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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 29, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 905-845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager School games The games have been under way for some time now. No, not the Olympic Games or the Ontario Summer Games -- they are finished. We're referring to that seemingly endless contest of wills between the provincial government -- this time represented by the Dalton McGuinty Liberals -- and some of the province's teachers' unions. The teachers have had a bit of a history in waging war with the provincial government. They weren't too keen on the Social Contract of Bob Rae's NDP in the early 1990s, detested the policies of the Tories and Premier Mike Harris to the point of staging the biggest education strike in North American history later in the decade, and now are accusing the Liberals and McGuinty of "bullying." "The bullying tactics levelled against education support workers are contrary to everything that everyone in Ontario's education sector has been trying to achieve for years," said Fred Hahn, president of the Ontario Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Ontario), the union representing more than 55,000 education support workers. "The government is showing contempt for the bargaining processes that are enshrined in law and that have always worked," huffed Ken Coran, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO). The union leaders' recent salvos are in response to Education Minister Laurel Broten's threat of legislation to freeze wages for two years and short-circuit strikes or lockouts to keep kids in the classroom during the upcoming school year. Broten poked the bear recently by saying, "I don't believe the average Ontario worker would expect to get a 5.5 per cent pay increase after taking the summer off and refusing to negotiate." It was a shot at unions representing elementary and high school teachers that walked away from bargaining with the province. Queen's Park even reconvened two weeks early to debate the bill that seeks to freeze teachers' pay, implement three unpaid days off, halving the number of annual sick days to 10, stopping unused sick days from being cashed out at retirement, and banning strikes and lockouts for two years. While both sides always contend they are acting in the "best interests of the students," this posturing has gotten old and should be left in the sandbox... where the kids normally play. To share your thoughts on this or any other issue related to Oakville, e-mail editor@oakvillebeaver.com. Please include your full name, mailing address and a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Only your name and city of residence will be published. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Cycling bylaw needed: reader Letter to the editor Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Re: Injured senior implores cyclists to be careful, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, The Oakville Beaver I was sent an e-mail telling me about the cyclist hitting a senior lady on the trail. My heart goes out to her and she has a long road ahead of her. Two years ago on Aug. 7, a similar thing happened to me. I was walking out of a pizza shop and a 15-year-old boy was riding on the sidewalk. He was going so fast he couldn't stop -- he must have weighed about 130 pounds (58 kilograms). He hit me and knocked me unconscious. (I suffered) head injuries, whiplash, etc. Fortunately, the injuries have all healed (but I am) still dealing with vertigo and psychological trauma. Signs on the trails will do nothing. A lot of the teenagers think they have a right to ride their bicycles as if they were on a race track. Every town should have a bylaw against these cyclists, and it is not just kids who are riding fast, adults are just as bad. Annette Standring, Fergus, Ont. Well-wishes sent to injured senior Re: Injured senior implores cyclists to be careful, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, The Oakville Beaver I'm not surprised to read your article on Helen Burke, the injured senior; in fact I've wanted to write in myself. It could be any of us who walk these lovely nature trails (not roads). I've been walking our wonderful trails for almost 30 years now, during the day or in the evenings, for exercise and fresh air, and have to admit that, in the last three to four years, the `having to share the trails' with bicyclists is becoming harder to tolerate and dangerous. I can't imagine Helen Burke feeling comfortable entering the trails in the future without the fear of being hit (from) behind again -- my friend(s) and I constantly deal with that issue each week. We are usually two abreast but always checking or listening for bicyclists advancing so we can move over. The lovely families that are out for a comfortable run (or ride) are always the first to announce their presence by voice or by their bicycle bells -- for which we thank them, and with a smile. Other families are out walking their dogs, and this as well could create an accident if the dog is startled by an oncoming bicyclist. However, the majority of bicyclists (unfortunately males) who are `speeding' along, decline to ring a bell (let alone have one), nor do they call out, as is best etiquette, `passing on your left.' At times we have not heard them coming so quickly (with the sound of a resident cutting their lawn), and only by a quick peripheral glance have I pushed my friend aside to escape being hit. Furthermore, the danger is also there for the bicyclist. When they come quickly down a hill or take a sharp corner and are surprised to see people walking, they (have to) brake and are in danger of sliding on loose soil. We thought these trails were for nature lovers to enjoy, for exercise and well-being. When did the (trails) become speedways for dirt bikes or long-distance bicyclists who are able to ride on the roads at those speeds, and on their special lanes that are becoming more common now? I understand from bicyclist friends that there are wonderful open roads on Sixth Line, north of Dundas. Could the speeders not enjoy the open roads up there? Please pass on my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Helen Burke. Carol Sommerville, Oakville