HY TEACHERS WANT ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS Contract talks concern teachers THE PROGRESS of contract negotiations between North Vancouver teachers and the school district dominated Tuesday’s North Vancouver School Board meeting. Over 60 local teachers attended the board meeting to show support for the president of the now- unionized North Vancouver Teachers’ Association (NVTA), Jac’: Stevens, who was presenting the association’s 1989 budget. In addition to communicating NVTA concerns and recommenda- tions regarding the budget, Stevens told the board that the teachers recommend the current pattern of daily contract negotiations con- tinue, uninterrupted, until an agreement has been reached. “We are looking forward to life after our agreement,’’ quipped Stevens. Stevens said the NVTA en- visages an enhanced role for teachers. “We are also hoping to agree upon a common vision of educa- tion in North Vancouver on which the trustees and teachers can work together ,”’ Stevens added. The two-week period set aside for daity negotiations ends. today (Friday), and Stevens said he is NORTH Vascoaver Schcol Board thalrmas Dox Bell ...‘‘We can't continee on an all-day basis.”’ concerned about negotiations breaking off. “We would lose too much momentum. We need the continui- ty,’’ sséct Stevens, a former school Princips! curaed NYTA president. Stevens later told the News his five-member negotiating commit- tee would be willing to work through the weekend, in order to finish the job. The new North Vancoaver Schoo! Board chairman, Don Bell, who took holidays from his day job this week to negotiate full time with the teachers, doubted that talks would go on all weekend, but would probably continue on a part-time basis the following week. Earlier in the meeting, Bell told the teachers’ association that trustee involvement in the negotia- tion process is important to the board, but that several of the board members also work for a living. “We can't continue on an all- day basis,”’ Bell said. Bel explained that negotiations are now proceeding on the more difficult items of the contract, which have been left to the end. “But we would also like to see the momentum continue and not see the negotiations slow down or By MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer stall,”’ Bell said. Contract talks between the district and the teachers are now in their seventh month. So far, 12 out of the 75 B.C. districts have reach- ed a settlement. “Why shouldn't we be one of the first 15 districts to complete? If this is a ‘lighthouse’ district that spearheads services and programs, why shouldn’t we be able to com- plete a contract earlier than other districts?"’ Stevens queried in his conversation with the News. The NVTA recommended to the board that the school trustees prepare a March 15 budget which “fully reflects the board's pro- jected responsibilities to the Col- lective Agreement.”’ The ‘A requested that the board recommend to the Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance that the Budget Stabiliza- tion Fund be ‘capped’ at $500 mil- lion and the surplus funds be directed towards the education budget. Stevens said the Budget Stabilization Fund, which has been formed by the provincial gov- ernment to help stabilize essential services, ‘‘of which education cer- tainly is one,’’ now stands at about $833 million. The NVTA also submitted a list of areas of concern that they believe the board should address in this year’s budget. Building maintenance and custodial services need attention, according to the teachers. The deteriorating conditions of some facilities is leading to poor learn- ing, health and safety conditions, while cutbacks in custodial services could tempt teachers to ‘‘move in- to an aren that is covered by another union,’’ Stevens warned. He went on to claim that class sizes are ‘“‘frequently in violation of professional standards, par- ticularly where grades are combin- ed and special needs youngsters are integrated. “We are sufficiently concerned that the NVTA is striking a special committee to address the whole issue of integration,’’ Stevens said. The teachers see the funding of health services as a problem and support the school board in its at- tempts to improve the situation. Stevens called for increased resources, including staffing, to support the implementation of curriculum and the integration of special needs children. “‘There are indications that this province is going to face a severe shortage. of teachers,’’ Stevens went on, warning the board that examples in the U.S. have shown that you can’t keep cutting back on the number of teachers and then turn the tap back on and ex- pect them to be there. Board chairman Bell said the trustees will seriously consider the NVTA’s submissions. ° “A number of the points you have raised are also goals of mine,’ he added. 3 - Friday, January 13, 1989 - North Shore News NEWS photo Tom Suriey Somethings burning NORTH VANCOUVER City Fire Department firefighters were calied in to douse a fiaming car engine Monday afternoon in the 2300-block of Lonsdale Avenue. A fire department spokesperson said the car had stalled nt the traffic lights nearby. The driver of the car smelled smoke, pulled over, and the engine com- partment burst into flames. The fire caused extensive damage to the engine, The cause of the fire remains undetermined. WEAPONS-FREE ZONE NVD Council won't fund nuclear awareness program NORTH VANCOUVER District is a nuclear weapons-free by the taxpayers is beyond the zone, but council dropped a financial bombshell on a pro- gram aimed at increasing public awareness of that fact on Monday night. In a close 4-3 vote, council votec! to deny the funding applica- tion of the Nuclear Weapons-free Zone Committee, which had ap- plied to both city and district councils in Novernber for a budget of $5,500. District council at that time veted to authorize its share of $3,250 subject to a like expenditure by the city and a legal opinion on the legality of such an expenditure. ‘The report from municipal solic- itors Bull, Housser and Tupper, received by council Monday, stated that a strong argument can be made that the issues of nuclear disarmament and nuclear weapons-free zones are not municipal matters and, being beyond the statutory powers of council, expenditures of public funds on such matters should net be made. However the report went on to Doug Collins Editorial Page Home & Garden Mailbox What's Going On By MARTIN MILLERCHIP Contributing Writer cite the case of Baird v. Corpora- tion of the District of Oak Bay in which a referendum dealing with nuclear disarmament was held not to contravene the Municipal Act. The report concluded that “while the Baird case does not analyse the concept of municipal power to any great depth, it is authority for the proposition that council has the power to dea! with nuclear disarmament and anything incidental or conducive to that power and could be used in defence of any challenge to the proposed expenditure.”’ However, council could not agree on its interpretation of the report. Ald. Craig Clark maintained that ‘tan ongoing lobby supported Friday, cloudy with showers. Highs noar 7°C. Saturday, periods of rain. High near 6°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885 scope of council’? and with the support of .aldermen Gadsby, Buchols and Dykeman the motion to approve funds wes defeated. Council Ald. Craig Clark ...‘‘an ongoing lobby supported by the taxpayers is beyond the scope of councij.”’ Ted Powis, from the Peace Committee of St. Christopher’s Church, West Vancouver, castigated council for its decision. “I cannot understand this council. Tam ashamed of you. Millions and millions are spent cn nuclear weapons, and you can’t manage $3,250 to educate our children,’’ he said. ; Powis later said to vote unani- mously for a nuclear wéapons-free zone and then not fund the com- mittee was laughable. ‘‘It’s con- tradictory to say it’s not in their jurisdiction. These things start in the grass roots and this chamber represents the grass roots,’’ he said, Srian McConnell, the Unitarian representative on’ the comrnittee, vowed to fight on. ‘‘We’il have to find some funds from somewhere, and I guess the next stuge is to try and sway some opinion en council here,”’ he said.