HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-04-06, Page 1PUBLISHED IN
LUCKNOW, ONTARIO
Wednesday,
April 6, 1994
•550
G S.T Included
Bruce County Board of Education
Teachers commit to strike mandate
LSecondary school teachers in
Bruce county have a strike mandate
to back their demands for a two-
year contract agreement.
Teachers' president Mark
Ciavaglia said the 84 per cent vote
in favor of a strike shows. teachers
are committed to their salary and
staffing requests, and want to work
with the board to reach an
agreement.
The strike vote was conducted'
under the supervision of the
Education Relations Commission.
and counted at Saugeen District.
Secondary School.
"The teachers have spoken
strongly," said Ciavaglia, who
heads District 44 of • the Ontario
Secondary School Teachers
Federation. "They're saying
'enough dawdling. Let's get on with
it'."
Bruce county's 290 high school
teachers have been without a
contract since September 1992
They ' have gone -through fact -fm -
ding and two mediators in the
slowly -moving .bargaining process.
Salaries, benefits and staffing are
the mainissues still on the table.
Ciavaglia called staffing the "key"
issue, especially with the impact of
the social contract and destreamed
grade nine on class size.
Board chair Barry Schmidt said
after the vote that the two sides will
return to the table "shortly". but
wouldn't give a prognosis for the
chance of a settlement.
"Pay and working conditions
(class size) all revolve around
money," Schmidt said. "I think the
secondary teachers' working con-
ditions are among the best we offer.
I don't apologize for it." •
But Schmidt said the economic
times do not give the board a man-
date to spend more on salaries,
regardless of teachers' commitment
to the issue. '
• • "Two-thirds of the taxpayers don't
have children in the system,"
...Schmidt said. ."Taxpayers - and
municipalities tell us we should
bring in a zero or decreased
budget."
Schmidt said the board has had to
cut money from all areas of its $72
million budget to balance provincial
grant cuts. Salaries make up five -
sevenths of the budget, and.Schmidt
said the board- is now looking for
"creative solutions" to close the gap
left by the , imposition of the social
contract. -
"There's. some resistance to the
fact that resources are diminishing,"
Schmidt said. "People don't like
having their wages reduced. That's
happened under the social contract."
In spite of- wt(at he described as
"probably the longest negotiations"
the board has had with its teachers,
Schmidt said there are few un-
resolved items.
"I'm actually surprised it hasn't
been settled yet," he said.
Ciavaglia said teachers have not
decided how or when to use their
strike mandate. He said it will
depend on the pace of negotiations,
and Could range from a work -to -
rule campaign to a full strike this
year or next.
"Hopefully we can come to an
agreement without a, strike," he
added. '
The secondary teachers last struck
the board in 1980. They voted for a
strike in. 1986 but settled an
agreement without taking, job ac-
tion.
Surplus jobs
Just days after giving 32 elemen-
tary teachers notice thatithey could,
be laid off next year, Bruce board'
of education has declared 11.2
full.:time equivalent secon
' see Serious, page 2
There were lots of visitors walking the streets
in Lucknow over the Easter weekend, but
none of them were hopping like this big
bunny. Little Tyler MacPherson was
enthusiastic about receiving a sucker from
his friend, but looked to hi.s mom, Carol, for
reassurance when he spotted the big guys
floppy ears. The bunny Is Irene Dick's Of
From Our Heart. (Pat Livingston photo
,• ,
. , ... ••,.. • '•••• • •
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Former Lucknow pageant
has new home; Walkerton
Walkerton will be hosting the
"Ontario Miss Mid -West
• Pageant" this summer.
The new pageant replaces the
Miss Midwestern Ontario
Pageant which has been spon-
sored by the Lucknow Agricul-
ture Society for about 28 years.
Barb MacArthur and 'Ann
Oehring, both of Walkerton,
bought the franchise and
registered the new title with the
Ministry of Consumer and Com-
mercial Relations on Mar. 25.
