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i ¥ ! | { rene oa Rilo Ni 2 Brandishing signs, fists and bottles of beer, picketing GM workers guard a bonfire at the north plant's gate 16. Although union and management have remained at the bargaining table since the strike began last week, a settlement still looks a long way off. AW on strike (From page 1) GM remain far apart on vital issues. The union's haydest stand is against the company proposal to eliminate the annual improvement factor for- ever and replace it with lump sum payments. While the company's offer will give workers about 4700 in the second and third year of the contract, the union is dug in on getting back the AIF. GM workers gave up the AIF in 1982 negoti- ations when the com- pany was struggling through an economic recession. Now, when the company is report- ing record profits, they want back their trad- itional three per cent increase a year plus an additional bonus in the first year. What the company is prepared to offer is 2.25 per cent wage increae in the first year--20 cents an hour--plus eight cents GM allowed in its second economic offer. The offer is nearly identical to the one accepted by American workers, except for pro- fit sharing. Canadian workers have said they are not interested in profit sharing, but GM has offered them noth- ing in place of the plan which should give the Americans about $1,000 a year. The newest proposal tabled by GM is one designed by company negotiator Rod Andrew to reward good workers and penalize those who are not as efficient. Employees with per- fect attendance will get a $50 bonus every three months and an extra two days off a year. With each holiday worth $125, the company says the plan is worth $450 to each worker. Another plan was introduced which would require absentee employees to assume the cost of some of their benefits. Bob White, Canadian UAW director, has vow- ed to protect workers who are absent for valid reasons and has reject- ed both attendance pro- posals. GM has agreed to put $25 million into a fund which would aid laid off workers whose supple- mentary unemployment benefits (SUB) have expired. Gindin said the amount is only 25 per cent of what Americans will get from the $1 billion fund negotiated in their contract. To support the income security fund, GM will take away the $13 million now in the term- ination separation plan. All past retirees were offered a $200 annual lump sum plus $1 for every year of service. For current retirees the amount will go from $935 a month to $1,025 and to $1,205 by the end of the agreement. - PORT PERRY STAR -- Tues. October 23, 1984 -- 3 / Long strikes will mean lean times for everyone The pickings could be slim this Christmas for local merchants and their families if the strike between General Motors of Canada and the United Auto Workers continues longer than a month. Already several Port Perry businessmen have reported a drop in sales they attribute directly to the GM strike, and one has threatened to stop all advertising until the strike is over. Although GM spokesmen can't pin- point how many of the Oshawa company's 20,000 employees live in the Scugog Township area, it's generally ac- cepted that many, if not the majority, of Port Perry's working men and women get their pay cheques from the automobile industry. And the strike by teachers at Durham Col- lege hasn't helped the situation either. One picketing "teacher estimated there are at least eight faculty members from the Port Perry area. So even with 10 per cent of the community's working population af- fected by the strikes, it looks like many local merchants could be in for a little belt tightening. Peter Hvidsten, an ex- ecutive member of the Chamber of Commerce and publisher of the Port Perry Star, said the business cammunity wouldn't be unduly af- fected by a short term strike, "but I think it'll be a big problem for the merchants if the strike turns out to be long term. It could be a poor Christmas season". Regardless of how long the strikes last, Mr. Hvidsten is anticipating a slowdown in business traffic. Tom Airey is a welder- fitter apprentice teacher at Durham College and the father of three children. Like many other picketers in the same position, the Port Perry resident says he'll definitely be keeping a close eye on his wallet until the OPSEU strike is over. "I'm going to watch what I'm buying," he said. "Because I don't know how long this is go- ing to last." He is also hoping to pick up some extra work for the duration of the strike, to ensure his family doesn't run into financial difficulties. Durham College facul- ty and their counterparts at 21 other community colleges across Ontario won't be back teaching until the end of the week, at least, spokesmen have said. The 7,600 teachers, librarians and counsellors at Ontario community colleges walked off their jobs Wednesday morning, a half-hour before classes were scheduled to begin. The main issue at stake is not the money, (Turn to page 8) Tom Airey of Port Perry is a welder/fitter apprentice teacher at Durham College by trade, but these days he's been working on the picket lines, one of 7,600 community college faculty members on strike. Although OPSEU strikers at Durham College can't officially prevent students and anybody else from cross- ing their picket lines, they've been making things dif- ficult by walking in front of cars that attempt to enter college property. Some students complain they've had to wait up to 20 minutes before crossing the picket lines.