A8 - Sunday, May 30, 1982 - North Shore News

Gl mailbox

Confusion over ‘equal value work’ deepens

Dear Editor:

The letter from Aphrodite
Harris and Margret Kerry
‘May 19) provides further
evidence of the confusion
that surrounds the concept
of “equal pay for work of
equal value”.

The main point of the
letter is that the starting rate
of $8.00 per hour for an
“inside” worker in a North
Vancouver municipality is
too low in relation to the
cost of living and should be
raised to $11.00 per hour, to
match the rate for the
lowest-paid ‘‘outside”’
worker. But the “equal pay”
concept is only relevant to
this situation if the jobs are
deemed to be of “equal

value”, and Ms. Harris and
Ms. Kerry are silent on this
point.

What is often overlooked
in this debate is that the
“equal pay” proposition has
a corollary — “unequal pay
for work of unequal value.”
Workers not only expect to
be paid as much as other
workers who do. similar
work; they also expect to be
paid more than workers
whose jobs they consider to
be worth less than their own.
If the lowest-paid “inside”
workers have their rates
raised to $11.00 from $8.00
per hour, what will happen
to the rates of other “inside”
workers? Will they be in-
creased, to maintain the

present differentials? And
how will the “outside”
workers respond to. the
adjusted “inside” rates?

The terms “inside”
workers and “outside”
workers may be misleading.
In 1976, while acting as
Chairman of an arbitration
board, I learned that in the
cities of Kamloops and
Kelowna what = actually
differentiated the two groups
was their hours of work (35
hours per week for “inside”
jobs) and 40 hours for
“outside” jobs). The pay
structures of the two groups
were unrelated, being based
on different job evaluation
scales and different external
pay compansons.

Hooker curbs must be

OPEN LETTER TO
NV DISTRICT COUNCIL

It was not too long ago
that District Council for-
mally endorsed the very
thoroughly researched Task
Force report regarding the
hazardous industries that
have managed to establish
themselves within the midst

of our North Shore
population.

One of the strongest
recommendations of that
report was that no new
hazardous industries be

permitted and no expansion
of the existing operations be
sanctioned.

Now we find that District
Council is divided on the
question of approving a

Damage feared
at seniors centre

Dear Eduor:

I would like to clarify my
position regarding rental of
the W.V. Senior Citizens
Centre. The matter to permit
rentals was placed on my
order papers. My motion
was introduced for
discussion purposes, not as
an indication of my position
on the matter, as I am totally
opposed to outside rentals
for several reasons.

If it were simply a one
room hall, people could be
kept under control

However at the Centre.
people would have access to
the vanmous rooms and
amenities Before long.
furniture would be worn out
before its Ume, the beautiful
piano in the music room
might be damaged, people
playing bndge might be
disturbed by notse, and so
forth Another reason |
oppose public rental is that a
WV church tin a spint of

kindness permitted outside

organizations ... to
facilities. Windows
broken, locks
kitchen utensils damaged
and scattered about by
otherwise “normal” people

I'm confident that when
this matter is voted on by
council, the mght decision
will be made

rent
were
removed,

Gordon Rowntree
Aiderman
West Vancouver

The (Canadian Had ( ross Socrety

proposed amendment to By-
Law 5473, which seeks to
limit any further expansion
of operations involving
dangerous goods.

Successful passage of the
proposed amendment would
give Diustnct council the
muscle it needs to deny
Hooker Chemicals and its ilk
any expansion of their
existing operations.

On the other hand, defeat
of the amendment would
make it difficult or perhaps
even impossible for council
to reject an application for
significant expansion of the
Hooker Chemical storage
facilities, which is currently
under consideration.

Gmanicures available)

I do not know what the
terms mean in North
Vancouver, but there is no
logical reason for treating
“inside” and “outside”
workers as separate pay
groups. Their basic pay (for
the actual work they do) can
be determined by the same
method. And if some em-
ployees work longer hours
than others who do
equivalent work or if some
have to endure distressful
working conditions, their
basic pay can be sup
plemented. The important
thing is to be clear about
what is being paid for.

Most people will agree
with Ms. Harris and Ms.
Kerry that the lowest-paid

passed

* This kind of ducking of its

responsibilty to the com-
munity would amount to a
betrayal of the trust which
the average citizen places in
his elected officials to
preserve the public health
and safety.

If District council does not
wish to betray this trust and
make a mockery of its recent
endorsement of the Task
Force report, it must make
sure that the proposed
amendment to By-law 5473
is not smothered by those
aldermen whose sense of
honour is dwarfed by the
shortness of their memories.

M.J. Calf
North Vancouver

haar shacopo

Darcy Brown welcomes back
Brian to their international
team. Offering the North Shore
the most competent team of
highly qualified haircutters.

phone 922.1234

open 6 days

1375 MARINE ORIvVE

Sunday Night Special
Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding

$4495

the Mobbit Hide a way
where Mother Natuce tines

Across trom Capilano Suspension Badge |

Open 7 days a week

tor Lunch, Dinner, Sunday Brunch

Seniors portion — $Be

Reservations 987-3388

WEST VANCOVIVER 6 (

employees in their
municipality are entitled to a
“decent living wage”, but
this has nothing to do with
the problem of sex

discrimination.
K.W. Woodhead
West Vancouver

°82 DEFIANCE 28’

AS new built for and designed by
The Boat Centre. Equipped with
dual 470 Mercs. Now ready for
Demos. Trades welcome.
Amazing Economy

34 MPH TOP SPEED

Cruising at 5.28 gai_/hour total
Checked by flow meter

BOAT CENTRE

Sewelt's Landing. Horseshoe Bay

TYPEWRITER SALE ,

© New Steno Chairs

© New Typing Stand

e New Olympic Electric & Manual

e Used Office Electric Typewriters
e Used Office Manual Typewriters
@ Used Portable Typewriters

© ee.

IS BROWNLEE OFFICE OUTFITTERS LTD. ss
1533 Lonsdale, N. Van. 987-8296 e>
1744 W. 2nd Ave., Van. 732-3331

THE “ATTIC”
IS ALIVE |
AND WELL!
SO WELCOME BACK

NOW FEATURING

PRIME RIB
DINNERS

MOST REASONABLE PRICE IN
TOWN FOR THE TASTIEST
BEEF IN TOWN

8 @
OTHER MENU ITEMS ARE PRICED LOW TOO!

COME BACK TO
THE ATTIC

MARINE DRIVE, NEAR PARK ROY AL 922-3224

FRANK BAKER

INCLUDES FAMOUS GRANDMA'S
SOUP. SALAD BAR AND DANCING
AND ENTERTAINMENT

has joined the
highly professional
staff at Salon

268 and invites

all her clients to
visit her there.

TUES. - SATURDAY by APPOINTMENT ONL Y

268 WEST 6TH 980-7 6 33

NORTH VANCOUVER