The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess,1 Me only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whit Publisher - Managing Editor .by residents forW whitby residents. Published every Wednesday ' byNM..M. Publishing and Photography inc. Phone 668-61 Il me Free Press Building, 131 Brock Street North. P.O. Box 2106. Whitby, Ont. Oommunity EdItor .MieKnoll Production Manager Madri UGSS Advertising Manager Karen Thompuon Firestone closing is a sign of the times The tragic and untimely closing of Firestorie Canada's Whitby tire manufacturing facility must be considered a sign of the times. While it is extremely unfortunate for 650 people to be thrown out of work, It is time that it was realized that our economy is so fragile that the slightest turn of events can be catastrophic. The closing of Firestone should teach all of us a lesson or two in basic ed'onomics. Firstly, it should demonstrate, without a doubt, that Canada, and the Durham Region especially, is far too dependant on the automotive industry. To survive economically, diversity is needed. Both the Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham should be working towards bringing in in- dustries that have nothing (or little) to do with the presently unstable automotive sector. However, they should both be congratulated for their efforts to date. The situation with Firestone can be traced back to the days when Dunlop was running the plant. Essentially, Dunlop got out of the area because they could no longer afford to stay in competition and operate the plant. Sadly, Firestone finds itself in the same situation. What should now be considered are the long and sh-ort effects for the Town of Whitby. Firstly, 146of the people that will lose their jobs on July 18 actually reside within the town. This will only boost the unemployment rate by less than one per cent, leaving Whitby's rate of unemployment still well below the national average. With the possibility of the expansion of LASCO Steel, it is hoped that many of these jobs will be filled by those Whitby people. According to the predictions of many local politicians, our town will continue to grow Industrially this year by as much as seven per cent. The provincial government is also planning many projects in the area which should help to fill many ofthose jobs. While the immediate future of these 146 people looks grim, we are confident that they should be able to find new jobs as the town continues to grow. As far as the town ltself is concerned, only about $105,000 will be lost in business tax, however, Firestone will still have to pay property taxes. The town will not suffer financially to any great extent. Despite this, there are still the human factors to be considered. Many of these 146 people have worked for Firestone and its predecessor for many years and the sudden loss of employment is probably more than they can bear. This puts a responsibility on everyone to help these people become financially stable again through becoming productive, working members of our community. The closure should also be a lesson in union and management relations. It should now have hit home that business is fin- ding It difficult to survive for the marketplace Is not as large as It once was. The unions should start to be more co-operative in their dealings with management. They should start to demand only what can be reasonably given in the light of the economic reality of the day. Business provides jobs, unions should realize that in order to keep their jobs they must support their company and help keep It alive and in the marketplace. It is very easy for a union to put a company out of business, but they should realize that they benefit more by keeping the company in business. We are not saying that they should give in to management at all times and over all Issues, but that they should be willingto do all they can to keep the company alive. This should be done all the time, not just when the business is closing down...for then It is too late. Both union and management rely on each other, and the Firestone closing should be a lesson in co- operation. They should start to work together not apart for their goals are, or should be, the same. The closing of Firestone is tragic for all of us, but we should be confident in the future economic health of the town. Teachers shouldnot be thefail guys, readersays Dear Sir: I am writing in response to your editorial of March 26, "O.S.S.T.F. Has Gone Too Far." It is very easy to take comments out of context to try to prove a point as your comments about Mr. Judd and O.S.S.T.F. this week prove. Mr. Judd's comment was made out of anger at the Provincial Government's Bill 100, which governs the teacher's right to strike and at how it is being used by Boards of Education across the province to avoid bargaining in good faith with their teachers. The Boards this year in Sudbury, Lambton County, and elsewhere are offering ridiculous contracts to their teachers, far below the current in- flation rate and the cost of living index, knowing full well that teachers will turn these contracts down and will sooner of later be legislated back to work. This in essence makes the Individuai teachers the fall guys for a political manoeuver generated by the Boards, and of course the Boards are played up as heroes. It was practices like these which were being discussed at the O.S.S.T.F. annual meeting during which comments like Mr. Judd's were voiced. Such comments are made out of frustration, a frustration which many members of the public sector find themselves experien- cing in times of in- flation and tight money. But let me remind you that teachers pay taxes, teachers have children in schools, and are worried about their futures and the futures of · your children. Teachers must belong to O.S.S.T.F. and on the average pay $400 or $500 a year union dues if they wish to pursue their profession. These are the same type of dues that a General Motors assembler pays if he wishes to keep his job, so why do people like you always ham- mer the teachers in the classroom whenever decisions are made over which they have little or no control? I would suggest that you and your readers write your M.P.P.'s and get them to examine Bill 100; in fact, get them to examine the entire education act which leads to O.S.S.T.F., Board of Education power struggles. This would free teachers from ver- bal and written abuse which people like you relish. Teachers would then have a better chance to work with children and make bet- ter citizens out of them, better citizens than those who suggest that "pressure" should be placed on a man or woman doing a good job for you and your children. As far as you velled comments about the quality of education are concerned, I don't really think they are worthy of comment at this time, since I can't say for certain whether. you have any personal knowiedge of the current educational procedures in the area. Yours truly, Norman Gibb 79 Grath Cres. Whitby, Ont. OSSTFpresicdentsays boards encourage strikes Dear Sir; Recent media coverage of a motion with regard to teacher bargaining which was passed at the Annual Meeting of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation has brought that motion into public debate. That coverage, cen- tered mainly on one or more comments made outside the meeting, has affected public perception of the intent of OSSTF to deal with a growing problem for Ontario's 35,000 secondary school teachers--negotiating collective agreements with 79 school boards across the province. In the majority of collective agreements, settlements are reached through a bargaining process defined in provincial legislation. However, in areas of the province which have experien- ced strikes and lockouts, some school boards have taken note of the fact teachers spend considerable time and effort in quickly restoring nor- mal operations after strikes have been con- cluded. It's to the teachers' credit and a reflection of their professional integrity that they do so. The difficulty for teachers is that by minimizing the negative aspect of strikes for the good of their students, they may well be en- couraging trustees to create strike situations. To put it another way, because trustees do not see strikes as having serlous effect on their system, they seem, in some cases, to be engineering con- frontation with their employee groups in or- der to gain an advan- tage at the bargaining table. If that is the case (and the point can be argued in many areas where bargaining is now in a crisis situation) then that situation must be stopped. That is the concern raised by teachers last week and that is the reason why teachers are prepared to con- sider strong and unusual action to draw public attention to an inequity in collective bargaining between teachers and trustees. There is legislation which provides for the orderly development of negotiations even if that development in- volves sanctions by either side. However, that legislation is predicted upon the serious intent of teachers and trustees to bargain in good faith and avold confron- tation wherever and whenever possible. If either of the parties subverts that intent, prolonged strikes which have negative ef- fects on students, result. Sincerely, Margaret Wilson, President, Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation. I j w?%t) Chamlte ( m' c