HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-03-02, Page 24*
Times-Advocate, March 2, 1973
Strike concern
By JACK RIPDELL
MPP Huron-Middlesex
Needless to say there is a
great deal of concern about
the teachers' strike in Huron
County and the effect that
this will have on the educa
tion of the students. Certain
ly, no one wants to see the
students lose their year
because differences couldn’t
be resolved between the
teachers and the School
Board.
Negotiations started in
January of 1977 and after a
summer delay they were
reconvened in September of
1977.
The Education Act out
lines the procedures which
the Board and teachers must
take to endeavour to bring
about a settlement and hav
ing followed the required
procedures to this point in
time the negotiations have
reached an impasse.
The parties have been
through the fact finding
procedure which is a re
quirement under the Act and
they have had the assistance
of a provincially appointed
mediator. Unfortunately,
with this assistance, the
Board and teachers
negotiators have been un
able to reach an agreement.
The majority of items
which were in dispute have
been settled including
salaries, seniority, surplus
teaching staff, recognition
of Bachelor's degrees, ac
cumulation of sick days and
sabbatical leave.
The two outstanding
matters concern pupil
period contact and sick
leave gratuity. Pupil-period
contact refers to the amount
of work a teacher will per
form during a teaching day
and a teaching week.
I personally discussed the
concerns which we all have
with the Minister of Educa
tion and he made it' abun
dantly clear that he will not
interfere with the process.
In essence he will not
legislate the teachers back
to work. Strike action is now
legal under the Education
Act and it is the Minister’s
contention that such legisla
tion would be redundant if
he was to bail the teachers
out every time there is a dis
pute.
The Education Relations
Commission will be sending
the mediator into the area
again to assist the Board and
teachers in reaching an
agreement assuming that
both parties are willing to
consider further
negotiations. If the Board
and teacher negotiators can-
not resolve their
differences, with the
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J-D. FAIR
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Usborne & Hibbert Mutual
Fire insurance Company
(Established in 1876)
Provides Full Insurance
Coverage for Town
Dwellings as well as
Farm Properties
DIRECTORS AND ADJUSTERS
Jack Harrigan
Robert Gardiner
Lloyd Morrison
Lome Feeney
Ray McCurdy
William Chaffe
R.R.3, Lucan
R.R.2, Staffa
R.R.l, St. Marys
R.R.2, Dublin
R.R.l, Kirkton
Mitchell
Ross Hodgert
Hugh Benninger
John Moore
Clayton Harris
Joseph Uniac
Mrs. Elaine Skinner
Wally Burton
AGENTS
Woodham
Dublin
Dublin
Mitchell
Mitchell
Exeter
Exeter
229-6643
345-2001
345-2512
348-9051
348-9012
235-1553
235-0350
assistance of the mediator,
then the strike will continue
and the frustration of
students, parents, teacher
and Board Members will
continue to mount.
The only alternative for
parents who believe that
their children’s chances of
completing their year are
seriously jeopardized,
because of a lengthy strike,
is to petition the Education
Relations Commission, to do
everything in their power to
encourage an immediate
settlement, bearing in mind
that the Minister of Educa
tion has adopted a “hands-
off” policy.
I personally have enough
faith in both the teachers
and the Board that they will
work diligently to resolve
their differences in the in
terests of all concerned, and
most particularly in the in
terest of the students.
On 21st February, the se
cond session of the 31st On
tario Parliament opened
with traditional pomp and
ceremony, and the
Honourable Pauline McGib-
bon, as Lieutenant-
Governor, delivered a
Speech from the Throne
which many observers con
sidered to be vague and dis
appointing. At a time when
Ontario is facing very
serious and difficult
problems, the Speech, which
represents the
.Government’s proposed
legislative program, gave
little indication of the strong
purpose and direction which
is so badly needed.
While maintaining that
“security and generation”
of jobs and income would be
primary objectives, the
Government stated that
“unemployment is in many
respects beyond the control
of the provincial
government”. $26 million is
the extent of its financial
commitment to job crea
tion, this to two youth
employment programs in
troduced last year.
About $10 million will go
to the Ontario Career'Action
Program, paying $100 a
week to young people look
ing for work experience.
(The program spent $7.3
million last year, providing
4,500 jobs). An additional $16
million (in addition to last
year’s $15 million) will go to
the Ontario Youth Employ
ment Program, which pays
employers a $1 an hour sub
sidy for adding jobs, and
which should, according to
the Government, provide
30,000 new jobs.
On the crucial unemploy
ment issue, Liberal Leader
Stuart Smith, during the
first Question Period of the
session called for more
government support for the
manufacturing industry, in
the light of the “shocking
and disturbing” fact that un
employment among people
25 to 54 (the peak earning
years) has jumped by 42% in
Ontario over the last two
months. Between November
and January this figure rose
by 47,000 to a total of 158,000.
