LGH braces for massive HEU walkout Job action eroding care - patients LiONS GATE Hospital (LGH) braced itself today for 2 massive walkout by members of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU) who, along with HEU inembers employed at other Lower Mainland hospitals, planned to attend a Van- couver rally :o back contract demands. “We don’t know how many people from here will be going, but we’re gearing up for it,’’ said LGH spokesman Nancy Jickham. Meanwhile, non-essential HEU members walked off the job Thursday at LGH in the areas of housekeeping, admitting and pa- tient care. The HEU has been locked in a labor dispute with the Health Labor Relations Association, the negotiator for 150 B.C. health care facilities, over a new collec- tive agreement. LGH opened 12 beds on Thursday. As of yesterday i14 beds were closed at LGH, down from tke 126 closed on Tuesday. The maximums number of acute- care beds the hospital can close under essential services guidelines is 150. . But eight patients remained in emergency on Thursday awaiting admission to the hospital. The HEU has denied that its labor dispute is disrupting patient care. But LGH cancer patient Phillip Rose told the News from his hospital bed on Wednesday that he and other patients are suf- fering. Rose said nurses have not been providing the patients with baths and bedside telephones. **All we get is just a little bowl to wash ourselves with. There’s no excuse for it. They could wheel us to the bathroom for a bath or a shower,” said Rose. But Wickham said the problem was resolved as of Thursday mor- By Surj Rattan News Reporter ning. She said Rose had been moved from the palliative care ward to the children’s ward because beds and wards had to be closed since the HEU began its labor dispute. She added that the children’s ward has only specialized bathtubs but that Rose is now taken from the children’s ward to another ward where he receives a regular daily bath. The bedside telephones for the palliative care ward patients, Wickham said, are paid for by the Lions Gate Hospice Society and they have now arranged for Rose to have a bedside phone on the children’s ward. B.C. Health Association spokesman David Annis said Thursday that patient care is suf- fering as a result of the labor dispute. “Hospitals have been forced to combine units. You may have in- dividuals in the hospital for dif- ferent reasons all on the same ward,”? said Annis. ‘“l did a survey of 32 hospitals across the province up to April 6 and out of those a total of 2,230 elective surgeries had been cancelled and over 2,000 beds had been closed.’' Meanwhile, mediator Stephen Kelleher called the HEU and the HLRA back to the bargaining table on Thursday to try to medi- ate a settlement. 3.4% raise approved for council members DESPITE A call from one alderman for a freeze on North Vancouver City Council salaries, a 3.4% council raise was approv- ed Monday night. By Pameia Lang Contributing Writer Because of the tough eco- nomic times faced by city resi- dents; Ald. Rod Clark said taxpayers should not be ex- pected to pay higher salaries to the city’s mayor and aldermen. After a 22% raise last year that Ciark described as ex- cessive, city courcillors, he said, are now in the upper middle range for municipal politicians’ salaries. Current annual North Shore aldermanic salaries: @ $15,242 in North Vancouver City; @ $18,765 in North Vancouver District; @ $15,000 in West Vancouver District. Current annual North Shore mayoral salaries: @ $45,727 in North Vancouver City; © $59,335 in North Vancouver District; @ $45,000 in West Vancouver Districts. SED NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL Although Clark agreed that a 3.4% raise was not excessive, he said city council members could show effective leadership by refusing to raise their salaries. In March, North Vancouver District aldermen voted against giving themselves a 5.4% salary increase. “We do a damn good job and bloody cheap,”’ Clark said. But Clark added that he believes city residents cannot afford higher taxes this year. Clark also said he would not support any raise in taxes when the city’s budget is finally ap- proved. Ald. Stella Jo Dean agreed that higher unemployment and worries about layoffs, coupled with a greater tax burden pro- vincially, have taken their toll on city residents. But Ald. Bill Bell said that defeating a modest raise now would be a political move that will force future councils to play catch-up the way the cur- rent council did last year. “If other councils had con- sistently put small raises in, we would not have had to give ourselves a large raise.’ Friday, April 10, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 i a ‘gs “e NEWS photo Stuart Davis CHRIS PRATT (left), manager of a Domino's Pizza outlet, arrives with enough pizzas to ‘eed hungry Sutherland Secondary school students recently in North Vancouver. Approximately 150 school staff and students took part in a 24-hour famine and raised over $4,500 for World Vision Canada. Food and drinks were also supplied for the participants from Gray Beverage Co., Subway, Canada Safeway, Save-On-Foods and McDonald's. New middle school opponents picket outside board meeting Hillside/Caulfeild controversy heats up OPPONENTS OF West Vancouver District 45 School Board’s $13.5 million plan to close Hillside Middle School and build a new middle school on the Caulfeild Plateau marched outside the board’s administration building carry- ing signs reaciing, ‘‘Save Hillside,’’ ‘‘Stop Fiscal Foolery,’’ and ‘*‘Make Moodie Report Public’? prior to Monday night’s emctic:ally-charged District 45 meeting. A speaker sys:em was also set up outside the meeting room to accommodate the overflow crowd. The Moodie report, a site evaluation and a-praisal of the Hillside property, will not be made public until after the board has decided Hillside’s fate. The board has stated that if the Moodie report concludes that the value of the Hillside property is greater or equal to the cost of constructing the new school on the Caulfeild Plateau, it will proceed with the plan. If the numbers do nox justify the proposal, the board has stated it will not proceed. And white the District 45 board has agreed to hold a_ public meeting to disclose the contents of the Moodie report, the meeting will have no bearing on the board’s decision on the Hillside school issue. The board expects an interim report from J. Moodie and Associates in the middle of April. At that time a committee will be appointed by District 45 superin- tendent Doug Player to review the report. The committee will then present its evaluation of the report to the board. The board wili then release the Moodie report to the public and hold the public meeting. Supgorters of the new school held their own rally inside, as Linda Mitchell, a spokesman for the ‘Residents in Support of the Caulfeild Middle School,’’ pres- ented the board with a reaffirma- tion cf support for the board’s decision. Noting that supporters of the new school had remained silent & Automotive BB Classified Ads @ Ecolnfo @ Editorial Page @ Home & Garden By A.P. McCredie Contributing Writer about the board’s decision during the past few months, Mitchell said the plan’s backers represented the silent majority. “Our support, and the support of many others, has always been there,’’ Mitchell said. ‘‘It was just understood, and rightfully so, that due process had taken place and a decision had been made.” Accusing ‘‘a small group of critics’? of trying to undermine the process, Mitchell said a letter- writing campaign has started and that a petition — names to date — will be available to sign for those in favor of the new school. Opponents of the proposed plan ee en ee al WEST VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD to tear down Hillside and sell the property to finance the new school asked if possible construction overrun costs would be passed on to West Vancouver taxpayers. “The answer to that is no,” District 45 secretary treasurer Len Archer said. ‘ According to Archer, school construction costs and other capi- tal expenditures are financed through capital funding provided from the provincial treasury, not from local taxes. Others at the meeting called on the board to hold a district-wide referendum on the Hillside/ Caulfeild issue. The board has the power to cail. a referendum, but scme_ trustees expressed concerns about the con- sequences of holding one. “tf we hold a referendum on this issue, why not hold one on every issue?*’ said trustee David Stevenson. ‘I don’t think a refer- endum is the way to go.’’ Teaching positions to be cut certain WEST VANCOUVER District 45 school superintendent Doug Player announced Monday night that 25 full-time District 45 teaching positions will be phased out in the next school year: @ 16 seconaaiy school; ® six elementary school; @ 1.6 district level; @and 1.4 special education positions. ‘*That’s the bad news,’’ said Player, ‘‘the good news is that we hope to cushion these cuts through attrition (retirements and transfers) and the creation of new positions through in- index @ Mailbox & Paul St. Pierre @ Trevor Lautens @ What’s Going On Second Ciass Registration Number 3885 creased revenues at schools.”’ . Player said the real number of actual layoffs is ‘‘closer to eight to 12 positions.’”’ Player told the board that the 1992-93 budget included no salary increases for teachers during the next school year; therefore, he said, any conces- sions given to teachers during summer bargaining will in- crease the number of layoffs in the district. Teachers’ salaries account for 79.8% of the proposed $32.1 million District 45 budget for 1992-93. Weather Saturday and Sunday clovdy with chance of showers. Highs 13°C, Lows 3°C.