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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-12-28, Page 11Teachensboard dispute closes BY JEFF SEDDON The Huron County Board of Education and its 273 secondary schoo teachers became the number one topic o discussion amongs ratepayers in Huron County early in 1978 when the teachers went on strike for 31 days. The two parties broke off bargaining on the 1977-78 teacher contract early in February and after a bitter dispute that closed the five county high schools for 31 teaching days settled 'the issue through arbitration late in April. Negotiations between the beard and its teachers had been handled behind closed , doors for over a year And no indications had been given by either side that the talks were fruitless. The dispute became public knowledge in February when both sides arranged press conferences to announce that bargaining • had ceased. Both said that on February 14 the talks had ended and on February 15 at 8:45 a.m. teachers at Smith Huron Secondary School in Exeter walked off the fob. . The walk out by the /teachers in .Exeter was 'rthe first in a series of moves that resulted in the board -locking its teachers out. Bev Thompson, chairman of District 45 (Huron County branch) of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation would give no indication of the walkout planned by the teachers. She Would only say that the teachers had three alternatives to protest the end of -negotiations. She said "the teachers could begin work to rule, resign en masse or withdraw services. She said the decision the teachers made would be an. flounced the following morning. The -walkout caused the bog* some problems: Buss had already delivered students to South Huron and when the board discovered what the teachers had done it was forced to recall the buses and send the students home. The board wanted to avoid needlessly sending students to school and asked the teachers to announce their intentions before buses were dispatched in the mor- ning. The teachers n preferred surprise and continued the early morning walkouts but rather than strike in on school they rotated thei actions. Thursda 1 morning they walked ou of Goderich Distric f Collegiate Institute an t Wingham Distric S?condary School. THE DISPUTE The teachers showed solidt support for their case in a vote for strike action. Teacher negotiators said that 89 percent of the teachers Were in support, of a strike. They said that money was not a problem but that the issue was working conditions and a sick leave gratuity clause in the contract. The salary increase had already been agreed on. Teachers received a 7.5 percent increase bringing the average salary to $23,000. The range of salaries under the new pact was $12,350 to start to a maximum $25,550 for a teacher with 10 years experience. The working conditions were set down in a pupil teacher ratio (PTR) in the contract. The PTR is the number of students a teacher faces in a par- ticular subject both in individual class size and in total. The teachers wanted the PTR to be set at an average class size of 30 students in com- mercial classes with 1--) maximum of 180 students under any one teacher. In technical and home economic classes the average size was to be 20 with each teacher to have a maximum of 140 students under their direction. General academic classes would average 25 students with each teacher having a maximum of 155 and special education would be 15 to a class and 100 total. The teachers claimed that the PTR would enable them to fairlf- distribute tile work load. in -4 -the --county amongst their numbers and would provide a high quality of education. The board claimed that by putting the PTR in the contract it would have greatly reduced its managerial rights and would also be setting itself up for in- creased education costs s because declining r nrolment would mean ewer students while the PTR would require the d oard to keep the same umber of teachers. LOCKOUT The board ended the urprise factor the teachers had in the e rotating strike action o ✓ February 20 when it me and decided to lock th t teachers out. The board t figured that if .teacher d, were going to keep t rotating walkouts an force the board to operate buses- needlessly it may as well lock the teachers out and remove doubt The move meant that none of the 273 teachers could enter a county high school for'any reason and on., February 21 schools closed for two months. The board decision did not go unnoticed by the teachers. While trustees sat in the board offices in Clinton over 200 teachers walked the sidewalks around the board offices carrying picket signs. Cayley Hill, chairman of the board's negotiating team, said she felt the teachers were forgetting the past in their strike action. He said the board had "cut a lot of ground" in the past to give teachers good wages and working conditions and it appeared as though all that was forgotten. The teachers mean- while began to suggest that the matter could obviously not be resolved locally and began to strongly hint that ar- bitration was the only answer. They claimed they were willing to put their case in the hands of a third party, confident an arbitrator would award them a fair deal. The board flatly refused to consider arbitration claiming such a move would make one man responsible for the public education system and that is why they had been elected. Trustees said arbitration was out of the question. STUDENTS ANXIOUS With schools closed just over a month senior students began to get a little concerned when no progress was made in resolving the issue. Grade 13 studenta began to suggest to both sides that while they respected their desire to win the battle they didn't seem to be showing much regard for those that suffered the most, the students. Some students had gone to see triking teachers to eceive tutoring and the OSSTF made sure that all