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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-11-19, Page 1Lucknow Girl Guides conducted"their third successful paper drive on Saturday tO raise money for their activitimi. Shown Unloading papers and Dianne Wasim. are, from theft, left, Cindy &merlon, Julie NicholsOri, Sheiry Nixon, ' Ultimo Creighton, Donald* Thompson co..twpjtto ..wants aelion hottlottehers" sttike Parents and students formed 'the Bruce County 'Student and Parent Action Cominittee at Man open meeting Monday night in. Chesley, where the current secondary school teacher's strike was discussed. The-rC -mmitteels-got-taking-sides-in , the dispute, it just wants to see the strike .settled, hopefully at the local level as soon as possible, according to one Kincardine parent that attended the meeting. , About 2$0-300 parents and students were present. • A call for a jeopardy hearing through the—Education Relations -Committee (RC). was demanded by the those present 'and the possibility of hiring a consultant for the jeopardy hearings was discussed. Also discussed was the possibility of :taking legal action against both sides in the dispute. All parents throughout the county are urged to write to the director of the ERC, Roger 'Allen, Suite•400,111 Avenue Road, Toronto, 'MN/ 3K3. In yonr letters tell the ERC how 5rour child has been harmed by the strike. These letters will help in obtaining a jeopardy' , hearing, A concern of 'those 'at the meeting was that the Ontario_Cabinet will Soon be taking their Christmas. break and won't return until the beginning, of March. Meanwhile, the teachers 'met with. the mediator in the strike, Martin TePlitsky in Toronto on. Saturday. _Teacherspokesrnan Bob Farrell said Mr. Teplitsky called the meeting to learn, which demands of the teachers are firm and which are fiejtible. \ Mr. Teplitsky told the , teachers he would be contacting the board in• the near future to arrange another negotiating session. Mr. Farrell said he felt there was a long way to go but, to be getting back to= the negotiating table with Mr. .Teplitsky as mediator has to be a • positive step. The LuclatOw Midgets got their season off to a. good start. when they defeated the Mildmay. MIdgets 6 - 2 Monday night In Lucknow,... Here Allan Rad, 1.n; (7] attempts, to Oh control of the puck on a rebound fronC of the. Kildmay net. The Midgets played two exhibition ganies before their season ,opener, defeating Clinton 5.2 on Noveinber 8 and losing to Brtissels 6 0 on November .10. ' • [Sentinel Staff Photo] A factfinder's report into the 'negotiations between • the • Huron 'County Secondary:.. SciioOt Teachers and the Board of Education is suggesting the groups approach a • conpro rise 'theirmonetary di spu e. Factrmder. Malcolm Stockton was appoint- ed to report on the items in the •collective agreement on September 18 and his findings were, released .Tuesda,y,. November .11. The two : key issues in the diSpute betw00-• • the board and teachers centres on the salary grid and the staff allocation formula:. The board has offered the teachers, a 5 per cent increase from September kto Decernhet 31, 1980 and .an additional ..1 per cent to' the „period ending August 31, 1981., The offer • amounts to an .annual: increase of per cent. • Thee teachers,' however, are seeking an increase •of 45 per cent , in the one-year agreement. Stockton :admitted that the teachers had. some catching up to do in relation to salaties paid by similaeand neighbouring boards •but suggested it shotild not be dime at once. His' ecofintnendation was a compromisal in- crease of 10.5 per cent. • That increase was recommended in a split' grid, the second component of which would give an increase of 10.5 per cent. On an annual contracf,--he recommended -an, increase of about 8. 5 per cent, which would also 'be applied to principals and vice- principals, Staff Allocation Another high priority demand of the teachers was a. provision that an individual teach no more' than six periods out of eight. The teachers want that to be made a' mandatory' position rather than the board's wording "making every reasonable effort". The board has argued that if' such an agreement were mandatory, the provision would increase the number of staff by five at a cost of $70,000. or alternatively eliminate some courses. • Stockton said that strict adherence to the provision would' necessitate the hiring of additional teachersand was , an unreasonable demand. He said' the nature of the . Huron 'County system was such that some infringe- ments of the guidelines would be unavoid- ----,, able. ' The parties have agreed to introduce a staffing formula used last year and to move away from the straight pupil-teacher ratio approach. Stockton said the board should maintain some control over the pupil-teacher ratio from year to year. • 'Stockton was 'also concerned about the size of the teacher's negotiating committee That included 16 members. He recommend= ed that the number be cut in half to facilitate the holding of meetings and to shorten caucus time. 4- The initial proposal presented by the teachers was for a 25 per cent increase over the contract period 1979-80. That increase applies to the salary grid and excludes annual increments. Their request has since been reduced to 15 per cent excluding increment or 16.8 per cent including increment. The teachers feel'the request is justified in comparing pay scales' in Huron County with provincial statistics, a comparison of Huron County with surrounding boards, the ability of county taxpayers to support increased [Sentinel Staff Photo) salaries and the increase in the cost of living over the past year., with her back to the cameral ,•