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Today‘s Town clears way for Lear to land in Winston Park Seating plant could employ 350 people Paper By SAL BOMMARITO Oakville Beaver Staff ear Seating Corporation received site plan approval from the Town of Oakville on April 27th «i to construct a new manufacturing facility in Winston Park. A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 31 No. 51 FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1993 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS The Brick Good news at Ford First quarter profit in nearly three years Year Rou Page 23 The Income ome Tax Specialists District Office w t Once the conditions of site plan approval have been met, the comâ€" pany will then be able to apply for a building permit, said town planâ€" ner Zubeda Poonja. "(Lear‘s) facility was approved," Poonja said. "They have to meet standard approvals. There are no special conditions attached to the approval. It was a very straight forward application," she said. Poonja said "it‘s very difficult to know" when construction of the facility will begin. However, she said Lear was "very much interestâ€" ed to get a building permit and to clear the conditions" of site plan approval. Poonja said Lear has received site plan approval to construct an automotive seat manufacturing facility, approximately 9,180 sq. m (102,000 sq. ft.) in size. The facility will be constructed on a 3.7â€"ha (9.3â€"acre) parcel of land in Winston Park. The parcel of land is bordered by Portland Drive on the north, Bristol Circle on the west and Brighton Road on south. A spokesperson at Lear‘s Southfield, Mich. headquarters was not immediately available to comment on the company‘s selecâ€" tion of the site. Winston Park is located on the Oakvilleâ€"Mississauga border, just a few minutes drive from Ford‘s Oakville automobile assembly plant. Lear announced in January that Thank you to all of our customers who helped us raise over $600,000 on Camp Day Canada. On Wednesday, April 28th, Tim Horton‘s stores across the country donated all of their coffee sales to the Tim Horton children‘s foundation. This nonâ€"profit foundation enables monetarily underprivileged children from this community to attend one of the three Tim Horton children‘s camps. On behalf of the children, thank,you for your . support. (See ‘Lear‘ page 4) By SAL BOMMARITO Oakville Beaver Staff fFACK Canada Inc. employees in Oakville Y lR blamed the governâ€" ment s freeâ€"trade agreement for their imminent job losses during a labor rally outside the North Service Road East plant, Wednesday. About 30 office workers, carâ€" rying placards and sporting Canadian Auto Workers Tâ€"shirts, took part in the rally, which had been organized by the union to protest the future plant closure. The employees were joined by representatives of the CAW‘s head office in Toronto, as well as representatives of two antiâ€"free trade groups, including one who travelled from Ottawa to join the rally. Oakville employees were to receive official word of the plant closure today, after MACK workers in the U.S. voted for wage and benefit concessions to save 700 jobs in Macungie, Pa. over the weekend. Part of the agreement between the U.S. company and its workers includâ€" ed closing the Oakville plant, which employs about 300 peoâ€" ple. Union representatives said they‘ll organize another rally folâ€" lowing today‘s announcement, possibly on Monday. "(The plant closure) has to do with the auto pact being overâ€" shadowed by free trade," said Jack Holden, a materials planner at MACK for 27 years. "It cerâ€" tainly isn‘t the company and it certainly isn‘t the U.S. workers" that should be blamed, he said. Many of the employees, including Holden, weren‘t optiâ€" mistic about their job prospects once the plant closes later this year. BRitt /n 1 "There‘s nothing out there Dana Turner, a buyer at the plant for 22 years, said U.S. workers who voted for wage and benefits concessions to save the jobs of 700 MACK workers in Macungie, Pa. shouldn‘t be blamed for the future Oakville plant closure. Gary Langille, with 29 years of service in the material planning department at the Oakville MACK plant expresses his feelings about the plant‘s imminent closure. (Photo by Peter McCusker) even if we were 21 years old," believe free trade has a lot to do Holden said. with it," she said. "(The U.S. workers) feel as bad as we do," Turner said. "I 32 Pages Turner said the most difficult part of the ordeal is the prospect of losing contact with fellow employees, many of whom have worked together for almost 20 years. "It‘s like saying goodbye to family," she said. Turner said she hasn‘t had the opportunity yet to (See ‘MACK‘ page 3) 75 Cents (GST included) OOOOOO CCCCCCCCCC