Newsstand Price 25¢ = March 18,1984 __

tone ha

JACK HEINRICH on the defensive in front of a
North Vancouver audience.

_Newsroom 985-2131

THIS Guy < doesn't seem: to ‘mind being treed at all. As a matter of fact those cottonwood
branches, ‘still leafless, provide a great place. to hang. around and catch a few cays.
~ Photograph was shot in Lynn Valley area where ratcoons are common.

Classified 986-6222

NEWS photo Exteworth Dickson

DD fights on: At2

ahaha pees

SUNDAY
rain, highs near 10°
- MONDAY
rain, highs near 10°:

Pan a

BPA
4

Psat et
oe

Thursday, Union sa ys

FRUSTRATED BY the lack. of results from its

‘‘non-strike’’,

the Independent Canadian Transit

Union will step up activities Thursday if a contract

agreement isn’t reached.

MARK HAMILTON

Colin Kelly, head of the
union which represents most
of the Lower Mainland’s bus
operators, said that unless
the union and the Metro
Transit Operating Company
reach an agreement by Thurs-
day, drivers will pull their
buses over for half an hour.

Driver would be ordered to
stop their runs and pull the
buses over to the side of the
road between 10:30 and J!
a.m.

If the work stoppage goes
ahead, it will be the first ume
transit routes have been
disrupted during the labor
dispute.

To date, the union has pro-
tested the lack of a new con-
tract’ by refusing to wear
uniforms on the job, refusing
tO carry out management

functions and limiting over-
time hours.

The latter protest action
will also be stepped up this
week. Maintenance workers
had refused to work any
mrore than 20 overtime hours
a week; this week they will
cut that figure to 10. As well,
regular drivers will limit their
overtime hours to five a
week.

The two. sides in the
dispute have contract
negotiations scheduled = for
Friday and Monday but Kelly
18 NOt Optimistic that progress
will be made.

Kelly said Thursday’s plan-
ned work stoppage is aimed
at encouraging the public,
which has not so far been in-
convenienced by the driver's
‘tunstrike’’, to telephone
Metro Transit and demand
that the company begin
‘‘serious negotiations’’ with
the transit umon.

B.C.’s education minister backs
stance on money cuts, exams

EDUCATION MINISTER Jack Heinrich faced a
barrage of questions and scattered heckling when
he appeared before a crowd of about 200 at
Highlands Community School Wednesday.

| By JOANNE MacDONALD |

Henroh the featured guest

ol the schools Parents
Plc ation Coonmmittec gaye
AA ONCE Ge Ww ort bers rristiy os ble stressed the reed feo
pohwies defendbbapg govern restearnt  througbouae the
ment resteammt and the oon cUucation system. but alse

rower stal COMmpUrsOny cxanes announced the Special Needs

and curcicubuny obaanges budget would mot be adverse

ly alfected With $204
millon allocated to Special
Needs for 1984 Hentich
stated, “Nobody so going be
play pobtical hot potato wath
these kids

According (fa therarich
public cada sation  oxpen
ditures tasvc tisce from $900
rotlbon to $l 9 ballkon on the

Past veven veats As a result

verdes schuh ered Studer

COSES hase risen from oan

average of $1,734 to $3,937
At the same time, enrolment
levels have decreased from
828 O00 to 482 000, with the
September, 1984. corolment
levcls projyected at 478 SOO
throughout the province

Hlermrieh termed the
roxerpment S hatest fotmndla

Itnaneing scheme ad system

See page A6&