Behind schedule Tourism kiosk on Parkway won’t be ready in May. PAGE 7 Hep A alert Warning issued over potentially contaminated berry blend. PAGE 14 Active life Courses provide dog owners skills to understand pet’s signals. PAGE 3
Slugger tested PAGE 22
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VOL. 23, NO. 150
School cuts avoided with cash surplus
GREENHOUSES HOMELESS
BY JENN McGARRIGLE THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Sandra Sauer, a Nanaimo Community Gardens volunteer, waters plants in the organization’s greenhouses. Nanaimo Community Gardens will have to vacate the structures, located at the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre on Hammond Bay Road, to make room for an expansion project at the waste water treatment centre. Please see story, page 3.
B.C. Ferries workers extend contract, add wage hike BY CHRIS HAMLYN THE NEWS BULLETIN
Labour forecasts are for smooth sailing for the next three years between B.C. Ferries and its unionized workers. The corporation and B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union agreed in February to an extension of its collective agreement to Oct. 31, 2015.
The two parties also negotiated wage increases, giving workers a one-per cent raise Oct. 31 this year, 1.5 per cent in April 2013, 1.75 per cent in April 2014 and two per cent in April 2015. “All the articles and clauses stay the same as the previous agreement, we just attached some wage increases,” said Deborah Marshall, B.C. Ferries spokeswoman.
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Richard Goode, union president, said the bargaining unit was apprehensive about the extension, but came up with an agreement that provides modest increases. “It’s not even going to keep up with inflation,” he said. “But there were no concessions to the company, no clawbacks, and we got a pension plan for our commercial drivers.” ◆ See ‘FERRY’ /4
A temporary reprieve from budget cuts could be in the works for Nanaimo students and staff. School officials propose to balance next year’s budg et with sur plus money carried forward from the current school year, despite an estimated $1.6-million shortfall for the 2012-13 school year. Phil Turin, secretarytreasurer, said the district is in an unusual position this year due to its funding protection grant and receiving unexpected extra payments from the province, and the surplus cash can absorb the projected shortfall. Funding protection is given to districts with falling enrolment to protect against a funding drop larger than 1.5 per cent, as districts are funded on a per-student basis. Turin said the grant went down $1.4 million next year and will continue to drop 1.5 per cent in coming years as enrolment continues to drop. He forecasts a funding shortfall of $2.1 million for 2013-14.
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We’re in a bit of a window of opportunity. We’re on borrowed time.
“We’re in a bit of a window of opportunity this year,” he said. “We’re on borrowed time. We have to change how we do business or we’ll be in more trouble than we are today.” Jamie Brennan, school board chairman, said it is “uplifting in a way” to not be contemplating a list of cuts for next school year, but the good news won’t last. “I’m sure the partner groups were surprised because it’s usually doom and gloom at budget meetings,” he said. “We’re happier than we have been, but at some point, we’re going to have to make some hard decisions. We can’t continue to do things in the same old way.” ◆ See ‘UNEXPECTED’ /5
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