AG - Wednesday, May 26, 1982 - North Shore News EE editorial page The issue of whether unions should agree to wage freezes — or even temporary wage cuts — as an alternative to layoffs during the current severe recession underscores the need for statesmanship instead of politicking by both management and labor. Union opposition to any such concessions is frequently based on the charge that bosses are using hard times to blackmail workers with the threat of unemployment; that com- panies claiming to be in a financial squeeze are merely seeking extra profits and can, in fact, still afford to honor agreed pay levels without layoffs. The natural reluctance of company managements to prove their point by open- ing their books in detail to unions can inevitably lend some substance to these charges. On the other hand, precise par- ticulars of a company’s financial position normally has to be one of management's most closely guarded secrets because of the damage to the company (and its employees) that may result from revealing those particu- lars to competitors. The question thus arises: how can manage- ments in a GENUINE bind that threatens increasing layoffs and union leaders GENUINELY concerned for both the pay packets and the job security of their members level with each other to reach a rational solution until times improve? Political posturing by either side at this point can only harm the economy still further. Statesmanship on both sides — already growingly apparent in the U.S. — seems the only viable alternative. And the new attitude of trust and responsibility it implies is an equal challenge to both management and labor. No kidding? An American historian has at iast discovered Canada’s national identity. It consists, he says, of not having one. Moreover, he argues, we can take pride in that fact and feel superior about it — willing to be unpredictable, taking joy from our ambiguities and embracing the idea that our strength is our diversity. The only thing that worries us a trifle about our U.S. fan is his name: Robin Winks. FVCR VOSUE OF HENTTR AND WEBT VANCOUVER sunday 4 news Display Advertising 980-0511 north shore Classified Advertising 986-6222 news Newsroom 085-2131 Circulation 986 1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave . North Vancouver BC V/M 2H4 Publlaner Peter ‘open bk jate Publisher bert Graham Edttor-in Chief Nowet Wight Advertising Director Tim borane is General Manager Administration & Personne! Men Bern billiard ircutatton Director Ban AO Eb ths Production Otroc tor ree KE ee North Shore News fondo nm CO an a dependent revaeracstty APwapaper and quatthed under Oe trechute ME fiat UW ba eaggeengot UN ot tyes thease Tan Act an putlinhbed oat Wodhenday ace! Snamdkay try Naortt Shore broe Press Lid: and finteitted to esa, doen thee Nao tt Dore oecond (lass Mat Hogyisteatin Nurnbe: 166 Entire contents 862 North Shore Free Prees (id All rights reserved ibe cup otenin North and Woes (Ban availatto on co quecnt Vt wer peer ae Mato, it. og ne or cset det, SUPBAT ate pet mre pte bat AG enn s vba Wa on & ON 83 BOO Wedimeaday 93 404 Saeccday y sm G THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE re oe Canada—a par British problems over the Falkland Islands put Prinie Minister Margaret That- cher's Conservative government into trouble because of a deliberate defence policy that many British observers consider to be badly flawed. Britain is a nuclear power, because she developed her own nuclear weapons. Like the French, Britain jealously guards the prestige of being an independent nuclear power, and she has been willing to spend defence funds to maintain that prestige. Like allt other NATO powers, Britain has been concentrating on defence in Homes for the LIFE 1s far from rosy today for many of Canada’s senior citizens who, a mere decade ago, had every reason to look forward to a modest level of comfort and secunty in their Golden Years. Inflation is savaging once adequate pensions. And nowhere does inflation -- combined with lack of earlier planning -- bite more viciously than in the vital area of housing. As a subject of semous study, the future housing situation of semior citizens didn't have a hngh pnority in the prosperous fifties and sixties - the cra of the baby boom family with ts three and) four-bedroom home, children to match and more of everything to come Seniors were a relatively small minority of the carher post-war population = In flation was negligible. It was generally assumed that public and private pension schemes in an cver expanding economy would automatically look after the future housing and othe: needs of most over 65s Pour things. of (course went wrong Inflation soared Ihe cconomy shifted Inte reverse As large famthes went ooulooof fashion the percentage of semiors in the total population tose dramatically And much post war housing developed primarily younger parents and them bids proves himuted pocketbooks of fou Dow the unsuttable = for requirements and clderly