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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-02-02, Page 3IN THF_NEWS Times -Advocate, February 2, 1994 Page 3 Provincial policy making education cuts difficult, trustees say By Catherine O'Brien T -A staff CLINTON -Some Huron County Board of Education trustees are at odds with recent pay increases three members of administrative staff received as a result of job re- structuring last year. The increases came by way of the controversial pay equity legislation. And although the pay increases were approved on January 10, it was not an easy sell. Trustee Bob Hey- wood said many trus- tees thought such in- creases were net appropriate in a time when cutbacks are necessary. "My beef is with the provincial govern- ment," Heywood said last week. He said it is the province that is forcing the board to grant these in- creases because of legislation. "Pay equity is giving people who are making good money even more," he said. The restructuring plan that brought about the new administra- "Pay giving makin tive positions was first introduced to trustees last April. It was brought up again in May when the decision was made not to replace the superintendent position of business and operation that was left vacant when Paul Carroll be- came director. These duties were instead ab- sorbed by three superintendents and the revised management posi- tions of human resources, financial services, plant admin- istration evolved. This lead to a job evaluation by a com- mittee as required by pay equity legislation. And the job of the fe- male human resources administrator had to be compared to that of the psychologist. This established a higher equity is people who are ng good ey, even more" Pearens fined over pension fraud SARNIA - A former Grand Bend couple have been ordered to pay fines totalling $9,000 after being sentenced in Sarnia court January 21. Cheryl Sue Pearen and Brian Pearen received their sentences af- ter being found guilty in November of defrauding the federal pension plan of more than $14,000. Brian was given nine months to pay a $5,000 fine, or spend six months in jail. Cheryl Sue was giv- en 12 months to pay a $4,000 fine, or serve a four month sentence. The court heard that the Pearens had continued to collect a pension for Doris Pearen, Brian's mother af- ter her death in 1988 to 1992. The couple were charged with fraud by t RCMP IrWovemner 1992. at charge came only days after ryl Sue Pearen was charged with theft in connection with the disappearance of more than $150,000 from the accounts of the Grand Bend United Church. Up to the time of the charges, Pearen was a secretary at South Hu- ron District High School, and had previously worked for the Ausahlc Bayfield Conservation Authority. The couple now reside in London. A preliminary hearing into the theft charge has been scheduled for June in Sarnia. base salary. As well, an internal equity sys- tem - to make the pay for male and females employees with similar roles fair - lead to pay increases for the other two administrators. "In a nutshell the law determines their salaries," said Paul Carroll, board director. These pay increases were dis- cussed at the same time as a num- her of staff cuts were made to deal with the Social Contract: • The board agreed to share ser- vices of a psychometrist - a special- ist dealing with special education training; as well as the services of a social worker and psychologist with other child support services in Huron County. • As well, the position of princi- pal of Learning Resources Centre will be eliminated effective Sep- tember 1994. And the position of transition year coordinator will not be extended for a third year. • The board also approved cuts of area resource teachers which will see a staff reduction to 4.5 by Sep- tember from 9.5 at present. • Staffing formulas for Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kinder- garten were also changed so that the pupil to adult ratio will not ex- ceed 20 to one. It was previously set at 18 to one. • The board is also looking at addinv non teacher sunnort staff to libraries. Heywood said pay equity is un- fair to many who find their jobs evolving, yet the legislation doesn't apply to them. "All over the county people are absorbing the jobs of others with- out getting raises," Heywood said. "These pay increases also send out a had message to teachers who arc negotiating their contracts," he said referring to the Social Con- tract. "in the end it's the student that loses out," Heywood said. JOIN OUR CREDIT UNION and Invest In your future! Membership open to all • Investment rates are higher Chequing costs are lower; personal cheques .40t. Business cheques .504. no other charges • Daily interest accounts pay monthly on the whole amount not on a tiered amount • Funds you invest are lent out to assist members in the community and not sent to a head office • Each members combined deposits are insured to $60,000 plus each individual RRSP, RRIF and OHOSP are ibsured to $60,000. • Automatic teller machine can be accessed across Canada, US and Europe 24 hours a day • Safety deposit boxes - $20.00 yearly. + GST' Ask any of our friendly staff for advise CLINTON pOMMUNITY CRE IT UNION 48 Ontario St. 118 Main St. North Clinton 4824467 ` - fBxeter 238.0640 Open Mon. to Thurs. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Frt. 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Brussels area farmer Ross Procter (left) and executive di- rector of the Ontarians for Responsible Government Thom Cor- bett stand below the billboard now posted in Clinton pro- testing the provincial government's new farm labour legislation. Billboard campaign comes to Huron og-Continued from front page. to register with either the Ontario Federation of Agriculture or the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, along with a $150 registra- tion fee. Both groups have traditionally been lobby groups, critiquing pro- vincial legislation regularly on be- half of Ontario's farmers. Both have been uncharacteristically quiet over Bill 91, particularly since both lobbied to have the farm sector re- moved from the Labour Relations Act. Now that much of that Act has been carried over onto Bill 91, where is their critique? asks Cor- bett. "The groups who will benefit from the stable funding act are also the ones supporting unionization," Corbett observes. "They're going to lose their independence." "There's talk in the fare# com- munity of a new organization corn- ing on line," he said, noting it will want to steer clear of provincial funding or support. The Ontarians for Responsible Government have a mandate to dis- band should they be lured into ac- cepting government funding, said Corbett. It is completely funded by voluntary donations, he said. The billboard campaign "got started by members, farm members, saying we should get involved," said Corbett. "The OFA has crit- icized us too, but we say 'yeah, but we don't have the government for- warding cheques to us'." The ORG has three different bill- boards planned for the three months they have rented the $700 a month space across from Klopp's office. That is all the organization can afford so far. By chance, Klopp's constituency office is right across from one of the few bill- board displays in the county. "If people give us donations from this area, we'll keep it up longer," he said, but noted similar billboards are going up in other ridings in the province, including one in Toronto to keep the urban populations aware of the battle on Ontario's farms. "What we would like to see is one in every rurai riding...where's there's an NDP member...if the funds were there we'd do it," said Corbett. 'We think this bill should be killed..taken to the hack 40 and buried," said Corbett, and added the billboards won't do it alone. He urges local farmers to get in touch with Klopp, the Minister of Ag- riculture, or anyone who will lis- ten. Ross Procter, a Brussels area farmer, listens to everything Cor- bett has to say and nods quietly. He says he attended a recent meet- ing of the Huron County Beef Pro- ducers at which Bill 91 was dis- cussed. The entire hall of about 75 farmers agreed unanimously to ask Agriculture Minister Elmer Bu- chanan to withdraw the bill. "Who's calling for this legisla- tion?" asks Procter, who points out the typical fanner is both the owner and the labourer. —They're wearing the same pair of pants." Procter says he can only see the bill benefitting the labour unions who are looking for new member- ship. Corbett also cautions that if Bill 9i goes through, the information being collected by the Ministry of Agriculture through Bill 42's man- datory registrations this winter may end up being used to settle labour disputes. He shows a form, which requests information about opera- tion size and income. "If I was a farmer filling this out, I would have serious questions about this information I was giving the government," he said. New school for Middlesex LONDON - A new Catholic Sec- ondary School for Strathroy is be- ing studied by the London and Mid- dlesex County Roman Catholic School Board. Trustees approved a recommen- dation earlier this month by the planning and property committee to amend the boards capital expendi- ture forecast to include the new shoot. The committee said the growth of the Catholic student population in tite County was the main factor leading to the proposal. The time frame to begin plans for the new school and the cost have yet to be set. 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