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Skeena MLA Dave Parker's Terrace constituency office was recently the gathering point fora
group of Northwest residents who indicated they are frustrated by the MLA’s lack of. response
to correspondence and messages. Local union leaders said they have been attempting
without success to meet with Parker for discussion of the government's proposed changes to

labor law.

Residents express. concern

TERRACE — Skeena
MLA Dave Parker’s al-

leged refusal to answer.

correspondence and res-
pond to messages promp-
ted about 25 Skeena riding
residents to gather in pro- |

test recently in front of .

Parker’s Terrace. constit-
uency office.

Although Parker was in
. Victoria at. the time, -Tun-

nel and Rock Worker

‘business agent Bruce
Ferguson, accompanied -
by reporters and a televi-
- gion mews crew, asked.
‘constituency secretary
Chris Shaffer to convey
the: group’s concerns to
the MLA. _

Ferguson told the

- gathering Parker’s lack of
‘response to written com-
munications. from. the
Northwest - Development
Education Association
and the Kitimat-Terrace
District Labour Council
has led him to conclude
some people in the Skeena.
constituency: ‘are being.

rights of a democracy’’. -

Ferguson. noted that a
previous Social Credit
MLA, Cyril Shelford; had
been: approachable despite

his philosophical and
political differences with

organized labor. ‘‘We

- didn’t always agree, but at
least -he’d always talk to’

us,” Ferguson said.

Understanding —— contimaed from page 5.

with 30 days notice for

any reason “which, in the
opinion of the board,
renders the teacher un-
suitable for the position
then held by him’’, In the
case of an immediate fir-
ing, the board is not even
legally required to inform
the teacher of the reasons
‘for his or her dismissal,

Ironically, the Bill actually’

gives teachers more -pro-
‘tection from suspensions
by the employer than from
actual dismissal. What
board would: waste time
suspending an employee
and going through auto-
matic appeal procedures if
‘it can fire him - outright
~ with less fuss?

Bill 20 also strips pre.
sent contract provisions
preventing immediate

transfers and layoffs with- -
out regard to ‘seniority.

Under. the Bill, the

mier has made it clear that
he‘-has long regarded

teachers and the B.C.T.F..
_as being thorns in the side

of government. To us, Bill
20 looks like his attempt
to silence teachers by
breaking up their profes-
sional organization and
leaving them open to sum-
maty. dismissal.

-Mr. Vander Zalm also
‘expresses confusion over

what: it-is teachers really

want. In fact, the govern-
ment has’ for some time

- been in possession of a.

B.C.T.F. Report on Bar-

gaining and Professional.

Rights that outlines in
great detail what teachers
want,

sions by teachers
throughout the ‘province.
The draft recommenda-

-tions. were discussed and

ratified in meetings by

Board’s power to transfera teachers in every school

teacher anywhere in. the
district on seven . days
notice would be restored
and layoffs would not.
have to take into account
a teacher’s length of ser-
vice. The long term effect
of this situation will, I
think, be continual disrup-
tions ‘of instruction (such
as we have seen previously

in this District). when

teachers feel one of their
colleagues has been un-
fairly treated by the. em-
ployer.

The overall effect of
this legislation leaves some
of us in the teaching pro-
fession somewhat cynical
about its intent. The Pre-

district in the province. If
the Premier .is still un-
aware of this report, . his
ignorance is. appalling. If
he is aware of it, his deceit
is deplorable.

As a teacher, I’m dis-
heartened by the govern-
ment’s longstanding fin-
ancial neglect of schools
and its current attack , on
my . _professional org;
zation. At least I can ex-
press my opposition, at
the moment. If Bill 20 is
proclaimed law, I could be
fired for simply writing a
letter, like this,

~ Greig Houlden
Terrace, B.C.

