TERRACE STANDART )

nd claims fears assailed

TERRACE — People here wiil
profit — not lose —- from a
setlement of the Nisga’a land
claim, says the new president of
ihe Nisga’a Tribal Council.

*T can’t-sce the fear that people
have about trying to resolve the
issue,’’ Joseph Gosnell said.

. He made the ‘comments during
an April 28 banguet as part of the

vention and after an address by
Terrace mayor Jack Talstra.

“The Nisga’a Nation isn’t
going to go away,”” Gosnell said:
‘We aren’l just going to be swept
under the rug,

“You'd: better. get used to us
being around here, my good

iribal council’s 36th annual con- .

friend, the mayor of Terrace. Be-
cause we support {he businesses
of this community.

‘Annually we spend $13 to $15
million a year right here in this
community. ‘That’s what the
Nisga’a people do.”’

“'And what about the Tsimshian
and the Haista and the other na-
tions of this area? What. about
them?”

Collectively, he said, the na-
lives of the northwest bring many

’ millions of ‘dollars into Terrace
‘and other communities,
“Fifteen million dollars. That’s

what we do for your community,
Mr. Mayor,’’ Gosnell said. ‘‘And
we’re going to do a lot more.”

GETHIN READY: Jennifer Tait carefully 8 slices peaches for fruit salad as 8 part of preparations.

for the. seemingly « endless spread of food served to the saveral hundred delégates and guests -
at the. Nisga’a Tribal Council convention last week.-A buffet lunch and dinner —- sometimes -
with traditional foods — was served each of the four days of the convention.

“Yet still we get these negative
comments.’”

He said the amount of moncy
the Nisga’a spend in Terrace will
grow — not diminish —- after a
settlement of their claim.

“] can’t see where this fear
comes from-thal we’re somehow
going to take everything and walk
back into the woods.’’

Some people, Gosnell con-
tinued, feel a seltlement and self-
government agreement would
somehow give the Nisga’a dis-
tinct and special status.

“In my vicw we are a special
people — @ special race set aside
from others by the Indian Act.’’

' Gosnell had harsh words [or

TERRACE — Convinced the
school board negotiated in bad
faith, school district maintenance
and janitorial staff have voted 77
per cent in favour of strike action.

Explaining his members’ anger,
CUPE local 2861 president Rick
King said it appeared district ne-

in emplayees’ hours.

He said the union had gone to
the bargaining table offering a
three year deal, .

That called for a 2.25 per cent
pay increase in the first year, 1.8
per cent in the second with the
third year hike lo be based on a
cost of living clause, ,

proposing instead a two-year
agreement using the CUPE fig-
ures.

However, King said, att no time
during the negotiations did the
board mention the possibility of
workers’ hours being cut.

Maintaining’ board” negotiators

“ ndust have known that was. com-.

TERRACE — Local teachers
have voted 63 per cent in favour

’ of striking.

The Terrace District Teachers
Union executive meets today to
approve a plan of action for-

bargaining commilice.

“Our first step will be asking
the ‘board to come back to the
lable,” union president Cathy
Lambright said. ..

She said teachers want lo avoid
a strike if at all possible.

“A majority of the members
have voted in favour,” Lambright
said. “‘If it ultimately. came to
that, we have the: authorization lo
take action.” -

The talks remain mired on the
issue of mainstreaming hand-
icapped children.

then we will be forced to do
something,” she said. “But we
don’t want to wave any red flags
under their noses...unless- they
wave a whole bunch of red flags
under ours.”*

School District 88 has offered
teachers increases of 2.0 per cent
and 0,5 per cent in the first year
and 1.8 per cent in the second
year.

now making strike preparations,
but added they have plans to con-
tinue bargaining.

Labour Relations . Board
mediator Barb Sharp has indi-
cated she will only retum to Ter-

gotialors kept secret planned cuts:

* The board rejected that. deal, .

mulated Monday by the union's.

