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Business Executives say slowdown coming The report states that skilled labor shortage in the region is a major constraint on growth for the survey‘s respondents, as is the continuing high level of interâ€" est rates. And the majority of local executives foresee a negaâ€" tive economic impact from the Goods and Services Tax. Only large organizations, which can capitalize on scale economies, and high tech firms, which tend to find most of their customers in the U.S., are experiencing the benefits of free trade to a signifiâ€" cant degree. The report, written by dean of business and economics Dr. Alex Murray, stated last year‘s optimâ€" ism has been somewhat tempered this year, although the 352 busiâ€" The annual survey of Canada‘s technology triangle (Kitchener, Waterloo, _ Cambridge _ and Guelph) asseses current and fuâ€" ture business confindence wi*in the region. Business are more cautious about investment, particularly in the face of the declining capacity utilization, and market demand is softening for firms of all sizes in all industmes as economic growth slows across North America. Of the 273 businesses surveyed, only 39.1 per cent see 1990 as a good time to invest in plant and equipment in spite of competitive pressures â€" a drop by almost oneâ€"third last year when 56.9 of the businesses repondents faâ€" Business confidence in Waterloo Region and Guelph dropped sigâ€" nificantly in 1989, and the corpoâ€" rate outlook for 1990 is not optomistic, according to a survey conducted by Wilfird Laurier University‘s School of Business and Economics. PAGE 24 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, TUESDAY DECEMBER 26, vored new investment. ss leaders surveryed generally pect better financial results in I had just left Courtrootn 21 at 361 University Avenue in Toronto, the larg: est Courthouse in the country, with a nifty wrongful dismissal yerdictâ€"tucked undermya_rqg.'l'hatmtnfl'hbhh away the chill. My client was a 54â€"yearâ€"old middle management executive who had been unceremoniously dumped from his job after 20 years by a ruthless American employer intent on nothing but profits. We had started a wrongful dismissal suit two years before and had offered to settle for 12 months severance pay. But the American employer would hear nothing of it. The company said it would pay my client six months‘ salary. . ~ Bah!'l'hatwulihlmdm lawyers tried every trick in the book to face by a very unfriendly giant. attack my client, but he held up well. We ending up with so little after 20 years. â€"~ called evidence about how difficult his Sowezc)ded uht::otoeoufl.AndM job search had been and he seemed to we finally fini with all the paperâ€" â€" evoke understanding from both judge work and the pretrial hearings, we _ and jury. * The sweet smell of justice from employer As for financial performance in 1989, 49.5 per cent of respondents felt they were better off than they were in the previous year. Last year 52 per cent felt their busiâ€" nesses were financially better off. Responding to questions about financial expectations for 1990, 50.2 per cent felt their businesses will do better, as opposed to 58.1 Eer cent last year who felt their usinesses would see financial improvements. One year after the free trade agreement, 44 per cent of local business leaders surveyed believe that free trade has been good for the country, while 38.8 per cent say they are unsure about its effects. Last year, the majority of respondents (63.8 per cent) said they had done nothing to get ready for the new trade environâ€" ment. Opposition to the federal govâ€" ernment‘s Good and Services Tax outweighs support among regionâ€" al executives, with 53.5 per cent against and 39.6 per cent in favor. Company size had no signifiâ€" cant impact on expectations about employment, although small firms are the most inclined to predict a continuation of the same unemployment rate. The level will not change, say 70.3 per cent, and 2.7 per cent anticipate less unemployment. Responses to this year‘s survey, the report stated, pointed to an economy in transition, moving from boom to a period of slower Some fear the GST will hurt their businesses by stimulating even higher wage demands and growth. Respondents also signal the dichotomy between a fairly strong region and signs of weakâ€" view held among economic forcasâ€" where in North America. ultimately got a trial date before a judge By that time, my client had suffered greatly. He had been out of work for 21 months and his financial resources were scarce. At least his mortgage had been paid off several years before. _ _ . The trial lasted four days. The defence lawyers tried every trick in the book to attack my client, but he held up well. We ealled evidence about how difficult his job search had been and he seemed to uk 4 > connct ie wuacmipengneeandhni@ingn t t 20 2c o o masos About The Law it‘s been week in shopping mails as Christmas hurry t off the things u:m;nmmmmumm:u,mwmfi'mndw&%. When the final day of the gri@) arrived, both sides delivered their closing addresâ€" ses. The judge gave his and the jury was sent out at 2:30 ... ds ‘They didn‘t come back until shortly after 7 o‘clock. And when the court registrar announced that we had a verdict, my heart started to beat quickâ€" ly. "Have you reached a verdict?" asked the judge. "Yes, we have," said the jury foreman, handing a slip of paper to the ‘The judge looked at it for a few seconds and smiled before he read its contents. We had been awarded 24 months‘ notice together with interest from the date of termination and court costs. My client smiled and got out his calculator. At $47,000 per annum, he had just picked \jp_a nifty $94,000 and interest. The defence lawyers scowled. The company‘s viceâ€"president of human reâ€" sources, flown in for the trial from Milwaukee, was crestfallen. Th "a%u]" immediately left his lip "We‘ll tie you up for another ye _ We‘ll tie up for another year, he warned,rul{:goutoflhomm'oom. I turned to nhy client. He was still elated from the flush of victory. But his reaction was not what I expected after hearing the company‘s threats. "Do you think they‘ll win?" he asked. "Pretty hard to do at this stage," I answered. ‘"They‘ll probably just run up more interest and court costs." And, with that, I put on my coat and walked outâ€"into the cold night air and reached for a cigar. How many other companies need go How many other companies need go through such a battle and end up only hurting themselves and their mleoy- ees? I wondered. Why not just a decent offer at the tiuy'd' termination? Tid Biz ‘ _ Page 25 Deborsh Crandall photo