AlO - Friday, September 21, 1984 - North Shore News

‘"We have a lot of pent-up salary needs.

By JOANNE MacDONALD

THE RECENT transit strike on the Lower Mainland has brought to a head the question of whether public sector unions should strike.

Dr. Ross Regan, North Vancouver School District trustee, says he is against public sector union strikes.

Rev. Roy Dungey, chairman of the North Vancouver School Board, says without the right to Strike unions, of any kind, could lose _ their

negotiating powers.

BACKLIT BY

the setting sun. cars travelling the rain- soaked Mount Seymour Parkway during the late after. noon rush hour take on a dramatic glow

“The problem to me ts if unions of any kind don’t have the rght to strike, then they have no power to negotiate. Then they will continue to have legislated or imposed set- tlements without having the option to withdraw their services.

“Right now we have a lot of pent up salary de- mands or needs. Teachers have had zero increases

imposed and those needs are building up. Inflation is still there. By taking a zero increase they're ac- tually taking minus five, when across the country they’re getting about three and a half.

“'What they (the umions) ultimately need is a way to deal with employers. With school boards, we have a for- muta situation and there’s

opposing views on the issues of the day

no room for inflation or salary demands.

‘*But I also understand that prolonged strikes have serious effects on people. I’m not sure our teachers would opt for a long strike due to their dedication to their work. If they struck, it would not be due to money, it would be a combination of things. Let’s face it: they’ve been bashed over

the last few years and such things only build up to a public demonstration of dissatisfaction.

‘*As for the governme- nt being able to legislate unions back to. work, they probably need that ultimate power. They have to govern for the people, for the society that elected them. | just don’t see the government giving up that power.

‘“‘It is wrong to use people as pawns.’”’

“*When collective bargaining in the private sector breaks down, the purpose of a strike is to evoke economic hardship on an employer. But when it breaks down in the public sector, the hardship is to the public. The public sector unions cannot hurt politicians, but | feel it is wrong to use senior citizens and other people as pawns in

_ Interior

Design

a dispute.

‘The proper place to voice their displeasure is in the ballot box, not with public demonstra- tions.

‘*As for all public sec- tor unions being essential services — essential ser- vices are hard to define. ] believe that aspect is not used extensively by the provincial government — they can never win when

Ernst Hofmann Vat Miaarieagqgert

With a new set of Fog ligh

it comes to intervening in a dispute — but then it depends on whose ox is being gored. | also don't subscribe to. arbitration boards as a means to set- tling disputes simply because they're’ short- term bodies. They sit down one day and they're gone.

“What I’m advocating is a Public Sector Media- uuon Commission. The

members of the Commis- sion would initially be appointed by the gov- ernment, based on nominations from. the private sector. ‘*The collective bargaining process should have a chance only up to the time of the end of the contract — collective bargaining is only real- istic when both sides are willing to cooperate.

Policy set to protect West Van greenbelts

IN AN effort to preserve the intent of the Caulfeild Plateau greenbelt, West Van- couver municipal staff have formulated a policy that wall control the terms and cond. trons of the restrictive covenants placed on the greenbelt areas

The greenbelt, were established, in part. to pro tect the land trom water and wind erosion as well as pro- vide boundaries residences

between

Duc te pressure to develop the plateau foots gases

Capacity the NPusirapality

Has fou cf nee essatry tee

draft prise apdes that wood

Boverh the prescrsyatrom oof the preenbelt

Phe pohox anchades pros Stoms for teplacemient plan Ciny nthe exent that cxrstiag trees ate removed the “preening of any imonor en

croachments. providing they do not extend more than 10 Per went oor VO feet of the gicenbelnwidth, whichever is less In ade no any blasting

Hans Saely

Syern ne Maange:

ts

done near the greegbelts must take into account the safety of existing trees.

Ald. Dave Finlay noted that this policy was as yet still a staff draft pohcy and not the recommendations of Council

‘There's a lot of work to be done on it,’’ he said, and recommended that the draft be forwarded to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and to the Caulfeild Property Owner’s Association for review

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