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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-11-11, Page 9u al q 1 52 1'10iiui • Local man winsron awards arsd.. Jim By Wihna Oke A 20 -year old first-year student at University of Guelph Friday was named outstanding, all-round 4-11 member at the•. 29th annual. Huron County 4-H Achievement:Night•, , Jim .'Nivins, of RR` -3, Auburn, -received the honor at a ceremony in Central Huron Secondary School, Clinton. - Mr. Nivins was awarded the Robert McKinley citizenship trophy for (out- standing participation in 4-H home and community ac- tivities and Vincent Farm Equipment trophy for the highest score in 4-H tractor club. He has completed 30 projects: Len MacGregor, extension assistant for Huron County with the • ministry of agriculture and 'food; co- ordinated the event in which •$1,043 in cash and ' cer- -tifjcates, pins and plaques were awarded to the mem= bers of 30 clubs. Mr. MacGregor reported there was 90 percent completion by the 368 club members par- ticipating this year in the 485 projects. Sharon Colclough, RR 1, Clinton, received the C.S.' MacNaughton trophy for having the highest 4-1-1 score in. the county -- 946 out or 1,000. *.• The Warden's Novice Award . went to first-year name member Ron Beierling of Zurich with the highest score in the firstyear. Other awards: J.A. Anstett award for highest score, 4-H beef clubs, Cathy Peel, RR 1; Auburn; Canadian Imperial Bank of •Cernmet•ce, Blyth - Auburn, award for highest 'score, 4-11 .dairy club, A.Y. McLean trophy for char_npion 4-H dairy showman, and Blatchford Feeds trophy for highest score in judging competition, Oscar Meier, RR 4, Brussels; Huron CountyPork , Producers Association trophy . for highest score in 4-H swine club, John Van Vliet, RR 2, Brussels; John Franken Memorial. trophy for highest Not only did Jirn Nivins of RR 3 Auburn win, the Robert McKinley Citizenship Trophy, presented by Don. Pullen, Huron CountyAg. Rep., left, for outstanding work in a 4-H :Club in - Huron County, he also won the Vincent FarmxEquipmenUTrophy for'. beingthe top member in the Huron County 441 Tractor Club. Jim waspresented his awards at the 4-H,. Achievement Night held at Central Huron Secondary Schook Clinton last Friday night. (Photo by Wilma Oke) Fact =finder s ' report released matters The Fact Finder's report into negotiations' between the Huron County Board of Education and thebranch affiliate . of the Elementary School Teachers 'employed by the Board was' released last week. According to Fact Finder Ian Hunter. of London, a wide range of items in the new contract has been agreed to- by both parties but there are still six out- standing areas in question. . The matters in dispute are allowances fr principals of schools for the trainable arded, allowances for vice principals, the maximum number of sick leave credits a teacher should be.allowed to. r accumulate, an appropriate formula for Board financing of •the Staff Improvement Fund and . the issue of accumulation of funds from year to year, . cost of living.. allowances and finally the method of costing. "From this list," Mr. Hunter notes s,x . his report, "it is -apparent that the unifying feature of the matters in dispute is that all are money or potential • money items." ' Underlying the current impasse is they teacher's expressed dissatisfactionwith the total amount of money the Board has offered," the report notes. "The teachers contend, that it is inadequate and, while they are prepared to defend the logic of the position they have adopted in respect of each particular item in dispute, and are prepared to consider •variations in the amount of money allocated to one asopposed to another, nevertheless, at bottom, they contend that the total amount of money offered is inadequate and hg."nce no amount of juggling or re-alTocdtion will avail." For its part, the Board emphasized that it has traditionally made its offer to teachers in terms of a percentage -fn- crease over a specified base calculated at a fixed date. The Board has then left the teachers free to divide the money as they see fit,,subject only to the Board's right to veto the final grid, essentially, to r -, determine that minima and maxima on the grid are reasonably consistent with other • counties and, in the case of •minima, ; adequate • to attract new I teaching staff. - ,"This 'method• of proceeding, proved stisfactory in previous, negotiations," the report says. "The . Board's offer, which the teachers rejected on October 7, involved an eight per cent increase over the base cost (calculated as of_March,; 1976) plus a ' 1.7 per cent guaranteed C.O.L.A: clause. The Board -contends that its offer is equal, in percentage• terms, to that offered to