The absence from the
Speech of large scale and
long-term projects to
stimulate the economy was
strongly criticized. While
CELEBRATES 95TH BIRTHDAY — Mrs. Elizabeth Volland of
Hensali celebrated her 95th birthday recently with a surprise
birthday party. Mrs. Volland who has been living at the home
of Mrs. Rachel Schwalm for the past three years was born
near Zurich and she and her late husband farmed until 1935,
when they retired to Goderich. Mrs. Volland has five children,
16 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and two great
greatgrandchildren. Staff photo
I
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THURSDAY, FRIDAY A
SATURDAY ONLY
March 2,3 and 4...
LXieke FRIED
CHICKEN
EXETER
235-2665^
referring to “the crisis of
confidence” which exists to
day, the Premier is ap
parently taking the attitude
that the serious economic
problems now facing On
tario can best be met by the
federal government and free
enterprise.
A dominant theme in the
Throne Speech was more in
dividual responsibility and a
“reordering of priorities to
do better with relatively
less”.
Special education
programs are to have up to
$20 million more made
available to them, if the
Ministry of Education can
talk school boards into tak
ing the money. According to
the Minister, of 194 special
education programs in the
province last year, only 11 at
the elementary level and
seven in secondary schools
spent enough to qualify for
additional funds.
While the Provincial
School for the deaf at Milton
will continue operating for
its original purpose, it will
also be used for demonstra
tion projects involving
children with severe lear
ning disabilities, and train
ing teachers in this special
ized field.
Ontario’s Family Law
legislation is to receive third ,
reading this session, and the
Government will continue to
move toward a simplified
legal system, with more
protection for children,
single-parent families,
working mothers, the han
dicapped, the sick and the
elderly in their dealings with
the law.
An attempt will be made
to reduce the number of ab
ductions of children from
one parent by another after
a separation or divorce, and
children may be granted in
dependent legal representa
tion in family law cases.
In transportation matters,
a program of compulsory
automobile insurance is to
be implemented by
December 1979, although a
former Minister of Con
sumer and commercial
Relations (the Ministry
responsible) maintains that
such a move would make lit
tle difference unless there
were ways of apprehending
those who would continue to
drive illegally without in
surance.
There will be fewer licen
cing restrictions on trucks,
operating in the North, a
policy the government hopes
will reduce transportation
costs, and amendment of the
Public Commercial Vehicles
Act is intended to enhance
export opportunities to the
United States, while
facilitating the movement of
Ontario produce within the
Province.
The Government has
promised to build a highway
from Atikokan to Ignace,
and this 71 mile highway,
demanded for years, would
provide access to iron ore
deposits at Bending Lake.
Also in the North, a
special program would
allow the purchase of Crown
land for private recreational
use, which it is hoped will in
crease jobs in the construc
tion and building trades.
For Eastern Ontario,
where both Opposition par
ties have cut into traditional
Conservative strongholds,
there will be a drainage and
land reclamation project to
prevent flooding in the South
Nation River watershed,
which should lead to better
farming and forestry in 900,-
000 acres of land. Also a
study is to be made of a
commuter air service'
possibly financed privately.
There is to be increased
availability of French
language court trials in
a largeareas with
Francophone population,
and a special section' to
begin work on translating
Ontario’s Statutes into
French.
Liberal MPP Albert Roy
commented that the Govern
ment has already missed out
on about $500,000 by not tak
ing advantage of a federal
program providing finds for
this purpose. Where
justified, bilingual
documents and publications
will be made available, and
bilingual signs provided on
government buildings and
highways.
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Opening
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JOHN MACKENZIE
one of our representatives
will be at
Les Pines Hotel, EXETER
on the 1 st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month
March 7
and
March 21
If you require financing to start, modernize or
expand your business and are unable to
obtain it elsewhere on reasonable terms and
conditions or if you are interested in the
FBDB management services of counselling
and training or wish information on
government programs available for your
business, talk to our representative.
FEDERAL
BUSINESS
DE VFIOPMENT BANK
For prior information call 271-5650 or Write 1036
Ontario Street, Stratford
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STORE HOURS16 Branches to Serve You:
AMHERSTBURG
EXETER
GODERICH
GRAND BEND
HARROW
KINCARDINE*
KINGSVILLE
KITCHENER
OWEN SOUND
RIDGETOWN
SOUTHAMPTON
THEDFORD
WEST LORNE
WINDSOR EAST
WINDSORWEST
MATTHEWS
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235-1422
524-8321
238-2374
738-2221
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733- 2341
744-6371
376-3181
674-5465
797-3245
296-4991
768-1520
727-6001
734- 1221
254V1143
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West, Kitchener and Kin
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Thurs. 8A.M to 5:30 PM ;
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Sat. till 5:30 P.M. Our other
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Fri. 8 AM. to 5:30 P.M.;
Sat. till 4! West Lome,
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