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

41concrete employees end 4-day wildcat strike Forty-one employees of Lake Ontario Concrete Industries, who went on a wildcat strike Feb. 27, returned to their jobs Monday. The employees, members of the International Molders and Allied Workers Union, walked out in the middle of contract negotiations with the company, following a meeting with a provincial councillator two weeks before. Seven meetings had been held betwéen the union ànd management since the old contract expired last December. Following the company's last offer, the workers voted nearly 100 per cent to reject it. The workers said they left théir jobs because they were tired of waiting for a no- board report which would have put them in a legal position to strike within 16 days, There was also con- .cern expressed that the conipany was'stockpiling its "emént þipes in anticipation of a strike. LASCO employees may strike inM 3 weeks In an almost unanimous vote last Wednesday, em- ployees of Lake Ontario Steel Company chose to reject management's final contract offer, and could be in a legal position to strike within the next three weeks. A labor ministry no-board report which would enable thé workers to walk off their jobs by the end of March was expected to arrive by the end of last week. Union officials say that negotiations will resume, but the possibility of a strike exists. A three-year contract expired last Wednesday and union members said the con- tract offer by the company would definately be rejected even before all the ballots were cast. More than 400 of the com- pany's 600 workers, mem- bers of the United Steel- workers of America, voted 98.6 per cent in. favor .of rejecting the offer. The union is asking for improved wages, benefits and holiday pay. LASCO has offered a 60 cent-an-hour wage increase over the life of a new contract but bas refused union proposals of an eye care plan and increased shif t premiums. The workers wcre also angry that the company wanted to drop a cost of living clause which was in the old agreement. The workers' picket lines came down Saturday, but as the no-board report has now been received, they are in a legal position to strike on March 17. A union spokesman said the workers voted by a narrow margin to return to work because plant manager Dick Fleming refused to meet with them if work did not resume. ounedi The Whitby Town Council at its regular meeting stood firm on their proposal to present a resolution object- ing to the loss of a bus route on Brock Street south. At the earlier committee meeting the matter was thoroughly discussed and all members of Council presen- ted their objections to the Toronto Area Transit Opera- ting Authority's proposal to do away with the present Brock Street South bus run and the bus run to the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. This is a bus route that has been in operation for at least the past 40 years. The Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority after April 29 is permitting only a bus route on Dundas Street as the GO buses travel east and west from the GO Tran- sit Station Liverpool Road, Pickering. Members of the Whitby Council presented the pro- blem to Regional Chairman Walter Beath who said he would have the bus transpor, tation question brought before the Toronto Area Transit Operating Autho- rity's meeting scheduled for March 2. Although three members of Council were missing at the regular meeting of Council all members knew their feelings as the public transportation question had been throughly discussed at an earlier Committee meeting and Councillor Bob Carson pointed this out as he presented the resolution. Police were called to the plant on Thursday to escort two trucks out of the com- pany yard. Pickets said the trucks were empty and were taken out to haul pipes from a sister company in Brantford. The plant, also known as LOC Pipe, is the area's largest maker of concrete sewer and water pipes. It was recently -purchased by British and South African companiës. The plant is located on -Hopkins Street adjacent to Lake Ontario Steel Company. obj ects to The resolution stated that the "Council of Whitby decry the Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority's re- commendàtion that the pre- sent bus servicéalong Brock Street South and to the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital be deleted as of April 29." The resolution also reques- ted that Chairman of the Region, Walter Beath "be advised of the GO Transit revised. runs to the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital." It asked that the cut off date April 29 be extended to September 30 in order "to allow Whitby time" to find some solution to the pro- blem. The resolution was passed. As the resolution was passed Mayor Jim Gart shore commented, "appa- rently we have a meeting with the Toronto Area Tran- sit Operating Authority on April 6." He said that they would just have to wait and see what the results would be from the future meetings. Councillor Joe Drumm who has been strongly opposed to the proposed loss of the Brock Street bus route has been ill. He was out obtaining the feelings of the people in the East Ward on another Town matter when he slipped on a piece of ice and fell, landing on a shoulder. As a result of -the fall he suffered a minor concussion. Cont'd on P. 2 break-mins on weekend The Whitby Psychiatric Hospital was broken into during the week-end, police said. Entry was made. to the Hospital's Recreation Build- ing through an upper level screen. The intruders then went into the hospital can- teen where an undetermined amount of money was stolen. Police said there was an estimated $500 damage done to the building. About 5:40 a.m. Sunday a smashed front door indi- cated that Mac's Milk, 261 Michael Boulevard, had been broken into, police said. An unknown amount of money was taken from the store. end of bus service