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=" vi a abe ¥, \ VDE IROL LI EDP PIPL DIF DOING PELL LLL. ILL IP AIA LIM PL SLATE ee ey, a Sgr ys _ DISSECTION OF DISSATISFACTION THROUGH EYES OF POSTAL CLERK ety. i E sHRLeHLy ie : 's Rs BE eastern i PS ach wg he was discontented gov- still waiting ys was prom- walks a picket line, every day, along rest of " mates: approximately 100 letter car- riers and sorters and clerks. Because ee be postal bid did John Johnson go Working conditions were the prime cause in instigating a strike," he .says. "And, of course, the insufficient raise. "The conditions we work under would never be allowed in industry: changing days off at the last -- --- and our working hours, 'NO REAL WEI' "We have a representative to curry our. complaints to supervisors. But we have no peo weight to back us up." Mr, Johnson works a 40 hour week, but it may be nights (11.30. p.m. to 8 a.m.), after- noons (3 p.m, to 11.30 p.m.) or a split-shift day which runs from 7:30 in the morning to 6 at night. "If you are a wicket man, you work more or less regular hours, but you never have a Saturday off," Mr. Johnson said. "There is a night-shift prem- ium of 15 cents an hour but no Saturday or Sunday premium." Today, after almost six years service, Mr. Johnson makes takes home $153 twice a month. "And I am perhaps one of the highest paid men _ there, alms at top rate," he says. Deductions include 6% per cent of gross pay for a pension, one per cent for death benefit, all the Ontario Hospital pre- mium and 50 pjer cent of the Government medical plan premium. TIGHT BUDGET The Johnson family is on what the breadwinner calls "a pretty tight budget; we couldn' t get along at all without one." Out of that $153 comes $95 right away to take care of mortgage and tax payments, house and life insurance, heat and light bills and a car pay- ment. (Mr. Johnson is buying a 1965 Volkswagen). Next, $45 is taken out for food for the 15-day period. That's $3 a day for four months. That leaves $13, or about 8644 cents a day for entertainment, needed drugs, clothing, treats for the kids and operating the car. "Neither my wife nor myself smoke and we never have liquor or beer in the house, We just can't afford it,' said Mr. Johnson. ewe py gr go apo el often and we entertain rarely. We like to have people in but there just isn't room for it in the budget. "Sometimes we may have to go three weekends without a cheque, That's rough. It's strict- ly living from day to day on this money. "It is our hope the govern- ment will recognize what we and pay us a living wage. The feeling at work is that we couldn't be worse off than we are now." Why do the men stay? "Many don't,' says Mr. John- son. "The turnover is high, But some of the older fellows feel they couldn't get jobs in indus- try now." NOT IN DEBT Mr. Johnson says he isn't in debt yet and believes he is luck- fer than most. "In my last job, near Osh- awa, I had the opportunity to work' a lot of overtime. I was able to save enough money for a down-payment f t think this is Ssapet Roe pay- ing rent." Mr. Johnson pointed out that it takes "a little more" than seven years to reach'top pay rate in the post office. At least for postal clerks. Like -- two exams which must be passed every year to ensure the $150 annual raise. (Up to the top rate). "People think we just go. to work and go home again. It's not that easy, One of the exams is easy, but the other one is tough. It takes me up to three months of study at home, on my own time." The "easy" one is a 30-min- ute, written exam on postal rates and regulations; minimum passing mark is 64 percent. 90 PERCENT NEEDED The "'tough" one calls for the employee to sort 500 cards (put them in their proper '"'rout- ings') in 38 minutes. Ninety percent is called for here, allow- ing only 50 wrong. "But you have to know all 1900 routings in Ontario because "And if you fail it the third time, the postmaster has the right to fire you," Mr. Johnson said. "But they haven't been doing this lately, probably be- cause they just can't get help." Sorters must also know all the city streets, including the new ones added every year with the addition of housing sub- divisions, There are 41 letter- carrier routes, four rural routes, mail for post office boxes and industrial and other firms which pick up their own. "So where's the justice?" asks 'like first-class Mr. Johnson, "If the federal government wants us to handle poe an important part of our daily lives as personal and busi- ness mail, they should improve our Wages and paid benefits, as well as the antiquated working conditions of their Post staff right across Ra ie "Give us decent wages to live citizens, not 'wages equal to the unfortumates who must live on welfare ues."" Postmaster Wilbert E, Mann replied this way to Mr. John- son's story: "We don't generally change days off and hours. But in the past six months we have de- parted from scheduling because so many employees have left. We have lost about one-third of our staff. "A wicket man has the most split-shifts. He works 36 hours one week and 44 the next week. And he works a half-day Satur- y. "A day split-shift ranges over 10% hours, while the department recommends 10. "Letter carriers