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Pay equity laws threatening home care warns Red Cross By KAREN SMITH The Champion Complying with current pay equity laws will kill Red Cross home care service because it can't afford to pay up, said a spokesman for the organization's Ontario division. The Red Cross is calling for amendments to make wage requirements for all homemaker agencies more equitable to avoid closing its service, which is used by 70,000 elderly people in 90 Ontario communities, including Milton. "We have been working for a year with the min- istries of labour and health to ensure there is no dis- ruption to our clients," said Allen Prowse, Red Cross Ontario zone general manager. "Given the govemment's emphasis on community care, we are calling on legislators to eliminate the unintended impact of the existing pay equity law on the future of home care in Ontario. This matter must be remedied so that our service continues to the clients and the govemment's priorities for home care can be preserved." However, the walls are closing in as wages are due to jump from an average of about $10 to Il per hour to approximately $17 per hour on January 3. The service is provided to 472 clients in north Halton, keeping many of them out of nursing homes, said Valerie Cook, manager of Red Cross Homemaker Services in Halton. In July, 64 homemakers put in 7,492 hours making 4,349 visits to clients in Milton and Halton Hills. Ten of Halton's clients are more than 100 years old, Ms Cook said. Homemakers services include bathing, cooking and light housekeeping. The Red Cross posted its pay equity plan in 1990, using a method that compares unrelated jobs held mostly by women to jobs within Red Cross held most- ly by men, said Red Cross president Gabrielle Moule. The organization's smaller competitors in home- maker services achieved pay equity by another method known as the proxy option, which capped pay equity obligations at 3 per cent of overall payroll. But the proxy option was recently overtumed by a court ruling that Ontario's attempt to cap salaries vio- lated equality guarantees in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. "I'm sure that once the Ontario legislators realize that the pay equity requirement represents a one-time pay hike of 45 per cent, that common sense will pre- vail," said Ms Moule. "Surely they'll recognize that no employee - par- ticularly a non-profit agency - can possibly absorb that kind of an increase and continue operating." Closing down would mean laying off 350 home care workers in Halton and a total of 6,400 across Ontario. Suspect arrested for bank jobs Police have arrested a 45-year-old Mississauga The robber neyer made threats with weapons, just woman alleged to be the 'Floppy Hat Bandit'. simpiy gave the bank tellers a note demanding money, The bank robber, nicknamed for the wide-brimmed said Det. Sgt. Ron Welsh of Halton Regionai Police. hat she wore while holding up 10 banks in Halton, Police arrested the woman Wednesday without ici- Peel and Mississauga, made off with $20,000 in the dent after she was spotted and foiiowed by investiga- heists from July, 1996 to September, 1997. tors. One of the targeted banks was the National Trust at She was scheduled for a bail hearing in Brampton Milton Mail, which was robbed on August 7, 1996. court yesterday (Thursday). Geoffrey Davies At this time of ThanksivinS Bryan Eaton Chudleighs Apple farm wishes to thank all the men and women on our staff, and their families, for their support during our apple harvest. 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