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The Free Press Wednesday January 1971 labourmanagement cooperation at Acton The Acton plant of Building Products of Canada has been cited for its forward looking Labour Management Consultation Committee by a government publication called Teamwork in Industry Published by the LabourManagement Consultation Branch Canada Department of Labour the publication devoted a page from its four page January issue to an article on the BP in Acton Principals in the article are former plant manager J Arnold and Norman Elliott president of Local United Rubber Cork Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America It is entitled this Acton plant ITS NOT PERFECT BUT Following Is the article in full We ve got to keep on top of it all the time to be effective Acton When Each joint council has Its own management and union decided secretary and the secretary several years ago to establish an minutes are posted on a bulletin committee at Building board Copies go to each plant Products of Canada limited In council member Acton Ontario representatives Another problem we of the two parties devised a encounter Is overlapping In areas special formula to satisfy the that more directly involved the particular needs of the Acton unionmanagement negotiating operation committee as opposed to the Instead of one committee the plant council Mr Elliott plan consists of a twotiered continued Recently we ran Into system of committees with five problems with seniority as a departmental or joint councila result of the company a selling a and a senior plant council that co- production department the business of the five Preliminary discussions were joint councils but Because of the complexity of when It was evident that serious our system we of course have problems could have resulted in problems with it said Norm grievances the union Elliott president of Local management negotiating United Rubber Cork Linoleum committee began to handle and Plastic Workers of America personnel changes I m not completely happy with Explained plant manager J the way our council system la Arnold We started out very working at the present time enthusiastically but due to plant Meet monthly expansion we tended to slide a bit The Joint councils with three on the plant council We try to representatives from union and as many problems as three from management meet once a month to discuss Ideas and but In some Instances head problems that do not come within mtte been by the jurisdiction of the union- P looked or forgotten management labor agreement By and large though It has The plant council consisting of worked out well five members from senior Tended to be suspicious management and five from the Some workers tended to be union executive meets regularly suspicious about the Idea of a to discuss contractual joint council system They problems that cannot be resolved thought the company would at the departmental council level implement those suggestions that were beneficial to the company Our biggest problem Is the and Ignore the others Norm breakdown in communications Elliott said Mr Elliott said frankly We And a few of the employees have fallen down In keeping were not overjoyed that their council members aware of what suggestions were not is going on We really need to Implemented right off the bat police the Joint councils to sec Our greatest difficulty in this that the old business Is resolved respect is In disseminating New Ideas information and decisions Recently we reviewed the evolving from plant council back minutes from all the old joint to and file union council meetings At the plant member They think sometimes council meeting we Invited a there is hidden motivation on the representative from each Joint company part and that If the council and a lot of constructive agreed to a company now ideas came out There a decision it has been duped always the danger of bogging backlog In communication down with too much paper work Our last meeting revealed because we have five monthly that we were not getting as much meetings to review each month back and forth communication Plant Manager Arnold agreed Some of the problems were left in limbo ana not brought to higher court Some were turned down and the employees not advised Neither of the two men pretended that with everything was totally smooth or without incident but both spoke approvingly of the concept and what it has meant for the plant at Acton Is responsible for per cent eye protection program at the plant Mr Arnold said The safety committee first drafted applicable rules and this was given unionmanagement sanction We certainly could not have Initiated a program of this sort without full union support Refutes narrow concept It serves to refute the narrow concept that labour and management have to be perpetual adversaries Norm Elliott said This traditional idea sometimes prevents the real Issues from being explored And help to eliminate this I definitely would not like to see stopped because If It failed it would leave a bitter taste in people mouths he continued It serves to resolve a great many issues that would otherwise have