So —> Castlegar News — Morch 10. 1985 HOMEGOODS FURNITURE WAREHOUSE Tues. - Sat., 9:30 - 5:30 Chine Creek “Drive a Little to Save a Lot” *SuUZUKI~* ZAMURN SAVE +1000 On all remaining new 1984 Suzuki 4x4s in stock CHECK OUT THE NEW 1985 SAMURAI 4x4 NOW IN GOOD SUPPLY! Special Offer 1205 Bay Ave., Downtown Trail Give yourself o break. Call Vince At Investors, we don't keep bankers hours. We keep yours. So if you can’t come to me, Tl come to you. Ican help you put together a written, com prehensive financial pian that will help you reach your personal financial goals. If you need advice on anything from saving taxes to investment opportunities, call me today. CAMERON BOND 365-8181 OR 352-5116 1444 Columbie Ave. favestors. PROFIT FROM OUR EXPERIENCE College grant's use explained A recent hour-long visit to Selkirk College's Castlegar Campus gave Bob - Brisco, Kaotenay West MP, a chance to learnhow the college plans to use nearly $210,000 in fed- eral government funding. Federal Skills Growth funding is used primarily to assist institutions in equi- ment purchases for programs in high tech areas. board,” said Bill Susut, de- partment head of the Elec- tronics Technology program. His department's share of the money represents about five years of operating cap- ital, and will be spent up- dating and expanding the number of stations in the electroni¢s lab. $ “We are purchasing very d instruments and Selkirk College's grant will be used to modernize and up- grade equipment in the For- estry and Electronics pro- grams, according to a college news release. “T'm quite pleased with the test equipment,” Susut said. Some of the equipment in use today dates back 20 years and was part of the original equipment purchased to start the electronics program at Selkirk College. Susut that mod- minister's said Leo Perra, college prin- cipal. “The grant allows the immediate acquisition of equipment that might have taken years to acquire under current restraint budgeting,” he said. The Skills Growth funding took nearly two years to ac- quire as the application pro- cess required Selkirk College to first gain the approval of the provincial Ministry of Education before the appli- cation was sent on to the fed- eral government. “This grant will bring our electronics laboratory up to 1985 technology across the HOMEGOODS FURNITURE WAREHOUSE id ernization will oceur in the areas of microelectronics, computer systems, robotics and communications technol- ogy. EGION BRASS . . . The executive for the Castlegar branch of the Royal Canadian Legion were recently sworn in at an installation ceremony. Top picture, front row, left to right: Abe Culley, Jaimer Hall, Jim Perhaps most imp on the list of proposed new acqusition is a Computer As- sisted Design/Computer As- sisted Manufacturer (CAD/ CAM) station. The move toward acquir- ing CAD/CAM equipment recognizes the industry shift to miniaturization and gives students the opportunity to design and produce their own electronic circuit boards using state-of-the-art equip- ment. The Forestry program is using it’s share of the Skills Growth funding to increase the number of digitizer sta- tions available to Forestry students. “The grant will allow us to add five more digitizers and hard-dise computers to the system we now have in oper- ation,” said John Adams, department head of the For- est Resources program. Skills growth funding awarded to Selkirk College is part of more than $4 million in grants awarded to 19 proj- ects across Canada. Four of those projects are in B.C. and total $1.4 million. FLOOR COVERING CENTRE is pleased to announce a NEW SERVICE to all their valuable customers in the KOOTENAY-BOUNDARY COUNTRY Bill will be serving your floor covering needs directly in your home with the new. . . MOBILE CARPET VAN BILL JOHNSON Match your decor and shop at home! Moore (pr dent), Cathy Tucker. Back row, left to right: Sam Btown, Denny Tucker, Bob Deptuck, Norm Blais, Lorne Ashton, Bill K elley. Bottom picture (not in order) Anne Podd, Dorothy MacPherson (president), Pearl Zorn, Joan Blais, Dorothy Fleming, Joy Helen Leduc, Pearl Mott, ce Turner, Marj Rafter, Carol Him, Sherry Heagey, (Rose Debeque absent). CHALLENGE '85 Summer wor Challenge "85 is the new simmer student eniployment program. This joint federal- provincial venture is design- ed to create employment op- portunities for students through wage subsidy incen- tives to employer The wage subsidies will be for student employment be- tween April 29 and Sept. 6 and will vary depending upon the sector applying. Non. profit organizations, tourist information centres and mu seums will be eligible for a 100 per cent wage reimburse. ment up to the provincial minimum wage plus manda tory employee benefits and some allowance for miscella. neous costs. Municipalities will receive a 75 per cent reimbursement of wages and employee benefits. Private sector employers are eligible for a 50 per cent wage subsidy up to a max. imum contribution of $2.50 per hour. Private sector em. ployers should apply as soon as possible since applications will be approved on a first come first-serve basis. Non-profit and municipal applications will be accepted until March 29. High priority will be given to positions which provide career-related employment for students and a second priority will be those posi k for students tions which will provide stu dents with good work ex perience over the