‘the
‘District Labour Council,

- This report) was.
. prepared. ‘from submis- -

Ji im ‘Lamb, president of
Kitimat-Terrace

observed that workers

“represent a large number

of Skeena constituents,

-and he said the gathering
_ was an effort to call on the
- MLA to carry the. group’ s*.
‘. voice to Victoria.
denied the fundamental -

‘‘Who does. Dave

‘Parker speak for??? Lamb _
asked, “When he’s calling

us bullies, who is he label-

ling? We’re waiting for a -
~~ $200,000 will come from

response.’’.
Lamb was referring to

Parker's recent remarks in’

the legislature about “‘the
bullies in organized
labor’, ‘intimidation tac-
tics’, "fa eles. socialist
masses’, and other refer-
ences to violence and

threat tactics the MLA.

ascribed inferentially' to
union leaders. The.
remarks appear in the of-
ficial record .from the

morning sitting of April 9 :

during debate over a mo-
tion by the opposition to
hoist Bill 19, the govern-

-ment’s new labor legisla-

tion. oe

- Paul Johnston, ‘secre-
tary: for the North Coast
Building Trades Council,
said, ‘‘Dave Parker seems

to have made it very clear -
that he won’t represent |

anyone who didn’t work

or vote for him... we're .
‘second-class citizens, and

we have no Voice’ ‘in
Skeena.””

. Johnston said in a later.
interview that-five letters,
three phone calls and two

‘yisits to the constituency
office have gone un-—

answered to date. He said
the letters, dating back to
November, 1986, included
concerns about B. C. trade
with South Africa, a brief
Tegarding problems with
apprenticeships’ in the
Northwest, and requests
for a meeting on the.sub-.
ject of proposed — labor
legislation. ;

a 2 2 eee

. ; Footwear .

Srieakers, softer and niore reelas-
tic than leather, may be the best
buy for healthy feet. ,

The average preschooler. out:
grows his shoes every one to {wo
months.

Awell-finished shoe has 1 No ex-
posed tacks, bulky seams, raw
edges or bulky stitching.

TERRACE’ — ‘The Ter-”
race Review “has learned

|. that passage-of Bill 19, the

B.C, government’s Indus-
trial Relations Reform

Act, will not only ‘affect .
future collective agree-.
-ments in the province, but

it will also alter existing
collective agreements pte-
sently in force.

As it stands the legisla-

. tion, now going through

second reading in Vic-

Bi U d g et “continued from page 1

following: year, Mayor .

* Talstra said council. had 7
~ regained control of the ci- ©
.ty’s finances by going to ~
‘hall, with $30,000 worth

the operating -level and
department management
for consultation, This

direct approach resulted in |

more accurate budgetary
estimates, he said, par-
ticularly in the area of
public works,
noted that any department
head whose forecasting is

‘substantially off the mark

will have a great deal of

explaining to do,
Planned capital works

projecis. for . 1987-88 are

expected | to cost about.

$460,000, of which

last . year’s operating
surplus.

Road improvements are
planned for McConnell

Ave., Keith: Ave., Emer-
son St, and the Skeena-
view Hill. Various loca-
tions in the city will
benefit from a projected
total of $123,000 in
drainage works.

With help from the
community landscaping

‘May get under way this

year on the desert-like,

- rubble-strewn slope : in
‘front /of the Terrace —
has ©
designated $60,000. for the
project, expected to cost a
total of. $90,000.. The
‘shortfall, it is hoped, will’
“come | from: another

Arena. Council

Teachers”

from page 1

changing. McLeod said

Kitwanga students are los- °

ing their track and field

activities, a band. trip, a:
field trip to Victoria and a

golf tournament as a re-

_sult of the instruction- only

action.

“Yes not fair, it’s mess:

ing with our future,’’ Mc-
leod said, ‘‘The premier is

going to have to be much

more open,’’

‘John Eades said there
has been no dialogue on
an official level between
‘teachers and students to
discuss the contents.of Bill

"20 and teachers’ reaction

to, it.”
- A. recent. ‘report. indi-

: ‘cated Education Minister
_ Tony Brummett will send

‘out an eight-page letter to

- parents and. students ex-

plaining the government's
side of the issue, but at

_ press.time no one con-

tacted by the Terrace Re-
view, including local
school. administrators,
had received the letter. -

and. he -

‘toria,” contains no transi- —
tion clause to . accom-

modate ..contracts:. which |.»

contain provisions *; ‘that

‘contradict the new law.

