2- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, December 6, 1994 " "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice Times workers reject 'preposterous' offer By Jeff Mitchell press room were in favor of the Port Perry Star Oshawa Times workers who've lost their jobs as a result of the paper's closure Sunday afternoon rejected a "preposter- ous" plan to resume intermit- tent publication. Phil Raby, a former Times editorial staffer and a member of the bargaining committee representing Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild (SONG) mem- bers, said Monday morning that staffers, with the exception of some pressroom and composing workers, rejected the offer. "People were just completely dumfounded" by the proposal by management of the Thomson-owned daily, Mr. Raby said. "The offer floated yesterday was not anything remotely sim- ilar to the Times' final offer, which was what we were expect- ing," he said. Employee representatives heard a plan to publish two or three times a week with a much- reduced staff, said Mr. Raby. The plan called for the laying off of 75 per cent of the Times' current staff, including all mail room, press room and circula- tion staff. The proposal called for an editorial department consisting of four full-time reporters and a lifestyles and entertainment "editor, he said. Mr. Raby said SONG nego- tiators rejected the deal as "pre- posterous". But members of the International Typographical Union who work in the daily's deal because it would provide members with a severance package, an issue that remains unresolved since Thomson's decision to close the paper Dec. 4 after a three-week strike by staff. the paper has not pub- lished since Nov. 7. He said an attempt to collect severance pay and other bene- fits from the giant newspaper chain could result in "a pro- tracted legal battle. "The union people at the moment are making a request for severance (pay), vacation (pay) and overtime, and all the stuff we've got coming to us," he said. Thomson announced its deci- sion to shut the Times for good last Tuesday, three weeks after editorial, advertising and other staff walked off the job, rejecting management's final offer of a three-year wage freeze with the possibility of a bonus pay- ment for workers in the event the paper broke even in three years' time. The employees agreed to a two-year freeze, but insisted on a contract review after that period. The Times has lost money for the past several years but things were beginning to turn around, said publisher Mac Dundas. He has warned since the beginning of the strike that the disruption could sound the death knell for the daily, which has served the area for more than 120 years. 'Stop the press' ordered for 123 year old Oshawa Times by J. Peter Hvidsten Port Perry Star than 40 years, until his death in 1921. In 1905 he took his son Charles into partnership and in Leather | IEEE INDUSTRIAL TANNERY Dream Catchers now available Thomson Newspapers, owners of The 1910 the business was incorporated with his Oshawa Times, have ceased operation of the region's only daily newspaper. Following a three week strike by about 80 employees of the paper, publisher Mac Dundas announced last Tuesday the news- paper, which began publishing in 1871, would officially close effective midnight, Sunday, December 4, 1994. The closure brings to an end 123 years of continuous service to Oshawa and area. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OSHAWA TIMES The Oshawa Times was established in 1871 and published under the name of the Ontario Reformer for many years with W.R. Climie being the first editor. The paper was later sold to F.W. Glen who operated it until 1875 when he suffered finan- cial disaster in the depression which gripped the nation. Ironically, the Reformer was purchased by Samuel Luke and J. S. Larke, two men who owned Oshawa's other newspaper, The Vindicator. The Vindicator had strong political alliances with the Conservative party while the Reformer had political leanings for the Liberal party. In 1878 the paper changed hands once again, this time being purchased by Edward Mundy, who was then publisher of the Port Perry Standard (later to be renamed The Port Perry Star). Mr. Mundy carried on publishing both the Reformer and the Standard for about 11 years before selling his interest in the Standard to his son Edward J. Mundy in 1889. Edward Mundy published and held control- ling interest in the Ontario Reformer for more EDWARD MUNDY sons Edward J. as presi- dent and Charles as secretary- treasurer. In 1919 the newspaper moved to a semi-weekly publication with Arthur R. Alloway as editor and one year later the paper stepped up to three times a week. In 1925, the company was reorganized as the Mundy Printing Company, and the Ontario Reformer became a daily newspaper. With rapid development of the newspaper, in 1927 the company constructed a large addition EDWARD J. MUNDY to its plant on Simcoe St. south. In July of that year the Liberal supporting Reformer changed in editorial policy to that of an independent newspaper and the name was changed to The Oshawa Daily Times. In 1942 The Times amalgamated with the Whitby-Gazette and Chronicle and was re- named the Oshawa Times-Gazette. During the period of wartime emergency, the paper revert- ed to publishing three times a week, and in October 1946 with A.R. Alloway as president of the new Times Publishing Company, returned to daily publication. In May 1951, The Times-Gazette was acquired by Thomson Newspapers with Mr. Alloway continuing as publisher and general manager for another two years before retiring. In 1965 the paper dropped the word Gazette from its title and became known once again as The Oshawa Times. The Thomson Newspapers organization con- structed a new plant at the corner of Mary and King St. for The Times and equipped it with the most modern equipment for publication. The Oshawa Times operated from this plant until last Sunday night, when Mr. Dundas announced the presses would stop rolling, bringing an end to this historic journal. -30 - Knee-high Mukluks... made to order only Ankle high Mukluks... in stock now Come in and see our large selection of - Sheepskin & leather lined moccasins - Ladies' & men's sheepskin lined slippers - Custom made leather jackets - Leather wallets + Ankle high mukluks « Sheepskin hats & mitts 852-3818 53 Toronto St. N., Uxbridge J Ghristmas_Yradition GTTIVAL orllMIS ON NOW 10am to 10pm daily 1-800-461-1821 300 Taunton Rd. 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