PAGE 4, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1989, Teachers, board work to avoid- strike. By Trudie Zavadovios Mjore than 40 Catholic elemen- tar> school teachers were seen but j fot; heard at Monday night's sepsrate echool board meeting. ;e teachers, whose contracts are1 currenitly under negotiation, pac ed the gallery ini a show of soliaaity and support for their negrtiating team. "We're Iettng the me,,.,ation procedure work,» says Michael O'Connor, head of the negotiat- ing conimittee. «We are willin to meet as long and as often es necessary." Hie says that today (Wednes- day) has been set aside for nego- tiations and that they are pre- pared to continue tallcs Thursday but added that teachers are, Pre- pared to strike if negotiations «There have'been some minoir resolutions but there is stili a lot of work to do,n says O'Connor. Work to rule begins Friday and they could strike any time after that with merely a phono cail as notification. The main issues for the tea- chers are staffing (they are cur- Condo application withdrawn Whitby Estates iAmited has withdrawn an application for a 28-unit condomiium develop- ment at Nichol Ave. and Kendal- wood Rd. The initial request for the amendment was submitted Dec. 23, 1988 by Walker, Wr»ght Young Associates on behaif ot their clients, Whitby Estates Ltd. On Aug. 23, 1989 aller con- sideration by Whitby planning committee, the request was tabled, to be ciealt with Oct. 24, 1989. At that timne, the request was again tabled this time at the request of the agents for WitbyEstates Ltd. At the planning committee meeting Nov. 21, the request for the ainendnxent was withdrawn. Resident wasn't amused A Whitby woman was the vie- tim of a cruel joke when someone called hier ta say one of hier fanýiiy menibers had been invol- yod in a serious automobile acci- dent. Durhamn Regional Police say a Bonneta Ct. resident received a t elephone caîl on Dec. 12, around 6:20 p.m., and the maie caller inforined her that her brother- in-law had been involved in a "bad" car accident. Police ascertained that the relative had not been involved in an accident. Seniors' apartments PROM PAGE 1 able price.- De-spite making a decision on the project, committee at the sarne time held a public meeting during which area rosidents out- linod concergis. Barry Martin, ropresonting Perry, Mary and John St. rosi- dents, b'ected ta the plan iecause of height, location "i an older rosidential section of tawn " the potential for increased traflic congestion, concern over inade- quate services and inadequate parlcing posed by the. plan. «Why nine stories? Thats a monstrosity compared te other buildings in the ares,» said Leona Metcalfe of John St. E.. Linda Crawford of Perry St. said a nie-story structure would uovershadow the historical idea of Whitby." Carol Thompson of Perry St. noted that there are drainage problems on Perry St. Planning director Bob Short said storm sewer improvements would have to be ade wth the proect. Glen Taylor and Debie Sloan, two niembers of the Oshawa &; District Association for Com- mumity ià ving, spoke in favor of the application, noting that cor- poration projects are well-con- structed and well-managed. "This provides affordable hous- mg~ in what is a crisis situation," said Taylor. Michael said the corporation, which was established in 1985, already has units in Whitby, Oshawa and north Durham Région. A roect bas also beon proposed Poff Thickson Rd., although dtais of the applica- tion have not yet been finalized. rently at the bottom of the scale as far as staffing in the pro- vince), salaries (they want salary levels dloser to those of other school boards), pla"' q and pre- paration time, supervision. duties and benefits. Among the teachers at the board meeting were Claire Kyle and Cathy Breault, who both teach at St. Paul's school ini Whitby. «arn very supportive o f the negotiating team," says Kyle. "]Pd like to settle as quickly as pos- sible with as little bad feeling as possible. The issues are very important and it's time for us to stand u for what we're fighting for. I feel very strongly about that." «I hope it doesn't end up in a strike,»" says Breault. "But our feelings are sa strong, at this point we will do what we have to do to support the negotiatig team." Ciass size is a major issue for Breault who began the year with 37 students in her grade 7/8 classroom. She is now clown to 28 students but says that there are many other teachers who have a fuller class size. She says she showed up, like others, in an effort to get.the board to realize «We are serious and we are a united body.» She adds that a lot of teachers are frustrated at this point. "If this does reach a strike it will be the most unnecessaLry strike in the history of collective bargaining,» said Joe Ryan,pre- sident of the Ontario Engii»sh Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA>. 'The thinga we are asking for are not things that meet the leading edge"» «This board has to attract tea- chers. By next year they will need 200. They are doing a dis- servioe ta the community. "We don't want ta be second cousins in Ontario," said Ryan who called the current situation a "trrible dissipation of energy that should be going in other areas. '«The board is very hopeful that they can reach a settlement" says board chairman Catherin'e Tunney, Whi2lb trustee, about the current mediation. She says that she hopes the situation will not bring about a strike but adds that they are peared if that happens. Teteachers left the meeting after about one hour. 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