Assistant Deputy Minis-
ter of ‘Labour. Dale Reid,
examining | ‘the ‘interpre-

tation: documents that ac-
- company Bill 19, said that —
--at the time the bill is pro-
~ claimed as law “‘any terms.
-in any collective agree-
ment that are in conflict

. deemed to be struck’? eT
That .means:provisons.
~ such as. “‘hot"® edicts-and-
‘‘unfair’’ proclamations. a
enshrined ‘in’ ‘many B.C, .”
collective agreements | °
would no longer be valid,
Union members could:be —

forced by law to handle

goods and associate:with ==
_companies that were:pre:
viously the: object: ‘of boy. i
‘colts.

source.

Just: over ten percent of
the capital budget is slot-
ted for investment in city

of -renovations planned

‘for the building and
another $22,000 for laying —
‘pavement over the pot-

holed parking lot.in back
of the structure. Council
members indicated the im-
provements will make the

ground floor premises: -
- soon to be vacated by the
- RCMP more attractive for
prospective new tenants.

The bandshell in George

Little Memorial, Park

originally planned. ‘as. ah.
Expo legacy project arid’ - -
later overwhelmed by. in-_.

vestment plans’ for “the
swimming pool | complex,
has been given a ‘con-
tinued, shadowy existence
with a tentative dedication
of $8,500. The project::is
expected. to cost a total of.
$35,000, and community:
groups will have to come
up with the difference.:

- The budget. was. given
first, second and ‘third

readings ° at the .regular

council meeting May 11.
Final ‘ratification :is ex-
pected May 13. ot

Leg acy —— continued from page 1

_ expansion have. done |
"nothing to alleviate his.
- worries,

“When I first _ap-
proached council, I. was
told it was a pipe dream to.
think of . spending
$466,000 because the
grant was only $163,000.

_Now they're talking about
‘spending $500,000. I: feel

there’s been a definite

‘change of plaris,’’ he said.

Ladouceur - noted . that
the project includes plans
to double the floor space

with an increase of 50 per-

-cent and limit the amount

of .new equipment pur-
chased.

_ Ald. George’ Clark ex-

‘plained that no plans exist .

for the purchase of addi-

tional equipment: and that.
the increase in area is be-.
ing done for. safety. et
would. .be . ee
‘TERRACE — Defence:
man Chad Wilson of the .

reasons, ‘*‘It

ridiculous for us.to relieve. -
the cramped atmosphere.
‘in-the weight room, -and
' then cramp it up- again by ..
-adding more equipment, ue

Clark said.

-Ladouceur was invited
to meet with the Recrea-
tion and Cultural Services

‘Committee to examine the .

architect's working draw-
ings of the project. when
they are completed...

The deletion of the
bandsheil planned. for
George Little - Memorial
Park also: came. under
criticism from Jim Ryan,
leader of the Community
Band and. representative
of the local musicians
association. .

7m disappointed,”
Ryan said. ‘‘It's a shame
this city. trades on the
name of the arts but pro-
vides no support. for
them.’’ -_ ..

* that council
amend that: plan to-start

Mayor. Talstra told
Ryan council. had allotted.
$8,500 in the .1987-88 —

budget for the bandshell,

but Ryan indicated the

project ‘will cost around
$35,000. The musician's

association, he said, ‘has: .

raised $3,500, . leaving a
shortfall : of ‘about .
$23,000. ,

- The point is, out of a.
half million dollars we can.
surely do this. We haven't.

‘asked for a lot; the: arts

have given this community.
a lot, and we hayen’t: got-

ten much back, Ryan
‘said,

- Mayor Talstra: indicated -

- council. is still examining. —
options for the legacy: pro-. .
jects. : a

Terrace -
youth in-
try outs -

Terrace Skeena Cellulose
Peewee Reps, is one.of 18
minor hockey: players se-

. lected for the B.C. In-:

terior Rep team at tryouts
‘held in Vernon on the May
2 weekend,

Chad was. picked ‘from,
46 youngsters. working. |
out, and will play with the

interior squad at the fifth
annual Vancouver super

hockey tournament . at.

Delta’s Sun God arena in
mid-August.

A number of B. C., Ca-

nadian and American
teams will compete in this
major series that features
top talent from the Pee-
wee age group.

Several other northwest
youngsters have been se-
lected for B.C. teams in

- older divisions that will be
seeing action this summer.

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