PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY .APRIL 16. 1986, WHITBY FREE, PReSS Cli*ff Pilkey -denounces, free trade. Dave Broadbent with Cliff Pilkey By MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff The Canadian way of nife wlll drastically change if Free Trade between Canada and the United States 18 negotlated, accordlng to Cliff Pillcey, President Of the Ontario. Federation ofLabour. "Free trade means our economy wll be tled completely to that of the U.S. To be s0 dependent on a country whose production and mnarkets. are ten tmes the size of ours, Is to give Up 0w' independence," said Mr. Pilkey, reading from a prepared statement at a press conference beld last Wednesday, at the Holiday Inn in Oshawa. Also attending the press conference was Dave Broadbent, president of the Oshawa and District Labour Council, who expressed concern for companies in the Durham Region under a Free Trade agreement. "Cobi Foods in Whit- by could be wiped out by many U.S. companies,"1 he said. Not only jobs but benefits Canadians normally take for gran- ted will disappear,'ac- cordlng toMr. Pillcey. "Social programs, workmens compen- sation and unem- ployment insurance will definetely be on the bargaining table," he said. The labour spokesman used the U.S. terrni 'concept of level field' to explain that Ainerican cona- panies WinI want prograras such as medicare, hospital in- surance, the Canada Pension Plan, sub- sidized secondary education and daycare to be scaled down or abolished, because U.S. companles don't have them. He furtber explalned that unemployment in- surance now given to fisherman on the east coast during the off- season and a Federal subsidy for the British Columnbia forest in- dustry would be can- celled. because. Ainerican companles wli dcaim those programs put themn at a dlsadvantage. *Many other programs *will also be cancelled because the Canadian government wll have to lower their taxes to the same levels as in -the U.S., making funding for Most social programs Impossible, he said. "Prime Minister Brian Mulroney bas said that these programs wlll not be on the negotiating table but they bave to beifnosaide Is to have an advan- tage," said Mr. Pilkey. Free trade wlll also mean tbe loss of jobs to 1,000,000 Canadians, ln- cluding an estimated 281,000 in Ontario alone accordlng to an Ontario governnient study, said Mr. Pllkey. An information pam- phlet, printed by the OFL, in conjunction with the Canadian Labour of Congress, shows some of the in- dustries which could be bit hardest by Free Trade. -Electrical applian- ces: A plant in. Louisville, Kentucky makes enough applian- ces in just one montb to supply tbe Canadian market. for a year; as many as 45,000 jobs are at stake. -Furniture: Five U.S. nianufacturers each DON'T FORGET produce more than the entire Canadian market. According to the Macdonald Royal Commission on Free Trade, 10,000 jobs willl be lost. -Printtag and Publisblng: Under Free Trade, 25,000 jobs are lmmedlitely threat- ened. Hardly a book or magazine wlll be made in Canada. - -Paper Products: Canadians won't even be able to make a car- dboard box. 17,500 jobs in Ontario and Quebec Winlbe lost. -Brewerles: Haf of the jobs In the brewery tadustry wllldisappear. -Auto:- Even the Auto Pact isn't safe. Mr. Pilkey said that the Auto Pack wlIl recelve negative effects from a Free Trade negotiation. Whlle be did not put a number on bow many jobs would be lost, be dld express the hope that G.M. wlll put every effort in te, defen- ding the Auto Pact. He cEd, however, say that car bauler jobs in Canada could be ina- mediately lost. Presently, cars delivered to Canada from the U.S. are tran- sported -to the boarder by US. driver and are' then picked Up by Canadian drivers and delivered to their destination.'This would change, accordlng to Mr. Pllkey. If a free trade agreement la negotlated, Mir. Pilkey fears that many comn- panles would be driven out of business. "If a Canadian corn- pany can't competewlvth U.S. companies and tbey can't sustain tbem- selves tbey will h for- ced out of the business," SEE PC. 3 FRIED CHICKEN 1017 DUNDAS ST. E., WHITBY (Beside WindmiII Donuts and Dairy Oueen> 666-3324 une ý AMý - ..- - - - - --