ae SN 6 ~ Friday, Nov. 20, 1992 - North Shere News QYG WSS NSS NSS Sa Sow as “NEWS VIEWPOINT Essential service UESDAY’S wiidecsat strike by the . BC. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union mekes 3 strong arguement for designating the province’s ferry system an essential service. The work stoppage stranded commuters, truckers, tcaveilers and business people. It was an illegal ard irresponsible action that cost people time and money and resuited in: aeedcless frustration and exas- peraiion. The province wes more than inconve- nienced, i¢ was held to ransom over a dispute that reporiedly involved a regular reduction of staffing on a Gulf Islands ferry run. place. way system. Finance Minister Glen that businesses can seek redress from the union through the courts, but that is a long, expensive and inefficient route down which to pursue losses that should never have been allowed to occur in ihe first Clark has said The B.C. ferry system is an integral part of the province's transportation and high- It is a lifeline ¢o “ritish Columbians who one. live in Sechelt and on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. It is an essentiai service if ever there was Quality education with affordable educators Dear Editor: I was very interested in the statements made by Linda Wat- son, president of the North Van- couver Teachers’ Asscciation, in your recent article on education. Ms. Watson’s statements about Mr. Schreck’s apparent ‘‘misun- derstanding of life in a North Vancouver classrcom” and that “‘education should ‘be his priority for now and for the future,’* fur- thered by her statement, ‘‘what the taxpayers of North Vancouver are not wanting are budget cuts,’’ is, in my opinion, highly hypocrit- ical to say the least. In the first place, how much in- formation on teachers’ salaries and independent schocl budgets are the NVTA willing to provide? in my opinion, that information should be available in every school in North Vancouver for member of the public to inspect, free of charge. Secondly, when the teaching profession has the right to teach responsibility to our children, where is the responsibility on themselves? It seems to be that no teacher in North Vancouver ever gets fired, they just keep “moving on” from school to school. Thirdly, in a time of worldwide any’ recession, our teachers enjoyed an increase of 7% in 1990-9], another 7% increase in ’91-'92, and 1} believe they are now after more. The average teacher’s salary in North Vancouver is over $55,000, not bad for just nine month’s work. It seems to be that unless the NVTA is itself able to clarify ‘quality’? education with afford- able educators, the choice of the taxpayers is either that of quality programs or highly paid teachers. We certainly cannot do both. Sue Cook Nosth Vancouver 13% to profits HALF-SOOTHING sounds about the North American Free Trade Agreement are coming from Finance Minister Den Mazankowski again — rather like the dentist promis- ing 2 root canal patient he won’t feel much. That, in fact, is exactly Mr. Mazankowski’s message. The lat- est report by his department on NAFTA prospects concedes that the U.S. and especially Mexico are the big winners — and that Canada will have to wait quite a time for any noticeable benefits. This, because our present trade with Mexico is a microscopic $3 billion a year — a mere 3% or less of our exports to Uncle Sam. But, the minister adds cheerfully, things should eventually look up, as Mexico prosners and is able to Duy more capital goods from Canada. Provided, | suppose he means, that Mexicans don’t find equally suitable capital goods, more com- petitively priced and nearer home, in the U.S, Or else get so smart that they wind up making them, at even lower cost, themselves. Oh yes, and how about those low Mexican wages tempting traitors in Canada’s manufactur- ing industries to close their On- tario plants and make their widgets much more profitably south of the Rio Grande? Not to wosry, we are assured, True, the average hourly wage of Canadian manufacturing workers — $17.43 — is 7.5 times more than their Mexican counterparts earning $2.31. Nevertheless, Ca- nadians remain competitive because the wage gap is offset by their much higher productivity. Well ... ALMOST offset, that is. The Mazankowski report actu- ally shows productivity in Canada as only 6.5 times higher. So even measured by the wages/ productivity yardstick, workers in Mexico still come 13% cheaper than in Canada. Does 13% matter much? Well, the Hamilton widget worker at $17.43 hourly for a 37.5-hour week costs his firm $33,989 a year. For 100 of them, make the total anrual payrcll $3.4 million — NOT including benefits. A 13% saving would amount to some $442,000, not too far short of half a million. Hardly to be sneezed at, one would think, for the hard-pressed owner of such a plant pondering - his long-term options. In Mexico his workers right now might be slower. But even if he initially employed 600, he'd remain almost $700,000 a year better off. As productivity rose, he could cut their number, hike their wages and si?! win. No threat to Canadian jobs, you say? Brave try, Don — and I'm sure Mike Wilsoz, who Noel Wright HITHER AND YON labored so hard on the NAFTA, is grateful to you. Too bad you both beiong to the same team of geniuses who added the GST to our recession, prom- ised tu eliminate the deficit by 1995, and then tried to con us with Meech Lake and Charlotte- town! WRAP-UP: Heavy political thinkers can get their jollies tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 21, at the I-4 p.m. policy forum on the economy and education at Cedar- dale Centre, 595 Burley, West Van ~~ sponsored by North Shore Lib- erals with MLA panelists Seremy Dalton and Lynn Stephens (Langley). ... For Christmas bdargain-hunters tomorrow brings St. Martin’s Market, !-4 p.m. at the Windsor and St. George’s church. ... Plus Doris Orr’s Rummage Sale for needy animals, la.m. to 2 p.m. at St. David’s, Taylor Way, West Van. ... And Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., have yourself a haircut for a voluntary envelope donation to the LGH Cardiac Unit at Ambleside Barber Shop, 235-16th, West Van — a fundraisez by owner Elfie Biro to thank the Unit for saving husband Geza's life after his recent heart attack. ... And many happy returns of today, Nov. 20, to North Van birthday girl Ephase Wardell. WRIGHT GR WRONG: Living life pays more dividends than just spending it. o Prrteg on 10% recycled Newsprint North Shore managed Display Advertising 980-0511 Distribution 986-1337 Rea! Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-1337 Classitiec Advertising 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 Newsroom 985-2131 Administration 985-2134 MEMBER Sk Publisher Peter Speck Managing Editor... . Timothy Renshaw Associate Editor .Noel Wright Sates & Marketing Director. Linda Stewart Comptrolier Doug Foot North Shorea News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph itl) of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Subsenptions North and Wes! Vancouver, $25 per year. Mailing rates avaiable on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accep! responsibility for unsolicited material including Manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. TE VOREE OF NORTH AND WHET LaMCOUYE® ‘north shore. Sea a ey : 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, ~~ SDA DIVISION : arn ed North Vancouver, B.C. - : : wot . : V7M 2H4 FAMILIAR GENIUSES... Finance Minister D Trade Minister Michael Wilson. Entire contents © 1992 North Shore Free Press Ltd. Ail rights reserved. pr see fet 61,582 (avetage circulation, Wednesday. Friday & Sunday) on Mazankowski (left) :