Can-Air praised for leadership.

• Position: Can-Air Manufacturing Inc.

Can-Air Manufacturing (1990) Inc. of Sudbury has received praise as one business which has taken a leading role in working co-operatively with its employees, local educators and government.

It is this type of co-operation that Ontario needs to be competitive in a global marketplace, according to Ed Philip, the provincial minister of Industry, Trade and Technology.

Philip made the statement last month while attending the official opening of Can-Air's second manufacturing facility in Sudbury. The company manufactures a variety of mining ventilation systems, including large-diameter pipe for Inco Limited's SO2 abatement program.

The minister praised Can-Air for encouraging its employees to upgrade their skills. Several of the employees have received quality-assurance training through Cambrian College.

In addition, the company has hired a production engineer to further assure that quality is maintained. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund provided funding to cover half of the engineer's salary for two years.

Philip claimed that more cooperation of this type would encourage investment and allow industry to invest more funds in training programs and research and development.

"We can no longer afford to have Europe and Japan spending two-and-a-half times more than we do on training and R & D," he emphasized. "We have to end the polarization (of the three groups)."

Philip said he believes that the provincial government's role is to facilitate co-operation between labor and management.

For example, with regard to the situation at Algoma Steel Ltd. in Sault Ste. Marie he said the province "came in and told the union, 'You have to give something.'"

Philip predicted that the gap between business and labor will be narrowed by legislation...