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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-01-19, Page 11By JACK RIDDELL MPP Huron -Middlesex During the past session, there was considerable debate on Bill 70, the Oc- cupational Health and Safe- ty Act, one of the most im- portant pieces of legislation to come before the Legislature in recent years. In the past, many Liberal Members have challenged the government on its inac- tion in this area. We have suggested major amendments to strengthen existing legislation to im- prove employee protection Citizens News, January 19, 1978 Page 11 Important debate on health and safety in the province - amendments which would not involve expenditure of additional public funds or endanger the employment of a single worker. The NDP wished to block passage of Bill 70, but we believed that it would be more constructive to sup- port the legislation, albeit in an amended form. We were, however, concerned that the high degree of ministerial discretion which is en- visaged would exclude thousands of workers from the bill's protection. People such as hotel and hospital workers, municipal workers, teachers and sup- port staffs of educational in- stitutions, farm workers, staffs of provincial in- stitutions such as psy- chiatric hospitals, mental retardation centres and cor- rectional facilities, and workers in medical laboratories continue to be excluded, yet many are ex - Trustees debate school ski outing A two day skiing trip planned by members of the South Huron District High School ski club has no educational value what- soever according to Colborne township school board trustee Shirley Hazlitt. Hazlitt told the board at its Wednesday meeting that the 80 students from Grades 9 to 13 should have planned their trip to the Collingwood Blue Mountain Ski Resort for school holidays rather than take time off the school calendar. The issue was raised by Hazlitt when the board was asked to approve the ex- cursion for the Alpine Ski Club of S.H.D.S. The teacher sponsoring the trip said it was to "introduce students to participation in a recreational activity which is ideal for lifetime leisure time pursuit". The students are paying for the trip themselves and asked the board for no money. Hazlitt told the board that she complimented the students for showing enough interest in the sport to organize the trip but she "failed to see the educational advantage of taking students from Grades 9 to 13 out of school for three days". The Colborne trustee said she had heard teachers say they would love to have the opportunity to have a class full of students for an entire day to just teach. She said that possibility is remote because of field trips, in- terviews with the school health nurse and leaving class to have year book pictures taken. "We as a board have to stop approving these grand holidays," she said. Jim Coulter, superin- tendent of education, ap- proved the trip and told Hazlitt that the reason the students had chosen that time of year was to reduce the cost of the venture. He said had the students gone during holidays they wouldn't have been able to afford the costs. He added that the trip appears to be a three day effort because the departure day is February 8 and the date of return February 10. He explained that the time of departure on February 8 is 3:30 p.m., after the school day is complete, and that February 9 and February 10 are professional activity days at South Huron. "The students won't be missing any class, time at all, ",;aid Coulter, "but two teachers will have to be excused from the activity days." John Henderson, trustee from Seaforth, suggested that perhaps the board was remiss in permitting the teachers to be excused from activity days. "How many activity days are the teachers missing during the year?" he asked. "Are they getting any benefit from the activity days scheduled?" The board voted to ap- prove the trip with Hazlitt, Henderson and Clinton trustee Dorothy Williams opposed. WI enjoy ARC talk On January 2, the Zurich Women's Institute met in the Hay Township Hall with the members of the committee on Citizenship and World Affairs in charge. Mrs. E. Consitt acted as Chairlady. She was assisted by Miss E. Gabel and Mrs. L. Klopp. The group had as its guest speaker Mr. Ron Heimrich, manager of the work shop at ARC Industries of Dash- wood. Using slides and commentary he presented the meeting with an im- pressive insight into the outstanding capabilities of the handicapped who spend their time at the centre. He stressed the value of com- munity and personal in- volvement to understand and assist them. Activities and exercise programs were shown of the Nursery at Grand Bend. Also the Adult residence in Exeter was shown, and he mentioned how some have become independent citizens. On February 6, the Institute will entertain at the Blue Water Rest Home. LOCAL NEWS Albert and Luanne Martin of Kitchener, Alfred and Verna Ropp of Ailsa Craig, Ward and Ina Neeb of Zurich visited on Sunday with Elam and Vera Shantz of 1$R 3 Zurich, posed to hazardous sub- stances such as pesticides and laboratory chemicals, as well as dangerous work practices. Some American authorites have suggested that farming has the third highest accident rate of any occupation, exceeded only by mining and construction. Of course, special cir- cumstances apply to the agricultural community with respect to weather con- ditions, seasonal work, long hours during peak periods and machinery and equip- ment designed and manufac- tured to different standards. For example, apparently the detailed regulations now in effect for industrial machinery and equipment simply do not exist for the agricultural sector. Last January, the Minister promised that an agricultural representative would be appointed to the advisory council