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WETBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMER 13, 1991,.PAGE 21 Cathollo high sohool-teachers cali for str'ike. vote. Catholic highV, chool teachers inDurham on have called v for a*strike-vote after 'contract taika reached an« impasse on Nov. 5. The 290 teachers, represented bythe Durham Secondary Unit »Ïthe Ontario English Caâtholic Teahea'Association want. salaries comparable te Lhose of other sronigpublic and separate high school agreèm!ents, and reductions in maximum class sizes. Teachers want a salar in- crease of 4.5 per cent effective Sept.- 1, 1991, and an additional 3.32 per cent, effective Feb. 1,l The board je offering a 4.5 per cent increase effective Sept. 1, 1991 and an'additional one per f cent increase effective Feb. 1, 1992. The teaherds' i ý agreement expired Aug. 31, 1991. Ie board and teachers have been meeting since February to reach an agreement. 1 On Oct. 4, teachers rejected the board's la'test offer by 87 per cent. Tlhe teachers will apply to the Education Relations Commission to conduet a strike vote. Board raifes agreement with elementaryï teachers9 1The Durham Region separate scho ol board ratified the one-year' collective agreement with its elementary school teachers at a' special board meeting on Oct. 28. The English and' French elementary teachers employed by the board and represented by the Ontario Engish Catholic Teacher Association and Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens voted te accept the board's final offer at a membership meeting on Oct. 24. The main feature of the agreement is a 4.5 per cent increase in salary, effective Sept. A further one per cent increase will'be added, effective Feb. 3, 1992. The salary range for teachers as of Feb. 3, 1992 will be $27,880' te $6%636. The agreement also provides for: Teachers at the A4 level (top pay category) can reach maximum salary after il1 years rather than 13 years. Teéachers in A3 and A2 levels can reach their maximum in il years rather than 12 years. *Effective September 1992,' an increase in teachers' lesson -planning' and preparation time fiom 120 minutes to 130 minutes per. week. *Effective' September 1992, schools will be eligible for.,a vice principal when they have 425 or more students. Previously the number was 450. By Mario Boucher Recognizing Quebec as a "dis- tinct society. in the constitution is a confusing tepic for high echool students in Durham R e,,g Ion.1 MTe wording is causing a lot of problems,' said- Andrea Metric, a student at Trafalgar Castle School, durinq a student forum on the constitution last week. Students, from seven local schools expressed their concerns about the future of Canada at the peoples' forum for constitu- tional dialogue at Trafagar Cas-' tle School last week. One student asked why Que- bec continues to demand special rights. Gordon McCauley, director of public affairs with the Ontario Wasite Management Corp., said the six million French-Canadians want te protect their language and culture amidst the 300 mil- lion population in North America. «You have te understand what it is like te be a. minority sur- rounded by other provinces," he said. McCauley said the situation is not unlike Canada against the United States. Tim Murphy, a lawyer with Blake, Cassels and Graydon in Toronto, said the French people may be afraid te lose their language.' Hesaid a language is the easiest and often te fîrst thing te be lost. «You have- to understand where Quebec is coming from," he said. Murphy said Ontario and the western provinces have all made power demande from the federal governmnent in the past. «Their (Quebec) issues neyer got addressed in that kind of way,» he said. Murphy said the best solution in resolving constitutional pro- blems may b e to «see if you can do it this time. «We're not going te sit in this room and tell Quebec they are wrong,» he said. Murphy said it ie time te stop looking at the negatives and find solutions instead. Natalie Ingsley, a French- Canadian student at Ecole Secondaire Catholique Charles Garnier in Whitby, said she con- eiders herself more bilingual than either French or English. "]Pm tomn between two cul- tures," she said. «Both are wrong sometîmes.» Kingsley said if Quebec separates, the rest of the French- Canadiana)in Canada will slowly disappear over the next two or three generations. She said there would be fewer French schools because the few remaining children in a separa- ted country would end up speak- «Ithnf its time for them te comae together,» she said. Murphy said French would «not be as prominent» if Quebec does separate from Canada. Marc Kealey, chairman of the peoplas' forum for constitutional dialogue, said there is a miscon- ception of the attitudes in the country. "People don't know what the average Quebecer says about English people and vice versa,» he said. One student said Canadians should see themselves as Cana- dians and not as English people, French people and so on. Steve Paiken, anchor of CBC News at six, eaid the student suggested Canada should stop looking at who founded the coun- try and see uwho will continue, te pioneer this country." During hie opening speech, Paiken asked students to raise their hands for a survey. When he asked them about the possbility of Quebec separating fom Canada, most students ras- ponded that Quebec should stay with Canada. Paiken also asked the students which party they would vote for at this time. About haîf of the students raised their hands in favour of the Liberal party. Most of the rest of the students didn't participate, as only one studenit approved of the NDP party, three, students prafarred the Conservative party and six would vote for the Efor party.- Mupytold the students they Environmentalists shoulc cre about the constitu- tion because of the efc twl StortHerehave on their future. 'Mu*, conlstitution ijeabout crucial,"»lhe said. "I want te challenge you people about the constitution," said Kealey. «Canadians need to under- stand the essence of Canada," said Robert Palmer, a history teacher at Trafalgar Castle School. According te moderater Steve Rae, a history and economics teacher at Harwood Secondary School, students from Quebec maybe invited to another forum tebe held sometime in the new year. He said hie was impressed with the questions asked by the stu. dents at the forum. McCauley said he was also glad te see the enthusiasm fromn the students. «AIl of those kids are really positive about resolving thîs, too,» he said. About 100 students from Henry St. High School Anderson CVI Trafalgar Castle School, Ecofe Secondaire Catholique Charles Garnier Denis O'Connor HiÎ h School ÏPikering High School and Iiarwood Secondary Sehool participated in the forum. Ontario Riding MP Rene Soe- tans organized the forum and was.present at the assembly. The findinge of this panel will be reported te the federal govern- ment in 1992. STUDENTS from seven area high sehools participated in a student forum on the constitutionai proposai last Wednesday at Trafagar Castie Sehool. Above, CBC'at 6- anchor Steve Paiken asks students for thefr opinions on- the future of Canstda. Below, Trafagar history teacher Robert Palmer gives his opening conmments. Photos by Mark Roeor, Whitby Fr.. Prom ,~ ~ i A] 4p N u Students speak out at forum on the, constitutional proposai r-