PAGE 4,WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24. 1i)85, WHITBY FREE PRESS Published every Wednesday whitby MICHAEL KNELL by M.B.M. Publishing Community Editor and Photography Inc. Phone0668-Gill VALERIE COWEN f zmpmAdvertising Manager The Free Press Building, odlslgMang Voceofthe County Town Michael lan Burgess, Publisher -Maflagiflg E tr1:1Boc SreetNoWhib, Ot Regstration No. 5351 Editor13 Hrock Street North, second class Mail The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. The board took far to long to settle with its teachers Weil, it seems that the Durham Board of Education has finally reached a new agreement with Its secondary school teachers who are represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (O.S.S.T.F.). The only comment that we can make Is: it's about time. The teachers have now, after aimost a year of n R LOBAL NEW Twice, recently, Quebec Liberals have risen in the House of Commons to ask about the proposed move of a government cartographic unit from Ot- tawa to Sherbrooke, in Quebec's Eastern Town- ships. The'unit's function is to make maps for the Surveys and Mapping Branch of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. The move was first announced almost eight years ago, at a time when the Trudeau government was ruthlessly decentralizing federal programs, as a way of spreading the wealth to the reglons, and promoting bllingualism in the public service. Ef- ficiency was sometimes sacrificed and such moves were hideously expensive, but increased efficiency and cost-cutting were not the Liberal objectives. During question period, one M.P. said he had Just learned that senior officiais and some Ottawa Tories were putting pressure on the government to reconsider the move from the capital to Sher- brooke, he reminded the House that during the election campaign, Mr. Mulroney had promised that the move would take place. Robert Layton, the Minister of State for Mines, has made It clear that the government is taking a second look at the whole question. No wonder. A few months ago, in a plain brown envelope, i received what appeared to be a government document on the projected relocation, which in- dicated that it would cost at least $100 million, not the $70 million being talked about In the Com- mons. The document says that the arguments supporting the move are almost entirely political. And it cited some of the reasons against It. In the first place, the move would be certain to increase duplication of government effort in the surveys and mapping f leld. Secondly, because the new office would be a French-language operation, an estimated 75 percent of the current professional staff would resign, thus breaking up a good team In a highly specialized field. And thir- dly, because the cartographic staff relies heavily on services provided by other departments, in Ot- tawa, and will rely on a new mapping satellite ground station in nearby Gatineau, moving the unit 200 miles away would be counterproductive insanity. Or at least so reads the document sent me by some disgruntled mapmaker. There may well be good arguments supporting the move that were ignored in the document i got, but they would have to be very good arguments to support the expenditure of another hundred million dollars of our money, especially now. And if Erik Nielson and company do not put the boots to that project, I will be surprised. negotiations won a new contract that will pay them an additlonal 4.6 per cent or so this year. The board and its academlc employees have traditionally negotiated a one year contract. This agreement Is normally valid from September 1 to August 31 - that is, the school year. But It seems that the collective bargaining process Is becoming more drawn out every passing year. This latest contract will expire on August 31. As far as this newspaper Is concerned, the board's fallure to negotiate a new contract for this academIc year before now is just another example of poor management. How on earth can the board expect to be fiscally responsible and employ good management techniques if it is still negotiating wlth Its em- ployees two-thirds of the way Into the year that the contract will cover? While we would concur that the teachers' position throughout the collective bargaining process was not one this newspaper could have lived with, we would like to point out that there is no reason that we can find for such a protracted set of negotiations. We cannot think of one private corporation that would allow its negotiations wlth its unionized employees to be carried on in this manner. When General Motors negotiates with the United Auto Workers It does not take the first two years to successfully sign a three-year deal. If the taxpayers and parents of this region are going to have to suffer with continued mismanagement such as this, then some changes should be made. This Incident provides more than adequate justification for two or three year con- tracts. Since it appears that neither the board nor its teachers have sufficient bargaining and leader- ship skilis to arrive at a one year contract prior to the opening of the school year, then they should be talking about striking deals that cover two or three years. Who needs fertilizer? One coat of this and r Å we'll have the greenest lawn in town! The other major problem, as we understand It, ls that no trustee sts on the board's bargalnng committee. That means every offer and couriter proposai has to be sent to the board for Its ap- proval. This causes upnecessary delay. One would think that the chairman of the board would be a memberaof the bargalning committee. If that was so, then process would be speeded up a little. Unions and their equvalents (teachers' federations, medical associations, etc.) are a fact of life. They must be dealt with. Their concerns must be met. You can't escape f rom them. It is also Interesting to note that the Durham elementary school teachers have rejected the latest board offer so there is still labor unrest in our schools just weeks away from the summer holiday and the end of the school year. Long time readers of the Free Press know that we have some often voiced and serlous concerns about the board of education's fiscal policies. The way that any organization handles its financial resources is a key element in its management plan. The inability to successfully conclude con- tract talks with employees Is a sign of poor management skills. It Is made for the morale of the employees and in the board's case Is bad for the morale of students and parents asweldo. The threat of a strike shoud not be held over the heads of students - especially those preparng for university or community college. Contracts wlth teachers shoutd be sgned before the schoolbyear starts. Thats good management. Its about time the board started showing a little leadership, a litte flexibilty and some good management sklls. Signing a new contract wth the teachers for the 1984-85 school year in April, 1985 just isn't good enough. Besides, the board's budget process wll also be speeded up If they know what the teacher salary grid is before the year begins. That is also good management. WPIiT8YSg MW/V (OAT7T w A,ýIwt1A4 e)eie- 4eAI ý e i lle,04