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\U 111,B), L >IS.wl*I)NI .SI) \Y.. \L I< ,191 JW Wants right to strike for police & firemen. Edwards wants review of arbitration system for police and firemen By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff Regional Councillor Tom Edwards said last week that a review of the present system of compulsory ar- bitration used by local government to settle con- tract disputes with its police officers and fire men is needed. Edwards made the com- ment after Durham Regional Council referred a resolution to the management committee that calls on the provincial government to appoint a task force to look into the system. The resolution came from Tom Edwards the City of Cambridge which recently lost an arbitration dispute with its fire service resulting in a 15.4 per cent increase in firefighters' salaries and benefit im- provements of 12 per cent. In an interview last week, Edwards said that while the compulsory arbitration system needed review, he did not agree with the man- ner in which the City of Cambridge is seeking it. He said that he wants Durham Regional Council to consider its option carefully before any decision to sup- port the Cambridge resolution is made. CLOCA receives ministry grant The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority has received a $31,350 -grant from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to pur- chase 50 acres of land across from Whitby's Lynde Shores Conservation Area. The property, which con- tains part of the Western branch of the Lynde Creek, is known as the Sayle Property. CLOCA general manager Bill Campbell said that the purchase will add to the 369 acres that they already own. The site is located on the north side of Victoria Street just to the west of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. Campbell also said that CLOCA plans to keep the land in its natural state since it is the home for a variety of animals including fox, rab- bit and muskrat and fish such as catfish, carp and perch. Edwards first concern about the resolution is that council was not told how long the collective agreement signed by Cam- bridge was. "If the agreement was for a three year period, then it does not meet the rate of in- flation," he said. "My main concern is, what does the City of Cam- bridge want to replace the arbitration system with?" he asked. "Are they suggesting that police and fire men should strike if they can't resolve their dispute?" he con- tinued, "What does the resolution suggest as an alternative to the system?" According to Edwards, "the obvious alternative to the system is to give the police and fire men the right to strike." While the right to strike is something that is not desired either by the associations representing police and fire men or by the governments that employ them, Edwards, however is of a different view. "I want the right to strike to be available to everybody," he said adding that "my position is not the same as that of the fire and police associations." However, Edwards said that if these -public em- ployees had the right to strike, then it is possible that contract negotiations would not be as long or as difficult. "I believe that if the right to strike and lockout was available to everybody, in- cluding police and fire men, then_ realistic bargaining would take place and the delays and frustrations in- vovled in these lenghty negotiations would be- avoided." He also believes that the police and fire men would strike, despite the fact that it is illegal, if they felt men would strike, despite the fact that it is illegal, if they felt it was necessary. "If they consider themselves to be treated unfairly enough, they will strike away," he said. Edwards maintains that if the right to strike was gran- ted to police and fire men contract disputes would be lessoned and the bargaining process would become more realistic because neither side would have the comfort of knowing that the matter is issue would go to ar- bitration. Edwards is familiar with the compulsory arbitration process, perhaps, more so than other regional politicians as he is a national representative for the Canaidan Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The long time municipal politician also said that council should consider this matter seriously being of the knowledge that if they want to get rid of the present system the only real alter- native is giving these em- ployees the right to strike. The question they should ask themselves, he said, is "does the Region of Durham want police and fire men -to have the right to strike?" He admitted that most municipal politicians do not want the right extended to police and fire men. Edwards said that the council must come to a position "that would satisfy the majority of the members of council and satisfy the residents of the Region of Durham."