don't take any a but they must know their 'walk' -e "I question his (Mr. John- son's) number of routings, I don't know where he gets the number 1900, 100 SEPARATIONS "There are 2400 offices in Ontario but the test is really one of - separations (pigeon "In a 500-card test there would study if he were taking the test, "Not more than 100," he said. "The general public doesn't have a clue as to what our men do. I doubt that it would take three months to prepare for this test; but I do admit it takes considerable homework. "We let them know four to six weeks ahead of the examination. We haven't let anybody go on this (failing the exam three times) for years and years." Second Section City and district features, social and classified advertis- ing. Oshawa Time OSHAWA, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1965 Emergency Numbers Hospital 723-2211 Fire 725-6574 Police 725-1183 CRANK HER UP and tet her go. This "lizzy" is a 1929 Model '"'A"" Ford sports coupe owned by Bruce Mountjoy of Blackstock, It On Expressway Issue, Dont Be Selfish: Mayor Motors at the end of their shift, | all rushing to get home and| soon after, another 6,000 to 7,000 arrive. Too many persons are looking at the Creek Valley roadway from an individual point of view and are not considering the overall problem and best inter-| ests of the 'city, says Mayor|th was driven in the London to Brighton tour by his 17-year- old son, Ray. Here, another son, Gary, 12, shows how to wind her up. It really isn't at- volume of traffic" Lyman Gifford. asked, He was speaking last night at a Chamber of Commerce recep-} tion for entrants in the annual! London to Brighton antique car run, "Surely to goodness we have} enough people in Oshawa who! will look at the overall situation) and not speak as individuals,") said the mayor. 'VERY TRYING' 'Two Arrested For Car Theft arrested by |considering the overall picture} /Ontario Provincial Police yes-| land welfare of the community |terday in connection with an al-jas a whole," said the mayor. leged car theft from a local car| dealer, city police reported to- json, president of the Canadian Two men were "The: traffic problem in this day. They were picked up in a 1965|the entrants and Ron Fawcett,| is attempting to do what is in|sedan. A hitch-hiker in the ve-|Whitby, chairman of the run,| the best interests of the com-jhicle was questioned by police/gave details of the last leg of| munity. The roadway is one way|and later released. Daniel Harvey, 24, of no fixed|Brighton. city is very trying and council] of solving the problem . .. it's, necessary,": said Mayor Gifford. | He said 6,000 to 7,000 persons leave the south plant of General 21, address and Richard W. Smith,| have been of 273 Albert st., charged with theft. \gation asked that other streets "How are you going to move|be made one-way. He said when he traffic is prohibited on one side} | necessary to crank it though since the "A'"', like most of the vintage autos in the tour has an electric starter. This is the second year Ray has He said when the city decided to implement the King - Bond one-way street system a dele- jof a street, a delegation from| ----~|that side usually asks that park- | ing be banned on the other side.) | Nig) sagen PICTURE' "Too many look on these situ- | ane as to how it will affect| jthem' as_ individuals, without At the reception, Herb Robin-| | Automotive Museum, spoke to} the journey from Oshawa to} The cars left Oshawa today) after stopping overnight at the} Hotel Genosha, . | driven the London-Brighton route. The tour was started in Ontario in 1957 and is an annual event, A reception for the 25 entrants was held ya TOPE ne tenant ST. LAURENT BERTHS HERE The $27,000,000 anti-sub- marine destroyer escort HMCS St, Laurent steamed into Oshawa's Harbor this morning at 9 a.m. The grey steel-hulled sub- killer with aluminum super- structure will lay-over in the harbor for a three-day good- will visit as part of its four- week Great Lakes' training program before leaving for Montreal and Halifax, its home port. Fifteen reserve ratings and eight university student offi- cer cadets are being trained in the latest submarine de- tection techniques by the ship's 15 officers and 230 men Two former Ontario county residents are enjoying a visit to their home towns: Petty Officer Arthur Tip- pett, 36, medical assistant who received his training on the West Coast is the son of Mr, and Mrs. Stewart Tip- last night by the Chamber of Commerce in Hotel Gen- osha. The drivers left the city this morning for Co- bourg and the final leg of their ata The mother and son team of Mrs, Mar- low Hancock and Wayne, 17, of Newcastle enjoy a ride in the once fashionable rumble seat, --Oshawa Times Photos GIVES WAY $ JUST LOVES IT Joseph Hunt is giving money away -- and is happy to do it. He is in town this week representing the Work- men's Compensation Board handing out WCB cheques and conducting other busi- ness during the postal strike. He said that old age pen- sioners have turned up for cheques at his Genosha Hotel office since Monday. "Somehow they have got the idea that I am responsible for their cheques. Unfortu- nately, that just isn't so. "T don't like turning them away empty - handed, but