No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1971-06-17, Page 1Y0 ,MMMRWWI--- A "Right battle but wrong battle fieId" and public -urged to attend Goderich, representatives on school bo�rd -give, long overdue expltinatio►y�' ipology•will present motion of In a statement to the Signal -Star Monday afternoon, "a -long overdue explanation," on the crisis which has developed- in the educational • system, in Huron County was `given,- by' board of education, representatives for the town, Dr 0; &: cif, FeatB ar d Mrs. .Dorothy Wallace, who is • •«,.,,.... ' "chairman of the salary negotiations committee. "We .regret to inform you O that -. as things, stand now the secondary schools in the county will not 9pen in September," the release said. "This explanation is long overdue and it was pnly in the hope, that an amicable solution to the problem which * faces the board and its secondary school teachers could be found that it has been withheld until now." • The chairman of, the salary negotiations committee held the view that her role lay in negotiating with the. teachers . from the- position of, the majority*, decision of the committee while doing whtshe could to, influence this, decision. , toward a tenable position. b. From_ the beginning of the period t'rf"""• negotiations differences, of opinion between the chairman and the committee a,Sw�anle : apni-ins..-spited intent, The initial, .board contained no raise beyond 3.5% increase guaranteed to t teachers in last year's contra' t, It would require between 7.5. and 8% increase- to bring our teachers up to parity with the offers being ---made in the surrounding counties. Only in its last offer did the board committee come up to 5.5%. • The rest• • of the • statement issued by the school board ,officials follows verbatum: The principatls of ' the five secondary schools asked, for a 21/2% increase. The board offer was for half of that. Salariesin surrounding' counties are fer to �t�achina orofession at M�nday's ---- '- currently averaging $1500 above breach of faith, even when used. our principals' request. as a bargaining. item. ' The fact- - y that its reinstatement was VICE -PRINCIPALS ,. offered, the teachers in the last •-•-$1200 BELOW, - meeting with them coruditional The vice -principals are about on their acceptance of the $j.200 below average. The Boardt, board's whole offer did little to offer was for a $500 increase., restore the confidence of the Th+a. kktegs t1WAP94 els, �_. withdraw completely the., These are some of the main gratuity allowance was the cause 'of great concern to the teachers. Tbis sum of money has for many years beep paid by most hoards to a teacher when he or she reaches retirement. It is based on the number of .unused sick --leave days he or she has accumulated." It is in effect a bank which, the teacher :can build up to a maximum of half of the salary for his last year of teaching: While a good case can be made that - this plan should be phased out gradually in. the light of the pension plans now in effec in Canada, the abrupt refus.' to pay the Gratuity allowans-of ,September...1, 1971 is in ffect a issues at stake. Whether or not teachers' salaries generally', are too high or too low.- is irrelevant here because, in order to give our children equal educational opportunity, we must offer salaries comparable to those in other counties if we wish -to attract and..hold good teachers. In spite of continuous efforts by - the chairman of the committee and the Director to persuade the committee that this approach . must be taken , in negotiation the committee, with the support of the majority of the Board, took the stand that by, holding the line on salaries and resisting the insertion,of any $500- increments in the schedule (Huron. is the only board in Ontario wf thouC :fi;hetri;- ` many have 8600 and $100 incYements) they are registering a protest against the ruinously low prices being paid for agricultural products. -However it is precisely •.beeause. ii m» i 2,4nec .:itri area that we enjoy a large education grant, The specific aim of this' grant is to provide equal educational opportunity. We cannot have this without good teachers. Many undesirable results have accrued and will accrue