the secondary school teachers and, by a wide margin, accepted by them (although, it was conceded: that. it may produce a different total dollar figure at any given stage on the two grids because of past differences in elementary and secondary grids.)" "I have no doubt that .the prior set- a t with- the high school teachers has' ha f pronounced effect on both parties' positions, Mr. Hunter notes, "confirming the Board, in their view, that their offer was reasonable one which, had it been recommended by the negotiating committee (as the secon- dary schpol negotiating committee did) would have been accepted by the membership. On the teachers' side, they genuinely believe that they have adopted a logical, fair position on each issue, and - they fail to see why their negotiating position should be prejudiced by what they regard as an inadequate prior settlement with another `bargaining unit." Mr. Hunter terms the teachers' position as, "understandable but unrealistic." ,"I accept that the Board has historically maintained a certain relationship between "the elementary and secondary school panels, and that, it is legitimately Concerned with parity. Of Course, settlements between the two panels need not be identicali.either in terrrls"of total cost to fhe Board, t,otal -dollar's at comparable grid positions, or Ooberttli . r III/I• yy 4$ - r .I,rl 1.\ b _ Si 129 YEAR -46 .• y.; THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1,976 SECOND SECTION st all round 4H member score, 4-H horse club, Werr(ly Tyndall, -RR I, Clinton. - Cliff McNeil trophy, champion 4-H Holstein' calf; Vanda Storey, RR 1, Dublin; Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, " Seaforth, champion 4-11 gilt, John Blanchard:, RR •4; .Walton; Bank of Montreal award, highest score; 4-1,I swine club, first year member, Terry Smith RR 1, Walton, who also was awarded • Victor a -and Grey Trust Company award as champion swine showman. -_Toronto Dominion Bank award, S'eaforth, champion all-round: showman, and Murray Gaunt award, champion beef showman, Dave Mewhinney, RR 1, Lucknow; Jack Riddell trophy, champion sheep showman, Marguerite Snell, = RR I„Clinton. . ' • The Huron. Hereford. Association trophy and award for champion Hereford calf went to Margaret Pym, RR 1, Centralia and to Ruth Alton, for highest score' excluding score- on .Hereford calf, Stewart Procter award, champion ' shorthorn" steer; was presented . to -Don Procter, RR 5, Brussels, and To -Ron Rowe, RR.2, Brussels, for, Champion -Shorthorn heifer. The Qld Mill award for highest score in sheep. club, ..Lyle Kinsman, RR 2, Kippen ; Canadian Co-operative wool, growers award for champion fleece. exhibit, Robert Snell, RR 1, Clinton; Jirn Arm-„ strong award, highest score, 4-H Plowmen "club, John Underwood, RR 1, Winghain; Canadian. Canners trophy, -highest score, Exeter sweet corn club, Carol Dougall,:I?"R' 3, Exeter; 'Huron County Soil. and Crop Improvement Association • award, , out- standing achievement in field crop clubs, Alan Powe, RR4,. Centralia. The Russell Bolton trophy for- championship corn exhibit, was won by Sandy still • • Broudfoot, Brucefield; Cook Division of Gerbro Cor- poration trophy for cham- pionship white, bean exhibit, Jeff Allan,. RR 1, Brucefield; W.G. Thompson . and' Sans - Ltd. trophy •for championship grain exhibit, Rick Fines, RR 1., Bluevale: Hallrice Farms trophy,, championship 4-H gate sign exhibit. • Brian Falconer, RR 5, Clinton. Club awards Were,‘also presented: North Hron Trailblazers trophies for top horse showman in North Huron Trailblazers,' Steven Fidon, RR 1. ,Belgrave; for top pony showman in North Huron Trailblazers, Paul Franken, RR 2, Auburn; for top colt. showman in North Huron Trailblazers, Brian Fidom. RR 1, Belgrave. The Exeter 4-H Horse and Pbny Club trophy for highest score in Exeter 4-H horseand' pony' club was won by Trudy Johns, RR 1, Woodham. • Judging compe.titipn, awards were presented , to: CNE Shield for high .novice judge, Dianne Oldfield, RR 4, Seaforth; Blatchford Feeds Ltd. trophy for highest score, Oscar Meier, RR 4, Brussels; CIL• trophy for high swine judge, John VanVliet, RR 2, Brussels; Huron . Milk Committee award for high. dairy judge, Murton Brock, RR 1, Granton; Cyanamid of Canada.award for high sheep judge, Dave Mewhinney, RR 1, Lucknow.; Huron Cat- tlemen's Association award for high beef judge, Roger Morrison, RR 1, Lucknow; Winston Powell award for Huron exhibitors at Royal Winter Fair. Huron •C'anti will have a large contingent of exhibitors at the Royal • Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto this year., The . Fair begins tomorrow November 12 and continues until Saturday, November 20. The.little village of Kippen has the largest number of exhibitors from Huron County and all are showing. their field crops. They are: Alex. McMurtrie, O.T. Work- man, . William Coleman, 'Vernon Alderdice, Ross „VA..p.eath:, , Ross Ker.cher, Elgin, Thompson,., Ernest Talbot and John Peck. 1 -Harvey Black is the single entrant from Belgrave who will, be :showing beef cattle, • while Mr. and Mrs. V.C.