to be investigated as complaints by the union management negotiating committee and its time is already taken up with Issues under contract jurisdiction Most complaints however have been resolved before they reach the grievance stage and none of the grievances have gone to arbitration As the local union president Mr Elliott has the unenviable position of attempting to listen to management with an open mind and relaying management decisions back to local union members while still protecting union interests The Joint council meetings engender a free exchange of Ideas and the company is generally receptive to employee suggestions he said Mr Elliott pointed out that the pasties industry is developing so fast and Is so competitive and the profit point of view is on everybody mind to such an extent that the regular employee finds it difficult to appreciate the company decision when a request has to be denied because its not economically feasible Employees have to be convinced that their interests are being protected he said Most employees like to believe they are performing some type of worthwhile function In their line of work The Building Products of Canada Limited plant at Acton Is one of eight plants in Canada operated by the company which employs some workmen engineers scientists and salesmen across Canada Employs ISO people The Acton plant employs approximately 150 and produces complete lines of both CSA certified and utility grade polyethylene pipe for cold water applications sewer pipe for waste handling duct pipe for electrical applications A letter from Eden Mills Eden Mills Ont 17 February Dear May Centennial Year the flame burning In the frosty air on Parliament hill and here we are really in the grip of winter Lots and lots of snow piling up And the children arc having a really wonderful time of It They have a toboggan slide from the top of the lots near the fence right down across the road I should think at least half the village collects there And It Is really fairly sate because only five households use the road I hope so anyway Mike Marshall has been shovelling the snow off the steps forme I have to walk up from the road now of course Last night It had drifted so badly missed on of the steps and went off Into the snow over the top of my high snow boots The whole family was at the picture window watching and waving and even before I had my coat off Mike was out with his shovel Fortunately too as Elizabeth and BUI were coming for supper In the morning on the way to work there was a huge drift at the edge of the village As I went through it the car was completely covered like driving through a wave I sure was glad I was driving the Volkswagen because I it good in the snow You can imagine though how strong the wind was because a car went up the road as was coming down from the house and I can have been more than two minutes behind It A couple of weeks ago we had another bad storm of a different kind Wed had a thaw and then It started to rain about midday on Sunday and the temperature dropped I got up at a m on Monday opened the big front door took one look and went back to bed To heck with struggling with those driving conditions Later in the day I heard cars got stuck at the corner sol was glad of my decision When I finally got up about nine the rain had stopped and the sun was shining In a brilliant blue sky It was like fairyland Every delicate twig was coated with ice and twinkling like a of diamonds Breath I went to every window to look out at the beauty There were of course no rabbit tracks from their winter home under my bedroom window and guess they were snug inside By midafternoon I thought I d better do something about the car so I bundled up and slithered down the hill Actually it wasn t too difficult because I broke through the icy surface with nearly every step I should think the ice was almost an inch thick on the windshield and even with the help of a deicing spray it took me over an hour to get It off Shirley Gilbertson with much more energy than I stopped by to chat and said she d been out shovelling all day Lazy old me spent most of the time curled up on the couch in the reading But I did make an outstanding stew Everjone says this is a very severe winter And certainly it is much more so than last year There are some faithful little sparrows lodged cosily between the ceiling and roof of the porch and I have a bird feeder hanging in the lilac bush for them My last year attempt of sunflower seeds and fat in a tin with a stick pushed through for a perch failed probably because the tin was too bright Guess I should have left the label on or painted it Anyway this year this plastic feeder is getting constant use and It fun to stand at the window and watch the cheery little birds And you have daffodils in bloom Many weeks to go here for us before that happy day All for now Love Val Dont waste money on insurance It s a act some bus nesses are over overlapping insurance polccs Others are dangerously under insured Beciuse your bus ness involves customers and sup inventory and equipment bad debts ability taxes employees etc etc you need a business expert We know how