their member teachers id was help the students. The OSSTF made it clear hat teachers were not to eceive money for utoring pointing out that f teacRrs were going to each for pay they may as ell be in the classroom. n A group of •Goderich t students addressed the e board bluntly telling trustees they were not s ha with efforts being ma e to settle the con - d tract dispute. They claimed that any student with border line marks stood a good chance of losing iheir year if school wasn't re -opened soon adding that students planning university or college after graduation would suffer because of lost time. The students said they felt both sides had at- tempted to brainwash them. They said it ap- peared as though both sides were making efforts to convince students they were right. They added that discussions with teachers and trustees seemed to indicate that the only people in the county, that really knew what was going on were members of both negotiating teams. Parents got in the action too... In a ratepayers' meeting in Goderich 160 parents showed up to listen to - arguments for both sides. The ratepayers generally agreed that they learned little about how the matter was to be resolved but most claimed that if the board and the teachers were so con- fident they were right they should put up or shut up. They said that if either party figured it I was right it should state its case to an arbitrator confident it would get the best shake. LOCKOUT ENDS The board put the ball back in the teachers' court late in March when it lifted its lockout. It invited the teachers to return to the classroom and the bargaining table 'claiming it had done everything it could to get negotiating back on - track. The board preparedzativ offer for the teachersThd sent it to them with a deadline for reply. Trustees wanted the reply by Monday to enable it to go before a full session of the board Books . . . . • front page 9 make that type of decision pointing out that trustees do not get in- volved in deciding what mathematics or science textbooks to use. Shirley Hazlitt said she felt it was "ridiculous" for the board to vote on the issue. She said some trustees had not read the books and could not be in a position to vote. The trustees voted by a 9-6 margin to remove the book. Cayley Hill, Doothy Wallace, Shirley Hatlitt, Dorothy Williams, Herb Turkheim and Marion Zinn opposed the. move. Board chairman John Elliott did not vote. On the heels of that decision the board adopted a policy that requires teachers to justify choosing a book for 'classroom use. If a boOk is in question and a teacher wants to 'use it in a course he or she must shoW , the board what edtieational benefit can be .a.ttained by using the book- If the justification is spiutd the board will standliehind the teacher. The issue is by no meatia dead. The RenaisSance group made it '4A,ear it is not happy witlihaving just one book ourof the classrooms and infailS to keep up the fig4f.' Supporters of the bobkOire in the 'prodess,, of ortabizing to have the hoard" put the book back in Atte Classroom. It the 1)40 kel#: that the issue iscillkjivOtilibe assured that 1094111 have more of the same. FLORIDA'S SECLUDED OCEANFRONT RESORT ON HUTCHINSON ISLAND You want an unhurried and relaxing vacation. yet still want to enjoy an active resort atmosphere. Visit Indian River Plantation Resort. You'll enjoy peaceful Hutchinson Island with secluded beaches, exotic nature and all the facilities you'd expect in an exciting resort ... golf. tennis, swimming, fishing, sailing and just plain relaxing. • Challenging Executive Golf Course • 1.1- Har -Tru Professional Clay Tennis Courts (5 lit) • ,., The Porch Restaurant and Bar • Swimming Pool, (Expansive/Heatedl All Accommodations Are Fully Equipped -Oceanfront Resort Apartments • Complete Hotel Service. Major airlines serve Palm Beach International Airport (45 miles south) where limousine, taxi or rental car service is available, or private jets may land at Stuart Airport, just minutes away from the Plantation. Discover all that Indian River Plantation has for you. Contact our resort office by calling (305), 286-3700 or write 385 N.E. Plantation Road, -Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Florida 33494, Jack Snyder, Vice President/General Manager Jul •on. Mao that night The teachers responded by doing nothing. Two days later teachers said they did not have enough time to look at the board offer to respond that day, The board claimed the lockout was delayed one week because of the teachers' lack of action. TWO FOR ONE A light appeared at the end of the tunnel early in April when both sides appeared optimistic that a new twist in,the dispute may get some results. The teachers suggested that the -parties sit down and negotiate on the s contract in dispute as ve, GODERICO SIONAL-STAR, THU4SDAY, DgCEIV1BER 18, 1978—:PAGE 11 uron sc o 18 31 (lays "we're •even more militant" and "it's like someone drove a bulldozer between the teachers and the board". SCHOOL OPEN? . Students got lick in the action in April when they arranged their own classes. Desperate to return to work the students worked closely with parents setting up study sessions in church basements around the county. In Goderich four sessions a day, each 45 minutes long, were held in Knox Presbyterian Church with parents upervising and students helping each other through courses. Parents offered to teach the makeshift classes but the board, after a close look at the situation, decided not to endorse parent teachers. -John Cochrane, director of education, told the board that 28 parents had volunteered to teach and that of, these about - eight were actually qualified. He said that small number was not well as the pact for the following year. They felt that if the move was successful the strike could end And with a guarantee that education would continue unin- terrupted until at least September of 1980 both