•Fox of Harlock Farm in Blyth will be showing their breeding ,horses. 1, Robert P. Allan • ., of even percentage increases," he said. "Some disparities are inevitable and, to the extent that they reflect different priorities •(egrf irige benefits vs salary).. adopted and emphasized by the different negotiating committees, perhaps even desirable.". Mr. Hunter says .that "in assessing the adequacy of the Board's total offer,it is not realistic for the elementary school -teachers to totally exclude from con- siderationthe fact a comparable offer ...was considered acceptable by their high school counterparts. At very least, a fact. finder would expect - more detailed documentation of specific inadequacies (eg. why is the Board's offer of a $4,000 allowance for a .principal of a school for the trainably retarded inadequate?) perhaps based on comparative data in other counties, rather than, a simple reiteration that the total ' monetary offer is inadequate without more,” • TWO MATTERS IN DISPUTE :the first two matters in dispute, allowances for principals for schools for the trainable retarded; and vice- principals allowances, may be treated together since,' in each, the "party's position and justification is identical, the report said.. The teachers maintain that added responsibilities would be .conl:pensated-- for by a fixed figure allowance, and by -the same percentage increase as is applied to the basic salary schedule. In neither case is- the dollar value of the fixed figure allowance in dispute. The dispute between the parties exists because the Board regards those allowances as adequate, and does not propose an additional ,amount equal to the percentage increase in ka`Sic salary schedule. The teachers contend that without such a percentage increase, as well as a fixed dollar allowance, the total net worth of these allowances, and hence the scale of remuneration of the incumbent, will actually decline: The rate of in- • spute Brucefield •will be exhibiting field crops while Brussels' exhibitors, William Turnbull will be showing his Yorkshire. swine; Jan , van -.Vliet• his Lacombe swine and Bodmin Limited and the Smith Bros. their, beef cattle. Keith Coates of. Centralia will be showing his beef cattle dilong• with Clinton exhibitors • Alec Ostrom and Elizabeth Batty who will be exhibiting their Jersey catty.'. Whitney Coates' of Exeter 'will be exhibiting his beef .cattlewhile pashwood , en- trants,.-, 7oseph iViiller, Stephen Dietrich and Wayne Woods will, all be exhibiting their field crops." ' - • Goderich.. area residents, Cameron Bogie will be exhibiting his field crops while. Pat Stephenson will be showing breeding horses.. Hensal1 'district (continued on page 15A) high horse judge, Lorraine Dinsmore, Fordwich.: 4-1-1 elub leaders cer- tificates were presented as follows: 15 years voluntary `service,. Ross Eedy of RR 1, Dungannon;' 10 years ubluntary service, • Hank flation. may have abated -but it is still worrisome,. and it means that a, fixed dollar amount in 1976-77 represents less real purchasing power than the same amount in 1975-76: If an additional. amount equal to the percentage increase, inbasic salary schedule is added, the. principal (in the case of scho2ls forthe trainable retarded) or vice-principal; is allowed to maintainhis position relative to all members of the bargaining unit. For its part,, the Board emphasized that their offer .to the teachers was a percentage increase; it was left to the teachers to structure a grid and allowances for added responsibilities as they, not the Board, saw fit. The Board did not receive a copy of • the grid presented by the negotiating committee to th'e, teachers on 7 October, 1976. (In fact, •• the negotiating committee presentation included an allovwance to T . principals of $4,250 and, for vice principals, -an additional $200 to the allowance figure set out .above.) • if added responsibility allowances were a high . priority item, the negotiating committee were- free' to channel swore money into Articles 7:03 and 8:01 • Iorecover, in respect decided responsibility allowances for principals of schools for the trainableretarded, the Beard pointed out that those schools Were once separate, but ` all those are now integrated into existing schools. As a result the administrative respon- sibilities of the principals have lightened somewhat, and this. ill accords with proposing substantially