what else can I do?" said Mr. Hunt, He explained that apart from giving out WCB cheques he will also receive reports on accidents and other information from' em- ployers and medical people in the city. "So far business has been pretty brisk," he said. "On Tuesday I had to lock the door at lunchtime so I could have a break. When the news came from Ottawa that the postal strike was settled then trade dropped off. "Now that all the letter carriers are not going back to work it seems that I will be here for the duration. I imagine that things will still be busy as some of the cheques are for $400 or $500. veer nner pett of 300 Festhubert st. He's been in the RCN for 15 years. He attended Ritson Road Public School and Oshawa Collegiate. Leading Seaman Signal- man Douglas. Greene, 23, formerly of Ajax and Dun- barton whose parents now make their home in Scar- boro. A communications ex- pert with six years in the service, he attended Picker- ing District High School. The ship's commander D. D. Lee, CD, was welcomed by Mayor Lyman Gifford at city hall this morning at 11 a.m, A full civic reception for the captain and officers is scheduled for Thursday eve- ning in the Oshawa Arm- ouries. The officers will be guests Thursday of the Oshawa Harbor Commission and they will be taken on a tour of the city and Alderman Christine Thomas told The vse Times today that Comman- der Lee and his officers will entertain the city's crippled children aboard ship Thurs- day at 10 a.m. - The sub-chaser was open to the public this afternoon ' from 2 to 4 p.m. and it will be holding open house the same time tomorrow. Conceived in the ship- yards of Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, the St. Laur- ent was commissioned Oct. 29, 1955, It was attached to the Atlantic Command of the RCN until the spring of 1959 when she was transferred to the Pacific Command--with headquarters at Esquimalt, B.C HMCS St. Laurent is the second ship of her class to undergo major refitting and conversion to keep pace with the fast changing technology and anti - submarine tech- niques. The vessel has facilities for helicopter storage. Band Will Play All Thru' Night The Band of the Ontario Regiment will play "All Through the Night'. tomorrow beginning at 8.30 p.m.'in the McLaughlin Band Shell, Under the direction of Capt. George Quick the band will pre- sent another in its summer series of concerts offering marches, overtures, and waltzes. Three veteran members of the King Street United Church will contribute to the vocal part of the program. Don Allman will be master of ceremonies, Fred. Densham, tenor soloist and Hazel. Rundle will provide piano support. songs will be 'Without a Song," "Silent Worship" and "Just for Today." Also. featured will be .an euphonium solo by Bill Whit- sitt and "The Joyful Skeleton" at the xylophone by Fred Pleasants. WHAT CAN YOU BUY FOR A NICKEL? Nickel Today Buys 5 Pennies And Host Of Wee Goodies items priced at a nickel. A few considered the question serious- ly -- then shook their heads negatively. But the last word must be What can you buy these days for a nickel? Lot's of things, a leg-weary Times reporter discovered yes- terday during a two and a half hour search in downtown stores, With 10 nickels in his pocket, the reporter set out to prove you can still get your "five cents worth". He came back with: --a bathtub plug: --a postcard 'of city hall; --a large green button; ll grapes; --a small. plastic inches in diameter; dish raspberry miniature four a small gift card, selling for only a nickel, includ- ing a large comb, one and one half yards of gift wrap ribbon, small choco- small glass; fuse; For six cents you could buy a for seven cents, a for eight cents, a pack- age of tooth picks; for nine nickels. buy everything it used to buy -- but if you shop around enough you can spend a lot of long "What can I Included in Mr. Densham's|said. Striking letter carriers and mail sorter clerks in Oshawa agreed last night to continue their work stoppage which began last Thursday. Ted Williams, Oshawa branch president of the Federated As- sociation of Letter Carriers, said that more than 50 strike association members met with the mail sorter clerks, mem- bers of the Canadian Postal Em- ployees Association. More than 100 people jammed the Steel- the meeting. 'We have maintained our pol- icy of backing Montreal," said Mr. Williams, "although the membership has -decided we 'will not go back to work if Mont- real does. so without a mass meeting to discuss the situa- tion." He explained that the local FALC went on strike Thursday morning, an hour after the Montreal letter carriers struck, and had decided that the Osh- awa strike would end with that in Montreal. AGREED TO MEET "Some of the fellows thought that we would be following Montreal's lead blindly so we agreed to meet in the event of ia settlement there. We may stay out even though they go back in." The FALC leader said Osh- awa members feel the govern- ment must hike the $330 wage Postal Strike WHITBY (Staff) -- Post office workers here this morning were awaiting the outcome of the bal- lot being taken by their fellow workers in Toronto. Keith McDonald, secretary- treasurer of the Whitby branch of the Canadian Postal