* Hospital won t sign local social contract deal By Mike Kowalsl Whitby Generai Hospital wil not participate in the Ontario government's social contract negotiations. Director of developinent Marc Keaiey said Monday the hospital wiIl not attempt to negotiate a settiement with its 323 employees by the Aug. 1 social contract deadiine. As a resuit, the government's wage restraint iaw could ho im- posed on about one-third of the hospita's workers. The 109 employeps who earn an annuai saiary of more than $30,000 might possibly see their wages frozen for the next three years and be forced to take up Wo 12 days off without pay annualiy. Accordling to Kealey, Whitby Generai officiais feel the hospital will fare btteër with an imposed settiement than it would under whatever terms could be reached by bargaining with the employees. Officiai s came te this conclu- sion after being inrformedb I ueen's Park enriier this mont t at the hospital's 1993-94 budget must be roiled back by $446,500, Kealey said. Already faced with a deficit of about $400,000 in this year's $14-million budget, officiais deci- ded it would not be in the best interests of the "hospital, patients and staff" Wo sign an agreement, Kealey said. Officiais fear any agreement reached iocaliy would oniy lead te layoffs and cutbacks, he said. Kealey conceded the decision means the gevernment can stop in after Sunday's deadline and take matters into its own hands. "Oh sure, (Premier) Bob Rae wiil say on Aug. 1 this 15 the law and we have 'fail-safe' mea- sures, " said Kealey. <'But our empioyes realize it's not us doing it. They say you're (hospital management) net the viiian,» he said. Whitby's decision not te pursue a local agreemnent follows last week's announcement by the Ontario Hospitai Association (OHA) that it wiil not sign a sectorai deal with the province. OH-A president Dennis Tim- breil said a negotiated settie- ment with the government would cost more than the imposed agreement under social contract legisiation. As part of an overali projram te control the provines rin g deficit, the government wants te, cut $2 billion, a year from the annual $43 billion payreli for Ontario's 950,000 public empioyees. Agreements negotiated locally or by sector-suha in health care and education- must be ratified by workers by Aug. 10. SU PAGE 12 «AQUA CHRIST l' received an award for sculpture in The Station Gallery's 'Mem- bers 193 Juried Exhibition' that continues By Me Kowalski More than $3 million will be chopped from Durhamn Region's 1993 budget. Without an y discussion, regionai council last week endorse d a finance comnzittee recominen- dation calling for $3.4 million in budget cuts. Virtualiy every Region department will ha affected b y the. nove which was prompted by reoent Ontario govenment cost-cutting measures. "It covers everything, nothing is sacred," Durhamn chief adminstrative officer Garry Cuitt Wild the Free Press. "le's (cuts) as varied as there are departments" said Çubitt. About $2.4 million off the $3.4-million spending cut is Wo offset a previousiy announced reduction in unconditional grants from the province. The remaining $1 million will ho used to cushien the blow &=o the government's pending social contract iegisiation (sme story on Amongthe ajorcuts approved by council *$1.1 million in social services sponding; until Aug. 8. T he neon creation is by Woodbrig artist Maurice GoIIodo. Photo by Mark Reesor, WhItby Free Press * $960,000 in public works, which will invoive canceiling some road, sewer and watermain construction; e $623 000 from a special reserve fund established for a new regionai headquarters; e $540,000 from police services. Prograins and spending affiected by the cuts will be determined by a variety of criteria which will vary from department Wo depart- ment, Cubitt said. "The different standing (council) committees will be informed by the department heads how its arrived at. The department heads will put together a packag on how they'1l (cuts) be done," he explained. Although no part of Durham's $331-miliion budget escaped scrutiny, Cubitt said Rel on officiais follewed a "basic philosophy" w¶hen deciding where te cut. "Vie attempted Wo corne up with something which reduces the lees in services and reduces the impact on oui' erployeeu," ho said. 1"Those two goals are driving us. There wil bo reductions and hardships, but the bottoin ME PAGE 14 A ward-winner Region reduces budget by $3 millon