A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 23, 1998 Hospital hopes to clear up labour dispute BY WEEK’S END housekeepers at Mills Memorial - osyital should have their job duty lists straightened out, says Cynthia Stokes, the hospital’s personnel man- ager. Housekeepers held two half-day sit ins last week to protest a cut in their work force from four to two people on weck day shifis and from two to one on weekends, _with their managers to ensure they're not being over- worked, To make the cuts, managers re-arranged job schedul- es and job duties to even out workloads, Housekeepers are saying there’s too much wark to do on weekends for just one person. - “Tt will be very hard for current staffing levels to keep up to the standards it has in the past,’’ said local Hospital Employees’ Union shop steward Mary Nicholls, But Stokes said the hospital’s cleanliness shouldn’t suéfer. "You have to deal with a public place the best you can,’’ she said. ‘It can’t always be perfect.” And if the workload one day is too great for a housekeeper, Stokes said the hospital will call some- body to come in for four hours to help out. Nicholls, however, wants three staff working week- days and two on duty weekends, “The main issues are workload and safely,’’ she said. Nicholls explained that if a solitary weekend housekeeper fell off a ladder while cleaning air ducts at night, there’s a good chance she wouldn’t be found un- til the next morning, Yet if two housekeepers worked on weekends, the other one could go looking for a co- _ worker if she didn’t show up for a break. But Stokes said that scenario wouldn’t happen be- cause weekend housekeepers shouldn’t be climbing ladders to clean things. She explained that weekend janitors will be responsible mainly for cleaning patients’ rooms and making sure floors are clean and that there aren't pools of water by the front door. Stokes said the hospital ‘‘reduced the number of staffing on weekends because activity in the hospital is a lot less so the major cleaning can be done from Mon- day to Friday when all the staff is there.”” Evening janitor Augela Lavallee said as of Dec. 11 her work time hase been cut by 15 hours, but she is still expected to do the same job. She said there’s also been talk of adding a new job to her worklist. ‘I can try, but I] don’t know if I'll be able to get it all done,”’ said Lavailee. Housekeeping duties include cleaning patients’ rooms, making beds, painting walls, cleaning ducts, cleaning hallways, answering phones, and cleaning a variety of other rooms. , The workers are now reviewing new work schedules’ Wa Get to the heart ~=/9): of the matter! ‘\ Next time you're feeling a little down, Shari get cut and get active. Fora feeling aring a you can really take to heart! Healthier FULUre’ in ) | PAIRTGPICHaN f.) Dr. R.D. Greenwood Chiropractor 4635 Lazelle, Terrace MSP, ICBC, WCB ACCEPTED Dynamic Gait Analysis and Prescription Orthotics Now Available. For Appointment 638-8165 - CALEDONIA SENIOR BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM would like to T the following people and businesses for their donations on and off the court and making it possible for us to go to Provincials. eSkeena Hotel Back Eddy Pub *Paragon Insurance Donna Ziegler Neid Enterprises *Keenleyside Insurance *OK Tire Terrace Sight & Sound Skeena Animal Hospital *Terrace Carpet Contre Scotia Bank *Elan Travel elkon Office Solutions *Denny’s Rostaurant *McEwon GM Coastal Bus Lines Lid. *All Seasons *Kathleen Brandsma *Bri-Don Installations *Thomhill Motors #Skeena Sawmills *Terrace Min. Transport Mervin Beedle West Point Rentals »Bandstra Transportation Systems Nino's Arc & Spark eC. Stewart Entarprises Inc. *Finning *Terrace Chrysler Lid, *Totem Furniture & Appliances *Terrace Home Hardware *Uniglobe Travel *Rudon Enterprise * Electronics Plus *Robert C. Nearing Holdings Lid. *Edgar Yeldman *Anna Malo *Northem Savings Credit Union Williams Moving and Storage * Terrace Builders Centre Etd, A special thanks to Scott Stewart and Cam MacKay for their patience, advice, support and making things go smoothly. Without them there would not have been a team. Killer remains on the loose ALMOST TWO weeks after Linda Geraldine Lefranc was stabbed to death in her Braun Street townhouse, Terrace RCMP officers still have no one in custody. “We're not making a whole lot of progress,” said Staff Sgt. Bob Solvason late last week, ‘‘All we have is a body.”’ Solvason said the public should not worry that there is a person’ on the loose who attacks people in their homes at night. But he did say people should take some safeguards. ‘‘People have to exercise some sort of normal precau- tion until we find out who did this,’’ said Solvason. After meeting with people in Lefrauc’s life and con- ducting a neighbourhood blitz, Solvason said investi- gators here are still short on details. Officers from Prince George aud Prince Rupert in town to assist the investiga- tion unit here, went home briefly this past weekend to rest, Solvason said officers are being particularly quiet about case details — such as the nature of the murder weapon — for two reasons: they don’t want to publicize details that only the mur- derer knows. That's to eliminate false information which may. come in about the case. And, officers also want to increase the chances of con- viction once a person who is charged gets to court. A jury can be unfairly in- fluenced, said Solvason. Linda Lefranc kkk kk Lefranc’s funeral was held Friday, Dec. 19, Her body was returned from Prince George last week after a coroner completed an autopsy. Lefranc’s body was dis- covered early in the morn- ing of Dec. 9 by her seven- year old daughter, ’ An office administration student at Northwest Com- munity College, Lefranc was a 37-year-old single mother who had recently moved from Victoria to Ter- race. She is originally from Kitimat. (BEAT THE opps) LUNG DISEASE fy Arm yourself with the latest lung ass = facts fram ae Cia ae, the B.C. Lung Association, BRITISH CCLUMBIA | LUNG ASSOCTATION Box 34009, Staticn D s Vancouver, B.C; V6) 4M2 \ Fadwertitang spice domated do this preblicotian} J The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foundation presents Valentines Day, my dear _ New Orleans Style Sat. Feb, 13, 1999 ANNOUNCEMENT Terrace operation. LEJ. International Trucks Ltd. is pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Parent as Branch Manager of the Ed, and the L.E.J. team are committed to bringing you the best possible in products and services. The L.E.J. team welcome ' you to drop by for a visit. p ited 3467 Hwy 16 East, Terrace 635-9198 KERMODEI BEAR SWIM Join in the fun by gathering pledges now along with these past and present supporters. Dale Lufkin Overwaitea - Fiona McNair Kinettes ~ Jim Checkley Cedarland Tire Steve Little CENR Brian Lindenbach Terrace Standard Dennis Lissermore BC tottery Corp. Bruce Martindale Web North Gareth Reid Mix 590 Pick up your pledge forms at the following businesses. Terrace Standard Valhalla Pure Outfitters Co-op Home Cenire Overwaitea Skeena Broadcasters or contact Patrick McIntyre at 638-177 Event takes place at Kiddies Camp « Antipasto « Chutney Phone: 635-3259 When Holiday Shopping Wears You Out... Give A Gift Basket Choose the products you would like to give. And many others! itl G fp $ | Gy © Plentiful Preserves ¢« Jams * Pickled Garlic Gift Baskets Starting From “ Call or fax your order Fax: 635-0186 1:00 pm New Years Day +t YOu BE THE JUDGE | When the class bully is... the teacher?! Andrea leaned over the bed to give her 7 year old daughter a good-night kiss. “Sweet dreams Claudia, my little pumpkin.” Without warning, Claudia sat up and threw her arms around her mother. Sobbing, she pulled her mother tight. Andrea was baffled. "Claudia, what's wrong? You can tell me, baby. Mummy will make it all better.” After 2 minutes, the weeping subsided. Claudia's {little voice was barely audible. “Mummy, I'm really stupid at school,” Andrea was aghast. How could her pre- cious little daughter be so down on herself? “Claudia, who's been telling you that? You're such a bright little girl. You know that.” Claudia started sobbing again. “My teacher daesn't think so. She says I'm stupid. She calls me ‘Queen of Mistakes’. And she yells it out really loud. I'm so seared al] the time. Mummy, do | have to go back to school? Can't | stay home with you? I'll be good, | promise,” Andrea hugged her child lovingly for sev- eral minutes. Then she kissed her and tucked her into bed. “Don't worry my darling, Daddy and Mummy will take care of It. You know how much we love you. We'll do anything to help you.” Andrea turned off the light and ran to the phone. She called a friend, who confirmed — everything Claudia had said. “A tot of mothers say the same thing, Andrea, This teacher is such a bully! My daughter comes home every day with a stamach ache. We have to do something 7 about this!" Andrea's husband overheard the conversation, "Lay a complaint with the Regional School Board.” BY CLAIRE BERNSTEIN BASED ON ACTUAL COURT CASES The. Regional School Board never answered. At the end of the month, Claudia came home with her report card. Her head was hanging in shame. Andrea glanced at the report and let out a yell of disgust, “Claudia was getting straight A’sill Now she’s getting C's and D'sIll I've had enough of this. Claudia Is NOT gaing back there." The couple immediately transferred Claudia to a differant school. “We're suing the Regional Schoal Board and the teacher for damages for stress, dis- ruption of home life and loss of schooling.” In court, Claudia’s parents fought hard. “Your Honour, this kind of behaviour by a teacher |s inappropriate and objectionable. - Any reasonable parent would agree. The _ teacher, or at least the Regional School Board, should be held responsible for the _ quality of my daughter's schooling. Don't teachers have to live up to certain stan- dards of conduct?" The schoo! board was incensed. “Your Honour, this is a waste of time! It's not the court's responsibility to establish stan- dards of canduct for our teachers! We see nothing wrong with this teacher's actions, . Leave it at that.” Should the Regional School Board and the teacher be forced to pay damages? Youl Be the Judge, Then look below for the decision, SPONSORED BY LAWYERS “Helping People Cope with the Legal System”