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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, January 11, 2013 · 6 Opinion & Letters The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 905-845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief, Halton Region Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Don't be a hero -- stay home Coughing. Sniffling. Sneezing. Every winter, it seems, the incidences of flu and colds increase, especially in the workplace. That's why Ontario's doctors are ramping up a special campaign to keep these easily-contracted illnesses from spreading like wildfire. The Snot's Not Hot campaign (yes, that's the name of it) encourages anyone who has the flu to take a sick day and stay home from work if they can. Staying home and limiting contact with others prevents the spread of the flu virus to people, who in turn, could pass it along to their friends and family. Cold and flu viruses are highly contagious and are spread because people touch surfaces and then touch their faces, objects or individuals. It can easily spread for five to seven days after symptoms begin. Some of the most contaminated sources are the surfaces people touch travelling to and from work. According to the Ontario Medical Association, more than 60 per cent of gas pumps and more than 40 per cent of escalator rails and ATM machine buttons are highly contaminated with illness-causing viruses. That's why it's so important to wash your hands frequently throughout the day to help prevent you from getting sick or spreading the illness to your family and co-workers. Should you start feeling sick, please keep your germs to yourself and work from home or take a sick day. "You don't need to prove anything by going into work when you are sick. In fact, going to work with the flu only proves that you are willing to make others sick," said Dr. Doug Weir, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "Staying home to rest will prevent the spread of the flu to other employees and will keep you on the road to recovery." If staying home isn't an option for you, try reducing the risk of spreading the virus by always coughing and sneezing into your elbow, using hand sanitizer and washing your hands frequently. Like the campaign says, Snot's Not Hot. So please, if you are coughing, sniffling or sneezing, stay home and focus on getting better instead of putting the health of your co-workers at risk. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Parent protests walkouts Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. I am a parent in Oakville and my daughter attends a public school in French Immersion. I have just received notification the teachers are, once again, protesting and there will be no school (today). I want to express my outrage at this situation. It makes me wonder how often this is going to occur since no one seems too inclined to sit down at a table, negotiate, mediate and/or arbitrate to get a deal done to get this matter resolved as soon as possible to avoid further impact on the students. This has been going on far too long, and, if this involved private corporations, under no circumstances would any outstanding matter be permitted to carry on to this extent. Time costs money and the job needs to get done, and that is the bottom line. Parents, especially working parents with few alternatives, are placed in a See Get page 7 Parent upset with teachers walking off jobs I am a parent with two children at Sunningdale Public School. I have just been advised via e-mail from the Halton District School Board (HDSB) regarding the province-wide protest day today (Friday, Jan. 11). Possibly because parents have not spoken on the subject, the teachers' unions believe parents are with them. For one, I am not. I did not appreciate the automated telephone call back in December requesting our patience and support for the legal strike day. There was no one to speak with or to leave my message when I tried to call back. The teachers voted Dalton McGuinty in on the last election -- their union told them to. McGuinty favoured the teachers all throughout his `reign' in Ontario because his wife was/ is a teacher. The union was sleeping with its eyes open if it thought for one minute at some point he would not have to make the same hard decisions he did with other unions. Teachers, as well as doctors and nurses, provide necessary services -- McGuinty is treating teachers finally the same as he has treated the healthcare system in Ontario. While no one has made a loud voice for the healthcare system, it continues on a downward spiral. The teachers' union has a loud voice. My one daughter came home from school in December telling me we should support the teachers because they are standing up for their rights. My response back was -- you've got to be kidding -- what they are teaching you is to whine and complain, because you will get what you want. In the last 10 years, companies have downsized, gone out of business and left the province. We have a high jobless rate. I don't stand with the Premier, but I will say he has tried in hard times to be cost-effective. To be most cost effective, would be to eliminate executive positions at the top of all governmental bodies and unions making ridiculously huge salaries for doing next to nothing. Parents are left now to figure out who is going to stay home with their children. How much will it cost for us to find someone to watch them? For some parents, this is a bigger issue than others. But when I am paying taxes to the public school board, I am expecting something in return -- an education and for them to be attending school on the days they are supposed to be. Maybe this will be my wake-up call to move my children to a private school -- then I won't get any surprises. I hope Dalton McGunity and his government does not give in to the teachers' union demands because it will teach our children -- if you whine and complain long enough and loud enough, you will get what you want. Betty-Ann Yamoah, Oakville