summer. All interested employers should contact the Canada Employment Centre at 835 Spokane St. or phone 368 9126. College foundation board elected Executive elections high lighted the agenda of the first annual general meeting of the Selkirk College Founda. tion Board of Directors Feb. 26 at the Castlegar campus. Doreen Smecher of Castle. gar was elected foundation chairman and Donald Skog. - Kootenay Savings stad of Nelson was elected vice-chairman Smecher is currently chair man of Castlegar School Dis trict and is a former Selkirk College board member. She has served as interim chair man to the Foundation board since its inception in Nov ember Skogstad, a lawyer, has maintained a practice in Nel son since 1982. He is a mem ber of the Nelson Heritage Advisory Committee and chairs the subcommittee overseeing production of the Nelson Heritage Walking Tour and the Nelson Heri tage Driving Tour brochures. The board also ratified the appointment of Robert Mac member. His appointment brings the number of Foun dation directors to 14. In other business, the board identified two fund. raising projects for the com ing year. Student aid seen as the most important service the foundation can perform by the entire board of dir. ectors is receiving top pri ority Establishment of a capital equipment fund is the other project to be undertaken by the board. Funds designated for this endeavor will acquire or replace badly needed equipment for all program areas of the college. The next scheduled meet ing of the foundation board is SAYS NDP LEADER Job issue important P of the ii provineial NDP leader Bob Skelly told the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce on Friday. ‘ Skelly, who paid a two-day visit to the Rossland-Trail riding, told the chamber the government, in curing the economic woes of the province, hasn't dealt with the number one problem — unemployment. Citing major construction projects like Northeast Coal, LRT and Expo, Skelly said that these projects aren't directed to unemployment and have no value when it comes to solving the unemployment problem. The NDP leader told the chamber that B.C. is ranked “fourth from the bottom” when it comes to unemploy- ment statistics. He said there were 226,000 British Columbians that were unemployed last month. Skelly said that last month, while B.C.’s unemploy- ment rate actually increased by .1 per cent, with the exception of one other province, other provinces across the country are experiencing drops in the unemploy- ment level. “This used to be a have province,” he told the chamber. Yet, while B.C., like other provinces, have gone through a recession, other provinces have come out of it, Skelly said. The provincial debt is another problem for B.C., Skelly said. The province's debt since 1975 — when the current government took office — has swelled to $17.5 billion, he said. “A lot of the increase in debt has been to pay the operating costs of the government — mostly relating to unemployment insurance and welfare,” he added. Another “serious problem” in B.C. is education, Skelly said, noting the cutbacks in education. “Education is one (area where) you have suffered very seriously,” he told the chamber members, citing the closure of Nelson's David Thompson University Centre and cutbacks to college and school district budgets. “Students are now having a difficult time competing with other areas,” he said. When the depression of the 1930s hit, Skelly noted that in the U.S. president Roosevelt said that the last thing that should be cut back was the financing of education because “that is the institution that will carry us out of the depression and into the new future of economics.” In B.C., education was the first thing that was cut back, Skelly said. The result has been people, such as the University of B.C.'s president, moving out of the province and going to other places where education is treated with a higher priority. Confrontation is also another problem in B.C., the NDP leader said. He said government's technique has been that of dividing groups in society for political reasons. Citing the Expo 86 project as an example, Skelly said that in B.C., “the government used Expo to divide some people in the work force against others.” As a result there were bitter feelings left in the province. Skelly said that through Expo, the government is hoping to attract tourists from throughout the world, as well as attracting investors to the province. However, he said the government must fulfill some of the things investors are looking for, like a stable tax climate and a stable climate of labor relations. “Unfortunately, Expo poisoned the climate of labor relations in B.C.,” Skelly charged He said the current government doesn't seem to understand what a Harvard economist has called the “social component of productivity.” Skelly explained that “you can marginally increase productivity by reducing wages and benefits or terrorizing people or by making them fearful of losing their jobs, but the only way to get the best from people is to inspire them to do it and have confidence in their ability to do that, “That is lacking in the government of B.C.,” he said. ying that unemployment must first be addressed in solving B.C.'s problems, Skelly said there are other areas around the world which have focussed on unemployment and have been successful at reducing the rate. Two such areas are Manitoba and