ment agencies which provide services and protection is essen- ial. Whilc 'CHEA concentrates on developing scif-hcip ami re- sponsible behavieur, the gov- ernncnt agencies are conccrncd with protecting the rights o'r Canadians. The CHEA/Anti- inflation Board efforts this past year excmplify this ce- opeatien.- Statement by Dr. Doris Badir. President of The Canadian Home Economics As- sociation, shown rght. about it." Those were the words uscd by lune Menzics, Vice Chair of the Anti-Inflation Board, in Sep- tember 1977, when she launched a co-operative pilot project of the Canadian Home Economics As- sociation ami the Anti-Inflation Board called CONVER SA- TIONS ABOUT ECONOMIC CHANGE. Basis ofJie prggram boâ ew, lated te inflatiorm as a catalyst thinking about i could be donc control and decc Since then, i country, incltu and high schoo] ses, have beer it'. The nation the Home Eco Letters to the IE Box 206 Iwhitbytj Ont. Lt change is ti *k and series of tien in Calgary, July 25 - 28, will ,s on subjects re- inetgate just how much 'talk- n, designed te ac ing' bas been donc as a result of to start groups that program, what conclusions ýnflation and what have been rcachcd, and will about it in th>e analyse various facets of the >rop crsshethe individual. droup across the Therne of the Conférence will Idaing Ie lnarybc ECONONilC CHANGE - i "talking aboutCH NE O OI . ial conférence of Kcynote speaker will be Judith nomnics Associa- maxwell, Director of Policy Analysis for thc C.D. Howc Research Instîtute, shown lcft. An entire morning will be IUiLior spent discussing famliles ami the ec@nomfy, based on the work of te AIB and Uhc Canadian Homne Economiùcs Association, ani chaired by an Amnerican authority on the subjcct, Dr. Jan 5S 1 Hogan, Assistant Professer, N 5S Famîly Social Science, Univer- iThem ills:t:0 workshops terne on compact hbusing, personal investment, clothing and textiles and thc economy, children in the economy, and social markctin . These discussions will incLe home economists, consultants, dictitians, and home cconomics teachers from across Canada as wclI as members of thc Anierican Home Economics Association. -l arn delighted at the initia- tive and imagination bcing shown by the CHEA in planning this conference," said June Menzies. 'Talking; about thc factors that feed inflation ami becoming censcieus of the con- tribution of the individual in fighting inflation bas always been important te the inflation fight, but now, as controls arc bcing pbascd eut, it is even more important. I congratulate the As- sociation on their schedule of topics ami their chosce of speak- ers and discussion leadem. '