1809 wea cme. 1 pe fe. } “to! change ‘the: way - collective bargaining’ is’ done in B. ,C.’ fy public school system. oo i . staff... working ° in “Grade-12. school. system throughout | B.C. ‘school districts are blanketed by ja " patchwork quilt of 168 individual collective : agreements. -..: ‘The labor-intensive public school eystern is extremely expensive to run. Its 1992-93 ‘operating budget. totalled . $3.1 billion,’ se- ‘cond’ only.’ to; the’: budget i health-care ‘system.~.. | Meanwhile, ' the. 168: B.C. ‘teacher. con- the’ kindergarten-to- tracts hammered: out. at 75: bargainitig 7 tables around. the ‘province are quite simi ‘s As matters stand, teachers and support. 15) for | B. C, 8" | OF THE DAY: 32, 600 teachers in "1992, according to, B. C. School Trustees . Association (BCSTA) fig- / ARTES, WAS more than $9 million, By, comparison the cost of ‘centralized bargaining for 19,000 nurses. working in B.C.’s health-care © field was, about $900,000.” .BCSTA: members say, they bargain ona - district-by-district basis without the benefit of a central authority to represent school - boards and are therefore ata disadvantage when . bargaining ..with “ the. “strong ° ‘B. Cc. Teachers’ Federation (BCT F). ’ at the Korbin Commission. is: to take any of the many’ recommendations it is facing . ~ to heart it should be the need to establish a provincial bargaining _ system for public” Gi HATS OF 'F to West vai School Board: — whatever its. other sins — for again seeking an-erid to teachers’ strikes . They should never ha ve been allowed in the first place j in Forget for the moment that ‘Canada’s public schools in general are falling down miserably on their job even when teachers are working — and despite costing more per capita than in any of the world’s other leading industri- alized countries. ‘ Forget for the moment their 30% dropout rate and the one in’ five illiterates they churn out — unqualified for any but the lowest paid jobs (if they can find them). Forget the dismal effect of all this on Canada's ability to compete: : against countries like Germany and Japan with greatly superior education systems... |: In the world of the 1990s |. there’s an even more compelling reason why our schools are an... essentia! public service. Quite usidé from education, they func- «: tion as our national daycare syster In nearly 7O% of all families ‘both parents now work. In Van- couver alone one-third of all . children come from single-parent homes: So when teachers hit the... bricks, thousands of other mom . and dad workers — plus their ae bosses and colleagues — are in-?: stantly affected. Suddenly forced to stay homie to look after junior until they can. ; make other arrangements, they. may lose income, face majer extra expense or even sometimes have. their job itself jeopardized... . This is the key difference be-;. tween strike action in the private « sector and work stoppages in the" public service — whether it be =.’ civil servants, doctors, hospital”, employees, ferry workers ors. teachers! 7). : "The right to strike a stubborn private employer in order to ob-. tain fair wages and treatment is: without representation unwise woe . claims: the: The. flip: sidé ‘of the’ agreement Squamish ; /Band is: that the tax-: action... and Lis Indian land. ’ However, ‘there . are’ serious ‘and ‘between, West Vancouver and the: . unwise recetdents i in this course of | no representatives ‘and in, vihich | they have no.control over the level ' of taxation or its allocation. | ~ ‘Taxation without: representation - is not a: wise : precedent, as: our one thing... Damage and fi nancial’ » loss to thousands of the innocent.” public i is quite another. thing Nor, in the case of striking: ” teachers, is that ‘everything. After. all, they’re supposed to be role : models. But the seductive lesson they. teach ‘today’ 's students is that: Number One comes first and to.” hell with how many people yo - hurt in order. to grab what you “This time, West Van trustees got it right. They’ ve pressed ..: Judith Korbin’s Commission of : _ such an essential public service. | HIT HER AND YON . restore provincial (instead of local) bargaining for teachers’ salarics and benefits; binding ar: ' bitration where settlement can’t be reached; ‘and a total ban on.’ “In short, ‘they want Mr. Chips “pack i in the classroom and they © * deserve the fullest public’ siippor. But alas, with our present gang in Victoria, don’t hold your, breath just yet. : " WRAP-UP: Mysterious faces and twisted, dancing bodies mark th works of Angela Brows, whose. dynamic ‘Mask and Myth’’ ex. ‘hibit opens ai 7:30 p. m.:Thurs- , day, Jan. 21, at" North Van City. : Hail with a dance number bythe artist — part of her ongoing ex- ploration of the borders between -visual and performing arts should cali Robyn Oliphant _, 987-1230, for, details « Holi at'97'..: Closer to home, .more of the same to the NDP’. Socred loose « cannon’ and forner. finance 1 minister, 62-year-old Mel . nothing frequently reflects an ad ; “mirable command of the English ‘payers’. of} West. Vancouver ‘will First, it ‘places the municipality Inquiry into the Public Sector to ‘subsidize the band by 25%'of thé in the role of providing financial: : a / current tax revenue from. these: support for: the Indian communi- ‘Properties. | et. “ty. This ‘is al role that belongs to~- "senior levels of-government.. |. - American neighbors. demonstrated. several centuries ago.. we it is unfortunate ‘that. sO littte discussion and public consultation’, Second, it disenfranchises occurred over an issue with such ratepayers, ‘including’ the owners ~ broad implications. . of -apartments:-in Park,» Royal i ot Towers. They, will. havé ‘to. pay “Lionel 'Funt : taxes ito a body in which they, have «. West Vancouver The. West. Van. district is, “not a’ : profit-generating « entity ‘and’ can- ot. provide’ $100 of services for. 75 of revenue. : his visi not: a matter ‘of land: Display Advertising . .980-0511 ‘Distribution | 986-1337 . . Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 . Subscriptions 986-1337 ; . Classilied Advertising 985-6222" Fax * , 985-3227 : Newsroom: *, 985-2131. Administration 985-2131 “MEMBER Pater Speck! Timothy Renshaw “Mana ing Edito’ { . Noel Wright ‘Associate Editor: “Sales & Markatin: Director Comptroller. ..::; Printed on. : 10% recycled . fewsprini vy Ni ‘ : North Shore managed ° | ‘independent suburban newspaper and qualified : ~ under. Schedule.111, Paragraph ill of the Excise . “Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday .by.. North Shore Free Press: Ltd. and : ‘distributed to. every door on the. North Shore! :Sgcond Class’ Mail Registration Number 3885. Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 pe year:Mailing: ratess vailable- on tequest: Submissions are welcome but we canst accept - fresponsibility for ‘unsolicited material including manuscripts ‘and pictures which ‘should ‘be ° accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. - epidn't hurt abit, did et health and lifestyle consultant Bruce + Hunt performs: a ’skin fold. on. 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