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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-03-29, Page 1Teachers remain out despite lifted lockout BY JEFF SEDDON ' When Huron County's 4,500 secondary school students left for school Tuesday morning any hopes that. - classes would be held were dashed when the county's 270 striking secondary school teachers chose to stay home. Tuesday was the first day since February 23 that the teachers had an option to return to the classroom and after, an Ontario Sebondary School Teachers' Federation District 45 executive council meeting Monday night the teachers elected to continue their 23 day old strike. The teachers were invited The back to the classrooms by the county board of education March 20 when the board lifted its teacher lockout on the county's five secondary schools. The lockout proved 'to be a retrograde step in negotiations which had broken off February 14. The teachers began the rotating strikes the next day and with no sign of settlement the board, the following .week, removed doubts about whether schools would be open by imposing the lockout. Both sides were optimistic Good 'Friday after a series of proposals were shuffled back L and forth between negotiating teams for both parties. The board lifted its lockout and offered to negotiate two one year contracts with the teachers if they would return to the classrooms with the stipulation that no work sanctions would be taken until September of 1978. The teachers countered with a proposal for the two parties to sit down to a marathon bargaining session Good Friday in the hopes of thrashing out an agreement for the Tuesday morning deadline. Shirley Weary, spokesman for OSSTF District 45, said she was not sure the teachers could return to the classrooms with. the guarantee they would stay there for the remainder of the school term. She said the board's latest offer prior to the start of the marathon session showed some hope but was not, substantial enough for her to be confident an easy settlement could be reached. Cayley Hill, spokesman for the board negotiators, said the board felt it had done everything possible to open an avenue for the teachers to return to the classrooms and re -open serious negotiations. He said the board was anxious to get students back to school ,and had lifted the lockout and set the stage for the Good Friday marathon meeting. Weary said the teachers had made a proposal for the board to consider at the marathon session claiming it represented a reasonable salary increase for the 1978-79 contract year as well as suggestions tb end the strife over the teacher workload clause and sickleave gratuity clause in the 1977-78 contract. The marathon bargaining session. lasted about 45 minutes. Of that over half the time was spent with the two CONTINUED ON'PAGE 2 C.KNOW SENTINEL $10 A Year In Advance $14 To U.S.A. and Foreign WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1978 Single -Copy 25c 24 PAGES April showers bring May flowers is the theme of the annual Lucknow and District Kinette Fashion Show which will feature spring and summer fashions from area merchants. Rose Peterson and Phyllis ierome model two dresses from Loree's Ladies Wear, Lucknow. Rose is wearing an apple green jersey with cut-out sleeves and Phyllis wears the popular peasant look in a floral cotton. The show will be staged at the Lucknow Central Public School auditorium on Monday, April 3rd at 8:30 p.m. (Sentinel staff photo) Energy Conservation Centre A focal point for interest in energy Tony McQuail, RR2 Lucknow, co-ordinator of the Energy Conservation Centre which opened on Campbell Street in the storefront next to the Sentinel office on March 22, sees the centre playing two roles in the community. "The first is to make in- formation on Energy Con- servation andrenewable energy easily available to the public." said McQuail. The centre has established a good energy library, with books from 'How to Build a Solar Collector' to `Canada as a Conserver Society'. The staff will be available to speak to groups and individuals on energy conservation and they are? planning to run workshops on insulation and solar heating. .The second role McQuail sees for the centre is to serve as a focal point for people who. are interested in energy. "There are many individuals around this county who are engaged in projects which are saving them energy and money," observed McQuail. "If- this centre can help bring us together so that we can share what we have learned, our progress in ' energy conservation arid the use of renewable energy sources will be easier." "We need to make this transition as easy as we can," added McQuail. The centre in Lucknow will be open Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays and Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tony McQuail, Bev Brown, RR1 Bluevale and Ian Finlayson, Huron Township will be working out of the Lucknow office. The Goderich Conservation Centre will be open .on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 / Legion buys drugs for Caribbean The Lucknow branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has decided to send $250 worth of drugs to St. Vincent Island for use in the veterinary practice of Dr. Brock Cleland, for- merly of Lucknow, who is working on the island. In a letter to the legion branch, Dr. Cleland asked that the • Legion consider the purchase of the drugs as a service project. The veterinary budget of the ministry of agriculture on the island is almost depleted and there will be no more money until July. An in- creased budget has been promised then and Dr. Cleland has applied to C.I.D.A. for help with a considerable supply of, basic drugs and equipment and with funds, for a parasite control program. At best, said Dr. Cleland, they will be out of supplies in a couple of months and already he has had to say "sorry, but we've nothing to treat that with". The Legion's contribution will fill the gap between the depletion of supplies and the new budget and program in July. Dr. Cleland said in his letter that a lot of needy people would benefit and if the Legion were. to consider the project, it should be as a contribution to "St. Vincent's efforts to- increase food production". He.• asked that the request be considered on what the Legion believes to be the merits of the project not as a personal favor to him.