Mourning march FIREFIGHTERS gathered Wednesday in North Vancouver to attend the funeral service of Joe Trim, who passed away May 9 at the age of 63. Trim was with the North Vancouver District Fire Department for 37 years. He was assistant chief when he retired in 1993 and served 17 years on the executive of Loca! 1183 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Trustee’s approach to cut NV schools budget sinks in BY IAN NOBLE News Reporter LAYOFF notices from North Vancouver Schoo! District 44 went out to 156 employees Thursday. but they won't be accepted meckly. Forty-four CUPE members and 107 teachers, many of them part-time workers, received notice. Five management staff are also gone, The equivalent of almost 70 full-time jobs have been eliminated. ; Mike Hocevar, the president of CUPE Local 389, which represents approximately 740 employces, said his union will grieve the job loss- es. Although uniun members understand the cash-strapped district's budget woes, “they're proceeding with layoffs and not even showing us why. said Hocevar. He said the local has asked for meetings with government-appointed trustee Bob Smith and the education minister to discuss the union's submit- ted reply to Smith's March report, bul meetings have not occurred. Smith's report detailed $4 million in contro- versial cuts and fee increases to bulance the dis- trict’s books for the [996-97 fiscal year. It is cur- rently being used by school district stalf to draw up a preliminary budget for District 44. Although some recommendations have been shelved in the current budget process, sll on the books is a plan to chop the equivalent of nearly 41 full-time teaching jobs. Smith said the school district must cut accord- ing lo the teachers’ agreement, so teachers with the least seniority are being shown the doar. Some teachers may be rehited depending on whether their skills are needed. he said. Rut North Vancouver Teachers” Assoxcrition (NVTA) president Chuck Dixon isn’t holding bis breath, fp ae year when fewer teachers are reticings and many are returning from leave, there’s no puarantee laid-off teachers will get their jobs back, Dixon added. Many teachers will choose to go on the recall list rather than take severance. Severance would only pay the teachers nany of then in their first and second year — 5% of cach year’s salary, Dixon said. He also questioned whether the dis- trict would provide adequate staffing to accom. modiate students enrolling next 5 ear, “Tt looks like there could be quite a bit of upheaval for students in September.” he said. Smith said Wednesday that Brooksbank cle-" mentary’s French immersion class and Seycove’s senior students have escaped the budget axe. His plans for Seycove have been altered because an alternative proposal that includes reducing stafl and combining classes will allow the school to cut the $200,000 Sniith called for in his report. Smith intended to move Grade [and 12 Seycove stu- dents to Windsor secondary. Also, Beooksbank clementiry’s French immersion classes will live to sce another day See Smith pare 1 Weather Saturday: Periods of rain High 16°C, love 8°C. ‘lection Act irks coalition BY IAN NOBLE News Reporter AN NDP act that limits third- party spending during elec- tions has sparked cornplaints from fishermen trying to sink the NDP on the native treaty ISSUE. B.C. Fisheries Survival Coalitioa spokesman Phil Eidsvik said he feels like he’s living in an evi! dictatorship because his group of commercial and recreational fishermen can‘t spend more than $5,000 telling British Columbians what a bad deal the Nisga‘a Treaty is. But North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA David Schreck says fishermen can spend more cash — they just have to funnel it through a political party. On Friday, B.C.'s deputy chief elec- toral officer told the coalition to cease dis- tribution of a pamphlet outlining the coali- tion's criticisms of the Nisga‘’a deal until they registered under the B.C. Election Act. The Election Act was passed last year by the government but opposed by oppo- sition parties, which characterized it as a gag law. The North Shore News is spearhead- ing a campaign against the act. News Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw said the act infringes upon the public's right to know and its right to free and open discussion during one of the most critical times in the democratic process. Under the act, third parties such as the fisheries coalition are limited to spending $5,000 supporting or opposing candidates See Fishermen page 10 index @ Long Weekend. @ WN. Shore Alert............... - @ Real Estate Talking Personals @ TY Listings + 58,100 down plus Ih eciity S50, n 1160 Marine Drive, N.Von. 985-6333