Australia, he said. Skelly said that in Manitoba a job fund was created and in Australia, prime minister Bob Hawke established a goal of creating 500,000 new jobs. To date, 400,000 new jobs have been created and Hawke expects to complete his goal shortly. He added that Hawke not only created more jobs, but also increased old age pension, family allowance and welfare payments, and the country’s deficit has also been reduced. Skelly said the reason that Hawke has been able to increase social benefit is because “people are working and paying taxes. Government revenues have been in creased,” he said. BOB SKELLY . . . provincial New Democrat leader spoke in Castlegar Friday. Skelly said that besides unemployment, the government must focus on the forest industry, which has been “neglected all along.” He said a five-y i re bet the provincial and federal government, which would have created sesveral thousand new jobs\in the province was never signed because the provincial government rejected it. Then a $500 million deal was struck, but that has yet'to be signed. “We would make it a priority to enter into that agreement,” Skelly said. “The provincial government should embark on that program immediately. Getting involved in replanting and silviculture would create dozens of jobs in B.C. and would restore the economy to every region in the province,” he remarked. Something also needs to be done about education, Skelly said. The former schoo} teacher said having schools, colleges and universities makes “good economic sense.” “There has to be some attention paid to restore the quality and vibrance of education,” he said. “It has a net economic return to the province over the long term,” he added. Poverty is another problem that also needs to be addressed, Skelly said. “B.C. is the fastest growing province in terms of people becoming poor.” “We have to address the problem,” he said. “One way is to increase disposable incomes. If we don’t address poverty, costs of providing welfare is going to drag down economic recovery in B.C. B.C. also needs a “long-term strategy,” he said. He noted that after World War Two, a rehabilitation council was established in B.C., consisting of all parties in the legislature. The council consulted with communities across the province. The result was a blueprint that became the strategy of the W.A.C. Bennett government for 30 years. “Today, there is no economic plan,” he said Skelly added that he believes that certain government projects, which are all scheduled to be completed around the end of May in 1986, are geared around the time when the next provincial election will take place. “They have to structure economic strategies that have a longer time frame than required to win the next election,” Skelly said. “We are committed to a long-term economic strategy to B.C. and to address problems facing us now,” he added. During the question period, Gordon Brady asked where the money for unemployment is going to come from. Skelly noted that at present the government's expenditures are going into welfare and UIC payments. “We have to redirect the money to job-creation priorities,” he said. ST Move may hurt fruit industry KELOWNA (CP) — A cost-saving measure propos- ed by the federal government may result in a hefty financial blow to the B.C. fruit- growing industry, a spokes- man for fruit growers said Friday. Gerald Geen, president of the 1,000-member B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association, said the government plans to change its inspection services April 1. “The direct cost to our in- dustry will change drasti- cally,” Geen said after at- tending the Canadian Horti- quitural Council annual meet- ing in Ottawa. Based on 1983 figures — the last year all fruits were shipped — Geen said the in- spection cost will rise to $310,000 from about $18,300 a year if the changes take effect at the end of the month. Ministry of Agriculture representatives in Ottawa informed and others that it cost the government about $8.2 millfon to inspect fruit and vegetables being exported outside Canada. “What they want to do is recover $5.2 million of that,” Geen said:“They are still willing to pay for inter- provincial inspection charges which amount to about $3 million. In reference to the other $5 million, Geen said, “Those monies will have to come out of the producers’ pockets.” He noted,. however, that federal Agricultural Minister John Wise indicated this week that he would be willing to listen to alternative —/ REGENCY HOMES No Payment Until 1986 Regency makes you a straight forward business offer: We will build a new home for you AND MAKE ALL YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS UNTIL 1986. Only 3 Homes in Castlegar 3 Bedroom Home including lot with many amenities, starting at $69,900 FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Raymond Bartlett — 365-2111 ATTENTION ALL UNION MEMBERS A Message from the Textile Processors, Service Trades, Health Care, Professional and Technical Employees International Union Local 299 Affiliated with International Brotherhood of Teamsters GREETINGS: There have been numerous rumours and untruths circulating in regards to our Union. | shall remain silent on most as they don't warrant my effort to respond as well as the fact that legal action may be pending in regards to action taken by some unions. However, the following may give you an insight as to who we