Chudleigh stili hopeful By BRAD REAUME The Champion T he thrcat of a teaciiers' strike still ioonms but [laiton North MPP Ted Chudleigh is hopeftd deals can be worked out. I think there is a reluctance by teachers to go on strike," he said. I continue to maintain my faith in teachers. There's a dif- ference between union leaders and the average teacher." Halton teachers, represented by several bargaining agents, could be on strike this wcek if current negotiations fail. However, negoiations witli elernentary school teachers are not expccted tb be as contentious as with igh school teachers. It appears public high school teachers will negotiate with one or two boards in Ontario and then try to make any settiement portable acrnss the province. Mr. Chudleigh called the plan "responsible" however he thought union representatives might simply try 10 pick on the weakest school board in the province from which to extract con- cessions. H-igh school teachers are unhappy with provincial requirernents that tbey increase their classroorn teaching time from an average of 18.5 hours per week to just under 21 hours per weck. Teachers' representatives have said other working conditions are also at issue, including support for extra-curricular activities. Elernentary school teachers already meet standards set by the province regarding hours spent in the classroom. AUl collective agreements were struck down with the passage of Bill 160. Renegotiations have been left with local school boards. Teachers dlaim the boards are hamstnsng by provincial funding, wbich was set with the igher number of bours in the classroomn taken into consideration. Mr. Chudleigb agreed local school boards do flot have much flexibility. He said he hopes negotiations will lead to considera- tion of a new timetable for high schools that would be structured witb the classroomn requiremients in mimd. Currcntly Halton high schools operate with five 76-minute peri- ods each day. Given that system, teachers would have 10 teacb four of tive pcriods eacb day in one semester and then thrce peri- ods of five in the other semester, in order to match the average classroorn requirernents. The classroorn ime requirernents are bascd on an average ofi the teacbing norms in the other nine Canadian provinces, Mr.i Chudlcigh said. Before the changes teachers usually taught tbree classçs a sernester, lie added.1 Mr. Chudlcîgh stressed that classroorn teaching requirernentsi are averages across the scbool board, mucli the same as the 22 students in a class target is an average. He said the provincial govemment is interested 10 sec how local school boards impIe- ment these averages. "This is a work in progress," he sald. "There will be classrooms above and bclow the averages." Mr. Cbudleigh would not speculate on any actions the provin- cial govemment midglt take should a strike corne 10 pass. He sald providing day care dollars, as the province did during last year's illegal stoike, bas not been ruled out. He did cormit 10 offering lessons on the internet or through is constituency office. He said he understands tbat if the scbool schedules don't change, a teacher working four classes per day will be under pres- sure regarding any involvement in extra-curricular activities. Mr. Chudleigh praised Halton school boards, adding there are other board in tic province wich are flot doing a great job. B-areakthroughs in negotiations from TEACHERS on page 1 voted 90 per cent in favour of a strike carlier this summer. The situation appeared more hopeful for the public elemcntary teachers. "Breakthroughs have been made in negotiations," Kathy Clarke, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Halton District, said in a statement. "We meet witb thc board again on September 10. Elementary teachers will be back in class Tuesday." Mr. Tanner said the secondary scbool teachers' union wili give advance notice if any job action is planned. He who would not specify bow mucli waning would be given. I an carlier interview, Mr. Tanner said teachers are als con- cemned about contract rights, benefits, worling conditions and salaries. -We've macle some significant advances," said Mr. Tanner in an earier interview. "But there are several significant issues out- standig. Some of them are board driven and some of them are provincially driven." He beieves botli sides are anxious to resumne negotiation nieet- ings. "I li opeful we can eventually seule tliis." Ted Chudlslgh RC board uns ure of 4lx%4*GMC tcE O Own or 13367mo next move t ram IMPASSE on page 1 sion of extracumrcular activities to a ful withdrawal of all services and Mr. Pece said thc teachers will decide wbat action 10 undertake, depending on the conditions imposed by Uie school board. Because Uic teachers are wiUiout a con- tract, Uic school board bas the legal right 10 arbitrarily cbange working ternis and conditions. "I arn awalting Uic scbool board's notifi- cation as 10 what the terrns and conditions ofcrnployrncnt will be," hie said. But Jirn Shcrlock, chair of the board, said Uic decision as t0 wbat will happen todaytreally ies wiUi Uic teachers. "The board is going 10 comply wiUi Uic law and do wbatcvcr wc can witbin thc confines of the ncw provincial funding model and Uic teachers will bave 10 make Uiir decisions from Uere," bie said. 'The bail is not in our court." Mr. Shcrlock aâddd Iat lie cxpects scbools 10 be open and teachers to be in tbeir classroorns today, wbcn studcnts retum frorn summer holidays. "The board deflnitely is not anticipating à full witbdrawal of services," lie said. "We fuliy anticipate our teachers will be Uire." The teachers votcd 93 per cent in favor of strike action in June and have been in a legal stike position since August 27. The main sturnbling block in negotia- tions appcars 10 be Uic requirement under Bill 160, that teachers' workloads bc increased. Currently higb school tcachcrs instruct six of eight classcs, but the ncw funding formula says thcy rnust teach seven out of ciglit. Mr. Sberlock said individual boards bave no power 10 ignore that provincial denindL "The new funding formula gives us vciy, very littie flexibility, as far as negoti- ations are concerned,"he said. He also sai dtt despite impressions to the contrary, thc board is not flush witb casIL .lbat siniply is not Uic case," said Mr. Sherloclt. "It is an unfortunate assumption on Uic part of many of ic people we're dealing wiUi that we're loaded with money and we're not. Auto. Air. Power Windows. COujie. Ma kIRCQ Own ft for Ohlv M6/me o teber 8 1998-3