Al - Sanday, November 27, 1983 - North Shore News Gi mailbox | Regan rebuts News Dear Editor Your reporter, Mark Hamilton, wrote a good report on my reasons for fil ing a petition in the Supreme Court on actions of the school board but your editonal of November 23 missed one point entirely. The senionty clause for inclu- sion in the teachers salary agreement does not mennon abuiry. That is the key factor in my opposition to the clause. The qualifications deal with seniority, certifica- tion and experience but fail to make any reference to how effectiveness in the class- rooms is to be determined, and that bothers the parents and myself, but not the teachers. When layoffs concern teachers with the same years of experience, there is no assurance that you will have the best qualified specialist teacher retained. Negotia- tions with the Richmond School Board broke down over this very point because there is no seniority protec- uon for specialist teachers of music, home economics, in- dustnal education, art, and others. Teachers in these categories may be shocked at how the proposed senionty provisions will be applied to them. Another incorrect assump- tion in the editoral is that this clause would be dealt with by an arbitration board. The teacher contract was set- tled in North Vancouver and nothing will go to arbitra- tion. In the event that my petition results in setting the Nov. 13th meeting aside, it will be possible to negotiate a new clause that will address ability in the classroom. I[n- formation on the experiences in other provinces should be provided to trustees and I believe that reasoned arguments can persuade some members of the Board to make umprovements to the seniority clause. Finally, | beheve that it is not appropriate to suggest that this is waste of tax- payer’s moncy. Costs will be minimal compared to the ium- portance of this issue for the future of quality education in North Vancouver. (Dr.) Ross Regan, School Trustee North Vancouver every right to his own inter- pretation of the seniority clause. However, The News stands by the interpretation given m our editorial and must respectfully agree to differ from him.—ED.) 36 hr. week will create jobs Dear Editor We are in the middle of the worst unemployment situa- tion in many years, and nobody is the least interested in creating jobs. Anyone who is honest will have to admit that the pro- vincial government is over- staffed. Anyone who says otherwise is aither worried about losing their job as a government employee or has their head in the sand. Bill Bennett had the right idea, trim the fat, but he went about it the wrong way. What we need is a reduc- tion of the work week. This is not a temporary solution. With the barth of the robot and the computer age upon us the 40-hour weck is an cn- dangered species. A work week of 36 hours will create one new 30b for every 9 peo ple now working. That ts an 11 per cent increase in jobs almost instantly The 10 per cent loss in wages could be tegained over 3 O 5% 5% or yes, 5% 05% The employer will have to pick up the extra benefits etc. The loss in wages ts the employee contnbution. It should be noted a 10 per cent wage loss leaves 90 per cent. Lose your job and it will cost much more. of people argue against the idea. Sure, adjustments will have to be made in certain areas. My answer to the Thank You to all the people of West Vancouver who supported me and to those who worked on my behalf in the Campaign critiucs and doubters, it’s a move in the nght direction, a direction our leaders have failed to take us. 1 have heard cnough negative bitching to last me a lifetime. Let’s legislate the 36-hour week. Give four hours and help create a job. You might need onc tomorrow! John Tennant North Vancouver District council moves to right Dear Editor 1 would bike to thank all those who voted for me in the recent mumcipal ciection, especially those who gave ther ame, shoe leather and thea hard carned moncy to contnibute to my campaign. Disturbed by turnout Dear Editor I wish to thank all of those people who supported me in my bid for an aldermamnic seat m North Vancouver City. And although I did not win | was pleased to see thal my percentage of the vote in- creased albeit only slightly. The new counal has my best wishes for success and I hope the commmunity feeis However, 1 am _ deeply disturbed by the lower voter tumout. Municipal govern- ment is the one closest to us and is part of our democratic process. And if people either don’t care or have become cynical or are fearful, those that wish to ride roughshod over the process will have an easier ume. It would be most regrettable if democracy was cancelled due to lack of interest . Richard Blackburn North Vancouver HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORM ASHCROFT LE “BOSS” da PERSONNEL a’ HOLLYBURN. You're not getting better you're just getting older. HAPPY 65th, DAD Love always, Sharen & Tom. DAWN SIKULA One of our most popular annual + eature Sections of the holiday season is the collection of traditional and comtenyporary Christmas Carois. Again this year local businesses have the oppoitunity to advertise ther (Chnasimas gift suggestions in a feature Section that may be heptiin the Nome for most of the month of December FRY’S Custom Teak draperies by S. Laursen Headers and advertisers why need extra Copies Of Our Cttstmas Carols feature are wetcome to call and order as many as they the These eatea Comes wil be avadabte at our main feception desk on Oecember / ry Advertising Yew oem ug?’ ttwo yum, Une De nase oa? Oe you vend geuten adiine cme Nara? 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