Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 11, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Equalized rates a pipe dream committe 7.5 per cent hike proposed for City welfare recipients by Rick Blanchard Winnipeg s recreation and social services committee tuesday re commended a 7.5-per-cent increase in welfare rates effective nov. 1. Councillor George Provost inde called the in crease a Compromise Between a six per cent salary increase Given City employees earlier this year and a departmental review advising 8.6 per cent More for welfare. Last month the environment committee had temporarily Frozen rates calling for equal assistance rates in All Manitoba municipalities to Stop an alleged influx of welfare cases to the City. But the recreation and social ser vices committee under a new Man Date tuesday opted for More Aid to welfare recipients before the out come of talks with the province. The committee s proposal should be considered by Council next week along with any comments the executive policy committee has thurs Day. If Council approves the 7.5 per cent increase the new rates would still fall below provincial rates to Long term cases As Well As an Esti mated Cost of living increase of 11.5 per cent since the last adjustment according to welfare department head Ron Hooper. Provost who moved the 7.5-per cent increase told reporters later the welfare department Drew those Cost of living figures out of a hat and therefore the depart ment s 8.6 per cent increase also lacked Joe Zuken labor election com had asked the committee to accept the depart ment s recommendation. Those favouring an increase below the welfare department s advice were trying to face in both direct ions at the same the Only danger in accepting an 8.6-per-cent increase he said was if the Federal government reduced unemployment insurance Assis Tance and those affected came in through the Back he said the setting of welfare rates has nothing to do with staff and called negotiations with the province for equalized the province has t made its mind up on equalized rates health and social services Deputy minister Ron Johnstone told the committee. Johnstone said the Federal government has confused the Issue by its plans to Cut family allow ances in january and not bringing in its tax credit plan to offset the family allowance cuts until next july or August. He said the province must pick up costs of drug dental and optical assistance to native indians under new rules of the game set by the Federal government. We seem to have lost a 10-year War Over who pays the native Bill he said. Although Winnipeg has the High est rates of any municipality Only six or seven of the approximately 200 municipalities in Manitoba have adequate welfare rates John Stone told the committee. Some municipalities Haven t re Vised rates in 10 years and others have had Only periodic reviews of welfare in their areas. Johnstone said the province is currently looking at a six or seven per cent increase in rates to Wel fare cases it oversees the Handi capped and Long term unemployed. Winnipeg has raised welfare rates by 9.2 per cent 11.3 per cent 9.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent in the years 1974-77. Want a better answer try us secretarial Telephone answering service 947-1661 City wide paging service Winnipeg free press wednesday october 11, 1978 City news nil class mail registration number 0286 Mirnoff it leaves you breathless the first few chill nips of Jack Frost May have been Felt Early this fall but it was strictly shirt sleeve weather tuesday afternoon. Despite a touch of photo by dim Dunt or Indian summer the intersection of Portage and main lived up to its blustery reputation. A High of is forecast for today. By . Winnipeg s Indian Community has reacted with anger and indignation at the Winnipeg development plan re View which spokesmen say unjustly blames native people for All the prob lems in the inner City. Representatives of several Indian organizations told a press conference tuesday the consultants who pre pared the report had preconceived notions when they began which resulted in perpetuation of a biased and stereotyped image. Native peo ple s groups were never consulted before the report was written they said. Greg Murdoch president of the Winnipeg Indian and Metis Friend ship Centre said Indian people come to the City hoping to make a better Home for themselves and their Chil Dren. But they find discrimination in housing social services and a com plete Lack of concern by government officials about their problems. Native people just Aren t a priority in City said Murdoch. There s no Way to make a great Deal of Money on them so Why should government spend a this and similar reports do nothing but fatten the pocketbooks of consultants and obscure the real prob lems in the cities he said. He said the consultants should at least have the decency to consult with native groups if they Are to make com ments about the so called Indian the report made Public last week spoke about the influx of Indian and immigrant populations into the inner the civic recreation and social ser vices committee made the first step toward the Long awaited amalgamation of Winnipeg s Library services tuesday. However Winnipeg Library advisory Board members fear the Struc Ture approved by committee May not even resemble the one they have fought for since 1972. The committee recommended the City approve the establishment of a Library commission in place of the existing Library boards that would have authority Over Library services