Lakeshore Advance, 2013-01-09, Page 1514 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Local board was spending $6,000 a day on supervision
OMIAgency
A move to impose contracts on
Ontario's public elementary and sec-
ondary school teachers will provide
some financial relief for the Lanlbton
Kent District School Board, its educa-
tion director said 'Thursday.
"At least now we have some stability,"
said Jim Costello, noting that local high
school teachers who started job action
in November will now have to return to
supervision duties. "'they're no longer
in a legal strike position, so they'll be
carrying out their work as they used to.
"We were spending a lot of money to
try and keep things going."
The board had hired retired princi-
pals and vice -principals, along with
security guards, to help fill in the gaps
in supervision. Administrators had also
been pulled from regular duties to help.
Costello previously told the Observer
this was costing the board upwards of
$6,000 a day.
As far as voluntary co-curriculars go,
that's up to the teachers' union to
decide, said Costello.
Education Minister Laurel Brown
said Thursday she will use her powers
under Bill 115 to impose contracts on
the province's 120,00( public elemen-
tary and high school teachers, then
repealing the hill as a "show of good
Astronaut tweets from space
QMI Agency
Canadian astronaut anti Sarnia (native
Chris 1Iadtield has tweeted this photo
of Sarnia, Ont., from space.
Cittut(iian astronaut and Sarnia native
Chris 1 ladfield has fulfilled his promise
to tweet a photo of his hometown from
space.
"Even though I've been to 50 coun-
tries, I've been around the world hun-
dreds of times, Sarnia really makes me
feel like home, 1 iadfield said recently.
Ihe 53 -year-old took off Dec. 19 from
Kazakhstan to the International Space
Station.
He is the first Canadian commander
at the international Space Station, over-
seeing more than 100 experiments dur-
ing his five months there.
'this trip is the pinnacle of an aston-
ishing career for the Sarnia -horn astro-
naut who still vacations on I1l'i1rby Stag
island.
tie was the first Canadian to walk in
space and the only Canadian aboard
the Russian Space Station Mir.
In the weeks leading up to Dec. 19,
the colonel visited Sarnia and promised
Mayor Mike Bradley that he'd attempt
another photo of our community from
space.
1 ladfield has been tweeting his space
adventures at twitter.com/
('111(11' hadfield
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faith" by the government
Broten made the announcement four days after
the bargaining deadline of Dec. 31 came and went
without any movement from tither side.
"'there's frustration across the board," said Ron
l(ivait, 1atnbton-Kent'l'eacher Local president for
the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario --
representing nearly 900 elementary teachers with
the LKI )SB and about 330 occasional teachers.
"1Nhen we get hack together next week, we'll be
looking at what we're going to do."
The C'ont'acts impose a two-year )yaw freeze,
prevent the flanking of sick (lays, reduce sick days
from 20 to 10 and limit how quickly teachers move
up a wage grid.
'1'he imposed contracts also meant ha t any
strikes are now illegal.
Catholic elementary and high school teachers
have already signed the contract.
However, the two unions affected, the Ontario
Secondary School't'eachers Federation and the
F'I'FO, have said they won't take any imposed con-
tracts lying down.
Members of both unions had already voted to
stage massive one -day political protests if their
contracts %Vetere imposed.
"We don't know what the next steps are; we
don't know what wither of the unions is going to
recommend," said Costello.
"I know that the reactions I've. seen online (from
ETF( President Sana 1 ianun)nd) weren't positive,"
he added. "But what will they actually do? Who
knows."With files from QMI Agency
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QMI Agency
Canadian astronaut and Sarnia native Chris Hadfield has tweeted this photo of Sarnia, Ont., from space.
Idle no More blocks Bluewater bridge
QMI Agency
Traffic between the U.S. And Canada was
delayed Saturday as demonstrators staged a
peaceful rally at the Blue Water Bridge, in support
of the Idle No More movement
"lam Deere today, standing to show unity within
my people and to do a peaceful rally," said organ-
izer Jennifer George. "'1'o raise awareness of what's
happening in our county."
1ltnn(h't'(Is of people gathered in Point Edward,
nein' Sarnia, Ont., where a traditional First Nations
water C'ere'mony was held at the waterfront Soul's
Memorial around 10 a.m.
Demonstrators including community members
from Aamjiwnaang, Walpole Island and Kettle and
Stony Point were on hand hearing flags and signs
as they chanted "Idle no More" through the village
streets as the group made its way to onto 1 lighway
402, Just outside the currency exchange building
at the Blue Water Bridge.
A convoy of vehicles followed.
Both east and westbound traffic was halted for
one hour, with assistance from Lambton ()PP and
members of the ()PP Liaison Team, who walked
the route alongside the protesters.
The 1(1le No More campaign is aimed at stop-
ping Bill C-45, the limper government's omnibus
budget hill, which includes amendments that First
Nations officials fear would allow private develop-
ers greater access to reserve lands.
The event coincided with a amber of cross-
country protests held Saturday.
The bridges connecting Canada and the 11.S. to
Cornwall Island vert closed for more than three
hours during a march which started in Massena,
N.Y.
"It's amazing to see all these people together,"
said co-organizer Christine Rogers. "Non -natives
keep asking me, 'why are you doing this?'
"And 1 say to them, how else wiIl your voice he
heard'"
The Blue Water Bridge reported that traffic Clow
resumed around 1:31) p.m.
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