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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1985, PAGE 9 To win 1985 contract.... Police vote for binding arbitration Durham Region's 389 uniformed police of- ficers have voted - almost unanimously - to seek binding arbitration to win a 1985 contract from the Durham Region Police Com- mission. The officers, mem- bers of the Durham Region Police Association, met last Wednesday to discuss the commission's latest offer which was finalized during recent conciliation talks. They have been without a contract since Dec. 31 and the decision to go to arbitration means they could be without one until Oc- tober, association president Dale Allan says. In a telephone inter- view with the Free Press, Allan said he was surprised that the of- ficers voted by a 99 per cent margin to go to ar- bitration - especially since the association's bargaining committee had made no recom- mendation concerning the last offer. "It surprised us," he said, "But the only op- tion we had was to go back to conciliation." There are two major issues in the dispute - pension portability and court time compen- sation. Allan said that since there was no movement in con- ciliation on these items, arbitration seems to be the only venue lef t. "We felt that the only option left to take was arbitration," Allan said. The association is seeking a clause in its -contract that would see officers receive pension credits for previous ser- vice either in other police forces or in the armed forces. This concept - usually refered to as pension portability - is now commonly used by other municipal government employees, especially those who are members of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). The officers are also seeking a better court time compensation package for those of- ficers who must attend court on their days off or during their annual holiday. Allan said that an of- ficer who attends court on his day off is paid for an eight hour shift at straight time which he described as "not adequate". Attending court on a day off means that the officer's time is not his own - making it difficult for him or her to make plans or engage in per- sonal activities. Attersley says.... Commission won't change stance The Durham Region Police Commission won't alter its position when its contract dispute with its 389 uniformed officers reaches arbitration, Mayor Bob Attersley says. Attersley, who also serves as commission chairman, says that they can't afford the demands for pension portability and in- creased court time compensation put for- ward by the Durhanm Region Police Association. "We're not going to move off our original position," Attersley told the Free Press last Friday. "It's just too rich." The association, he claimed, wants pension credits for about 55 of- ficers who joined the Durham force after ser- ving in either in other police forces or in the armed forces prior to the implementation of pension portability. These people, Atter- sley noted, received a cash pay-out from their old pension plans when they left their previous employment. And to back due their pensions with the Durham force would cost about $1.2 million of which, the commission would have to pay 84.7 per cent. Attersley said that only one other force - Waterloo - in Ontario has this benefit. "The pension wasn't portable at the time they came to us," he said, "And that's the big problem." He also believes that court time compen- sation for officers having to appear in court on their days off is adequate. He points out that for every day an of- ficer spends in court on his day off he gets an additional two days off. "At present, that is compatible with most police forces,', he said adding, "It's a very costly thing for us." The chairman is also concerned about the ripple effect the association's demands will have not only with the force's senior of- ficers but with other regional and local municipal employees as well. He also notes that of the force's $22 million annual budget, $12 million is allocated for the wages and benefits CHECK OUR LOW LOW SPRING PRICES D» te o w er.verhM wu etsa t~ A iVI IM. - jý th1 8UV&f2S OtS )AID.- •utNEMAL MEPAIMD TO ALL MAKES STUNE UPS FROM .95 CROWN MOTORS 630 KENT ST. AT BEECH ST. WHITBY PROPRIET' 666-4350 DOUG HAMI OR: LON of the uniformed of- ficers. Attersley said that the commission and the association now have to agree on an arbitrator adding that both sides have to live with his ruling. "There is no recourse for the commission, there is no recourse for the uniformed officers - it's binding," he said. However, he does have praise for the association. "They've bargained in good faith," he said, "We've got a super police force but when it comes to the re- imbursement, I've got some concerns." And actually salary requirements aren't a problem. "We gave them exac- tly what they wanted in the dollars," Attersley said adding that the benefits are "just too rich - we just couldn't accept it." Man returns home to discover break-in One Whitby resident's summer vacation did not end on a pleasant note when he returned home to discover that his home had been broken into. According to a spokesman for the Durham Regional Police Force, the man's Janedale Dr. home was broken into sometime between July 27 and Aug. 6. Stolen was a video cassette recorder, a stereo system and a graphic equalizer. Their total value was placed at just over $2,500. Police said that they don't know how the home was entered and that nothing else ap- peared to be disturbed. 5TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AUG. 15,1985 10% OFF * BOOKS .flOMICS ThaBo 1M1 Be00Ke *CABBAGE KID EXCHANGE ITEMS 113 B Dundas St. W. *MAGAZINES Whitby ONE DAY ONLY - CASH SALES ONLY Atast,hearinghelp for NERVE DEAFNESS.. OBRAKE RELINE (most cars) FRONT OR REAR S44*99 This situation, Allan added, "happens quite frequently." The association is also seeking a wage hike for first class constables from the current $32,850 to $35,100. Allan said the two sides are "fairly close in salary". He also rejected police commission chairman Bob Atter- sley's position that the association's demands were "too rich". "We don't classify it has a really rich package," Allan said adding that the total wage and benefit demand totals increases of about 6/ per cent. Of the police forces in Ontario employing 200 or more -officers, Durham is only about loth in terms of salary and benefits and of the 127 forces in the provin- ce, its compensation package ranks in the mid-60s. "I believe that we provide a very good service at a reasonable cost," Allan said. The association will now send a letter to the Ministry of the Solicitor General asking that an arbitrator be appointed. The last time the association and the commission went to binding arbitration was in 1980. 701 DUNDAS ST. W., WHITBY 668-6362 DURHAM COLLECE FALL EXTENSION PROGRAMS WILL BE AN INSERT IN THIS PAPER AUGUST 21 THE CORPORATION 0F THETOWNOFWHITBY NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE FROM SIDEWALKS A public meeting will be held by the Operations Committee of the Corporation of the Town of Whitby for the purpose of discussing a report from the Director of Public Works regarding the matter of the removal of snow and ice from sidewalks ln the Municipality. TIME: Wednesday, September 4, 1985, 7:00 p.m. PLACE: Meeting Hall, Whitby Municipal Building Whitby, Ontario The purpose of the meeting Is to present, for public comment, possible changes to the Municipality's current sidewalk clearing pollcy. The current policy, ln general, requires property owners and tenants to remove snow and ice f rom the sidewalks adjoining their properties within twenty-four hours of the fall of snow or freezing rain. The possibility of the Town of Whitby assuming responsibility for the clearing of the sidewalks will be discussed at the meeting. All persons having an interest ln this matter are encouraged to attend the public meeting. Donald G. McKay, Clerk The Corporation of the Town of Whitby 575 Rossland Road East Whitby, Ontario L1N 2M8 Phone: (416) 668-5803 PANZEROTTI, SU BMARIN E cio DIST. g N HENNYST.J EUCUDIT. OPN7ASWE OP E N 7 DAYS A W EEK SUN. 10 A.M. - 8 P.M. ATTERSLEY TIRE SERVICE PASSENGER & LIGHT TRUCKS TUNE.UP SHOCKS COOLINGj 103DundasE. SYSTEM 162King St. E. Whitby Oshawa 668-3356 571-340 SIMON'S PIZZA ýç 1