Long term priority setting and establishing the Overall Library budget within City guidelines. However councillors also agreed that the chief librarian should report to the City s chief commissioner or his designate. Members of the voluntary advisory Board said they had never intended that the chief librarian report to the commissioner As this would ensure that the commission had virtually no Power. Mrs. G. T. Brazzell vice chairman of the advisory Board said after the meeting that the commission would be subject to the whims of the com missioner under the proposed Struc Ture. The commission will Only get the information the commissioner wants to give said Brazzell. Winnipeg s various District libraries have resisted amalgamation since i972, said Brazzell. It was not until six months ago that a consensus was reached on How to amalgamate the City s Library ser vices said the Board vice chairman. This is totally said Brazzell adding that the advisory Board would appear before the civic executive policy committee thursday when it deals with the matter. Committee councillors were not sure How much Power the proposed City wide Library commission should have. The proposals from the Winnipeg Library Board had called for an autonomous i Don t think we want it to be As autonomous As the ambulance com Mission said George Provost ind in a recent report to the committee the commissioner of environment states that an autonomous Library Board with jurisdiction Over person Nel and budgets could Only be achieved through amendment to the City of Winnipeg act. It would be difficult to maintain the target Date of january for total amalgamation of services unless there is a fall session of the Manitoba legislature and amendments to the act Are passed commissioner David Henderson told the committee. The motion passed by thu commit tee outlines that the City will retain full responsibility Over personnel and Union matters control of budgets plus title and Access to Library prop erties. By limiting the autonomy of the commission the City May not have to apply for an amendment to the City of Winnipeg act said coun. Joe Zuken the commission is to be comprised of six citizen members one from each Community committee and one councillor. Businessmen seek meter hearing some downtown businessmen Are taking their Case against the new 25-cent, 30-minute parking meters to civic works and operations commit tee oct. 23. We re not out to assess Morley Vinsky of Rose Lee fashion uniforms Ltd. Said but just to ask works and operations to look at the Vinsky who said he is not a Mem Ber of the downtown Winnipeg association is circulating a petition with an associate among All businesses from Ellice to Graham and Vaughn to main which will form the basis of a request for the City to suspend con version of its parking meters immediately pending a hearing of this Vinsky said he canvassed a one Block area saturday coming up with 47 of a possible 50 signatures. As Well his customers Are signing the petition. Private lots Are raising their rates. I it keeps up shoppers won t come downtown. Is virtually impossible to go shopping or make a professional visit and keep running Back to the he declared. City As a Factor in its economic decay. Richard Flett acting president of the Manitoba Indian brotherhood said the Lark of decent services on the Reserve s is Foiring indians to come to the cities. But when they arrive they Are blamed for poverty and economic degeneration which Are absolutely no fault of their own. The report perpetuates the stereo Type of indians As prostitutes drunk Ards and criminals but these social ills did not exist in the Indian communities before the White Man came to Canada Flett said. He said the government had a conscious policy of driving people off the reserves and forcing them to live in the most impoverished conditions in the cities. Flett supported his argument by pointing to the Lack of the most Basic facilities on Many reserves. In these Days of Modem technology there Are still some bands who have to Cut holes in the to Supply their drinking water he said. A statement by the greater Winni Peg Indian Council said the report blamed indians for the dying inner City while ignoring such problems As Absentee landlords absence of Ade quate housing inspections and unwillingness of Banks to support much needed renovation and construction. The City s policy of concentrating inspections on new housing Means landlords of older residences in the inner City continue to rent housing that is not Only substandard but sometimes outright under these circumstances it is unfair to blame the tenant for the problem regardless of his ethnic background or family circumstances the statement says. Victor Pierre acting vice president of the Indian brotherhood said he is sick and tired of the endless num Ber of surveys which Are conducted into the inner City problem. He said the Indian people have drawn up their own proposals such As the three year old Nee Ginan re port which recommend solutions to the problem. Rather than conducting More Stu Dies As the development plan review recommends it is essential to pro vide decent housing immediately for All those in need in the inner City he said. Alice Krueger sitting on a Hazard every occupation has its hazards. Some jobs have More than others and the hazards vary in degree from Job to Job. And in some jobs i the threat to workers health and safety is More obvious than in others. The potential dangers faced by police miners and firefighters for example Are readily recognizable and Well known