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PAGE 6, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 198 1, WHITBY FREE PRESS IT workers ratify new 2-y eardeal The Ffl' Canon Elec- trie strike is over. The 120 employees who manned the picket Uine for six weeks retur- ned to work Monday morning after ratifying a new agreement the previous day by an 87 per cent margin. That vote came after a marathon bargaining session between the company and the workers who are represented by the United Auto Workers, Local 1M9. 6 61I$M basically pleased with the con- tract," was the com- ment of local 1090 presi- dent Gary Lilley as the employees went back to the job. "Ail bitterness is being set aside as em- ployees returned to work..." In fact, last Friday During the ratifica- The strike had been morning Lilley was tion vote that was held particularly bitter and charged with obstruct- at the Ajax UAW Hall on somnetimes violent. ing police. Sunday, the emloyees Somne of that bitter- A spokesman for the accepted a two-year ness had been directed Durham police said that agreement that in- at the Durham Regional the charge was laid'af- cluded wage increases Police Force who had ter a man refused to and a "satisfactory" been-accused by the allow a car to cross the overtime policy. workers of being strike- picket lines. Wages wilI increase breakers by causing of- Lilley is due to appear anywhere from 12 to 19 fice workers, who are in court to answer to the per cent in the first year non-union, to go to work charge on Friday mor- of the agreement, each morning. ning. depending on the em- a 4. ployee's classification, and during the second year will increase by 10 per cent across the board. Lilley said that the base rate will now be $6.13 an hour. The union, lie added, also won a major con- cession on one of the strike's major issues - overtinie. Whule the company, deep4rowned] Lilley said, wanted unlimited overtime the union demanded and received "a letter to our satisfaction that the company would go to voluntary overtime. "Anything above 48 how-s a week (the limit set by the Ontario Em- ployment Standards Act) they have to notify the union and sit down and discuss it, " he said. The union head said that they want to co- operate with the com- pany. "Wliat we're saying is we will co-operate with tliem above 48 hours a work week in extenu- ating circumstances. " An example of exten- uating circumstances, Lilley said, would be when an aircraft was grounded and ITT would have to supply special connectors pointing out that tlie company lias to produce tliem within 24 hours. The plant cliairman of the local, Dan Neal also saîd that lie was pleased witli the agreement and that the mood in the plant "«seems pretty good for the length of the strike. " "We realize the com- pany under extreme cir- cuinstances needs over- time that excesses law," Neal said stress- ing.tliat the contract "gives us more protec- tion" with accomo- dating the needs of the company. The. workers were also told that they would receive their holiday pay this week as well as 75 cents an hour retro- active pay for each hour worked between April 27 and June 26. Tempers liad flared on the picket line a few weeks ago when the company announced that vacation pay would not be paid until the workers had returned to the job. As of press time, no officiai of the company. liad been available for comment. Whitby ambulance During the week that ended last Tliursday at midnight, the Whitby Ambulance Service responded to 76 calîs for service. Pop People Pop - CASE 0F 12-30 oz BOUTLES BROWN'S FOODMASTER CAEO$49-10 oz OTTLES' ( -BROOKLIN 655-4521 Exeept Thur@. & Frî. Nights til 9 prn ASSORTED FLAVORS ic-9, IV %jýL. $4.49 & dep.