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rxrTfl 0 Servie cuts expected at hospital By Mike Kowalski Whitby. General Hospital -will cut services to cope with a budget deficit made worse b the Ontario governrnent's social con- tract. But how extensive cuts will be or how soon services are affected has not been determined. Director of development Marc Kealey said Friday that no firm decisions have been made in the wake of last week's failure to raach a social contract agree- ment.' However, Kealey concedad that hospital offliciais are seriously considering cutbacks sinca the «fail-safe" provisions of the social contract legislation wiIl account for only haif the money it has been ordered to find. "I can't say how soon it will happen (but) we are contemplat- ing a series of service cuts," said Kealey. "The problemn we have is that gtting the 109 empl1es boy tec utoffto takel2days off will ol et us haîf (of the hospital's $4,500 target), lhe said. Neptiators for the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and hospital employees could not reach agreement last week on a deal previously accepted by the government, six health care unions and some employers. As a result, up to 160,000 unionized and non-union hospi- taI workers face a three-year wage freeze and up to 12 days of un paid leave. The majority of Whitby General's 323 employees make less than $30,0000 and will not be affected by the legislation which is aimed at reducing the annual $43-billion payroll for Ontario's 950,000 public wor- kers. Ontario hospitals must also contend with funding cuts total- ling $260 million -- 20 par cent more than if an agreement had been reached. OUA president Dennis Tim- breli said the health sector fra- mework agreement tabled by the government on July 15 would have cost more than the imp osed union coalition to continue talks agreement under the social con- with the OHA, discussions were tract legislation. But due te a willingness by the SEE PAGE 23 Town to hold recep>tion for Lieutenant Governor The Town of Whitby will host a reception,, welcoming al Whitby citizens to meet Henry N .R. Jlcman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Ceremonies will b. held in the council chambers at the Whitby municipal building, 575 Rossland Rd. E. on Thursday, Aug. 26 commencing at 3 p.m., with a reception te follow until 5 P.m. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the mayor'. office at 668-5803 before Aug. 20.1 rn HEIDI SCHUELTER of Whitby is hand copying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau has promised to sign when finished. Schuel- ter, who is a professional calligrapher and owner of HGS Calligraphy, has already spent two weeks working on the project -- she says she wants it to be perfect. Photo by Mark Reesor, WhIhby Free Press SOCIAL CONTRA C T SA VÎNGS Hydro doesn't want province to get money By Mike Kowalski Whitby Hydro officiaIs are upset that their social contract savings «Il go t the province aven though the utility receives no government funding. Hydro officiaIs believe the money would be batter spant by putting it back inte the system te benefit consumera. One posibitity would b. using the utiiys $268,400 social con- tract obigation te help bring down Ontario Hydro's massive debt, Whitby Hydro suggasts. «Basically, they're (govern- ment) talling us te write them a cheque," said Whitby Hydro Electric Commission general manager Tom May. «We say keap it in the system te benefit our customers," lha said. Hydro commissioners recently approved social contract agree- ments covering the utiliVys 45 non-union and unionxzedi wor- kers. No layofl's are antîcipated, but employeas will see their wages frozen and ha required te, taka an undetermined number of unpaid days off during the next three years. Ail paid overtime, exoept for emergency repairs, will b. eli- minated. A commission press release stresses that alectricity rates charged to Whitby Hydro's 21000 custemers will not ba posed $268,400 target should ha mat through a combination of reductions in employee compen- sation and "productivity im- provements," the announcament states. However, what has raised the hackles of not only Whitby Hydro, but aIl electric utilitias in Ontario, ia that social contract suR PAGE 23 y- AI, -"ýi ý 1 j