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l>A(, 1:4. XIlNS)N.NA(lIINPS, I'5IWIlI~IS RE I PR [ i"SS w h itb y ___ Publishedeverwednesday byM. .Publishing and Photography inc. Phone 668-61 Il The Free PressB uildiny ofheCounty Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher- Managing Editor 1:1i Brock Street North, ITe onl Whithb newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206, Whitby, 01 Michael J. Knell Community Editor Marjorie A. Burgess Production Manager Karen Thompson Advertising Manager Maulmng Permit No 480 Member of the WhItby Chamber of Commerce g. nit. Is IWA saying 19 per cent is an unreasonable offer? It seems as though every day of our lives the national media reports that the politicians and ex- perts believe that the country is experiencing its biggest economic upheaval since the Depression of the 1930's. Everywhere we look, plants are cutting down on production or closing down altogether, laying off men and adding to the burden of unemployment. Despite calls for co-operation and joint efforts on behalf of government, management and labor, nothing seems to be getting done. Our economy is as bad, or worse, than it was a year ago. The dollar's value is still falling, unemployment is still on the rise, inflation is running at 12 per cent, interest rates still hover at 18 per cent or greater and the national debt is going no where but up. In the face of ail this economic upheaval, the 200 members of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA), Local 2242 have rejected an offer from their employer that would give them an overall 32.66 per cent increase in salary over the life of a 28-month contract. Consolidated Bathhurst Packaging Ltd. has of- fered IWA an increase of $1.37 an hour in the first year of the agreement. This is the equivalent of a 19.71 per cent increase on the $6.95 base rate. During the remaining 16 months of the contract, the company offered a 90 per cent an hour in- crease or an additional 10.82 per cent. Considering the state of the economy, both locally and nationally, this appears to be indeed a reasonable offer and I doubt that the IWA would get a better one anywhere. It is, indeed, possible that the company could give the union everything that is asked for. ANCHORlr.AN FOR GLOBAL NEWS BEST QF, PETER TRUEàMAN A weekly news commentary from one of Canada's outstanding news personalities In Toronto at the moment, the question of homosexual rights, or gay rights -- call it what you like - is generating much more heat than light. And a lot of people are being hurt in the process. I got a telephone call the other night from a homosexual who has not come out of the closet ... a man who bas had to accept the luck of the draw, but who would much prefer to be a member of the heterosexual majority. He called because Global News had carried an interview clip by a woman who is militantly opposed to homosexual teachers in the schools. In the clip, she made the following point, "It," that is honosexuality, "is not like being black or being a Jew. It's a matter of choice." Well, according to the man who telephoned me, it is not a matter of choice ai all. "I've been ihis way," he told me, "since I was a child." H e bas tried to change. He bas been to psvchiatrists marny tnies, and thev have been able to offer h imr no hel p at ail, heyonmd t he su ggest ion t hat he accept his se xualityN a nd come to t ternms wvithbit For bhim, thbis bha nmeant conceal in g it. H e doresni't wanrt to telI his family, buca use he~ feels t hey sim ply woulIdn't u ndersta nd. So, at 32, be seems doomîed to spend his sexual lhfe in the shadows. If il were a niatter of choice , hie told me, hie would pay any thing to be heterosexual. He< cari't mnarry, or have child ren, because be is too, hornesi, too conscienlious t o try. The' mihtant st raightIs won 't symipaltize wlith this guy , nor will theu niliutant gzays. But il seems to nme tbat theu rest of us mnighît try radiat ing a little compassion for fellow~ humnan hemgn we have forced to live a lie. That 's flot news, but thbat too is~ realit v. This is purely speculative since we ar enot privy to the state of the company's finances or union negotiations, but seems to us that if any group demands too much money they will put too much of a strain on the company's resources, therefore, everyone will suffer. In the free enterprise system, the cost of an item is based not only on the demand for it but on the actual cost of producing it. If a company has to charge too great a price for any good or service, then it will not be bought, thereby causing the company to lose money, putting men out of work. Greater sales and productivity means jobs and jobs mean economic security for everyone. Surely, this is the goal of both management and labor, to achieve economic security. In Whitby, we have already had one example of what happens when the system of collective bargaining goes haywire. That is Firestone. If the IWA continues to demand wage increases that arc substantially higher than the inflation or cost of living rate, it is possible that they will be in the same unhappy position that the 650 em- ployees of Firestone found themselves in. We are sure that there are many ex-Firestone workers (not to mention most Canadians) who would be happy to be employed at the $6.95 an hour the lowest paid Consolidated employee receives. Our economic situation does not allow for ex- cessive demands to be made upon it. Our economy is as fragile as glass, with the first wrong move breaking it. It is not the position of this publication to say that management is right in this case or in any other cas e On the other hand we are not saying that the union is always wrong. What we are saying is this. There seems to be a lack of co-operation between management and labor. While they have a common goal, they do not work together to achieve it. And because they do not work together to achieve it, neither of them reach their common goal. In this period of economic troubles the watch- words should be negotiation, compromise, per- suasion and leave confrontation as a last resort to be feared. This community needs the eçonomic shot in the arm that Consolidated Bathhurst provides. We need the jobs that are provided there. The men on that picket line need those jobs even more. Let us hope that the action they are taking does not deprive them of their livelihood or this com- munity of a much needed industrial citizen. Heart month over Dear Sir: "Heart Month" in Canada is now over for another year and on behalf of the Canadian Heart Fund, Ontario Division, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your promotional sup- port during February 1981. Our objective for the 1981 "Heart Fund" campaign was $7 million and although ail returns are not yet in, we are quite hopeful that our objective will be attained. Without your willing co- operatiorn in com- municating our needs to the public, we would not be able to express such a positive outlook. The medical commit- tee of the Ontario Heart Foundation, met at the end of January to review research ap- plications submitted to us for support. You will be pleased to know that after deliberations, $7.4 million has been committed to car- .diovascular and cerebrovascular resear- ch projects in Ontario, commencing July 1981. The financial support of many individuals and businesses in our province, has made this commitment possible. Thank you again for your suppprt, and for helping us to ensure that research, against our nation's number one health enemy will continue. With best wishes. Yours very truly, Esther M. Richards Directorof Public Relations w