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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 16, 2015 | 8 Secondary teachers walk away from bargaining table by Kristin Rushowy Toronto Star As of press deadlines yesterday (Wednesday, April 15), the union representing Ontario's public high school teachers has walked away from provincial talks, saying it will return "when the employer gets serious." A bulletin to teachers said the offer on the table contains contract "strips," or clawbacks, and, via Twitter, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) said talks were suspended Tuesday afternoon "to give (the boards and government) time to reconsider their position." This time around, bargaining is held at both the provincial level -- with the unions, the school boards' associations and the government -- to hammer out costly items, such as salaries. Local issues are left to individual union districts and school boards to settle. Local talks are continuing, though OSSTF has threatened to strike at seven boards -- the first being Durham if no local deal is reached by Monday (April 20). Michael Barrett, president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA), said the union has accused his organization and the government of "not being serious with regards to negotiations, but I would suggest that we are serious about getting a collective agreement and that negotiations are certainly a two-way street" with both sides putting "differing opinions on the table and having discussions on them, and not walking away from discussions. "We encourage OSSTF to come back to the table." As to accusations that boards are seeking clawbacks, Barrett said, "I don't believe you can call it stripping a contract when you are looking to ensure that students are indeed the focus of the relationship between all parties." Barrett, who is also chair of the Durham District School Board, said discussions between his board and the high school teachers' union are taking place the rest of this week before the April 20 strike deadline. -- TorStar News Service www.oakville.ca Notice of intention to hold a public consultation meeting for the licensing of landscaping/property maintenance contractors and outdoor markets Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 9 a.m. Palermo Room, Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road Town staff invite interested industry stakeholders to a public consultation meeting to provide comments regarding the intention to include the licensing of the following businesses into the proposed comprehensive licensing by-law: · Landscaping/property maintenance contractors (members of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects will not be exempt) ­ this includes anyone engaged in the business of managing lawns/yards, e.g. erecting fences, seasonal mowing/seeding, snow ploughing/removal · Outdoor markets (those operating under a minor variance are exempt until the variance expires) ­ this includes any temporary outdoor retail operation in which agricultural, food, or art and craft products are sold, and occurs on a regular weekly basis, e.g. farmer's market, flea market (outdoor markets do not include garden centres). Changes to the by-law are also proposed to ensure consistency in the regulation of driveway paving contractors, pool installation contractors and building renovators. Fence installation contractors are proposed to be licensed as landscaping/property maintenance contractors. A new comprehensive licensing by-law will be presented to Council for consideration at a future meeting. Notice will be provided online and in the Oakville Beaver. Anyone wishing to speak to this matter at the meeting is invited to do so. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Craig Williams, Acting Supervisor of Licensing and By-law Services, Clerk's department at 905-845-6601, ext. 3256 or craig.williams@oakville.ca. Come on out to a free skate with our branch! Friday, April 24 · River Oaks Community Centre 2400 Sixth Line from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · Sixteen Mile Sports Complex 3070 Neyagawa Boulevard from 2 to 5 p.m. FREE P.A. Day Public Skate Capacity restrictions apply. For more information visit oakville.ca Plus, meet an RBC Olympian! Autograph signing with three-time Canadian Olympic Women's Hockey Gold Medalist and four-time World Champion Becky Kellar-Duke at River Oaks from 10 a.m. to noon. Don't have skates and/or a helmet to participate? Skate and helmet rentals are available at both locations! Do your part for Earth Week to keep Oakville beautiful! April 24 Clean Sweep Take 20 minutes and pick up litter around your school, business, neighbourhood and park. Register to pick up your free bags and gloves at oakville.ca. April 25, 9 ­ 11 a.m. Earth Week Clean Up Organized by the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights Get your friends and family together and clean up around your neighbourhood. Visit oakvillepeacecentre.org to find an organized cleanup. For more information call 905-849-5501.