The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

New teacher sanctions 110W in ettect tor public board BY TIM WHITNELL Special to The Champion Halton Region's public high school teachers have ramPed up their job action making it more difficuit for the school board to replace absent imstructors. The decision by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, District 20, to no longer have its members cover classes or other assigned duties for absent colleagues waa one of five new work-to-rule sanctions announced Wednesday. They wens into effeet Friday. Halton's 750 full-time equivalens public high sehool teachers have been without a contract since Auguat 3 1. They gave their union a strike mandate in mid-February and had been employmng a low- level job action since then. About 300 people, mostly teach- ers, rallied iniUse cold near Use Halton board administrative offices in Burtmgîton late Wednesday aftemoon. They heard ani-Ernie Eves/Mike Harris speeches from several ares Liberal and NDP can- didates and also learned of their new job action strategies. "The main reason we are here ix Uere is a crisis in education. John Snobelen (former education minis- ter) promised a crisis and today we're stili living it," said OSSTF District 20 president Joe Harwood. Mr. Harwood told the crowd Usas in addition to nos performing on- cal duties, Use second phase of sanctions agains the board includes four oUser tactics: ..Members won's apply for any upcoming suxnmer or night echool positions for Use 2003-04 school year * Members won't distribute any board materials Usat aren't directly related to classroomn instruction; * Members won't participase in fundraising for any curricular (classroom) supplies, materials and equipmens for Ueir sehool or Use board; * Studens absences will be report- ed to Use principal or vice-princi- pal, nos to Use automated telephone system. Mr. Harwood stressed though Usas classroomn instruction and stu- dent evaluation wil continue, as will Use supervision of extra-cun-ic- ular activisies. Teachers will still participate in upcoming parent/teacher interview nights. "We hope Usas Use (new) sanc- tions will encourage Use board to come to the bargaining table and negotiate a falr agreement," said Mr. Harwood. "Teachers' incomes have fallen behind Use cost of living by almost seven per cens since Use Tories took office (in 1995)." The union presidens and his counterpart at Use Halton board, executive officer of human resources Dawn Beekets-Morton,, confirmned Usas Use two aides are scheduled to mees April 17. They haven't negotiated since February 13. Ms Beckett-Morton expreased regret wiUs Use new sanctions, par- ticu.larly wiUs Use lack of fill-ina for absent teachers by oUser teachers as Use affected sehool. "It'll be an inconvenience for us. The immediate reaction is Use wiUs- drawal of Use on-caMas, Uat's Use one we're mos concemed about right now. The dilemma is you're nos sure when you can get an occa- sional teacher, and Uere's Use cost factor as wel." The general practice, sald Ms Beckett-Morton, is Usas Use tirs two absences as a sehool are fllled intemally by staff. Thas won's hap- pen now as Use board wili have to look ta ils complemnens of approxi- mately 300 supply teachers ta fil al such voids. Ms Beckett-Morton sald under normal circumatances many occa- sional teachers arent available as any one time for a variety of rea- sons including Usas many als sup- ply for neighbouring boarda. Competition for supply teachers wdjl be exacerbated in Halton, she sald, if Use Peel and Hamrilton boarda are also hit wiUs on-cal] teacher sanctions. CUSTMERS WHO PURCHASE DR LEASE A NEW, DEMO OR OPInMUM VERICLE EFFECnVE FROM APML IRT U«nL THE 1WH CUSTOMER HU BOUM, WILL SE ENTERED INTO THE DRAW. TWO CUSTOMERS WILL RE DRAWN, EACH WINNING $5,000. (Factory orders, Fleet Suyers, Wholesale Units and Dealership Employeos are Wj @Il %/oFINANCINC O.A.C. 4 U ,0k, 2M0 Pontiac Grand Prix The Air is PLUS ON U! £I No Ceharg e: Powe r Package *a CD Equaizer Sung,",f *eCProme Wheels a Widestance Tradition $29 Dws & Freight & Taxes, AllTaxes, Iti h Psyment, secu ity deposit, ic. & gas due on delivery. FINANCINS ýMPoniac Suci r OR CASHI PRICE FRGM $1 2,995 & FRT +TAXES1 a -4