to most. But in some occupations there Are hazards one would t even dream possible like in the Public service. The Canadian Union of Public employee s recently released an inventory of health and safety hazards faced by Public employees in their Day to Day work. The study Catalo gues hundreds of serious and often life threatening hazards that should not be taken lightly. However the 197-Page document also contains a few real dandies. Some Are a Little offbeat some Are downright humorous and some Are so incredible you have to wonder How some of these people make it out of bed every morning. After All they could get hit by a falling Star. While the study is the result of surveys of Ontario Public service workers the occupational hazards could just As easily apply in similar jobs Here. Following Are just some of the potential workplace hazards faced by Public servants and cited in the report office workers excessive sitting a Hazard. Can aggravate Hemor rho ids varicose veins and other blood circulation fatigue is another danger found in Boring jobs and in situations where intense concentration required. Muscle Strain among typists and key punch operators they May Strain tendons in wrist. Filing cabinets Are another occupation Hazard of office workers. Injury can be caused by file cabinets tipping Over workers can be injured by file drawers left open Falls can occur in attempts to reach High draw finally there is stress especially among workers who Deal with the Public on a regular basis. Morgue and autopsy attendants a Hazard Here is the cold. Refrigerators for bodies Are kept at 40 degrees fahrenheit. Lifting of bodies from stretchers to tables can be Treacher Ous. Stress can also be a problem from v orking alone with dead bodies. Parking lot attendants Here peo ple Are cited As a threat. Attendants Are responsible for collecting Money and also Are responsible for inform ing individuals of illegal bus Drivers people also a Hazard for this group of worker . There is always the threat of theft or abuse from drunks or others. School caretakers stress. The cause relations with students Van dals. The potential for injury in attack from students also cited. Municipal labourers dead animals can pose a threat. When dead animals Are found on the Road or near the Side of the Road these Are the workers responsible for removing and disposing of the remains. Although the cause of death May have been Colli Sion with a vehicle the report says there is always a Chance the animal might have been suffering from some disease such As rabies. Landfill workers again the Hazard is animals Only this time live Ani Mals rodents sea gulls pigeons bears and other scavengers that fre quent garbage dumps. Rats and Birds Are potential carriers of bacterial viral and fungal disease says the report not to mention that Large animals such As bears can attack workers causing serious injuries or death. Refuse collectors lice and bed bugs from discarded mattresses and dogs. Hospital lab workers parasites on or from animals in labs. Also bites and scratches. Kitchen workers in hospitals pesticides Are a Hazard where kitchens Are sprayed for cockroaches flies and Silverfish. Also Flavouring agents such As cinnamon and Vanilla can have an irritant or allergenic effect on Cooks and Bakers. Hospital housekeeping staff in addition to the hazards of using Strong disinfectants and cleaners they Are also prone to Falls from wet floors. City to lower Arena rates for adult teams using by Ingeborg Boyens civic recreation and social services committee agreed tuesday that adult teams Are paying too much for rental in the City s indoor Arenas. Councillors concurred in a recommendation from the Parks and recreation department that indoor Arena rates should be reduced from the present per hour fee to the report from the City administration stated that the existing rates could cause Many organizations to fold because they Are unable to pay the City fees. Council voted to increase rental fees for 18-and-Over organizations to an hour in August. Since then organizations have approached City Hall with complaints that the fee increases of Over 100 per cent would cause them severe financial burdens. Dele a ions to tuesday s commit tee meeting protested that the notification of the fee inv eases came so late in the year it was impossible to budget for them. Dave Anderson athletic director of the University of Winnipeg told the committee that the University with its own budgetary constraints could not afford he increased rental charges on the Pioneer Arena without cutting some of its Community Aca Demic or recreational programs. John Matheson of the Transcona railroaders hockey club said the in creases were shocking and caught the recreational hockey team off guard. Boris Hryhorczuk general manager of Parks and recreation agreed that adult teams and organizations had not expected the fee increases on practice and game time. Hryhorczuk said the City was at fault for not having reviewed and increased rental fees on an annual basis. We had taken no action since Hryor Czi k said adding thai it was not fair to the organizations to suddenly impose such significant in creases. The committee also heard concerns about proposed increases of As much As 60 per cent in indoor swimming Pool rental rates. A spokesman for the Cardinal swim club said the catastrophic proposed fee increases will result in a shortfall for the Organiza Tion. The proposed swimming Pool rate increases were however Laid Over until All Community committees have made their recommendations ;