PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1984, WHITBY E-REE PRESS Hum ane Society aksfor261%ices $1,oppein animal control fees to meet demands Quallty Pins & Oak Fumniture NOT EXACTLY AS ILLUSTRATED. SOLID OAK 4' EXT HARVEST TABLE WITH 2-12" LEAVES 3 Come. Press Oak $14. Chairs Y CemeoPreisa Ok Arun Chair Regular : $1983.00 SUPER SPE CIALjv 7%0O Extra Chairs Avail. Othcr Chairs-to choose from 4 Weeks OnIy Does Not incude Tax, or Delivery Don't Delay Xmas orders Corne In and see our must be ordered by Nov. 10 Xmas g!fts Ideas. to ensure delivery. 110 DUNLOP ST. E. WHITDY 666-1331 Open: Mon-Wed.;1ê6 : Tbuv-Fri-IM-: St1- * SUNDAY - 10-5 The Ontario Humane Society has asked for a 26.1 per cent increase in the feos paid by the towns of Whitby, Ajax and. Pickering for animal control services. At last week's meeting of the Pickering Ajax Whitby Animal Control Com- mitteo <P.A.W. commit- tee), O.H.S. èxecutivo vice-president Tom Hughes said that the in- crease was the resuit of wage demands from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represonts workors at the Thickson Rd. N. animal shelter. Hughes said that during recent, contract nogotiations, CUPE bas demanded that shelter omployees bo givon wago parity wlth out-, side workers employod by the Town of Wbîtby. That would resuit in a 29 per cent salary hike. He also noted that this bas been a difficult year for the O.H.S. f inan- cially and that some revenue sources didn't produce ail money that was budgettod for. There will be no fur- ther monetary discussions with CUPE until the P.A.W. com- mittee decides how much more money it will give the society. "Whatever you say is what we will give to the union," Hughes said ad- ding that he bas already told CUPE that the society doesn't have the money' to meet their demands. Hughes also pointed out that the contract fees paid by -the tbree municipalities do flot cover 100 per cent of the society's operating costs. This yoar, the P.A.W., committeo Will prive, $156,063 of the shelter's $231,931 ,.budget. However, the contract fees are only for ani mal control. The rest of the budget is for humane work. And if the municipalities do not Per cent increase, they will have to live with the consequences. "We are not a city department," ýHughes said, "Wo can provide that service for that amount of money."1 "If the municipalities don't want to pay for animal control,"1 he con '- tinued, "1they will bave to accept a reduction in service."1 Whitby currently pays $56,962 towards the con- tract 'fee. Under Hughes' proposai, that amnount would increase to $71,857. However, clerk Don MacKay, who, also serves as P.A.W. committee troasurer, bas only recommended a 5.3 per cent increase in the contract fees. One bone of conten- tion betweon the O.H.S. and the committee is a budget item labelled "Central Supply and Services".' In 1984, $20,000 was budgetted for this account. The O.H.S. wants $35,839 in 1985 but MacKay is only recommending $21, 000. Coun. Ross Batten, P.A.W. committee chairman, told Hughes that he's not preparod to accept that kind of in- crease uhless it can be justified. "You have nover been able' to substantiate that, " he said, 1"Witbout a complote breakdown, I won't'sway from that figure ($21,000), per- sonally."1 "I feel you take that figure out of a hat," Bat- ten added. Hughes responded says that he could jübtify the central sup- ply and services in- crease. However, ho was relutant to do so because the municipalities don't ask other private con- tractors to justify overything in their budgets. "We can justify our- selves,",ho added. Batten also, informed Hughes that none of the municipalities will give the society the 26.1 par cent increase it asked for. "The 26.1 par cent is flot something we can live with, " he said ad- ding that the Town of Whitby only gave its employeos a five par cent raise this year. What CUPE is domanding of the O.H.S. "is greater than we gave our own em- ployees."y MacKay told the committee that 5.3 par cent increase in the con- tract fees is "ap- propriate." The P.A.W. commit- tee will hold another meeting somotime in the next few weeks to g'o over the budget again. If it doe-sn't meet 5% guidelinea@... Batten s ays OeHoS. coul lose'animal control Contract If the 0Ontario Humane Society cannot live witb a- 5.3 par cent increase in the fees"paid bylthe towns of Whitby, Ajax and Pickering for animal control services, then it could lose its con- tract according to Couin. Ross Batten. Batten, Whitby's representative on, and chairman of, the Pickering Ajax Whitby Animal Control Com- mittee,(P.A.W. îcommit- tee), has totally rejec- ted the. society's demand for a 26.1 par cent increase in its 1985. budget. "W're not willing to give more than- five per cent," Batten told the Free Press last week. "We're willing to in- crease it (the contract fées) to $164,400, " Bat- ton added. Last year, the municipalities paid the O.H.S. $156,«)g for animal control services. When O.H.S. executive vice- president Tom Hughes presented bis budget to the committee last week, it -showed an $18,009 oparational deficit for the Thickson Rd. N. animal shelter.' However, Batten says that the committoe wil not pick up the deficit. "They must absorb the oparational deficit," ho said, '"We have a con- tract for a level of ser- vice for which we pay 50 much money." The major reason for tho society's demand for a 26.1 par cent increaso in the contract foes is a 29 Par cent wago doma nd mnado to it by the Canadian Union of Public Employoes, which represents. the shelter's employees. However, Batten, said that tho contract talks are between the society and CUPE "and..bave nothing to do with the comfmittee. Ho' noted that CUPE's -demand would give the.shelter workors parity witb out- side workers of the Town of Whitby. Ho added that Iower labor costs makes the O.H.S. a viable alter- native for animal con- trol. "Ho (Hughes) was the one Who set the wages,"1 Batten said, lTbat's wbat makes this a viable alternative. If ho accepts the 29 per cent, ho no longer becomes a viable alterùative." When asked if the O.H.S. would lose its contract. if it cannot meet the committee's five par cent guideline, Batten replied: "Sure, no question."1 "If ho cannot provide the level of service for the price agreed upon, thon ho is no longer the contractor for. animal control in the three 'nunicipalities, " ho ad- ded. Batten said that the society's proposed budget doms meet with the.five per cent except in two areas, wages and an item called "Central Supply and Services". "Ho can give the same level of service in '85 as in 184 except for the wage situation," -ho LET'S> SEEYOU DO IT... 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