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SmrnmAàker wage rollback for Townf workers By Mike Kowalski Whitby municipal workers wil be hit with a temporary wage rollback this suxnmer. Taking effect next week and lasting until Sept. 3, the roflback wiil affect aIl Tewn employees, union and management alike, councilior Dennis Fox announced Monday. Ail employees will have their heurs of work reduced by the equivalent of one day per pay period, for a total of four days off with an accompanying reduction in pay, Fox said. Th e resuit of cutbacks con- tained in the Ontario govern- ment's May budget, the measure wiIl save the municipality an estimated $140,000, Fox said. Mayor Tom Edwards and al seven Town counicillors will also be affected by the rollback. Their salaries, which have been frozen at 1990 levels, will be reduced by an amount equiva- lent te, three per cent. Edwards is currentir paid $42,972 by the Town while coun- cillors receive $17,230. Warning that the cutbacks miay have the effect of reducing service levels" during the next two mionths, Fox said council had ne choice but to take this step. «These actions are necessary as the Town is not expected to reach its revenue targets for 1993," Fox said in a short pre- pared statement which elicited ne additional comments from council. Following the meeting, Fox, councii's 1993 finance chair, said the impact on municipal serrices has yet to be determined. The Town is still negotiating the cutbacks with its unionized workers, but he specuiated that "everything from grass cutting te pool maintenance to bail parks couid be affected. "It's net an easy decision, but I don't see any alternative,"»'he said. «I hope staff realize we're try- ing te, preserve jobs and tighten our beits.» Athough there are no plans te lay off workers at this time, that wiil hinge on the provincial government's social centract legslation scheduled te take efféct Aug. 1, Fox said. Stressing that the rollback has Unothing te do with the social contract," Fox said it stems solely from Iast month's budget. Réductions in transfer pay- ments from the province te Wrhitby totalled approximately $433,000, hie explaîned, and of this ameunt, councii was able te absorb about $300,000 by mak- ingcuits in other areas. This left $140,000 outstanding and council preferred net te pass this on te the taxpayers, Fox said. 'The people of the tewn have go t te understand this is serieus usiness," he said. "If anvone thinks services can be maintained and taxes iowered or maintained, they>re wrong.R And the worst may be yet te SEE PAGE 31 'Ontario factor'weighed by federal NDP candidates By Mike Kowalski Durham Region New Demecrats may be battling more tLhan Censervatives and Liberais in the next faderal electien. The performance of Ontario's NDP govern- ment could very weli be a factor in determia- ing the fate of federal NDP candidates in this provnce, party offliciais admit. Athouéh area NDP candidates believe voters wM' distinguish between federai and provncial issues when it cernes time te cast their ballots, others are net tee sure. Developments at Queen's Park in recent months h ave some local party officiais pri- vately fearing the worst when Canadians go te the polis later this year. Last menth's record "tax grab» budget, the failedsocial contract negotiations with public em pleyees and the government's emphasis on reducingt#le deficit, bave officiaIs worried that even traditionai NDP supporters wiIl turn their backs on the party. In fact, a few party insiders believe that even veteran Oshawa M P Mike Breaugh may be in trouble in that generally perceived bastion of NDP strength. Ontario riding NDP candidate Lynn Jacklin, however, feels that NDP voters, particularly those who are union members, would be wrong te punish the federai party for the sins of its provincial cousins. She said ne other politicai party would have consulted with _public workers beforehand, but mereiy imposed cutbacks on its own. "I think the provincial government is trying te, preserve collective bargaining and is letting them (employees) have a voice in how things are going te, be done," said Jacklin. "UI hope people realize that no other govern- ment would give themn a voice in the process," she said. Jackiin dlaims Ontario's financial woes are largely the result of the federal government's failed economic policies and that Canadians should direct their anger at Ottawa. "Free trade, the GST, have been the cause of problems like the deficit,» she said, "I hope people would realize the Conservative federal government is responsible.» Jacklin did net indicate whether she agrees with Windsor MP Stephen Langdon's recent criticismn of the Ontario government as being tee concerned about the deficit and not doing enough for the province's unemployed. (Criticism which prornpted federal leader Audrey McLaughlin to remove Langdon as the party's finance critic.) Instead, Jacklin said that creating employ- ment is the "main thrust" of the NDI> election platform. Even the provincial government is doing its best te create jobs through its jobsOntario program, she said, "whereas the federal government doesn't do any-" SEPPAGE 17 business news 1 - ~s ff,;- 3 MM..i mmmýÀmMMR--- 1 imim kend GelaMYS and Wee