Friday, June 13, 2014
Steveston High in public art 3 / Oval goes for gold 42
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FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014
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Full teacher strike set for next week Study session Monday ahead of full walkout Tuesday
www.richmonddaysofsummer.com
Page 44 · Richmond Review
by Martin van den Hemel and Jeff Nagel Black Press
Martin van den Hemel photo Nader Hatami, owner of Steveston Pizza, has been supporting local teachers by handing out dozens of free pizzas at local schools. The father-of-three said he will continue to support teachers, who are poised for a total walkout on Tuesday.
The B.C. Teachers' Federation has served 72hour strike notice, setting the stage for total walkout next week. For parents with school-aged children, this sets up a challenging scenario, especially for those with kids in elementary school. But even moms and dads with pre-schoolaged children stand to be inconvenienced, as many daycares operate out of local elementary schools, which could be behind picket lines as soon as Tuesday. Eric Yung, vice chair of the Richmond Board of Education, said he's hoping the two sides will come together prior to any escalation in job action. "Obviously we would prefer a negotiated settlement, to resolve the uncertainty that has surrounded everything to date. We ask both sides to consider the needs of the children foremost and believe that a negotiated settlement is best for all sides." Asked about the impact this will have on parents, Yung said: "We're gravely concerned this has turned a corner from a protest to something that has gotten to actual implications that extend beyond just the labour strife... We
are now worrying about graduation and the balanced calendar schools, Spul'u'kwuks and Garden City." He noted that while most local schools wrap up the year on June 25, that's not true for Spul'u'kwuks and Garden City, and what a fullblown strike means isn't clear. Though he's hoping an agreement can be reached before there's a full-scale strike, Nader Hatami, owner of Steveston Pizza, is supporting local teachers. He's dropped off dozens of pizzas to teachers at local picket lines since the teachers began job action. Teachers' federation president Jim Iker said escalated job action would begin with a study session Monday, followed by a full strike starting Tuesday, if necessary. The Monday study sessions will see BCTF members meet offsite—schools won't be picketed but teachers won't be there. Bargaining is expected to continue through the weekend and Iker said he's hopeful a deal is still possible before the weekend ends to avoid a full strike. A full strike would close elementary and middle schools, while secondary schools would be open only to conduct exams for Grade 10 to 12 students, provided the Labour Relations Board makes exams an essential service. See Page 3
Think tank says Metro cities have spending problem by Jeff Nagel Black Press A new report by the Fraser Institute argues Metro Vancouver municipalities have enough money—they just spend it too fast. The right-wing policy think tank tracked spending over 10 years and found total spending by the region's 21 member cities soared from $1.9 billion in 2002 to $3.3 billion in 2012. That 74 per cent increase was more than
double the combined rate of growth of population and inflation. Civic revenues grew 86 per cent over the same period. “If Metro Vancouver municipalities feel like they’re experiencing a fiscal squeeze, it’s certainly not from a lack of revenue," said study co-author Charles Lamman. "The real problem at the municipal level is poor control of spending." The report notes municipal spending in the region has grown much faster than that of the
B.C. and federal governments. Lamman said residents should question the value they get for municipal spending as the big increases often may not translate into more or higher quality services. While property taxes have grown relatively slowly, the study noted other sources of revenue have climbed quickly, including transfers from other governments. One source the report said has climbed considerably are fees charged to developers,
which it said could—if passed on to homeowners—artificially jack up the price of housing in Metro Vancouver. A big part of the increased spending reflects the growing population and services required in the region. Municipal representatives have taken issue with similar reports before, saying they are simplistic and fail to reflect government downloading and rapidly rising costs in areas cities have little control, such as policing.
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