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PAGE 2 WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987 MEMBERS OF THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY had a bonnie time as they gathered at the Heydenshore, Pavillion Saturday night for the an- nual Robbie Burns Dinner. Above, Bob Gowans gives his address to the haggis as official haggis bearers, Tom Slack and Sandy Dixon, look on. Herrema will 'learn facts', Durham Region Chairman Gai Herrema this we( planned to conta executives of Cadbury and Neilson's "to lea the facts" about t] proposed shutdown( the Cadbury chocola bar plant in Whitby. Herrema said l week that he would c tact Dominic Cadbu chief executive offic of Cadbury, in Lond England, about the sa of the plant to Willia Neilson Co. He will also discu the plant closing wi Neilson president Dav McMillan. McMill says the plant willt closed "for competiti reasons." Herrema, who w given authorizationt Durham regional cou cil last week to help t plant's union preve the closure, also plans1 go to the federal gove Workers will visit Ottawa FROM PAGE 1 for taking the day off. But CAW national representative Steve Nimigon told the workers that the plant can only be locked up for one day -- the day the workers are in Ottawa. The meeting was held by the CAW to update the workers on efforts the union has made to avert the closure. Nimigon said the union has contacted its legal department which has begun exploring and reviewing the Canadian Competition Tribunal. He also recommended that the 100 salaried employees, who have also contacted a lawyer, should work with the union. "We have to go down the same road," he said. Nimigon told the workers the only reason the plant is to be closed is to remove com- petition. The tribunal reviews sales over $35 million. Nimigon said the Cad- bury plant was sold to William Neilson Ltd. for $47 million. He said the union will have to prove that the "sale of the plant will seriously and substan- tially lessen com- petition." 'Cow boy STEVE NIMIGON The president of Cad- bury Canada, Martin Pearce, has previously stated that Cadbury's has 18 per cent of Canada's chocolate bar market while Neilson's has 17 per cent. capitalism' says Breaugh The sale would leave Neilson's with 35 per cent of the market if the sale is approved. Nimigon said the union will be "zeroing in" on the Minister of Consumer and Cor- porate Affairs, Harvie Andre, to begin inquiry into the sale. "This was done to maximize profits and minimize competition," he said. Besides union spokesmen, represen- tatives of local, regional and provincial gover- nments attended the meeting. Durham regional chairman Gary Herrema said that while the region is interested in saving the jobs for the workers it. is also in- terested in saving the image of the region. "We want to keep that plant visible from th 401." said Herrem When he announced he had talked to the chief executive officer of Cadbury's, Dominie Cadbury, he received a loud ovation. He said he would also travel to Ottawa with the workers. Oshawa MPP Mike Breaugh, called the purchase "cowboy capitalism." "This is all about free trade," he told the workers. A telegram from NDP leader Ed Broadbent was also read at the two- hour meeting. He called the decision to close the plant "totally unacceptable." Before the meeting ended, Nimigon told employees that management will be asking to speak to them one-on-one, about the plant closing. He told workers to say 'no' to the meeting and instead tell them to speak to a union representative. After the meeting, Nimigon said no exact date has been set for the trip to Ottawa. about closing ai nment and. Canadian Region.. Now we have ry Competitiops Tribunal. food inidustries.and we ek He says he will "try to want. more to.« diversify ýet build, a case" for industry in the region "ts keeping the plant open.. Herrema said 'the rn ."IWe want t o know region would also be he what's ail entailed in the helping to coordinate Ïef- Of Compétitions Act," says forts to prevent the te Herrema. The tribunal closure on behaif, of * must« review- and ýap- Whi.tbyafter the, death ast prove the proposed sale, la st week of 'Mayor'Bob on- due to close Feb. 12. Attersley's mother. At- ry, The Cadbury-Sch- -tersley ýhad previously ,er Weppes Ltd. plant has stated, at last -Wed- on, .420. employees, .hi-ý nesdayVs régional coup- ale cluding 320 members of cil session thàt am the* Canadin Auto municipal staff ffem- Workers union, bers were investigating ss Herrema was the proposed closure. th authorized to help -the Whitby regional couin- id CAW. prevent the cillor. Tom. Edwards an closing. The CAW wan- said Cadbury was a be ts the federal gover- "viable, prestigious i- Ive nnient- to stop the dustry. " .He described Neilson takeover -of the the loss of the plant. ýs ?as Champlain Ave. fac- "irreparable to1 the by tory, which -opened in région. ". .. 1974. The. union's Newýcastle regional he lwyer are in- councillor Ann Cowman nt vestigating the Cad- suggested that the ap- to bury-Neilson deal to peal be made. to the er- determine if it will Cadbury- parent com- create an illegal pany in England. monopoly in the confec- Whitby regional coun- tionery industry. ilor Gerry Emm Her rema said the recalled when the plant* closure will flot only first opened, beside the mean a 1055 of jobs but A01. will hurt the region. "It was a flagship âe "We're 50 auto- company and it stili is," a.- oriented in Durham he said. Attersley tries to keep plant open Whitby council has unanimously passed a motion requesting Mayor Bob Attersley to take all reasonable steps to avert the closure of the Cadbury plant. The motion is similar to one passed by Durham regional coun- cil last Wednesday. "We're attempting to find out what the plans are for that plant and try to keep it in operation," said coun- cillor Tom Edwards who forwarded the motion. It was seconded by councillor Joe Drumm. Mayor Attersley said council will do "whatever we have to do" to try to keep the plant open. He noted that ithe announcement about the sale of the plant stated'"the in- INSURANCE COSTS SOARING.I! BEFORE YOU RENEW YOUR AUTO OR HOME INSURANCE, CALL AND COMPARE.... For a complete insurance review, cal and arrange amutually convenient appointment ...Of course there lano obligation PETER DI LELLO 24 RESOLUTE WHITBY * CRESCENT 666-2090 AUTO-HOME-LIFE-G ROUP-DISABILITY-RRSP tent" is to close it. It doesn't say close," said the mayor. "This is not just a union problem or a management problem, this is a community problem," said Edwar- ds, adding that his, in- tention is to travel to Ot- tawa with the workers when a date is sent. Union representatives were given full support when they announced last Sunday that they would hire buses and take the workers to Ot- tawa to plead their case. No date has been set. Edwards said the mayor will .talk with numerous politicians as well as Neilson's and Cadbury's personnel. Council will also in- forn union and management workers at the plant of council's efforts. Union rep asks for apologies Both Durham East MPP Sam Cureatz and. Ontario Riding MP Scott . Fennell - should publicly apologize for remarks they have made about the Cad- bury closing, says Canadian Auto Workers union national represen- tative Steve Nimigon. Both Cureatz and SEE PAGE 18 SNOW * REMOVAL * Reasonable rates * * 725-3300 *