The pageant will be held
during the County Towne Fes-
tival weekend of July 23. The.
event will bring a minimum of
200 people into town, said
MacArthur.
"It's a classy event and nas to
be handled with class," she said.
Approximately 20 'girls
crowned Fair or Homecoming
Queen in Bruce, Grey, Huron,
Perth and Wellington counties
will vie for the new title.
MacArthur and Oehring, along
with a committee, are organizing
the event which will see the girls
judged in the afternoon and
crowned that evening.
After five years, organizers can
renew the license to host the -
event with' the ministry, said
MacArthur.
Approve new Catholic
high school in Clinton
by Michele Greene
mately FIG students, based on
Two Stratford trustees wanted information obtained from a survey ,
more details before approving a sent out to Grade 6, 7 and 8
plan to • establish a Catholic students. About 8Q students
secondary school in Huron County presently in Grade 6 indicated•they
by 1995. would attend the Catholic secondary
Stratford Trustee 'Betty Jorna in 1997. • ' • •
(
vanted to know hoW much the new Both Jorna and mare y had softie
•chool would, costthe board. questions about cost before they
Stratford Trustee Ron Marcy would approve the plah:'
wanted to make sure the board had "I see the student num,bers are
suitable capital funding and a there to make the school feasible.
• 'suitable agreement with the Huron There is nothing here about what
County Board of Education before the cost will be to. the board,"- said
he supported the.plan. At Monday Jorna.
night's meeting of the 1-luron-Perth Trustee Mike Millet, chairperson
Roman 0 Catholic' Separate 'School of the board accominoilation review „
Board, trustees voted • to' proceed committee, said that there is no cost
•
with .a new Catholic secondry that can be determined at this- time.
O school 'in Clinton subject to an ,After the rne,eting, Dr.. James , "
0. agreement with the Huron County Brown, director of education, said
Board of Education and subject to capital costs to open the school are
suitable funding from the Ministry expected to reach between $1.5
of Education and Training. The new million and $2 million. The board
school will share: unused space at expects a grant to cover 75 per cent
Central Huron Secondary School of the cost, leaving 25 per cent up
(CHSS). in Clinton with the Huron to the board.
board. An addition with eight
The school will open in' 1995 and
offer Grades 9 and 10 with approxi -
see Some, page 2
OPP, report
Several charges laid
against Lucknow man
O A 19 -year-old Lucknow man was
charged' with three counts of theft
from a vehicle and two counts of
break and enter after several
intidents in Lucknow and Huron
Township list week.
On Mar. 29, he was charged with
break, enter and theft after $75 .was
taken from the Gibson Feed. Mill,
Lucknow. In addition to the coins,
a 2 kg bag of dog food and some
meat was taken from a freezer for a
total value of $105.
Two first aid kits were taken from
two busses in tucknow overnight
between Mar. 29. and 3,0.
• The kits were worth a total value
-of $170.
Also thal,night, a garage was
entered at a Lucknow residence.and
a 1992 Chevrolet pickup truck was
stolen.
The truck was found Apr. 1 while
OPP Constable Jeff Booth was
investigating an incident. of
vandalism in Blair's Grove, Huron
Township.
OPP received a report of posts
snapped off at a park entrance.
While investigating, Booth came
upon the rYcic and two Huron
Township residents inside.
They were not charged.
The 19 -year-old had given the
truck to them. He was charged with
mischief in regards to the broken
posts.
He was also charged with two
previous • thefts from • cars in
Lucknow. A picnic table; taken
from the Pine River Boat Club on
Apr. 1. was recovered, before it
could be reported stolen, while
investigating the incidents.
A -32-year-old Kincardine
Township man was charged with
careless driving after falling asleep
at the wheel, on Mar. 28, at 4:15
a.m.
He was travelling south on
Highway 21 near Durham Street
whip . he fell asleep. The vehicle
see Driver, page 2