parties could do some badly- needed, fence mending. The board bought the suggestion but added a hitch. It wanted the teachers to go back to work during contract talks. The teachers of- fered no such guarantee but did agree to sit down Good Friday and go through a marathon session aimed at settling the matter. Both sides went ot the board offices prepared to stay for as ong as it took to agree. more and rig less'', Meanwhile # plan was ivnriced opt that may settle the. issue. Negotiators, on, both sides agreed to go back to the bargaining table with a deadline. The plan meant that teachers would return to the las - and negotiations would re -open with an Agreed upon deadline. If the deadline was reached and an agreement still not reached both sides would sent it to arbitration. • The plan was almost killed before it had a chance to ofly. Board chairman John Elliott said he had suggested the idea before and the reply was no. He said he had talked to teachers about such a thing and had been told it wouldn't work. The teachers claimed that no reply had been made because nothing had been offered. They said the idea was discussed by word of mouth but that they could hardly reply to something they had never received in writing. They added that they had never worth the possible rejected the piano :. problems it would cause if the board endorsed the MARATHON move. He said the SESSION teachers could construe The plan that never got the support to be strike to be was not needed. The breaking. dispute basically ended in Parents continued to a , 33 hour marathon try to force the issue this session April 13. ,Both time by arranging a trip parties opened to Toronto to meet with negotiations Saturday representatives of the and Monday at dawn The marathon session Education Relations announced that a set - was 45 minutes long and Commission (ERC). tlement had been ended with' both sides About 40 people arranged reached. They refused to farther apart. The for a bus to go to Toronto elaborate - on the set - teachers said they with a petition signed by tlement claiming the wanted a 10 percent pay 500 people to convince the agreement had to, go to increase in 1978-79 and ERC to order arbitration both parties for a vote. the board was astounded. to_ settle the strike. The They would say that the Trustees claimed the 10 ERC has the power to matter involved ar- percent hike the way the investigate the strike bitration and that it teachers wanted it was situation and if it feels the covered contracts of 1977 - actually a 13 percent cost education system is being 78 and 1978-79. The -'board increase to the board. threatened by the strike it agreed by a 12-1 margin Teachers felt the in- can order both sides to go to take the agreement. crease was fair, to arbitration. Wingham trustee Jack Both side* dropped Alexander refused to their gloVes4 r the next ARBITRATION support it because it few dayart g an l'uksz:4, Hukan.,;, County- l ,,eounoilt,*--in volved arbitratiThe-,,, dication ''o''heir true got in the act throwingith teachers voted 205 to -47 eelingp. 1-iitstees 'said support the board and the strike ended. hingsllike 'Our child'nen of School re -opened, in the will not be held tor last week in April. The negotiating teams a worked out the PTR for 1977-78 contract th t behind education. Council support . Ginn rat -Born as far as education goes" and teachers responded with offered and said taken moral warden Gerry "stand when has people to be want the , e clause that caused all the problems, and sent the wage package for the following year and the sick leave gratuity clause to arbitration. The decisidh by the arbitrator gave the teachers a 6.75 percent increase in 1978-79 bringing the range of salaries for secondary school teachers to $12,276 10 start to a maximum $27,275. Board chairman John Elliott claimed the in- crease would cost almost nine percent claiming that the decision was "preconceived". He said ) the arbitrator ignored the board's argument that ratepayers in Huron County couldn't afford that kind of money. Teacher negotiator Shirley Weary called it a fair settlement pointing out that other counties are paying that kind of money "it just took a little longer to get here". ), BE A GAY BLADE PaRTICIPilL71017 •Fitness. In your heart you know it's right. UP TO 1 0 3/4 GUARANTEED INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES J.J. (Jim) MULHERN GENERAL INSURANCE GODERICH 524-7878 THANK YOU The Management of Goderich Elevators wish to join the owners of the vessel MARTHA HINDMAN to thank the many who rallied during the difficulties with the ship last Friday night and Saturday. It is risky to name persons or groups for fear of missing someone but particularly the following come to mind: Ivan McConnell and his Elevator staff, Ben Botz and his shifting crew, Don MacAdam and his helpers with the tugs, similarly Ed Siddall. The Goderich Fire Department supplied pumps and firemen who kept an all night vigil Friday night and Stan Meriam's work s department and the. P.U.C. supplied pumps as well. We would thank Allan MacDonald as Harbourmaster and farmers in the area who answered a radio plea for augers and grain handling equipment which we thought we might need to lighten the ship. Also we thank the crew of the ship. Most of these people had commenced their Christmas break so it is all the more ap- preciated they gave up their holiday time 'toecome and help us. We hope we haven't missed anyone: thank you. George Parsons GODERICH ELEVATORS LIMITED Jack Laflin George Corbin Q 8, 0 TRANSPORTATION CO. LTD. • We have a good selection of Fall and Winter Clothing; Pants, Co-ordinates, Dresses, Blouses, and more all reduced... Come in, check out what's great today - but hurry - you won't want to miss a single thing! Stuart 'Alin Brach Ngrics • ,," OPEN: Man., to Fri,, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat., 10a.mfob p.m. Phone 524-9449