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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-06-15, Page 7news Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 15, 1983—Page 7 Board stands by decision regarding negotiations The Bruce County board of education is prepared to stand by their past statements that the Inflation Restraints Act (Bill 179) extends the 1982-83 agreement between thely and 220 secondary school teachers. The county's high school teachers' nego- tiating committee intends to follow, through on a bad faith bargaining charge against the board after a meeting to discuss non -mon- etary issues in the current contract. Board of education chairman Barry Schmidt said June 6 the board has advised the teachers of its final position regarding the contract, which includes a nine per cent salary increase and other changes mutually agreed to prior to the passing of the •Inflation Restraints Act. Schmidt said the salary increase has been implemented without formal approval of the teachers. A proposal to lower the student -teacher ratio by adding more teachers was turned down by the board at their May 31 meeting, because, said Schmidt, the contract year is almost over. "What would be the reason to approve that?” asked Schmidt in a telephone inter- view with the Kincardine News. "It looks like they're trying to establish a benchmark. "I don't see any benefit to continuing discussing the contract (1982-83). They can bring their requests forth next' year." In a letter to The News last week, Schmidt also said that a request for the board to release a full-time teacher from normal duties to perform teacher federation busi- ness was also denied. Teachers' chief nego- tiator Mark Ciavaglia has repeated his concerns over the effects Bill 82 and a bill allowing students to be taught courses in French will have on the teachers. Schmidt said a board committee is studying the French language legislation. The chairman isn't expecting any changes overnight, however. "The board is concerned that the class size is appropriate for good education. We haven't really determined the 'effect French will have here. If it is, required locally, we'll address it at that time." Schmidt said that the board will be monitoring class sizes to see if changes are necessary. A recent Ontario Education Relations Commission ruling that Bill 179 doesn't exempt school boards from the obligation to negotiate with teachers is self-serving, said Schmidt. The ERC is the only body to rule Education chairman defendsboard's postion •from page 6 contract if the person selected was employed by this Board. We do not think that such work should be carried out under the standard Ministry of Education contract for teachers. Reference was made in your article to a decsion of the Education Relations Commission. The decision of the E.R.C. only reinforced its own earlier opinion that bargaining was still required in spite of the Inflation Restraint Act. This opinion has been rejected by all other adjudicative authorities in the Province who have been faced with this question. These adjudicative authorities include the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Ontario Arbitration Commission, the Inflation Restraint Board, and several Boards of Arbitration. The Bruce County Board of Education and many other Boards of Education continue to reject the E.R.C.'s interpretation of the Inflation Restraint Act until the matter has been conclusively deter- mined. In February, 1983, the Board informed the teachers' negotiating committee that it was willing to meet and discuss items .of mutual concern for the 1983-84 school year. Only recently have the teachers responded and a process is under way for selection of a mutually satisfactory date to hold the meeting. I want to stress here that I am referring to discussion of items of "mutual concern", as the teachers' represen- tatives have continually failed to positively address the Board's con- tract concerns at the same time as they advise the public of our failure to address theirs. In my opinion, bar- gaining in good faith does not consist of a board continually granting the requests of a teachers' negotiating team while receiving no consideration for pertinent issues of its own. A large number of contract issues directly or indirectly cost money, although they are often disguised by the teachers' negotiating team as being for the betterment of education in Bruce. The trustees of the Board are very conscious of their obligation of stewardship over the administration of education dollars and over the educa- tion of Bruce County's children. Barry Schmidt, Trustee for Kincardine and Chairman of the Bruce County Board of Education. Liberal task force hears delegations... •from page 5 raised a»out the practicality of golPernment grants. Murray Elston summed up the general feeling of the day, saying, "People don't mind raising money for services they have planned, but they sure don't like paying for programs in which they don't par- ticipate." This was especially clear in the speech given by the Reeve of Exeter, William Mickle. He said Exeter takes advantage of few programs for which they pay a lot of tax money. Dorothy Wallace also voiced another common concern about government grants, wondering who would fund such programs as French immersion education after they had been established by government grants. John Eakins, the chairman of the committee, said in his opening remarks that the role of an opposition party in government is not simply to criticize, but it must offer positive recommendations. The report written by the task force will be used in the Legislature to offer alter- natives to government programs. I VT Div Note... PAVING • Driveways • Parking Lots •Small Jobs PHONE: KINCARDINE 396-2284 Riddell repeated these sentiments, saying, "No party is effective if they criticize without suggesting alternatives." He said ex- perience has shown that opposition recommendations are usually incorporated by the party in power, although it may take a period of up to three years. Examples of the above include Liberal task forces on education, highway safety, and most recently on health. The members of the task force hope to finish their hearings and have the report written by February 1984, a year after it was first an- nounced by Peterson. It isn't the things that go in one ear and out the other that hurt, as much as the things that go in one ear and get all mixed up before they slip out the mouth. OCitOSS ��Ep�E��83 M�� � NE �q SV�pA House League Moto Cross With Trophies In All Classes SATURDAY, JUNE 18-12 noon ATC RACES (Rough Country Rodeo) SUNDAY, JUNE 19-12 noon These Events Are Geared For Local Amateur Participation AIV�L1' = \.,_--- VARNA ONT. a. . 262-3318 er 262-5809 that they have jurisdiction, he said. "This opinion has been rejected by al' other adjudicative authorities in the province who have been faced with this question," said Schmidt in the letter. "These adjudica- tive authorities include the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Ontario Arbitration Commission, the Inflation Restraint Board and several Boards of Arbitration." Both sides are now waiting for the ERC to hear the teachers' bad bargaining charge. Schmidt said the board will consider taking the issue to court if the ERC rules in the teachers' favour, as the commission did recently in Durham region after that area's board of education failed to meet with a mediator or file a final offer because of Bill 179. %ID,. ewaasl-cute.®..0�.era• •...s.e.1..'wsr/a9•1•4 •1•••• %O. t Bruce County Art Competition All permanent and seasonal residents of Bruce County are invited to submit up to 3 works of art, oil, watercolour or drawings, on any Bruce County Subject. Fist Prize 2150.00 Second Prize 2100.00 tj tj i Third Prize $150.00 The prize winners will become the property of the Corp. of the County of Bruce on j permanent display in the new County Admin- istrative Building in Walkerton. All entries must remain on display at the Bruce County Museum from July 15 to September 2, 1983. For further information and registration forms contact: THE BRUCE COUNTY MUSEUM Southampton. 797-3644 or Mrs. Bernice Limpert, Wiarton, 534-1714 or Mr. Howard Collins, Port Elgin, 832-2796. �.. ...�..�... e-®..®.. Remember Dad on His Day..... FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL MEN'S JARMAN'S Black and Brown Dress Oxford REG. $64.95 FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL $50."' Les Petter Shoes LUCKNOW 528-2011