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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-04-13, Page 31On Calendar It will pay bargain conscious shoppers to circle Friday, April 21st, on their calen­ dar. This is the day of the second "Moonlight Madness” event in Exeter, an event that proved ex­ tremely popular with literally thousands of bargain hunters last fall. Nearly all of the stores in the core area of Exeter will remain open until midnight and will be featuring values tempting enough to draw customers from several miles away. During the last mid­ night madness sale shoppers poured into town from Goderich, Clinton, Seaforth, Zurich, St. Marys, Ailsa Craig, Parkhill, Strathroy, etc. Nearly all the comments heard from the shoppers was that they enjoyed the shopping spree, es­ pecially the nundreds of super bargains that were offered by Ex­ eter's friendly stores. The only problem experienced by shoppers at the last event was that they had to wait quite a while at some of the stores to get checked through the cash registers. This was because of the unex­ pected large number of shoppers that turn­ ed out for the event. This time the merchants are prepared for a sudden rush of customers beginning at 6 p.m. and lasting right through until mid­ night. The “Moonlight Madness” promotion is just one of several shopping events that will be sponsored by the Exeter Mainway area this year. The idea is to let shoppers everywhere know that the Exeter merchants certainly are friendly and will do all they can to at­ tract your business. So, no matter, where you live, if you can possibly get to Ex­ eter on Friday, April 21, between 6 p.m. and midnight, you won't regret the drive. There's super values in every store just waiting for you. (Advertisement) Times-Advocate, April 13, 1978 Local high school teacher voices views over strike Pag© 31 Dear Huron County Citizen: I’m a teacher. I’m sorry that I am on strike. I care very much about education and my students and I’m sorry to see the students’ school year disrupted as well as the extracurricular program. I’m also against strikes (as most teachers are) because they don’t solve anything and usually make things worse. I have always voiced objections to strikes but two months ago I voted, along with my fellow teachers to strike. Why? ' First of all, I did not believe that the strike would ever come to be. It was a tactical move in negotiations, I thought, to show the school board that we did workload from the given up the cost of living clause (despite reports in the paper to the contrary) and some other points in our contract but we wished to retain the workload clause.. I assumed, wrongly, that the board, not wanting a strike, would negotiate or go to arbitration. I assumed that both the board and the teacher negotiating teams were reasonable people who could see the futility of a strike. Not so! Teachers voted to strike after being without a con­ tract for six months. If we did not vote to strike we had to take the board’s last offer (i.e. no workload clause — send workload to a com­ mittee). We live in a free country and I believe teachers like any other group should have the right to a fair trial. I feel the workload clause is a good deal for both students and teachers and since the board and the teachers could not agree, ar­ bitration seemed to me to be the common sense solution. If we were to lose the workload clause in arbitra­ tion, fair deal, but as a teacher I feel it is important that I always have some in­ put into the direction educa­ tion is to take. I do not believe the board should be able to dictate the direction of education when we are the people who deal directly with education. Personally I am going to contact Jack Riddell and request that he try to en­ courage the government to take away our right to strike and replace it with legisla­ tion which will allow us to present our case when we cannot reach an aniable agreement with the board. I would suggest that if you are concerned you do the same. When the strike started, I visited the local board members (three — two are on the salary negotiating team) to discuss the strike and get their side of the story as well as express my concerns. I also talked to our negotiating team. One thing was very clear: not w a n't the clause removed contract. We had neither side trusted the other. I suggested to both sides that if the strike con­ tinued. the education system would suffer because of the bad feelings that would develop. I asked both sides to consider arbitration im­ mediately. The teachers committee agreed but the board members did not. Their reason was that past history indicated that if they went to compulsory arbitra­ tion they would lose. Since then, Cayley Hill, board negotiator, stated that if they agreed to voluntary ar­ bitration they would have a say in who the arbitrator would be. In compulsory ar­ bitration they would not. I ask you as well as the board, why not voluntary ar­ bitration in February to avoid this strike? I would also like to ex­ press my views on a couple matters. Suggestions have been made that the OSSTF (our union) have influenced the teachers negotiating committee and urged them to fight for the workload clause. I don’t know if this is the case but it is probable. On the other side, the board is a member of the Trustees Council of Ontario (their union) and it has been said (I have no proof) that they were critical of the Huron County Board for allowing the workload clause into the 1976-77 agree­ ment. The 1976-77 agree­ ment was negotiated in good faith between teachers and board members without any outside intervention. T suggest to you that had the OSSTF and trustees council stayed out of the 1977-78 negotiations the strike would never have oc­ curred. Comments I have heard from some people suggest that the board must stop “giving in” to the teachers. I would like to point out to you that the reverse could be true. Other than the 7.5% raise and a few small changes in the workload clause the teachers have not been asking for more but rather have been asked by the board to give things up in their contract that were negotiated in good faith in previous years (our com­ mittee informed me that this past year they had to re­ negotiate almost everything we had in the 1976-77 con­ tract (i.e. we had to fight to keep what we already had in the contract previously). In five years prior to the 77-78 contract ,we negotiated in good faith with the board. We had a good working relationship. We were paid well yet accepted salary scales lower than many boards in Ontario. We con­ sidered working conditions and quality education more important. Now in 1977-78 I ask the board, “why the turn around?” Why suddenly does the board want to remove clauses from the contract that were previous­ ly negotiated in good faith? Could it be outside in­ fluence? Who is really responsible for this strike? Mr. Elliott, the chairman of the board, thinks teachers should be more concerned about the students and about Huron Cbunty. I would like to suggest to him that if he is so concerned about the students and education, why has he continued to suggest