Mainstream Canada - "'Hard truths for labor" by TONY CARLSON This has been the summer of our discon- tent. From sea to shining sea, organized labour and management have been at loggerheads - trawler operators in Newfoundland, police in . Nova Scotia, garbage collectors, bus and sub- way drivers in Ontario, transit workers in Brit- ish Columbia. There are even rumblings at yet another postal strike. These brushfires pale beside the chaos in Brit- ain's mines, but they are all symptomatic of a deeper condition which is troubling, to say the © least.f We have just spent 20 belt-tightening months nursing the economy out of recession and many observers say we're on the verge of a relapse. Avert Tissue from K-C os : Neenah, Wis. -- The makers of Kleenex Fac- ial Tissue announced to- day that they will soon begin test-marketing a specially-treated tis- sue which safely kills most of the viruses which cause colds and flu. Peter N. Larson, exec- utive Vice-President of Kimberly-Clark Corpor- ation, said that the new product, know as Avert virucial (virus-killing) tissue, has been under intensive development since 1980. ° He emphasized that the tissue does not cure colds, but said "We be- lieve it is a major advan- ce in fighting the spread of viruses which cause colds and flu. "Avert tissue can be used by the entire fam- ily in the same way as regular facial tissue. The unique differ- ence is that when you _blow your nose, cough or sneeze, the viruses 'deposited on Avert Tis- sue are killed before they reach your hands, and can't be passed on to others,"' he said. Mr. Larson said the product consists of three layers of tissue for extra strength and absorben- cy. The tissue is treated with ingredients which are safe for humans but highly effective against most viruses. The ingre- dients are citric acid and malic acid, both found in fruit such as oranges and apples and sodium lauryl sulfate, a substan- ce commonly used in products such as sham- poo and toothpaste. Research and clinical testing of the viru- cidal tissue have been conducted by Kimberly- Clark and its consult- ants, Professors Elliott C. Dick, Ph.D., of the University of Wiscon- sin, and Jack M. Gwalt- ney, Jr. M.D. and J.O. Hendley, M.D., both of the University of Vir- gina. Papers covering their research will be presented by the Uni- versity Scientists at the interscience conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington, D.C., October.8-12. Mr. Larson said that Avert Tissue will be sold in packages of 60 tissues with the familiar pop-up dispenser feature of re- gular Kleenex Tissue. The retail price is ex- pected to range be- tween $1.00 and $1.30 per package. Shipments of Avert Tissue have begun to retail outlets in upper New York State. The test market will include Buffalo and Rochester in the Western part of the state and Albany in the east. Mr. Larson said it is not known at this time when the new tissues would be available out~ side of the test area. continued on page 10 afford. help you plan your h call us collect 345-8590 a The Manor House is a complete decorating store we have: - carpets - furniture - flooring - lighting - draperies - paintings -. blinds - accessories We save you time, energy and money. Use this one stop decorating source. Have Cathy, our decorator, ome, within a price range you can The ffanor House 131 North Court Street Thunder Bay, Ontario P7A4V1 Terrace Bay Tumblers Gymnastic Club REGISTRATION Wed. Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Terrace Bay High School Fee *25 per child for 12 Sessions Yet unions still use or threaten to resort to their ultimate weapon, the strike, with unset- tling frequency. To be sure, unions have been accepting lower raises - an aver- age of 3.9 percent in the first three months of this year compared to 12.8 per cent in 1982. But for thousands of owners of small businesses, there have been no extra dol- lars in the pay packet recently. Indeed, many have made do with less in order to keep the company afloat. There is, in short, a growing concern that or- ganized labor's reluc- tance to bend is pricing our goods out of the market and thus costing us jobs. A York University study shows that labor Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, September 12, 1984, page 9 costs per unit of pro- duction are more than twice as high in Canada as in Japan, and 30 per cent higher than in the United States. In fact, only Britain has a higher labor cost than Canada among our major com- petitors in manufactur- ed goods. We have, it would seem, lost our competi- tive edge. _ Labour leaders have dismissed the compe- tition argument, ur- ging instead that man- agement _ productivity come under close scru- tiny. There is some mer- - it in their concern. One can also sympa- thize with auto workers who seek substantial raises after seeing rec- ord profits for the Big Three and executives voting themselves un- conscionable bonuses. But our lack of com- petitiveness will not go . away. It is reflected every day in our unem- ployment statistics. : "Union members must realize that with 1.3 million unemploy- ed, they're the lucky ones," says Jim Ben- nett, Vice-President of Legislative Affairs for the Canadian Federa- tion of Independent Business. "If we don't address this issue, we will only lose more jobs to offshore firms." Labour and manage. ment together must re- cognize that in a chan- ging world, flexibility is the key to staying alive. CFIB studies show that from 1975 to 1982 in Canada, small manu- facturers, that so- called dying sector, were the largest. sin- gle source of new jobs. The reasons are clear. First, these companies realized they could not compete in mass pfo- duced, standardized goods cCfeated © off- shore by manufacturers with lower labor costs. Second, new techno- logies which make possible specialized marketing techniques have broken down the old mass markets. Con- sumers are demanding more individualized and durable goods. Successful small firms have seen that and gone after these target mark- ets where they can com- pete by concentrating on quality, not quantity. And the strategy, un- like too many unfortun- ate Canadians, is work- ing. Dn Pulp and Paper Reports: Changes to meet challenges Tomorrow's pulp and paper needs - Today's challenge! anada is the world's leading exporter of pulp and paper, supplying one- third of total world exports. After the United States, it is the world's second largest producer. The competitive drive of the Canadian pulp and paper industry, along with its ex- perienced and skilled workers, have helped make Canada a force to be reckoned with in world markets. Today, our leadership position is being challenged. Swedes, Americans, Brazilians and others, eager for their share of the market, have stepped up their production capacity. A new competitive environment has emerged, and Canadian producers must be more vigilant than ever before. Producers who keep their costs at com- Over the next 15 years, an increase of 70 million tonnes in world consumption of pulp and paper is expected. What will Canada's share be? This growth presents important opportunities for Canadian producers, and for Canada in terms of jobs, income, new investment, and exports. Our industry is " poised to meet this challenge. The Canadian pulp and paper industry has been our country's main economic engine for decades, contributing more to Canada's balance of payments than any other sector of the economy. It can continue to provide Canadians with the economic and social benefits that flow from a thriving industry. Through dedication, higher productivity, and the ability to meet the challenge of cost com- petitiveness, pulp and paper can remain the spearhead of Canada's well-being. For a free booklet on Canada's pulp and petitive levels will thrive, gain efficiency, attract new investment, grow with the market, and keep on providing jobs. That's how winners and losers are sorted out in the pulp and paper business. O.H.1.P. No. and Birth Certificate industry, write to: Public Information necessary for Registration pepe eee Services, Canadian Pulp and Paper Associa- tion, Sun Life Building, 23rd Floor, 1155 Met- Age requirement - Kindergym calfe Street, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2X9. must be 4 yrs. as of December 31 /84 Recreational - 6 yrs. and up