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WHLTBY FREE PRESS, MÃ"ND!AY, DECEMBER 23, 1985 PAGE3 Union ratifies Valdi agreement Whitby residents can stili do their Christmas grocery shopping at Valdi Discount Foods. The employees of the food chain will not be striking af terall. The United Food and Commercial Workers announced Thursday that their membership r had ratified the ten- tative agreement reached by the two sides last week, only hours before workers were set to go on strike. According to union secretary treasurer, Dennis Sexton, em- ployees across the province are "satisfied" with the settiement which they have accep- ted "by an over- whelming majority." The main issues in the seven month contract dispute - wages and overtime for Sunday hours - have been resolved, he said. According to Sexton, the employees will receive a 15 percent wage increase over 30 months as well as a lump sum payment in lieu of retroactive pay. While the union was unable to get the comn- pany to agree to timne and a haif for Sunday hnurs (in the' event the Hydro rates up Beginning next week, sumed on and after Whitby Hydro users can Jan. 1, 1986 and its im- expect to see a hike in pact will vary according their electricity bill. to the amount of power At a meeting in consumed by the November, the Whitby customer. Residential Hydro Electric Com- customers who are mission approved an small users can expect average 3.9 percent rate increase in response to a an increase of ap- 3.9 percent increase proximately $1.50 a handeci down to them by month while an average Ontario Hydro. large user with electric The rate increase will heating might see an in- apply to ail power con- crease of $442 a month. provincial government brings in the new Sun- day opening legisiatibn), the Com- pany has said it will sit down and discuss the matter if the legislation goes through. Initially, Valdi was offering only straight time for Sunday hours. Asked to comment on the new contract, Lee Auger, an assistant steward for the union's Oshawa store, declined. "The company and the union have reached an agreement and I think the whole thing should just be dropped," she said. Ja. i According to Com- mission Chairman Bob Cawker, the town's last rate increase of 5 per- cent was 31/ percent lower than Ontario Hydro's rate increase to the utility. Mr. Cawker said the commission could not absorb a similar loss revenue next year. flegion discussing incinerator Discussions between the region and an un- disclosed company could resuit in the con- struction of one of Canada's first energy- from-waste incinerators somewhere in Durham Region according to Chairman Gary Herrema. Mr. Herrema said he is negotiating with a large company who "Imight be willing" to finance the construction o! an incinerator from which it could produce steamn for interniaI use in its plant. Because negotiations are still in the preliminary stages however, Mr. Herrema could not reveal the name of the company and would not even con- firmn whether it was a Company already located in Durham. It could take up to two years before the region strikes a firm agreement with the company, he added. While he believes a waste incinerator is en- vironmentally prefer- able to landfill, Mr. Herrema said the costs o! construction and en- vironmental safeguards prohibit the region from undertaking the venture alone. If the company were to build the in- cinerator, he continued, the region would pay themn an incinerating fee and would have to promise to provide the company with a minimum volume o! waste for incineration. Mr. Herrema estimated that the region could dispose of up to 80 percent o! the 40,000 tons of waste produced in Durham each year. However, even if such an in- cinerator were to be built, he said the need for a new landfill site in Durham would not be eliminated. "Don't get me wrong we're stili going to need a landfill site. And we're goinig to want a big one. We don't want to be lookiîfg for a new Ian- dfill site every 20 years,' ' said Mr. Herrema. The region's current agreement with the Metro Toronto Block West landfill site will expire in 1992 at which time Mr. Herrema said an alternative site will have to be ready. If the incinerator is buiît, the region will need somewhere to dump the ash produced by incineration, accor- ding to Mr. Herrema, and there is also a cer- tain percentage of the regions waste that can- not be incinerated. A new Durham ian- dfill site would probably have to be between 200 and 300 acres in site to accommodate the region's long range lan- dfill requirements, said the chairman. Although landfill is the cheapest means of disposing of waste, Mr. Herrema said the region is committed in its sear- ch for a more environ- mentally responsible means o! waste disposal. "We're inviting people to come and live in Durham and the reason they want to come here is for our total environment. Whether it's air, water or land, we want to mnake sure it's dlean," said Mr. Herrema. Aingelic Shoppers and downtown employees were serenaded by the grade 4 and 5 students o! Florence M. Heard Elementary School. The carolers are the first of many who will be per- forming at the Four Corners throughout the Chorus Christmas season. The concerts are part of the downtown business improvement area board's efforts to attract more shoppers to the downtown core. Free Press Staff Photo The .e Firepluce Plu!i* 900SURISISST., AT HOPKINS WHITOY 668-3192 LOOK AT THIS' The Framlng Centre 668-4521 ........................... .. .. .. ... - bEVEN Fashions, Wiiier Sa&~ Of Our conip(ete (ùe of regu(ar(y picezC quaÃœty Faf f nWinter Stock ReduceJ 30 to50% sefecteJ iteimsreducedfJunrher SALE Starts Boxiîuj Day Decemlber 27thi at 10:00 406 Dundas Street West, Whitby Opposite New Lbrary Phone 666-1161 Plenty of Free Parking aI Rear Open dally to 6 p.m., Thursday & Frlday to 9 p.m. Cash or Cheque preferred on sale items L44~ - x<;i~. - .Ip,,,n-i' 1 ý r