le)

— OF Pe SF A ale &

Wo

British Columbia

Socred bill cha

The legislation tabled by the Socred
g0vernment covering school referendums

_ Will cause chaos in school districts around

the province — but those wanting to main-
tain even the existing educational standards
In the face of provincial government under-
funding have little choice but to support
those referendums that have been set; par-
€nts and teachers agreed.

B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Ken
Novakowski said that federation members
Were being advised to take a ‘“hold-your-
Nose-and-vote-yes” approach in those dis-
tricts where boards have called referendums
as a result of Victoria’s failure to provide
adequate funding
_ “We will urge our members to restate
their opposition to the concept of referen-
dums for funding education, use the oppor-
tunity to emphasize inadequate government
funding for public education and, acknowl
edging the referendum as the only means in
this situation to obtain adequate funding,
€ncourage teachers resident in the district to

Vote in support of the proposed funding,”
‘he said.

B.C. School Trustees Association com-
munications director Steve Bareham said
this week that 11 districts have scheduled
referendums to raise necessary funds for
Programs, including Vancouver which is
Seeking $7.7 million.

Some other districts had also planned to
raise funds through referendum but aban-

Wage control by a side door

doned them when the actual legislation, Bill
11, the School Amendment Acct, was tabled,
changing the rules yet again for the contro-
versial process.

When Education Brummet announced
government plans in February to introduce
referendums, he indicated that school dis-
tricts which wanted additional funds over
and above the amount given them under a
new block funding formula, would have to
go to referendum to obtain more money.
Most educators assumed that if school
boards fell short in their operating budgets,
they could go to referendum, notwithstand-
ing their opposition to the process.

But Bill 11 adds a new lever of govern-
ment control over spending, specifically rul-
ing out funding operating deficits through a
referendum. That process is allowed only
for new programs, enhanced programs or
local capital initiatives not covered by the
ministry.

Section 128 (2) of the bill states: “Money
raised (by referendum)... may be used bya
board to provide new programs, to enhance
existing programs for additional activities
for students or for local capital initiatives
but shall not be used to fund operating

deficits ....”

The bill specifies the wording of the refer-
endum and stipulates that actual amounts
to be raised under the three categories must
be included and that no additional ques-
tions may be put to voters. It also provides
for the amendments to be brought in by
order-in-council, allowing the government
to proceed even before the bill has been
passed by the Legislature — and heading
off any efforts by the NDP Opposition to
hold the bill up beyond the May 5 date set

. for referendums.

The wording of the bill makes it clear that
the legislation was intended by the Socreds
to take aim at teachers’ and support staff
salaries, since they form the bulk of school
boards’ operating budgets. The new block
funding formulas set specific limits on
increases and since boards will be prohi-
bited from going to referendum to fund
operating deficits, boards could legitimately
argue that they cannot pay decent salary
increases.

It effectively provides a form of wage
control by the side door — which is clearly
what Victoria intended.

Significantly, the government sent out a

os for school funding

series of background documents with its
recent budget, claiming that school board
spending had outstripped inflation since
1986-87 — but ignoring the years of crip-
pling restraint which had pushed education
spending in B.C. down toa level 25 per cent
less than the national average.

The inadequacy of funding for the North
Vancouver school district is expected to
force the board to lay off 40 staff this year.
And the Terrace board reported that its
decision not to hold a referendum would
result in cuts to several district programs.

In Vancouver, the Coalition Against
Referendums had earlier brought together
some 26 groups in a campaign to lobby the
government to scrap the legislation. Co-
ordinator Mel Lehan: said the campaign
would continue but at a lower leve'
“because. people have been forced into the
paradoxical position of having to campaign
fora yes vote on the referendum in order to
get some funding.”

Parents and teachers across the district
have been phoning residents, emphasizing
their opposition to the concept of referen-
dums but calling on voters to vote yes in this
instance to provide the necessary funds. The
$7.7 million referendum calls for new and
enhanced programs for gifted and special
needs children, computer staff and supplies
and local capital initiatives for school reno-
vations and earthquake preparations.

May Day Greetings
to the labour movement

from

the executive and members of
The Vancouver-
New Westminster
Newspaper Guild

May Day Greetings
to all workers in
British Columbia.

Solidarity forever.
~CUPE LOCAL 561

May Day Greetings

for peace,
for unity,

for jobs,

Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labor Council

TRADE UNION
RESEARCH BUREAU

“But we have a glowing dream
Of how fair the world will seem,
When we all can live our lives

secure and free.

May Day
Greetings

from the
membership of

Local #9,
Prince George

Tecvceccccccecesccccce,

ry oe
gannooorer a ee

PN | cnn Ssececccncesteccces

When the earth is owned by labour
And there’s joy and peace for all
In the Commonwealth of Toil
that is to be.”

Over 50 years of labour research, advocacy
and computer services.
Pay equity and job evaluation specialists.

itime Labour Centre, #170, 111 Victoria Drive,
Mane B.C. V5L 4C4. (604) 255-7346

To our members, friends
and supporters in the
labour movement on the
104th anniversary of
May Day.

UNITED FISHERMEN and ALLIED WORKERS UNION
=

y

N

Pacific Tribune, April 30, 1990 « 5