to plan your bus coverage so you have just the insurance you need and no more mm INSURANCE acton SAFECO PHONE INSURANCE Houri Aftar Milt Ball H old Denny 8532565 drain waste and vent pipe systems pipe and fittings for plumbing and pressure pipe for potable water and industrial applications The plant also manufactures acrylic and luminaires and flex sheet for fluorescent lighting flat sheets for moulding operations and vinyl bouse siding and ac cessories When one department that produced a multitude of plastic shapes and profiles was sold to Manufacturing In December the Acton plant County council names committees for Members of county council were appointed to the various committees and boards on which they serve for the coming year The appointments were made during the Inaugural meeting of county council Tuesday Jan 12 For the first time the striking committee Included three reeves and three deputy reeves Previously it had been a job for reeves only Reeves Tom Hill Mrs A and and Deputy Reeves Harry Barrett David Coons and Art Speight were on the striking committee Committee lists The following are lists of committees and theLr members The first named Is the chairman Social and family services Harris J Swanborough Miller A Board of health Coons H Barrett Barr A Finance Finance A Masson Mc Millan R Morrow Coons Ban- Child welfare P Barr Miller G D Mc Millan Oakes Manor Committee of Management Hill Barrett D Coons A Speight Museum board Miller A Speight Personnel legislation and by law A MacArthur J Swanborough Morrow Harris Property Property and office ad ministration Barrett A Harris T Hill Morrow Roads committee representatives serve on terms ranging from one to five years Those with more than a two year term will remain on the committee for the duration of their appointed time Mc Millan one year A two years T Hill three years J chairman four year term A Speight five years Industrial Industrial development R Morrow and clerk Garfield Brown Note In the case of the museum board and child welfare committees the names listed are appointed to serve with the committee of members elected or appointed by groups other than county council and chairmen for those groups will be elected at a later date was faced with the difficult task of laying off transferring and retraining employees affected by the change This was handled smoothly through Mr Arnold said Some people IB in all went with the business We filled orders and moved machines six at first then two more maintaining continuity as much as possible There were a few rough spots but by and large it went fairly smoothly Seven day production About a year and a half ago the company decided that If they were to remain on an efficient competitive basis they would have to switch over to a seven day production schedule Employees used to work a five- day workweek but difficulty of shutting down and restartlng the plastic extrusion lines necessitated the change Production workers now take their weekends off throughout the week with a regular weekend off once month Employees don often get the chance to hear management a side of the story first hand Norm Elliott said I MC gives a far broader cross section of employees a chance to sit down and discuss issues with manage ment representatives than would be possible through the regular union management process This is a valuable tool In helping to combat rumour and incorrect speculation before they reach dangerous proportions It also provides for discussion of many issues that otherwise might have to wait until contract negotiations before being investigated Both Mr Arnold and Mr Elliott agreed that way must be found to make IJHC a more effective means of communicating information to the average employee It gives him an insight into the problems confronting management and In turn a chance to make his own feelings known to company represent atives From a labour relations point oof view LMC can be most productive Obituar Sarah Starkmon dies in 96th year A former resident of Acton Sarah Starkman of Shallmar Blvd Toronto died in Baycrest hospital on January She was In her Mth year uneral service at Park Memorial Chapel was conducted by Rabbi Reuben and interment was in Holy Blossom Memorial park January were six grand children Albert Colman Detroit Murray David Freeman It Brian Stark and Alan Stark all of Toronto She was bom in Poland and came to Canada In Her husband A Starkman died years ago Surviving are daughters and sons Ida Toronto Rose Detroit Ethel Rachlin Toronto Esther Freeman Toronto Maurice Freeman Toronto and R Maxwell Mono Mills 15 grandchildren 31 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild It no trick to meet expenses these days The toughest Job la to avoid them Datsun announces the economy drive the car NORTH END BP SALE CONTINUES INTERIOR LATEX PAINT Georgetown Decorating Centre 77 Mill Si Georgetown BROS MEAT MARKET Choice Wing Roast Shoulder Roast CHOICE BONELESS SIRLOIN or PRIME RIB TIP ROUST lb 129 Lean Chuck Roast 69 Tender Blade and Short Rib Roast Lean Ground Chuck 69 Lean Pork Shoulders Small Link Sausage 69e LOVELL BROS MODERN MEAT MARKET Mill E Acton DAILY DELIVERY