Zurich Citizens News, 1971-06-03, Page 2AN HONEST MESSAGE TO THE
TAXPAYERS OF HURON COUNTY
FROM THE
HURON COUNTY
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Are the Secondary School Teachers in Huron County justified in resigning their positions:
We take this opportunity to reply to recent publicity concerning the teachers' financial position.
Percentage increases are often a poor means of actually outlining raises given due to non-financial or other items.
Presently, between the board and the teachers, are some financial and non-financial differences. We will try to let you, the
public, see and assess our differences in these areas.
Teachers generally want to lower the number of years that it takes to get from minimum salary to maximum salary. At the
present time our salary agreement calls for a category 4 teacher who starts at $8800 per year and goes to a maximum of $14,700
per year in 15 years with an automatic increase of $300 for the first year and $400 for the second and succeeding years. This is
incorporated in a salary grid which appears below.
Years of
Experience
Present
Agreement
Teachers'
Request
0 $8,800. $8,800.
1 9,100. 9,100.
2 9,500. 9,700.
3 9,900. 10,200.
4 10,300. 10,600.
5 10,700. 11,100.
6 11,100. 11,600.
7 11,500. 12,000.
8 11,900. 12,500.
9 12,300. 13,000.
10 12,700. 13,500.
11 13,100. 14,000.
12 13,500. 14,500.
13 13,900. 15,000.
14 14,300. 15,500.
15 14,700.
As can be readily seen, although the two grids
start out at the same figure of $8,800, the annual
increases change following year 1 and the teachers'
request incorporates $500 and $600 increases so
that a maximum salary of $15,500 is reached in 14
years. By comparing the figure opposite the years
of experience one can see readily that a teacher
with 8 years of experience will receive $600 more
by the teachers' grid than by the present
agreement. This in itself does not appear to be
entirely out of line but the implications on future
boards should be noted.
The number of dollars should be added to show what a teacher receives over the number of years on the grid. By our present
agreement, a teacher receives $187,300 over a period of 15 years. By the teachers' request, a teacher receives a total of $196,600
over 15 years. This is a difference of $9,300 per teacher. This does not include any future negotiations and if past experience
means anything we know this year will not end the trend to $500 and $600 and $700 increments.
What does this mean to Huron County? It means that due to the fact we have 269 secondary teachers and 335 elementary
teachers who are presently or will be degree people, an increase in salaries paid of 604 x $9,300 = $5,617,200 over the next 15
years, without ever negotiating any further increase.
The teachers argue that Huron County says very little of this due to our grant system. We admit we enjoy a good grant structure
which was given to us because of our low assessment area. We do not believe this is a valid point to grant increases which will
eventually stagger the Provincial economy and cause taxes to be a very grave problem for many less fortunate people to pay.
As evidence of ability to pay, we cite the tax arrears in rural Huron County which are up to $337,463, an increase of about 15
per cent over the previous year.
Another point at issue is Retirement Gratuity. The name speaks for itself.
Every teacher in Huron County is given 20 days per year to be sick without losing pay. These days, if not used for sickness,
accumulate until 200 days are accumulated. Due -Lb the fact that some teachers do not get sick they end up their teaching careers
with 200 or more accumulated days. It has been the agreement, that, as a reward for not being sick a teacher may use the 200 days
or fraction thereof to collect up to'/ year's salary upon retirement.
The board felt due to other retirement benefits this was unnecessary. Take the example of the Category IV teacher above who
upon retiring at maximum receives a Superannuation which was partially paid for by himself and partially paid for by the
Province, 6% from each, which is computed by taking 70% of the average of his best 7 years salary, giving him a p�n.si-X9,809
per year plus his old age pension plus his Canada Pension plus the lump sum payment of $7,800 for retirement gratuities.
The Board believes this lump payment is unnecessary and also feels they were in error in attempting to take away the
Retirement Gratuity without prior warning, but instead should have attempted to phaseit out over a period of years.
Consequently the Board in its last offer (5.5 per cent increase) reinstated the retirement gratuity, contingent upon the acceptance
by the teachers of the salary offer.
The Board also disagrees with increasing the subsidy payment from 50 per cent to 66-2/3 per cent on O.H.S.I.P., O.H.S.C. and
Group Life Insurance. It also does not see the justification for including a new benefit item — Blue Cross Extended Health Plan.
Many other Boards in the Province are paying these requests by the teachers. We in Huron feel a responsibility to keep taxes in line
with the ability to pay. Our teachers say we are wrong. Regardless of our slice of the economy they (the teachers) should receive
what other teachers are getting. Few people in Huron County enjoy the benefits listed here, plus many others.
Are the teachers justified?