Opinion Volume 77 Issue No.9 TheReview Wednesday, February 20,1991 — A6 Contract negotiations: Find the middle ground The two sides in the Saanich School District are so close to the end of their negotiations, yet neither can see a settlement. After months of negotiation, over 40 meetings and hours of discussion — including an overnight session with a noted mediator — the Saanich Teachers Association was given an ultimatum that would have ended the negotiations, if agreed on, but would likely result in other issues remaining on unsettled. In frustration, teachers decided on a show of strength by withdrawing bus supervision duties — a priority issue on their negotiating list. As in other school districts, particularly our near neighbor in Victoria, students are the big loser when teachers walk off the job. Instruction is postponed and the pressure is placed on students to catch up during the balance of the school year. Wages seem to be a secondary issue in the conflict here with both sides concerned for the welfare of students’ education. Teachers want better working conditions. They want to instruct more efficiently with smaller class sizes. They want proper facilities for special needs students. As well, the length of the school year is identified as an issue that needs to be addressed. Those money issues impact students directly. Union issues like contracting out of services, job security, less long-term temporary teacher appointments, payment of bargaining costs and discontinued pension plans are money issues that don’t effect the students directly, until they result in a strike walkout. It would seem prudent for the school board to want to deal with issues that impact students first. But the teachers’ association is right to assume that the remaining issues will be dealt with differently, should the more emotional student issues be ratified first. All is not lost. Negotiations are not over, they’re merely suspended. Both sides already know that each will have to give and take, but they don’t seem to be practising give and take. Trustees must be more flexible on which items should be discussed first. Maybe teachers could relax some demands to meet budget restraints. Perhaps the teach- ers’ association could give supervision time in exchange for smaller class sizes. But the two parties know the issues much better than we do. Both sides know how the middle ground can be found. This conflict should end without a single student missing a single hour of schooling. The students can’t afford it. Letters to the editor must be signed and contain the writer’s address and telephone number. Letters should not exceed 500 words in length and may be edited for clarity, legality or taste. TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 Ist Street Sidney, B.C V8L 3C9 or RO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 Published every Wednesday 656-1151 Publisher: Vic Swan Editor: Glenn Werkman AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER : ccna <5) PRIZE VUINS Fae ‘pDIAm COm nay, ae Nip ee NERIFIED CIRCULAT-ON P ‘ <