Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 31, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Alice Krueger is on vacation. Her column will resume when she returns. Winnipeg free press wednesday May 31, 1978 City news 2nd class mail registration number 0286 100 walk out for Day health Centre faces strike by Scott Edmonds about 100 health sciences Centre employees who walked off the Job for one Day monday Are threatening to go on strike next monday to Back contract demands. John Peterson business agent for the International Union of operating engineers local 837, said tuesday the workers Are frustrated by the Lack of Progress at contract talks and the failure of the Hospital to make a new offer since the dispute went into conciliation May 1. The Union represents operating engineers maintenance workers and occupational therapists at the Hospital. The Union s last contract with the Hospital expired Dee. 31, 1977. The Hospital has insisted on offering workers Only a one year contract instead of the two year agreement they have requested and wage offers Are far below demands Peterson said. We feel really the Hospital has been bargaining in bad he said. J. B. Wallace a Hospital spokesman refused comment on what if any action might be taken against the men who walked off the Job. He also refused to give details of the Hospital s contract offer which he described As he would Only say the fact Speaks for itself that the Union is asking for parity with workers at the University of Manitoba and 80 per cent of construction Industry wages for part of its membership. In some cases that would mean wage increases of from to an hour. Workers walked out for an entire shift monday when they Learned the Hospital still had not changed its pre conciliation contract offer. Earlier this month the workers voted to set a june 5 strike deadline. Peterson said it in t easy to keep the workers on the Job because of their irritation Over the Hospital s stance at the bargaining table. The Hospital s position is just nowhere near what our people Are looking he added. He said the maintenance workers were already Down to about 68 per cent of the construction Industry wage and wanted to regain their 80 per cent position. The Hospital employees have also been hit by two anti inflation Board rollbacks which trimmed increases agreed upon in 1976 and 1977. Peterson said the Hospital had said All along that it wanted workers to catch up with those in comparable positions at the University and in construction but wage controls were standing in the Way. Now that the Hospital has a Chance to even up salaries in the second year of a two year contract the first year would still be under controls since the previous contract expired before april it is using government restraint As an excuse not to increases wages Peterson said. We be just about done everything we can to avoid a he added. The Union spokesman said it seemed the Hospital was trying to push the Union into a strike to pressurize the provincial government for More Money. The government has placed a general 2.9 per cent limit on any increases in Hospital spending. A two week strike by the workers Early in 1976 led to the removal of some elderly patients from the Hospital. The Hospital is also negotiating with the Canadian Union of Public employees which represents about health sciences Centre workers who also want wage settlements considerably in excess of 2.9 per cent. Union spokesmen said Little Progress has been made so far during the talks. Transfer of promotion role to c of c end urged to development body a Manitoba Telephone system Crew repairing Telephone cables damaged in last thursday s violent storm. By Steve Pona repairmen Rick Lynch left and Stan Widersky in a manhole on St. Andrews Street near Inkster Boulevard. A of wire is cat out of of 1.200 Tete Pycone fines Asj replaced at Andrews location. At stes Pas fac a a wire Cru Newfors have to be instated before fhe wire is and ready service Type of repair was All Over the City. 4 i Winnipeg civic finance committee recommended tuesday responsibility for economic development in Winnipeg should be Transfer red from the Winnipeg eco nomic development Board to the Winnipeg chamber of Commerce which should be granted a minimum of si.2 million during the next six years. Committee also urged the establishment of a voluntary economic development authority staffed by Community and Council representatives and responsible to civic executive policy committee to Monitor the chamber s efforts and set and review goals programs and financing. The recommendations which will be considered by City Council june a Are proposed to end uncertainty Over the future of the 52 year old development Board which has been regularly at tacked during budget Prepa rations during the past six years As being ineffective and redundant. The recommendations advanced by mayor Robert Steen. Councillors Don Ger Rie. Ric Nordman and Don Smith would leave responsibility for economic develop ment in the hands of an inde pendent authority and not with a civic department As has been recommended by chief civic commissioner d. I. Macdonald. The chamber of com Merce which has endorsed the proposed changes would sign a six year contract with the City to assume responsibility for marketing of eco nomic during which it would be granted at least a year councillors said. Economic development activities of civic depart ments would be co ordinate by a proposed manager of promotion and information in the mayor s office Proba Bly Dave Grant Steen s executive assistant councillors said. It will not mean an increase in the City s staff establishment. Steen promised. The manager would also Supply necessary information to the economic develop ment Agency assist business investors through the Chic departmental process and co or Roate civic promotion and information they said. A total of of told be to cow Ink development Board to Etc Raj its operations past Jen 3ft. Last Vear s scheduled to take Over com Mittee recommended. The City s financial invest ment in economic promotion would increase by to the proposed s200.000, and by the equivalent of Grant s Sal Ary which Steen termed coun. Alan c. Wade new democratic Dame said. But councillors said this does not even approach the Money being lavished on eco nomic development in Many other Canadian cities most notably Edmonton which budgeted More than two years ago. Winnipeg should be work ing much harder in this competitive situation but actually is doing much less than these other Macdon Ald had counselled. The councillors report said the City should accept the principle that a minute percentage of the taxes raised on the Commer assessment in Winnipeg should be directed towards economic develop although it did not specify when or How much. In what chamber president Paul Harriot described As possibly a first in Canada certainly in the Western provinces private Industry is being asked to contribute one fifth of the proposed Agency s first year budget. Partial financing from senior Levels of government will continue to be pursued by the chamber s Well established lobby Herriot said. Only if the provincial govern ment contributes would it be invited to place a representative on the proposed advisory body he said. Chornopyski Ragsdill Mcgarva Board members proposed 1. Ibe t taster civic appointees to the new seven member Winnipeg ambulance commission were recommended tuesday by City Council s finance com Mittee. Proposed As Council s direct political representatives on the new body Are Council lors Bill Chornopyski new democratic Bill Mcgarva Independent election com Park and Jim Ragsdill Independent Springfield a special appointments committee Aiso proposed or. Henry p. Krahn Jack lit Vack and Audrey Macdonald As citizen members of the commission. L track is chairman of the current ambulance Board and a senior St. Boniface Hospital administrator. While Krahn is closely associated with cot Owdia Tal and the medal association. Mrs. Macd i is a Are Rife of a Day r in the be ;