LAST IN A SERIES

Battling problem
neighborhood hous

THE NEXT few years could prove critical to
the survival of the North Shore Neighborhood

House.

In recent months, the
House has been a staple of
the news, with labor and
financial issues grabbing the
headlines. A $60,000 deficit
has forced management to
make cutbacks and reduce

staff, a move which has
resulted in bitter relations
between the Board of

Directors and the House’s
unionized employees.

Because of those
problems, Board president
Georgina Coustalin says the
Board’s main objective now
is to streamline and revise
their organization.

“At this point, | see it as
being on a threshold. We
could move intO some ex-
citing areas. In that way, I’m
real positive. But on the
other hand, our labor pro-
blems and the deficit worry
me an awful lot. We could
end up just being swamped
by our difficulties,’” says
Coustalin.

NOT GOING WELL

“If the community res-
ponds to our drive for
funds, and the participation
in Our programs 1s good,
then we'll know where we'll
stand over the next few
years.”

Executive Director Doug
Sabourin says the House's
current fund-raising drive 1s
not going &s well as
expected, simply because it ts
in direct competition with
other organizavons who are
also campaigning for funds

By JOANNE MacDONALD

He adds despite the
House’s unique offering of
day care, programs and
services, that they are forced
to vie for members against
organizations with much
higher profiles.

‘‘We have a big problem,
in that a lot of peopie are
sull ignorant of what the
North Shore Neighborhood
House does,’’ says Sabourin.
**Hopefully, our raffle ticket
sales are helping to publicize
the House’s activities and
programs.”’

OTHER OPTIONS

Sabourin says if the cur-
rent fund-raising drive does
not succeed, the House may
hold a casino might in
November, an event which
has been held for the past
two years.

‘‘But manpower 1s limited.
And the big question is, will
people be willing to come
out and help again in the
fall, after doing so much
volunteer work now?’ he
asks.

Labor problems rank as
the second most controver-
sial issue at the House, after
finances. Following the
layoff of several employees
earlier this year, including
one 17-year employee, Local
1 of SORWUC § (Service,
Office and Retail Workers
Union of Canada) mobilized
their members” by filing
grievances, distributing in

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formation pamphlets, and
generally trying to maintain

a high profile in the
community.
Local 1! President, Sarah

White says there are cur-
rently a lot of question
marks at the House, due to
the current contract
Negotiations (the contract
expired December 31, 1983),
and the hearings currently
under review at the Labor
Relations Board.

‘“‘The labor climate has
been shaky there from the
start. Management has never
really accepted the union in
their workplace,’’ says
White. ‘‘There’s been a lot
of testing of the contract
over the years.””

White says the union feels
that management still har-
bors the same anti-union
atutude i had when the
union first became certified
years ago. ‘‘Right from the
Start, when the union started
Organizing, people were
harassed,’’ she says.
‘‘Things are still tense at the
House.’’

GRIEVANCES

Neither union or
management will discuss the
status of the gnevances filed
with the LRB. Both parties
are currently waiting for the
announcement of dates for
future hearings.

Sessions held May 7 and 8
failed to produce a settle-
ment for ex-House
employee, Ruby Larkin,
who ts seeking five months
of severance pay for 17 years
of service at the House.

Doug Sabourin says

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management wants the LRB
hearings and the contract
negotiations cleared up as
soon as possible. According
to Sabourin, the House must
operate in ‘‘good faith and
be a good employer.’’

As for Coustalin, she says
the current situation has
produced an overall state of
flux for the House which she
would like to see rectified in
the near future.

‘*Some things about that
place are so soul-satisfying,”’
says Coustahin. ‘‘] feel so
deeply that the House has a
role in the community. If the
community shows that it

needs us, we’ll survive.”’

rT
1

Al9 - Sunday, June 3, 1984 - North Shore News

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