Em- ployees Association, said that if the Toronto workers decide to return to work, Whitby post of- fice workers will go back to. work. He said Whitby mail comes from Toronto and if the strike continues there, there would be no point in the Whitby men working. "The whole affair has been a schemozzle," Mr. McDonald "T was notified by tele- gram at 8.30 a.m. today to re- turn to work at 5 a.m. today." Postal workers at Ajax follow-' City Mailmen Still Picketing | 100 Workers Jam Hall To OK Strike Extension raise before they return work. "If we did get ae offer I would press the men to go back to work," said Mr. Williams. "That would give our national executive a chance to negotiate. "It is all swilling around in the pot right now, no-one knows what is going on," he said, Mr. Williams said that - strike could go on as long a the main centres held = a we were on our own workers Hall on Albert st. forjernment could just aivide on conquer," he stated. 'PUBLIC SUPPORT' "We have the public support and I don't think the govern- ment will go against public opinion. The strike is a protest against both the government and our national executive who have both failed to getius a liy- ing wage." He said that a resolution urg- ing the removal of the national executive and the substitution of an executive director was passed at Tuesday's meeting. "We feel that someone impar- tial could do a good job of man- aging the national union's busi- ness affairs. "'Someone- like George Burt (United Auto Workers Canadian director) could do a good job which would better our lot. The resolution will go before the district convention which will be held in Oshawa sometime in October," said Mr. Williams, Situation A 'Schemozzle': CPEA Man ed the Montreal workers and re- fused Tuesday's government offer to return to work this morning. Inside workers at the Ajax post office followed the let- ter carriers when they voted unanimously to join the picket lines. No mail is moving through the Ajax office but pick-ups from mail boxes are being made and are piling up. The flow of mail into the office has slowed to a trickle as residents of the area became aware of the strike. Pickets at Ajax reported many people in the area sympathized with them, and refused to cross their picket lines. The Ajax based carriers serve Fairport Beach, Frenchman's Bay, Pickering Beach and Bay Ridges in addition to Ajax. The deadlock in contract nego- tiations between Local 1817, United Steelworkers, and Fit- tings Ltd., appears to have been broken with the announcement} today that bargaining may be- gin again at a special meeting Thursday, Both company and_ union spokesmen said that their rep- resentatives will meet, at a local { ~--a 16-inch long piece of eyelet embroidered edging; --an eight by five inch, 12- page coloring book; --a green "Tilly Bunny?' loon; And an 11 by 14 inch brown énvelope to carry it all in, OTHER ITEMS And, during the store tour, the Feporter found 20 other items bal- late bar, pencil, two boxes of wooden matches, a roll of cough drops, a package of five small lollipops, tiny scratch pad, one and one half feet of brown elec- tric cord, two drapery track run- ners, tiny hand pencil sharpen- er, five cent stamp, small pack- age of gum, small hinge clip, one sixth of a pound sf beans and package of drink mix. cents, a small plastic mug and for 10 cents, a great many ar- ticles including a mouse trap, COFFEE UP But, when he stopped in a restaurant for a cup of coffee, the bill read 10 cents. The only five cent item on the menu was toasted bread 'five cents extra" for sandwiches 25 cents and up. Conclusion: a nickel won't The question, buy for a nickel?" drew some almost unbelieving looks, amus- ed interest and indifference. NEGATIVE One saleslady didn't appear to be too interested in the 'nickel' project but she did ask when the story. was likely to.appear in the Times so she could read it. Another, scurried around the store pointing out a variety of given to a pretty drug store sales girl, At first she couldn't think of anything when asked what could be bought for a nickel. The re- porter headed for the door but she' stopped him with this smil- ing comment: "T just gave a little girl some- thing for a nickel -- five pen- nies!" hotel to discuss vacation pay for the more than 650 Fittings Ltd. workers and negotiations. Normal vacation period is the first two weeks of August, ac- cording to company personnel officer Walter Branch, ""These are unusual circumstances," he said, "we haven't been in pro- duction since June 24." Production at the Bruce st. Fittings-Steelworkers May Resume Negotiations plant halted then when more than 250 foundry and core room employees were told not to re- port for work because of an alleged 'go-slow' campaign. The idled men claimed that the com- pany had locked them out and picketed the plant, Other -workers honored the picket lines set up by the fel- low-members of Local 1817. Tomorrow's meeting marks the first step in negotiations since a conciliation board meet- ing July 12. The board's report Stated that it could give no as- sistance to the parties. Mass picketing at the plant was halted this week by an agreement reached between union and management lawyers. - ig