Teacher-board contract ne2!otiationçs break clown The Canadian Champion. Tuesdav. May 13, 2003-3 BY TIM WHITNELL Special ta The Champion What appeared to be promising contracts talks between the Halton District School Board and the union representing its secondary sehool teachers have bro- ken down. Two weeks after the president of the Halton union announced he was optimistic a deal could be reached tis week, Joe Harwood said hes back to being frustrated. "We continued to make some minor progress, but when it came down to the short strokes the board is flot prepared to mirror seutle- ments across the province. So we stopped." The president of the 750 fuîl- ime equivalent igh sehool teach- ers with the Ontario secondary Sehool Teachers' Federation. District 20, said the Cwo sides talked from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. Provmncially-appointed mediator Greg Long presided over the meet- mng. No new negotiating dates have Dell Specials BLACK FOREST HAM $9 been set in the walçe of the break- down in talks. Haltons public high sehool teachers have been working with- out a collective agreement since August 31. 2002. "The sticking point is a pattem set across the province for split (salary) grids for higher-end rates and the boards flot prepared to make that kind of settlement," Mr. Harwood said. "They are saying we canet go where everybody else bas gone and thats very frustrating for us." Average settiement 4.2 per cent Mr. Harwood said about two dozen sehool boards have settled contracts with their high sehool teachers. The average final settle- ment figure for one year is about 4.2 per cent. "We're looking at lees thon some of the settlements and more than others," he said. -We believe hat Halton eachers should be some- where in the middle of the province." The board's current offer, said Mr. Harwood, would put Halton last in the province in terme of the Both sides frustrated over lack ofprogress £alian % Open Victoria Day-> Monday May 1911 10Oam -5 pm GARDEN CENTRE NOW OPEN! Montroal $se4 Smoksd Park Knackwurst Sausago - $ 49 Peftfor Db .Qi QL __9 __$3_770/10g top-end of the pay scale for senior teachers. Dawn Beckett-Morton, the chief negotiator for the Halton board, indicated shes as frustrated as Mr. Harwood. Its very hard for people to undcrstand hat a board like Haiton. which is a very rich com- mumity for the mosi part, we are a very poor school board," said Ms Beckett-Morton. ICs very hard for everyone to accepe, including us. When we look at the resources we have avoulable for salary and contracts, it i5 flot comparable to the other boards. Its flot hat we are trying to pick a flght with anybody in the whole hing but we have to bc able to settle contracts we know we can pay for." Mr. Harwood is a fiie more optimistic about making headway on non-monetary contract items. "There are three or four issues still outstanding," he said. "The board seemed o indicate they were prepared to move on those and they are going to give us a response in the next couple of days." The unions current work-to-rule campaign, which includes flot cov- ering on-caîl assignments for absent teachers, isn't being mncreased at thie ime, said Mr. Harwood. INANINOR LEASE $289*+AE Pontiac Grand Prix PLSNo Charge - Power Package e Chrorne Wheels a 3.8L V6 PL S u*nPwerf0onro aCD Equalizer e Widestance Tradton D ,FINANCINGO00 /0O O.A.C. Sunf ire OR CASH PRICE FROM $1 29995 & FRT +TAXES G % FINANCING CASH PRICE Ilt 0mos. FROM $jrQAMLAFRT +TAXES OR LEASE $228* TAXES~~ 151 Payment 1IFREE &no G F INNAN C IN G OR LEASE $311i + TAXE PLUS No Charge-rtý DVD Player Scrl0p911rur.0 eetdmdl *Power Moonroof Loade Regutar Store Hours Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 am -7pm Fiday 830 am .8 pm Saturday 830 am -e6pm Sunday9:0 am - 5pm ICUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE DB LEASE A NEW, DEMO DR OPTIMUM VEHICLE EFFECTIVE PROM APRIL 1ST UNTIL THE 100TH CUSTOMER HAS BOUGHT, WILL SE ENTERED INTO THE IDRAW. TWO CUSTOMERS WILL BE DRAWN, EACH WINNING $5,000. (Factory orders, Ftset Buyors, Whotssate Units and Doatershitp Emptsyees are NOT Ottgibte> INTRODUCING B'ioe.y Specials FRESH BAKED DAILY KAISER BUNS $79 1dozen orl7each Produce Special Pruêit ai m c. h P olhatiU.8J. PruàCM* c FruhR.L Frà~ FreSCulo pmdla POtatO S Spiach Muslmu'om $19iag9 9$129 9 < 1 «-%