raised ad- ministrative allowances. "After considering the submissions of both parties, I cannot conclude that these articles are, or should be, in- surmountabl,barriers to an agreement. Given tha't the teachers' negotiating committee, not the Board, determine the allocation of money represented by the Board's offer, I believe the .Board's argument that it was the teachers' prerogative to add more money to these items if dis:satisfiod, is roirent: the ..r • • • • • Winkel; -4R 2, Gorrie; and five years voluntary service - Harvey Black; Belgrave; Barry Gibson, RR I, Ford-' wich; Stuart Wilson, RR 1, • Brucefield; Ray -Hanna, RR 2, Auburn; and Jean. Din- snore, Fordwich. Cathy Peel of RR 1, Auburn, a member of the Blyth- Belgrave 4-H Calf . Club, was the proud recipient of an automatic wrist watch donated by John A. Anstett, Jeweller for having the highest standing on "Basis of Awards" in Huron County as a 4-H. beef member. Cathy received her J.A. Anstett Award at. the 4-H Achievement • Night held last Friday. evening at the Central Huion Secondary ,School, Clinton. (Photo by Wilma Oke) • teachers must appreciate that, in any situation involving finite resources, the establishment . of realistic priorities between competing goals is essential," Mr. Hunter notes. . SICK LEAVE • Another matter in dispute betwgeen the parties is the maximum amount of sick leave days which may be accumulated: i the teachers' propose 240 days; the Board wishes to maintain the current maximam 200 da . • The teachers wish to obtain a •maximum number of cumula ,ive sick days in excess of the maximum ap- plicable to the retirement gratuity in order that a person who becomes ill in his or h'er'final years of teaching will not suffer in the calculation of retirement gratuity.. • The Board acknowledged wide county by county variations in Ontario in maximum cumulativesick leave (some counties having specified periods from, 200 to 300 days, and some having no fixed maximum) and, further, frankly ad- mitted that Huron County tends. to the low side. The Board also reacted positively to the suggesion that the inter- relationship• between maximum cumulative .sick leave and the formula for •calculating retirement gratuity was not dictated by inexbrable logic and indicated a willingness to "take a look" at the issue in, future. "After considering the' parties' submissions, I have concluded that the teachers are justifiably concerned about this issue. I. applaud the Board's willingness to reconsider the inter- relationship betwen -accumulative sick leave and the calculation of :retirement gratuity and, while I decline to exercise my discretion under,section 22 (2) of the Act to recommend a specific term of settiement,.I do offer my suggestion to the Board that some accommodation on this issue, which the teachers justifiably regard as "a source of potential hardship to the victim of illness, could well prove• • rs the key factor in an amicable resolution of these negotiations.'' Mr. Hunter says. "One, final point about cumulative sick leave is worthy 'of mention: the Board expressed concern that raising the • maximum might lead to abuse. The teachers, for their part, expressed • willingness to include an appropriately phrased alause (e.g. requiring satisfactory medical evidence) to guard. against abuse" he added. The current' formula for financi tg the Staff Improvement Fund requires' the Board to pay one and one-half percent of •total teaching budget, calculated as of. the January payroll, into the fund. Both the Board. and the, teachers have negotiated on the basis of a decrease 1 this amount': the teachers proposter that the amount be reduced to one percent and the Board proposes reduction. to one- half of one pet -cent. • . The teachers propose that the fund not be accumulative; the Board favours accumulation of funds from year t� Year. • OAR°D GENEROUS i;N PAST rom e submissions made to me, two points are obvious : by comparison with other Ontario counties, the Huron Board has been relatively generous in its past treatment of the Staff Improvement' Fund. The teachers acknowledge this, and indeed are prepared to cooperate with .the Board, to pare the annual con- tribution(byreduction from 11/2 percent. to I percent) ; the fund has been used responsibly by the elementary teachers, and has made possible attendance at conferences. 'and studies" that have enhanced the knowledge and skills of the teachers. This, in tarn, enhances the quality of education in H'uron'County,' the Fact Finder said. - "Both parties acknowledge the value, of the staff 'irnprovement fund, ][ detected .no •. intransigence in either party's position ort this u'ssiie, Given that the parties , are only one halfof one (continued on Page '14A ): •