on oc- cupational health and safety - almost a year later this was done. In joint briefs to the Minister, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Farm Safety Association and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association generally supported an ex- tension of health and safety legislation to agriculture, provided that it is developed by the Minister in consulta- tion with the agricultural ad- visory committee. We have also urged the Minister to take a more ac- tive role in encouraging development of suitable regulations covering such working conditions as roll- over protection for -tractors, guarding and shielding of farm equipment and per- sonal protection equipment. While we realize that it will take some time to develop regulations suitable for the farming community, we feel the Minister should give a commitment to a specific timetable for the drafting of such regulations and the protection of agricultural workers. She has stated that dis- passionate consideration has convinced the government that expansion of coverage would be inappropriate at this time. What more logical time is there to consider ex- pansion of coverage than when introducing supposed- ly comprehensive legislation on this subject? In our view the legislation is lacking with respect to the involvement of both employers and employees in achieving high standards of health and safety at work. Under Bill 139, the Minister was einpowered to establish health and safety com- mittees, composed of an equal number of employee and employer represen- tatives, and to appoint worker safety represen- tatives. To our knowledge, the Minister has not appointed a single such committee or representative. We feel these committees would be particularly important for non-union employees, who may have no other effective channel of communication with their employer, and that the powers of health and safety committees and TO APPEAR ON TELEVISION — Three Huron County girls known as Black Magic will be appearing on the Tommy Hunter show on CBC television on January 20. They are Pat Stackhouse, Londesboro, Becky McKinley, Zurich and Kim Craig, Blyth. Staff photo re i` gir l Two Blyth area girls and a third from Zurich, a step - dancing group who call themselves Black Magic, will be appearing on the Tommy Hunter Show January 20. Pat Stackhouse, 14, Londesboro, Kim Craig, 14, Blyth and Becky McKinley, 10, Zurich went to Toronto December 3 to tape the CBC show. Kim and Pat have ging n danced together for several years and this summer Beckey joined them. Six months ago, the girls decided to form their group Black Magic. The girls were asked to appear on the Tommy Hunter s aew after the producer of the. show spotted them at the Canadian open step dancing championships in Dundalk ters last June. The girls had won the group step -dancing championship at the com- petition. Kim is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Bodie Craig, Blyth. Becky is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Berne McKinley, Zurich and Pat is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Vic Stackhouse, Londesboro, Mrs. Stackhouse istheformer Onah Williams, Exeter. worker safety represen- tatives are unclear and in- adequate. These groups should have access to both information and training from the oc- cupational health and safety division of the Ministry or other sources. Thus there would be more reliance on accurate on-site monitoring and less reliance on inspec- tion by the Ministry of Labour. On-site discussions, in- spections and recommen- dations ' may not be suf- ficient in some cases. Perhaps there should be some mechanism linking the role of the joint committees and safety representatives with the activities of the Ministry. In the event that an employer refuses to accept the recommendations of a joint committee or a safety representative, perhaps an inspection from the Ministry of Labour within a short time, possibly three days, could be made obligatory. We believe that the bill is particularly deficient with respect to identifying and preventing industrial health hazards. It contains a provi- sion whereby an employer shall accurately keep and maintain such records of ex- posure of a worker to biologicals, chemical or physical agents as may be prescribed. What does the Minister have in mind in this connec- tion? Will these records be available to individual workers, health and safety committees and worker representatives? Ishould like to report further on this legislation next week. Not happy with Hensall council doesn't think much of the provincial government's decision to move the election date for municipal councils ahead one month, to the second Monday in November, but they acknowledge that not much can be done about it now. Council was notified of the impending change in a letter from the provincial government. Reeve Harold Knight said the matter had been discussed at the December meeting of county council, and that county council was against the change. "It's really going to ball things up" Reeve Knight said. "It looks like we're only going to have 11 months tin office) this year." The biggest problem with the change is that municipal clerks will have to cope with a new council for the last month of the year, Reeve Knight said. The fiscal year has not been changed. It will still end December 31, meaning that the new council will administer the last month of the year's budget. Knight said county council had voiced its reservations to MPP Jack Riddell, but had been told that not much could be done now that the bill has been given first reading in the legislature. "I don't really feel, after talking to Jack Riddell that it's going to do us any good to send a letter to Queens Park" Reeve Knight said. Council took no action to protest the planned change.