Singles and Couples whe sali wanl oo plac c of thers own AGING COMMUNITIES POcuwtrt ke. alternatives ee cost of rental apartments and con dominiums -- has sky rocketed duc to shortages of such accommodation caused by exorbitant interest rates and rent controls. Today, the population of every municipality in the Lower Mainland 1s aging. with the average number of persons per houschold steadily declining. Nowhere more so than in Weat Vancouver where nearly 20 per cent of the residents arc now 600 or older Last week West Van Mayor Dernckh Humphreys launched o special citzens committee to tackle what he descenbes as “one of the biggest) challenges facing Weat Vancouver to provide and plan for an adequate supply of senior citizen housing ” Its terms of reference go to the heart of the senior housing problem everywhere The committee ts required to asseas the current and estimated aumber of scators housing units necded from now until 1992) togethers with the specific types and sizes Of housing self owned units, rented units, personal care and intermediate c arc units and the optimum ile ft tll cafcebeas Uhe vate of development meaniiceS cach site in NATO? the NATO area, to combat about the wisdom of putting what is perceived as the all defence eggs in the greatest threat to British NATO basket, and he an- national interest — an attack swered that Britain. was by the Soviet Union on one or more of the NATO allies. From Trident II sub marines to Tornado low- level nuclear jet bombers and the British Army of the Rhine, the U.K. has plumped something like 95 per cent of her defence spending into her con- tribution to the NATO alliance, leaving little in the spending 5.6 percent of her Gross Domestic Product on defence, far more than some other NATO nations. His inference was clearly aimed at Canada, which is a parasite in the alliance because of the meager contribution she makes to collective defence. Mr. Nott openly talked about the fact that Canada doesn't pay her i Canadian Comment BY PETER WARD budget to pay for protection of Bri-ccsi interests outside the NAIC? areas - interests like the Faikiand Islands. The Royal Navy has had the major share of defence spending, bui those funds have been channelled into the Trident II program, the four Polaris submarines now in service and the British fleet of hunter killer nuclear dues, despite the political dangers of levelling such criticism at an alliance ally. But it was Nott’s policy to concentrate British defence spending in areas of NATO interest and let the far-flung interests of Britain go hang. The danger of NATO nations concentrating their efforts on defence exclusively in the North Atlantic area is that submarines. assigned to the Soviets will be quite watching Soviet naval content with a European movements around the stand-off, provided that North Cape of Norway, and = stand-off leaves them with through the Iceland - freedom of action anywhere Faroes Iccland - Greenland — else in the world. gaps. into the North If countnes hke Canada Atlantic did their NATO share. it A few weeks ago I taxed would free the U.K. and the British Defence Mimister U.S. to play bigger in- Joho Nott with a question termatonal roles. Years accommodation occupied through the workings of the free market. The commitice is called upon to report back to council on all these matters by mid-September, which suggests a pretty busy summer for its members Their findings are likely to be studied far beyond the boundanes of West Van itself Relative to the rest of the populaton, more and more people are reaching the semior citizen point in their fives every month Asa result. the question of where (and how) grandpa and grandma are going to live for the 10 or 20 or more years durnng which they receive the old age pension ts becoming a : ailligh se im ‘ FELT erg Bo y major social and political Noel Wri ht issue) |= everywhere “Grey 2 power” voters pack a lot of Ca What grandpa and grandma mostly necd is a small, casy-to-run home at an affordabic pce in the community to which thicy and their fnends belong At the moment, homes fulfilling all three conditions whether = single-family oor year over the neat decade to mect the requirements under cach heading ic will recommend pmorities aad sites for each type of unit together with the respective roles to be played by (he municipality, multipic dwelling simply community Kroups and arcn’t available in ncarty private developers in) suffacacat numbers mecting the targets The new West Van commitice ts a first practic al “GREY POWER” sicp towards ensuring such CLOUT homes will be available in that (community tm the years Most sigoilicantly imuncdiately ahcad The task perhaps the comeautice ist a big one but then so in ashed to work Gut methods the problem of Choosing semor claces Weat Van council has for “lime ome” howeg, Deco amari caoegh two projyos ta —_Eweitem NODogate thet fece Otis to be on Capen’ by sefeocted communities might do worse individuals as opposed to than copy