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FEBRUARY 27, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 40
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Nitehawks take 2-0 lead against Spokane Page 9
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
GLIDING AND GRINNING
Teachers will put full-scale walkout to a vote this week BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
VALERIE ROSSI PHOTO
Four-year-old Joffre Fraser from Rossland took advantage of some fresh snow Sunday at the Centennial Trailhead.
Greater Trail teachers will be brought up to speed on the provincial battle underway between its union and its employer today before casting a vote on whether they support a full withdrawal of services Wednesday, according to the president of the Kootenay Columbia Teachers Union. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation is threatening a full-scale walkout should the provincial government leave the bargaining table and legislate an end to an apparently deadlocked labour dispute. Though a province-wide day of action has some school districts planning lunch-hour and after-school rallies today, it will be a regular day of school for students attending class in Kootenay Columbia. While the union applied for a mediator to get involved in the yearlong contract dispute, and the BC Public School Employers’ Association agreed, B.C. Education Minister George Abbott has since announced that he intends to introduce legislation this week to end the impasse with public school teachers. “This agreement by our employer to go to mediation appears to be disingenuous because they’ve agreed to a mediator but the political wing who basically is in charge of our employer are saying there is no other
solution other than legislation,” said Davidoff. “I don’t think the employer intends to allow for proper mediation of this dispute, that’s my opinion.” A vote has been called in anticipation of legislation but the union would still need approval to escalate its job action from the Labour Relations Board, explained Davidoff, calling the process “fluid” and “confusing.” “The way it’s unfolding, it’s going to be very difficult for teachers to withdraw their services legally,” he said. Darrel Ganzert, chair of School District 20’s board, said this is a provincial matter that he stays out of. “The teachers will do what they have to do, the provincial government will do what it has to do and in the end we’re left to pick up the pieces in a way,” he said. Regardless, Ganzert said the school board will be discussing the current situation with talks of preparation at its budget meeting tonight. “The government’s got a real balancing act to do because they were ruled a few years ago that stripping contracts was illegal to do so I doubt that they would head down that path,” he said.
See GANZERT, Page 3
Budgetary blow takes the wind out of SD20’s sail Special open school board meeting tonight at Trail Middle School BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
With a potential $1.55 million rent forthcoming in the budgetary hull of the school district, $350,000 more than first projected in mid-January, the board of trustees is beginning the pro-
cess of righting the ship. Today the School District No. 20’s board (Kootenay-Boundary) begins the arduous process of bailing out the boat that has been listing in murky financial waters after the Ministry of Education announced it was changing the educational funding formula in early January. A reduction in funding protection — a guaranteed budget amount from the province — has
meant the district will lose more than $500,000 from their $36 million budget. Coupled with a forecast $450,000 shortfall on operations, and now a $350,000 impact from the substitute salary budget — used for covering teacher absences — the board will grapple with how they can solve the riddle in a special open board meeting tonight at Trail Middle School (6 p.m.). The board is expected to pass
an amended annual budget bylaw for the current school year of $37,600,000, as well as announcing how it will cover the costs and cushion the cuts. Although the current budget is a done deal, the board isn’t accepting its financial fate lying down. Two letters will be sent this week to Minister of Education, George Abbott, expressing disappointment that SD20 is a dis-
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trict tasked “to do more with less,” asking for a reinstatement of its protected funding level. SD20 chair Darrel Ganzert pointed to school closures — nine in the last 10 years — and a rebuilt budget as measures the board had already instituted to tighten its belt, and felt that was enough. But under the new funding formula from the province, the district will likely not receive any
See BOARD, Page 3
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