“TE the board refuses.lo move —

Lambright said: teachers are.

crilics of the negotiations who
Say nol enough communication
has taken place with other people,
“Who consulted us when the
Indian Act was drafted??? he
demanded,
He said the Nisga’a have bent
over backward for third parties.
“'T doubt very much that we are
going to bend any more.”
The Nisga’a have been negolia-
ting with the federal government
since the carly 1970s, following a

‘Split decision by “the Supreme

Court of Canada on the issue of

whelher they still hold title to the
land.

isn province joined the talks in
991.

ing, he said if they didn’t
*‘there’s something  seriausly
wrong in this district.’’ .

King said the planned reduction
in hours, due to come into effect

July 1, effectively cut workers .

pay by 12 per cent.

' Pointing out that translated -to
$350 less per month for most, he
added,.“‘It’s not like they are rich
employees.”

Members were also angry they
were being asked to take culs
while others were not.

If administration staff had taken
an across-the-board pay cut of 10
to 15 per cent, King said his
members’ reaction might have
been different,

“We could have said, okay, it’s
tough but we all have to make
sacrifices.’” |

The same senso of being
singled out applicd to the board’s
plan to reduce maintenance stafi-
ing levels by one.

Pointing oul ‘hwo Workérs who —

left last year had not been re-

ingness to move.

The two sides have not consid-
ered arbitration to date.
‘The Terrace school . district
maintenance workers (CUPE ‘lo-

cal 2861) passed a strike vote last

week, and the teacher’ assislants
and secretaries. (CUPE local
2831) were scheduled to vote last

There’s a twist
to Chain of Life

TERRACE — This year’s
Mother’s Day Chain of Life
event organized by the Terrace
Pro Life Education Associa-
tion also stands to benefit a
pro-choice group.

The Terrace Women’s
Resource Centre is collecting
pledges based on the number
of people who will turn out for
this year’s Chain of Life.

The idea is to raise moncy

for the pro choice move-

ment,’’ - women’s centre
worker Carol Sabo said Last
’ week,

“We'd like to have some’

abortion counselling, offer
‘free pregnancy testing, birth
control education,”’ she said.
If previous attendance is any
indication, those | making

Inside

Alvin McKay, defeated in a
bid to return as Nisga’a Tribal
Council president, was thanked
for his years of service al last
weck’s tribal council conven-
tion.

You'll find that story on
Page AS.

Also on Page AS is a slory
on Nisga’a Economic Enter-
prises Incorporated:

_ It’s the company the Nisga’a
will use asa spring board to
economic development once
their land claims negotiations
are concluded.

Union hammers board
over cutback secrecy |

placed, King said that department
was already a ‘‘bare bones’’ op-
eration.

Reducing it by one more would
leave only 19 maintenance
workers in the entire district,
covering all the schools, the
board office, R.E.M. Lee Theatre -
and various teacherages,

“Compare that to the number
of people in administration,” he
added.

King said the union had asked
the board about going back to the
negotiating table but . “they
weren’t really very interested,”’

Now, CUPE was looking at the
possibility of getting a mediator
Drought in.

If that failed, the only remain-
ing option would be to strike.
However, King emphasized that

would not be a decision: taken
liginily. ;

‘A strike would haye a lot of
impact’ on ‘a lot, of people,” he”
sald. “We're trying. 1o be more _
than reasonable.’” et

Teachers consider job —
action at meeting today

night, May 4. The unions.are all:
keeping contact with one another,
Lambright said.

She indicated a coordinated
walkout by all three. vnlons was 8
possibility. :

If job action does come, Lam
bright hinted, it will come sooner
Tather than later,

pledges can expect { io pay. for
approximately 200 people;’

This year’s Chain of Life is
the third one sponsored by the
Terrace Pro Life. Education
Association.

Organizers hope to get
cnough people out to stretch
along Hwy16 between the two
bridges close to Ferry Island

the afternoon of Mother’s Day’

afternoon.

“This is held to raise 2 aware-
ness of the dual issues. in-
volved in abortion -—- the loss
of the life of an- ‘unborn child
and the harm that aborlion can
cause to the mother,” said as-
sociation spokesman Isobel
Brophy. ‘‘We want a human
chain of concern for as long as
we can make it.’’

race if eilher side indicates a will-

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