HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-02-03, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2005.
Strike motion scheduled for ETFO meeting
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
A motion to enter a legal strike
position is scheduled to go before
the local chapter of the Elementary
Teachers Federation of Ontario
(ETFO) in early February.
But the Avon Maitland District
School Board's Human Resources
superintendent. Jim Sheppard, is
confident that — even if Huron and
Perth County, teachers vote in
favour — a contract will be finalized
before any further labour action is
launched.
“I think the positive sign here is
Students
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Through the co-ordination and
creative instruction of a London
based collage artist, students from
the Avon Maitland District School
Board have raised $15,000 since late
last year, to assist people in Africa
affected by HIV/A1DS.
The key element of the
fundraising campaign was an
exhibition in December of 50
limited-edition prints at a gallery in
Stratford. The artwork — chosen
from about 300 submissions — was
created by Avon Maitland secondary
school students, following visits to
the schools by collage-maker
Ilendrikus Bervoets.
Bervoets first began putting his
talents towards AIDS fundraising a
few years ago, by inviting 25 fellow
artists from around the world to
that, even though we're al what's
called the conciliation stage, we’re
still talking,” Sheppard said
following a regular board meeting.
Tuesday. Jan. 25. “The parties are
committed to continuing
discussions.”
As is the case in most school
boards across the province, the
previous one-year contracts for both
Avon Maitland's elementary and
secondary teachers concluded on
Aug. 31. 2004. In recent years, due
largely to a lack of long-term
funding commitments from the
education ministry, one-year deals
have been the norm, and they
raise SI5,000 to help African people
donate prints. That initial campaign
received a great boost when the
London District Catholic School
Board purchased eight prints: one
for each of its secondary schools.
Ever since, the London artist has
made himself available as an
instructor to various school boards,
in return for having the students
participate in the AIDS project.
“We saw with the tsunami (in
South Asia in December) that the
world got together and raised a
phenomenal amount of money,”
Bervoets told Avon Maitland
trustees at a regular board meeting.
Tuesday, Jan. 25. "Every day,
14.000 people die of AIDS. Millions
of children are affected,
predominantly in Africa."
The Avon Maitland students'
prints sell for $25 apiece, or $70
framed.
According to Bervoets. the
typically arc written and agreed
upon some months following the
conclusion of the previous
contracts.
Since the beginning of 2005, most
local ETFO chapters have voted to
place themselves in legal strike
positions, and a similar outcome is
expected in Huron and Perth
Counties. No- Ontario elementary
teachers have opted to strike, but
few have yet reached agreements
with their boards, cither.
Sheppard is optimistic about
chances for a resolution in the Avon
Maitland board, stating both sides
have welcomed an independent
fundraising portion of his work is
donated, although he does gel paid
for providing artistic instruction.
And 97 per cent ol funds raised go
directly to African AIDS relief.
Education director Geoff
Williams praised Bervoets' work in
the Avon Mailland schools, and the
effect the project had on students.
The collage project “had an ca
Deer collisions down in 2004
Huron OPP found that deer
collisions in 2004 fell by 36 from
2003 down to 312 from 348.
The police broke the locations
down to see which municipalities
were having the greatest number of
repeated deer collisions. Ashfield-
Colborne-Wawanosh led with 73
followed by Central Huron with 71.
Huron East was third with 45
conciliator and have booked
negotiation dates after the early
February legal strike position
vole.
He adds he's hopeful that “a
breakthrough” is possible, especially
if the provincial government
clarifies some outstanding concerns
about funding.
Tom Barker, president of District 8
of the Ontario Secondary School
Teachers Federation (OSSTF),
shares a similar hope when it comes
to negotiations for a new high school
teachers' contract.
Barker, speaking after the recent
Avon Maitland meeting, reported the
excellent curriculum base,”
Williams explained.
“Il taught the kids real things
about real art . . . and it gives us a
chance to take our ’citizenship' goal
and have kids act not just as local
citizens but as global citizens.”
With 50 numbered prints made
from each collage — many, but not
all of which have a distinctly
followed by Bluewater with 35.
Fifth was Howick with 27, sixth was
Morris-Turnberry with 29, seventh
place was South Huron with 16, and
eighth was North Huron with 14.
Goderich had two collisions.
The worst road for collisions was
Bluewater Highway (Hwy. 21),
where 57 collisions took place.
Others with a high incident of
District X local just passed a
“resumption of negotiations”
motion, allowing for a provincial
OSSTF representative to take part in
talks with the board.
He admitted, however that
“progress has been pretty slow,” and
that what’s really needed is
“some movement at the provincial
level.”
Examples include resolution of
certain funding commitments, and
clarification about whether the
ruling Liberals will alter some of the
teacher workload legislation brought
in by the previous Conservative
government.
African flavour — there is still lots
of opportunity to contribute to the
campaign by purchasing some
artwork.
For information, contact the
Foundation For Enriching
Education Perth Huron at (519) 527-
0111; 1 (800) 592-5437, ext. 231; or
lynda_mcgregor@fcmail.amdsb.
vehicle/deer collisions are:
Lucknow Line, 16; Amberley Road.
14; London Road, 13; Zurich-
Hensall Road, 13; Huron Road, 11;
Blyth Road, nine; Brussels Line,
eight; Belgrave Road, eight;
Fordwich Line, eight; Bayfield
Road, seven; Morris Road, seven;
Dashwood Road, seven and
Londesboro Road, with six.
SCRIMGEOUR’S Food Market
209 Drummond Street, Blyth
Open 7 Days A Week. Tel: 519-523-4551
M A A 0
The Beer Store
Approved Retail Partner Independent Food Town
ff
Scrimgeour’s Storemade Specialties
Scrimgeour's Storemade Country Sausage
"Plain or Garlic" “Huron County’s Best”$2.69 lb.
Scrimgeour's Storemade Beef Patties $2.89 lb.
Scrimgeour's Storemade
Siagr Sausage Patties "Plain or Garlic"
Storemade Pizza Assorted Varieties
$2.89 lb.
Storemade Special-Occasion Cakes ie.: Dora, Wiggles, Shrek!
In Our Bakery Department
Scrimgeour's Oatmeal Date-Filled Cookies
Cherry, Fruit, Raisin & Cinnamon Loaves
Cheese Sticks
Wide Variety
ot Store-baked
goods
Soup & Sandwich Counter Ya In Our Produce Department In Our Meat Department
Campbell’s Soup, Sandwiches,
Subs, Tacos, Salads
i
Scrimgeour’s Your “Full Service” Store
u • Fresh Cut Flowers
fc • Water Refilling Station
y Carry out and In-town delivery service
J • Propane exchange program
• Empty beer bottle return (7 days a week)
Onioned
Fresh Produce
Daily
^Organic
Produce
Wong Wing Chinese Food
Schneider's Oh Naturel! Meatless
Wieners, Chicken Burgers
& Nuggets
Fresh Cut Canadian Beef
Cut the way you like it
$200.00 (fyt (fatifaate awanded euenq vuMtd. See Mme fa defattb!