PAGE 22,,WEDNESDAY, MAY 14,1986, WHITBY FREE PRESS Board's employee assistance narrowly approved By JAN DODGE Free Press Staff A routine motion, Manday night, ta hire a counsellng firm ta. pravide an employee assistance* program ta Durham Board of Educatian emplayees almost saw the programn sheived. The program ta affer counsellng services ta board employees far prablems ranging from psychological ta family and marital, alcohol and substance abuse, and financial had $18,000 set l aside for it in the budget. After lengthy, vigoraus debate, the question was settled in a recorded vote with ten votes in favor, seven against. Foilowing the motion that Warren Shepell and Associates be hired ta pravide the pragram for one year, beginning Aug. 1, Whitby Trustee Ian Brown led the at- tack. Brown began by saying he was canvin- ced the constituents would want nothing mare or less for board employees. than they would want for them- seives, but the issue was who should pay. In same areas of Durham teachers are the highest-paid mem- bers of.the community, he said, but the unions say the program should be the sole respon- sibility of the board. "When individuals have a financial com- mitrnent in gettlng well, they do so sooner," he said. The $18,000 w the tip of the icel sald, and tha would Increase coming years. Nor did he he confidence il evaluaton af pragram by ministratian pril next budget. He "How will we1 the program lsa YOU ALWAYS GET THE Stop at Midas Muffler and Brake Shops and we'iI perfarîn a free, no obligation brake system inspection. If your car needs repairs, you'll get a professionai brake job f rom a Midas Brake Specialist. He's specially trained on brakes, s0 you know when they're f ixed, they're f ixed right. HERE'S WHATWE'LL DO:* lnspect your vehicle's brake system at no charge. REAR DRUM " resurface your brake drum: " instail premium quality braJ shoes FRONT DISC *resurface your brake rotors oinstali premium quality disc pads * dean and repack front wheel bearings Midas disc brake pads and brake shoes are guaranteed for as long as yo)u own your car.** *The cool af additional components and labour required to restare braire system ta ils proper operation is flot Included. 'Service charge ai $995 per axIe. Guarantee daes flot caver the cool of additional braire oytem componento and labour required ta, restore the braire oyo* term to its proper operation. If yau do flot authorize this service, you willI recelve non-lnstalled, nan-guaranteed replace- ment braire shoes or disc braire pado. TOP GUNS ls 160Kingston Road, Pickering 686-3707 1220 Dundas St. East, Whitby 668-1065. 227 Simcoe St. South, Oshawa 576-8111 the quality ai instruc- ,as just tion in the classroom ?.. berg, hie It is time we stopped it cost giving away benefits for in the nothing. " He was backed up by ave any Sandy Lawson, chair- n an man of the finance 4 the committee, who asked r ad- why the board was or to the going ahead without a e asked, needs assessment and know if wlthout help from the ffecting unions. She said OHIP and Blue Cross had already been extended to caver some areas included in the assistance program. Lawson said that money spent on im- pravernent to buildings such as new gyms plus reducation in class size were impravements ta the warkplace. For prafessianal development, which she said would reap same of the samne rewards as the assistance pragram, the board had already spent $280,000. Heather Beveridge, Uxbridge trustee, said there had been a study done some time ago. She said the assistance pragram would prevent superintendants "spen- ding time loaking after emplayee prablemo. " She was, however, "disappointed the federation (Ontario Secondary Schaol Teachers' Federation) wan't put up the maney." On that point she had support from Whitby Trustee Pat Bawxnan, and Oshawa. Trustee Stephen Sayweli. But Judi Oldman, Whitby's 1separate. school representative ta the board, said, "A cast- shared praduct woud be inferior... .we'd lase con- traI." Trustees Brown, Lynn Craig and Larry Corrigan were cancer- ned with daing the right thing, rather than warrying about the price. As Carrigan said, "What cast do you put an human life? " Carrigan said the program reflected the realities af the work- place, and suggested it might have a payback for students, and might imprave absenteeism. He pointed out the assistance pragram was for ail board emplayees, nat just teachers. "If it pravides help ta any emplayees, it Mandatory junior kindergarten could bring even greater ac- commodation problems for Durham. The Association of Large Schoal Boards of Ontario bas responded ta a provincial report of the Early Primary Education Project. The report, which recammends ail boards phase in junior kmn- dergarten programs over the next five years, would create special problems for grawing boards such as Durham which - due ta an In- crease in school population - are already cramped for space. Besides lack of space there wauld be tran- sportation casts which pravides help ta, the system," Ajax trustee Duncan Read said. He further advocated it could be an effective bargaining taol at con- tract time. Sayweli agreed with Brown that the cost of the program would' escalate with na hope for escape. "Once you get in, yau'l neyer get out," said Sayweil. Whitby Trustee John Buchanan and Oshawa Trustee Cathy O'Flynn pratested the pragram had neyer been discussed by the board, and hence had neyer been approved. Buchanan said they could nat hire a group ta pravide the pragram befare trustees had decided if they in fact wanted ta pravide the pragram. Chairman Ruth Lafarga said if the board voted ta hire or not they were at the same time chaasing for or against the pragram. Whitby trustees were split on the vote with Bawman and Oldman for the program and Brawn and Buchanan against. "I did flot vote," Chairman Lafarga said, "but I felt the board made the right decisian." SBey Tindal, president af the district Ontario Secandary Schaol Teachers' Assaciatian, who was present in the public seating throughaut the board meeting, said, 11I think District 17 will be en- cauraged ta see thèW board adapt the em- playee assistance program ... The track recard of other boards has proven there are benefits ta the employee and ta the employer. It increases morale. Ab- senteeism goes down, althaugh teachers in general have Iow absen- teeism records." Tindali emphasized the pragramn was nat just for teachers but for ail board employees. Failowing the meeting Trustee Lawson said, 11I think it's a good pragram. I just don't think we should fund it. The police have a programn which they totally fund themnselves. I think it's the unians' responsibility. " would add ta the problem of budgets already stretched thin in an attempt ta provide accommodation for existing programs. The association alsa protests that if junior kindergarten were ta be mandated there might mot be sufficient teachers qualified as specialists in prîmary education ta fulfill the need by 1990. The association also requests consideration for local contraI. "School boards should have the authority ta of. fer Junior kindergarten pragrams if tiseir com- mumity so requests and if the board has the necessary resources ta offer a high quality pragram.".ý Kindergarten problems