that we solve the problems ourselves and continued to resist arbitration. I take exception to his remarks. As a teacher I believe I have always taken a strong interest' in my students and I think most of my fellow teachers have also. As a citizen of Exeter I have also shown an equal in­ terest in my community. Many other teachers living in Exeter have done the same. Some persons have ex­ pressed the opinion that teachers are trying to protect their jobs. There is some truth in that. If the workload clause is removed, it is my understanding the board could, if they wished, reduce each school staff by 3 or 4 teachers. I would not like to see that happen. It would mean that teachers with only 2 or 3 years experience would have to go and I can’t see that helping the education system even though it would save some tax dollars but add more people to the un­ employment list. As well, teachers working would have larger classes, and would have less time for individual help. Further, I can’t believe most teachers voted to strike to save their jobs. Statistics on enrollment indicate that 80% of the WATCH FILMS — During kindergarten registration Thursday at Usborne Central School senior students Susan Vanderspek and Pat Hodgert provide slide entertainment for Jayne Rowe and Barbara Tieman. T-A photo When you know how they re built. J ENDURO 175 always encouraged students to do the same. To former students who feel they never got anything out of school, may I suggest to you that maybe you never put anything into it. Yours sincerely, Doug Ellison, Teacher at S.H.D.H.S. teachers in Huron County Schools have no fear of los­ ing their job as long as they are competent. The majori­ ty of teachers I believe, were concerned about work­ ing conditions and quality education as hard as some may find that to believe. One of the problems fac­ ing the board is that the provincial government, in an attempt to reduce its deficit, has cut back grants to local school boards and therefore the board must in­ crease local taxes or reduce programs. You may feel that we can’t afford more in- creases in taxes and therefore we must lower the quality of education by cut­ ting our spending. As a teacher I believe in education and obviously I cannot agree. School, I believe has an obligation to prepare students to live in a complex society and therefore I would not like to see programs eliminated or teachers let go. Personally, I would rather pay extra tax­ es to have more people who are interested and want to work than I would pay the taxes I do now so that thousands of people can sit on their rear ends and collect unemployment in­ surance or welfare cheques. The Board should consider the students now in universi­ ty from this area who would like to come back and teach. Do you want to pay more taxes to cover their un­ employment insurance cheques or would you prefer to pay taxes and have them working? I have been told that teachers have it too good. That is debatable but maybe we have. As a public school student, my father im­ pressed upon me that I was going to university. I did school work when many of my friends were playing. I decided in High School that I wanted to teach because I thought I would enjoy it. I think I worked hard. I made sacrifices and did without things my friends had in order to get an education and prepare myself for teaching. I’m not sorry I did. The job pays well and has securi­ ty (I think). I enjoy my work very much. I’ve tried to do my best at the job and hope I always will. I think “most” of my fellow teachers try to do their best. I believe most teachers at South Huron (including those whose philosophy is very different from mine) are interested in their work and continue to try to im­ prove themselves. I do not feel I’m overpaid when I hear what others are paid. If you think we are paid too much maybe you should try the job. There is not much physical work in­ volved and the holiday package is good but I hope you can take a little stress. If you think the students of today are willing to sit up and shut up just because you tell them to, you are in for a rude awakening. I suggest to any who think we have it too good, take some time and come and visit the school. Observe what is going on and if it looks easy maybe you should try it. Then draw your conclusions and if you think we’ve got it too good I will accept your comment. Don’t get me wrong. I like my job and I get a lot of satisfaction from it but that doesn’t make it an easy job. (Ask some of my former wrestlers who have taught some of my wrestling classes — many times they have said they wouldn’t thank me for the job). I hope by the time this letter appears that the strike is over. There have been enough bad feelings developed already. I ex­ pressed my fear to local board members that a long strike could destroy the school atmosphere for years. As I’ve told my students, when dealing with other peo­ ple you can’t continually run people down and then expect to get more out of them. Teachers, whether you realize it or can believe it, do a lot of extra work with students not only in class work but in the extra curricular program. I believe that teachers have supported the extra curricular program even though they are not paid to do it because they know many students not only en­ joy them but also often gain confidence and pride in themselves through the many activities offered (theatre arts, sports, clubs, student council, outdoor education, travel, etc.). After continued insults and criticism I am afraid some teachers may feel that the extra effort is not worth it. There have been many days lately when I have thought, “Why bother?”. We have a good staff and a good school and I hope my fellow teachers will forget the hard feelings expressed towards them and continue on as before. Mr. Wooden and most of staff have worked hard to create a good working at­ mosphere in the school and I hope everyone involved will try to re-establish that at­ mosphere. P.S. I feel the board and the teachers are responsible for this strike. Both have used the student to try to get their own way. Both think they are right. The student has suffered enough. Let’s* get the schools opened. If. the strike is not over, I suggest that you demand ar­ bitration now. I am writing this letter because I’m tired of being put down. I’m a proud per­ son and I take much pride in my work and I think I have DON DARLING OF COUNTRY CORNER STORES SAYS BUY YOUR NEW BIKE FROM US AND I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I See the complete new line of J Kawasaki MOTORCYCLES* I IF YOU CAN SIT LONGER THAN I I I I I I I I I I I ANYONE ELSE YOU WILL WIN PURCHASE We're excited about our fantastic "Sit on It Contest.'’ You could win your purchase (up to a maximum of $1200) if you can sit on a motorcycle longer than anyone else. If your new bike purchase is more than $1200 you will still win a new 1978 125 C.C. Enduro (retail value $1200). Stop in and see us and get more complete details. L1 * Depend on us selection * Depend on us for vice Depend on us parts Depend on us price. WHITING'S BUYING • WMAHA TAMALUBE. 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