Office, Editorial 985-2131 Two sides agree to resume talks in an attempt to avert shutdown THE TWO sides locked in a labor dispute that threatens to shut down North Vancouver schools in September have agreed ty return to the bargaining table in an effort to avert a full-scale strike by teachers. But the president of the North Vancouver Teachers’ Association (NVTA) said Friday that his union will make yood on its threat to go on strike if no collective agree- Inent has been reached with the North Vancouver District 44 School Board (NYSB) by the first day of the new school year (Sept. 7). The union has been without a contract since June 30, 1992, and has been in a legal strike position since April. “That’s our Keith Denley. Both the union and the schoo! board have agreed to meet with Labor Relations Board (LRB) me- diator Grant McArthur on Wed- nesday to continue negotiations. McArthur spent nine days with the. two sides in May and June. The number of disputed issues was reduced from 35 to 15. “tt is the board’s hope that an agreement can be reached,’’ said District 44 superintendent Dr. Robin Brayne. position,’’ said By Surj Rattan News Reporter He added that bargaining ses- sions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Denley said the union was disappointed with the NVSB for failing to respond to a union re- quest to bargain throughout the summer and to send the out- standing issues to binding arbitra- tion. But NVSB chairman Don Bell said the school board was willing to bargain over the summer but that the union refused to do so. He added that the schoo! board was willing to go to binding ar- bitraticn but that the union wanted a private arbitrator to be involved rather than McArthur, Bell said the board was net willing to pay for a private ar- bitrator who did not have McAr- thur’s knowledge of the issues in See Over 400 page 5 Undercover cop dragged by car during drug bust The vehicle then struck a parked car and almost hit a pedestrian, who the police say was running to the injured RCMP constable’s aid. The suspect was finally corralled A NORTH Vancouver RCMP drug squad member was injured Thursday night after being dragged by a car driven by a suspected drug trafficker during an under- cover narcotics investiga- tion. A police spokesman said members of the North Vancouver RCMP and West Vancouver Police Department drug sections were working undercover near Slocan Street and East 20th Avenue in Vancouver at about 5 p.in. on Thursday. The area was under surveillance, and the police were observing an Oriental male seiling cocaine from his car. A North Vancouver RCMP un- dercover drug squid member ap- proached the suspect) and pur- chased sore cocaine. The police then moved in to arrest the man. But the suspect sped off in his vehicle, struck an unmarked police car and then struck the undercover RCMP constable. The officer was about eight feet (4 suspect’s car, dragged for m) by. the and arrested vo blocks from the scene. Charges of trafficking in co- caine, dangerous driving, criminal Negligence causing injury, threes counts of hit and run, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, escaping lawful custody and resisting arrest are expected to be laid against. a 31-year-old Van- couver man in connection with the incident. He was held in custody at the North Vancouver RCMP detach- ment Thursday night and was scheduled to appear in’ North Vancouver provincial court on Friday morning. . The constable, who police did not identify, suffered a sprained knee, a sprained ankle and lacera- tions to his legs as a result of the incident. He was treated in hospital and later released. : A police spokesman said North Vancouver RCMP and West Vancouver Police drug squad see- Hons routinely work together when arresting suspected drug traffickers. away St aan i aS snserecuesanrregers Oe eeaerneeanmenaecutrenttt Reisen at eet heremientr naan Hh wre neawe pte pepe HE ey pte oe 4 | Display Advertising 980-0511 Classifieds 986-6222 NEWS photo Terry Peters New addition THE CANADIAN navy’s HMCS Vancouver gets set to sail under the Lions Gate Bridge on Thursday afternoon on its way to Ballantyne Pier in Burrard Inlet. The 134-metre (449-faot), 4,750-tonne vessel, will be moved to Canada Place on Monday where it will be officially com- missioned at 3 p.m. With a crew of 225, the vessel is the jatest addition to the Canadian navy’s fleet and is the second of 12 frigates io replace 20 aging warships. Peck AN Ie REE A TIERS Cena GR Gi MERE SE OR Dec a ec aa Te EY REACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1969