if the board persists in using the educational system to fight the battle against inflation, high taxes and low incomes.' , ADVERTISEMENT INCOMPLETE ' • The advertisement inserted in the county papers June .3rd has presented an incomplete and upfaira picture to the rate -payer. It has inflamed, pUblic opinion against ' our teachers at a time when, because of a mistake in .some bureau in Queen's Park we appeared -to. --have ,lost - our. , mine grant. mistake has 'hce--b en This t , rectified. There was in fact no increase in the•education levy on - p,,t town o Goderich 'this year and we "i can expect a compensating decrease in our levy for, next year. -Meanwhile the teachers have been blamed unjustly, PU•pil-teacher and board -teacher relationships are at an all-time low. - Whenever we are. able ,'fib_: reopen the schools' we will have to equal or surpass the salaries being paid elsewhere -- at a cost in quality, confidence and rapport whose effects, will'be felt for years. Since virtually all the teachers have resigned we have no way of knowing until September how many "or who have taken 'positioris elsewhere. ° Monde June 21 1971 at 8.00 The question' a1so-arises„as...to .. y, the liability ,.sof. the Board to pay p.m•; I the tuition of all children who Although the Huron County wish to attend classes not Board of Education has acted -. -provided-in- the .county, with sincerity .and conviction in- • .0 By - • ,,behaving in `'this -....using- - ...the.___. present .Salary • irresponsible •fashion Jhe•wHuron negotiations with Tt teachhers - -County Board is inviting the a protest vehicle to publicize the Department 'of Education to economic and 'taxation plight of : take control out of the hands'of- '. local trustees and centralize it in Toronto. It is time that the Huron County Board of Education stopped attempting to sacrifice its school system as ..a -means of protest against low farm prices and high taxes and got down to the business for which it ,was elected. MOTION As ,a result of this crucial state of affairs we, 'the elected representatives .of the town of Goderich hereby' give notice' of the following motion which will ,be presented at the next regular meeting of--tl'+e board on ._tom :farming professioa ,-4hrs Board now believes that -this was the RIGHT. BATTLE but fought on the WRONG -BATTLEFIELD- -and- apologizes to the teaching profession of Huron County for any ill will and misunderstanding that has arisen. The Huron County . Board of ' Education re -affirms its belief that the teaching profession of Huron County is the equal of its ca legues' in the ,,surrounding,.,,, counties of South ,Western Ontario and therefore merits a salary structure based on parity with its rural county collegues. Therefore the Huron -County Board ,of,...,.Education hereby Please turn to Page 3 - „4:'ttJv.-x .,wv vw:�uta's- A' group of retired and retiring elementary'school teachers were honoured at a recent banquet held in Seaforth by the, Huron Unit of the Federation of Women Teachers of ..Ontario. Those honoured included (back row, left to right) Mrs. L. M. Thorneloe, Goderich; Miss George, Goderich; Mrs. Mary Morris, Goderich; Mrs. Myrtle ' Munro, Auburn;. Miss Beth Lansing, Auburn; Mrs. Irene Campbell, Ethel; Mi-ss'Grace Goodfellow, Clinton; (Front row) Miss -.Esther Hume, Goderich; Miss Gertrude Sturdy, Goderieh; Miss Mabel Turnbull, Seaforth; Mrs. Dorothy Ball, Clinton and Mrs. Monica McCurdy, CPB Clinton.' ---Huron Expositor photo. These and the ,champions of`'the Goderich Public School field • day , held last Thursday at Robertson School - and at the Agricultural Park. Left to right are Laura Ross, senior girls ' champion; Alan Worgan., senior boys champion; Nadine With the skirl of the pipes provided by two members of the Exeter Legion pipe band, the officers' and executives of Legion $ranch 1'09 Goderich and the Ladies', Auxiliary were installed in an •impressive joint ceremony on Friday evening, June 11 at the legion hall. The installing team from Exeter legion branch was led' by comrades Percy. Nolls Dorothy Pfaff, who assisted by eight members Exeter legion. Comrade G. Low and Y o u n gblut, secretary; W. were Sheardown, -`assistant secretary; awe -is. ,Fester, treasure, D. McArthur, assistant treasurer; was Rev. G. B. Royal, padre; N. Shaw, PRO; M. Sheardown, service bureau and R. Chapman, Sergeant -At -Arms. • Comrhittee chairmen are ' G. Chambers, J. Sherratt William Moore, H. Carroll and D. McMillan. ' Installed as president of the Ladies' Auxiliary to 'branch 109 was Mrs. F. Moore, .who replaces Mrs. J. ' Elliott, now past president. - ~Mackay, junior girls champion;. Tim McGee, intermediate bpys champion; Lisa Scholtz, intermediate girls- champion; and Tim McLean, junior boys champion. All atte : ,Robertson, School except Tim, McLean who is a Grade- 6 student at Victoria School. The lhonourable George A. Ke►r," Q.C., Minister of Energy and Resources Management 'and Mr. 'Murray Gaunt,, M.P.P. for Huron -Bruce; announce the approval' of a provincial grant in the amount of $21000.b0 to the • Maitland , Valley Conservation Authority to carry out further development work in the Falls Reserve Conservation Area, The Falls . Reserve onservation Area comprises some 229 acres ' of land located to the west of the Village: of Benmiller, in the Township of Colborne, 'County of Huron. It was acquired by the Authority in 1964. - ATI 'member municipalities are designated as benefiting and will the Authority's share of the -_I g bear cost. installed , as president of the Goderich, branch, replacing comrade H. Chambers, now_ past president, who completed 'four and one-half years as branch president. . Other members of the branch . installed were G. Goodrick,'' first vice-president; H. Johnston, second vice-president; E. 'I'onks,b third vice-president; S. Other auxiliary officers are:' first vice-president, Mrs. R. Lassaline; second vice-president, Mrs. A. Anstay; recording • secretary, Mrs. M. Davis; corresponding secretary, Mrs. K. Larsen;-w treasurer, Mrs. R. Hill; Sergeant -At -Arms, Mrs. I. Harrison. , _ __ • eW Auxiliary ftte6• Christine tine 'kelt kiai "8/100,Q id d11 1xr�memhers�-�raxtstn,:et,, ”a>iliitrkpteugt.+ twat f+rraaradAlrsmSrcftle:SAx4f ttro;niact.,zaddN of Mrs. Henn McDonald, 213 Mrs. , S... Scruton Mrs. L. MacLennan,. Ilik '1, . Goderich, reduce acciclent1`requent"y""at"the Widder St., Goderich, graduated Sherr tt, Mrs. M. Williams, Mrs. graduated from tin Perth -Huron intersection. The, stop sign •'presently nco controlling east boUnd from University of Windsor May �� Horns and 1VIrs,- M. Godes. Regional School of Nursing in t� g 29, -.wiih a Bachelor of Arts " l`'Ylllowing the installation the Stratford on May 29.' A traffic on County Road 15,n l degree in English .and--.. evening concluded with dancing reception followed at the nurses' remain ,in place for. 3 mo hs Philosophy. for members of the branch residence. after which it win be removed. Huhdreds of spectators are expected •to view 'the third annual Sail Past in Goderich Harbour on Sunday afternoon, June 20. The event will be conducted by members orGoderich Power Squadron, one of 115 units of Canadian Power Squadrons, the nationwide safe -boating organization. • Commander, P. Nield, Sarnia, Western Ontario District Commander, will take the salute, with -Commander E. B. Menzies, at 2 p.m. from the south pier. Boats will be ``dressed"' and a prize will be awarded sWor the best -decorated boat. The competition is open to all boaters whether members or not. • The public ,is invited free to view the Sail Past, and the sail and power, boat races,scheduled to follow_ MacLennan, G. M. Sinclair, r district engineer, Department of Transportation' and Communications, Owen Sound office, announces the erection"of .a new stop sign on Highway ;21 in the Village of Tiverton to become effective at 11:09 A.M., Friday, June 18. The new sign will introduce a "Stop" condition for motorists north bound on Highway 21 at the intersection with County Road 15, in the Village. It is being erected in order to A grclup.wof the , brethren of Chapter 30 of Royal Arch Masons, membership in the Chapter. Mr. Chapman is shioVvet Seaikedy #he'rit' Goderich, gathered at tile home of C. F, Chapman last week to present (left to right) ward: William Cameron, i4ar>+y Ford, Ted r....w pl and James Kinkeadt present a "Jewell" marking .the completion' of 50 years of •Malins, Stan,Wheeler, first principal