are. We are a Local Union of an International Union that was established in October 1900 to represent em- ployees of the Laundry and Garment Industries, from that beginning our membership grew to a total of One Hundred Thousand when our name was changed to the Laundry Workers International Union and 1 ional then to the Laundry, D Dr Union, at which time we became an af- filiate of the Teamsters International Union. Due to automation in the laundry industry, our member- tating the need to ex itality, and Food Industries. Therefore, our ind od jurisdiction. We began to organize and le did not accurately tation. Hence, the name Textile Processors, Service Trades, Health Care, P ploy | Union was adopted at our 1980 International Convention. One of our locals was a member of the B.C. Fed. until it turned its members over to the Teamsters Union some time ii ince of B.C. and ti re has been three Locals in the 1970s. There are currently two Locals of our International in the tified at different times in B.C. over the last 35 years. The U.F.C.W. Locals 1518 and 2000 have full knowledge of this history as it was sworn testimony of B.C. L.R.B. hearings instigated by them. Hugh Finnamore — who is he? lam the Secretary Treasurer of the Textile Processors; Local 299. | was a Teamster representative for Local 351 from 1978 to November 1983 my workload consisted of 35 Food Industry Collective Agreements covering 44 locations on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Modifications through negotiations and day to day offered the opportunity to re th and upon ig the viab ‘ation of those ag ‘extile Proc y of such a revival, | accepted their offer. were m . In 1983 | was ssors Interna onal Unions presence in British Local 299 was not established to RAID the U.F.C.W. as our affiliation with the Teamsters Union binds us to all Teamster “Mutual Assistance Pacts”. No one has a right to attempt to thwart the free will and self determination of Local 299 members. Their employer made an offer and they voted to accept it not once but twice and in doing so rebutted the ad- vances of the U.F.C.W. Locals 1518 and 2000, who contacted all Local 299 members in Castlegar in an attempt to have them sign U.F.C.W. Union cards. The Retail Food Industry is not the exclusive domain of the U.F.C.W., anyone has a right or organize in this area within the limits of their affiliations and the members of these unions have a right to self determination. Please do not join the U.F.C.W. by interfering with this basic right. Please take time to study these ad- ditional facts. Once you have read them, I'm sure you'll support the store of your choice not because of FACT: T.P. Service Trades H.C. P&T Employ: October, twenty of those years b: autonomy) with a thirty year pre: the union, but because it is union. FACT: The coll ratified by Local vote but that is normal union practise for the Castl s International Union will have it’s 85th anniversary this g affiliated with the Teamsters Union. (Note: affilliation with ince in British Columbia ‘d Plaza SuperValu was not signed until after it was 1g 299 members employed at that location. A memorandum was signed prior to The U.F.C.W. asked the Castleaird Plaza SuperValu employees to join their union. The em- Insurance Services AUTOPLAN RENEWALS Fast, friendly, professional service for your 1985 Autoplan renewal We value your business TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU: Castlegar — 365-8313 4th Street Trail — 368-9174 Cedar Ave. lean of Nelson as a new ployees declined as they would have to accept the Safeway agreement, whether they liked it or not. The employees chose Local 299 because they could have complete control over the contents of their collective agreement. June 5. Upon being rejected by this group of employees the U.F.C.W. then applied to the Labour Relations Board of British Columbia to order that the Castleaird Plaza employees be barred from joining any union and that they should remain non union. The U.F.C.W. was unsuccesstul hence Local 299s certification Local 299s agreement compares with and in some instances is superior to agreements signed between the U.F.C.W. and Co-Op Stores in British Columbia. The Co-Op’s assets are astronomical compared to Ferraro's The wage rates at the Castleaird Plaza SuperValu give a top rate in the meat department of $17.00 and a fully experienced cashier $12.50 per hour Call Bill at Charlie Says HomeGoods 693-2227 The Castleaird SuperValu does not use these rates to undercut the downtown SuperValu, prices are the same in both stores, check and compare } Local 299 is o party to all Teamster Mutual Assistance pacts with the “Steel Workers” and the 1.W.A - HACHMI HAMMAMI D.-C.S. (P.Q.)-F.R.C.S. (C.) D.S.U.L. (C.H.)-A.B.D. (US_A.) - S.C. (B.C.) Ophthalmologist Diseases of Eyes. Sur Independant U.F.C.W. represented supermarkets are going bankrupt (close to 10 in the past year), while Safeway and non union Overwaitea Stores expand SHOP UNION! SHOP CASTLEAIRD PLAZA SUPERVALU HUGH FINNAMORE Secretory-freasurer Local 299 Bill Johnson comes to HomeGoods with many years of experience in the floor covering business and looks forward to serving you. HOMEGOODS FURNITURE WAREHOUSE AT CHINA CREE Vision Emormienioney ort | The office is now open at 203 Victoria St., Nelson. Appointments can be made through your Doctor or by calling 352-7737. COHOE INSURANCE 1127-4th St., Castleger