r Vol. 11, No. 27 Wednesday, July 8, 1981 20 Pages seepage Whitby workers strike at ITT and post office 10 i > A W 1MP Whitby has been the scene of considerable unrest over the past 10 or 12 days. At present, two different unions are on strike to back up new contract demands and both of them are predicted to be long ones. T The 170 employees at Whitby's IPI' Cannon Elec- tric walked off the job last week in a strike that has flot only been rnarred by violence but may even produce mnore violence. Members of the Durham Regional Polire Force have been on duty to prevent any flare-up of tem- pers on the picket ine. Tempers did flare last Tuesday when a car passed through theine and three of the workers were in- jured. After that incident Robert Jervis, 46, of Richmond Hill,whoin police described as a "highly placed ~- ' sales person" with the company was charged with dangerous driving. FOR Strikers claimed that the accident was caused by police negligence and then picketed the Oshawa Wheadquarters f the force the next day. uIn fact, a spokesman for the United Auto Workers who represent the workers charged that non-union employees of Cannon were deliberately provoking the incidents. This strike seems to have no foreseeable end since at press time negotiations between the two sides had not resumed. "It looks very much like a long, long strike," one union officiai was quoted as saying last week. "They're digging in. . ..They're prepared to hang there a long time. e Steve Nimigon, a spokesman for the UAW, said that it was unfortunate that there has been a con- stant police presence on the site. He charged the company as being "legalistie" with "al sorts of police, but ah in the same vein." "They want their employees to work longer than legally allowedand are prepared to let them work for $5.38 an hour," Nimigon continued. "That's less than the poverty ne." The main issue in the dispute is a clause that allows the company to schedule overtiee e at is discretion and the union wants that changed. The old three year contract expired on April 27 under which ITT employees earned between $4.46 and $9.73 an hour. During the contract talks that ended three days before the picketne went up the company offered raises f il and 9 percent in each f two years. During theiprevious three years workers received raises of six per cent aryear. Because f that, union negotiators fe t the com- pany's offer was not enough because their members had fallen behind the inflation rate. The Whitby Post Office is also the scene fa unrest and now seems deserted. The inside workers, members of the Canadian Nomme- Union of Postal Workers, went on stdike last week as well to back demands for a new contract with uner wiITemployeGoenent Carndate$.4 Dun imethe efftrct talk that disuedwa the day- offor3 etter car ier wdentv the main ffe Aspesm1and 9½or cent 20n eaf Wwas yarso During atek avos sagthe years srke reciveda laise of i e r. eta er Baso thidipt cuinneoibar flon the since Primeinstofer senot enoueaus teafirmembers -~ position falnbehindy thfat h iont legit h Thre backb tosthOie ob as the iceuneofe laor porstand stowk tseem eserte. Soures havie sprecsatebr to the osadin Uion cof costinu Workers etmberik atwe inasellt beack demn fo ag pnsion scontracowit tatheir loer, themovrment ofsuCancea.m mion ficmde efero theirlclM o dinforation ony of o 13pitrc aries-hudlie theimaichinuthe Pic ke une eserîd ai W itbOshsawoficeitrbynarioaM u DI12 m .. 1. ý 1ý . ., - ., ý ýi , ý'. , ý ., . , .. . . - - 4sý :i* . fLý 0 et ce ý. e7 ec -ý,I ', P",r.