a School tax increase is 4.55 per cent By Mike Kowalski Durham Region taxp ayers are already feeling the effect of last month s provincial government cutbacks. Both the public and soparate school boards Monday approved budgets which wiIl increase adu- cation taxes 4.55 par cent in 1993. Durham Board of Education trustees passed a $381-million budget whch wiIl increase the average homoowner's taxes $55. Their countrparts on the Dur- hanm separato school board struck a $140.3-million budget which will raise taxes anywhera from $30 to $60 across the n Whitby, separate sehool supporters can oxpect to pay about $60. Prior to the Ontario govern- ment's April 23 fundi ng .announcement, both boards h ad anticipated increases of 3.9 per cent tis yoar. But as a result of the govern- ment's decision to reduce grants ta school boards and municipali- ties, the Durham boards delayed fpassing their budgets until the fuli impact of t he cuts was known. By combining a $3.8-million provincial cutback with their own own additional cost-cutting, public sehool trustees slashed their original $384.4-mullion budget estimate to slightly more than $381 million. Trustees scrapped the driver education program, chopped an additional 25 teachers fromn its sacondary school ranks and will spend less money on portables and classroom computers. If thero is no increase in stu- dent onrolîmont naxt September, 100 secondary and lomantary teaching- positions wil be ehi- minatad aas a rosult of proviously announced cuts. Although tho ovaraîl budget is loss than first expected, local taxpayors will pay a greater shara, said board chairman Lou- ise Farr, a Pickering trustee. "We've been as responsible as wo can. We tried to absorb as much as wo could and not pass it on ta the ratepayers," she said. But trustees could only do so much,1 Farr insisted, and warned that local officiaIs can expeet fewer dollars from Queen's Park in the future. "In '91 we had a committment froni the province for three years but the rules changed,» she said. "Not only didn't we get what was promised but thera was further cutbacks.» However, Farr noted that cost- cutting measures containod in this year's budget could result in savings in 1994 since the 1993 shoyear is atm ost over. Atugh separate school trus- tees had to reduce spending by $283,000 chairman Tom Qîdman said the fuit impactof the pro- vincial cutbacks is still not reflected in his board's budget. The government intends ta reduco transfer payments ta school boards for restructuring SES PAGE 4 Ernployees of Woodbridge- Foam in Whitby have gone on strike to back up their contract demands. Workers at the Forbes Street automotive foam plant rosorted ta, strike action Monday after a briof meeting with management last week proved unsuccessful. No futher talks between the company and Local 222 of the Canadian Auto Workers (ÇAW) had been schadulcd as of Monday afternoon. "Vie told thie company we're ready te go (rasume nagotiations) any tume, any place," said Bill Donohue, the union's plant chair. "We're not asking for a for- tune, ust a reasonable settte- ment,'hesaid. Under the old agreement which expired April 15, the averago wage for the 127 em ployaes raprasented by the CA W was $15.22. An increase in wages and im- proved banaflits are the union's m demands, Donohue said. "t's definitely money. Beneflits are not too bad, but wages are the main issue," ha said. Donohue said Lear Saating employees who work in an adja- cent plant are paid about $2.50 more par hour, but Woodbridge workars are not looking for an equivalent wago. «W're not asking for parity with Lear,» ha said, adding that "thoy don't aven work with dangerous chemicals.» Woedbridge Foam manufac- turas material usod in the pro- duction of automobile seats for Goneral Motors7 Buick Regal and Chevrolet Lumina models. This will be the second con- tract covering union employees at the six-year-old plant. AlthoughI union officiaIs noti fied the company that a striko would not occur untit midnight Sunday employees reporting for the ni g lt shift around il p.m. found Ne factor already closad. Plant manager Dave Fowlar said the company took this action because the "union infor- med us il would take a laga1 strike as of midnight.» SEE PAGE 4 Charges l ganst flower vendors By Mike Kowalski Raadside fiowor vendors are no loner elcmein Whitby.. Cagswaro laid against oight people who soldfowars without a licence on streat cor- ners or othor locations in town during the Mothor's Day woek- end. Savon of those charged are non-Whitby residents. The eighth persan is a local fiorist. Anoth or six charges are also pending against vendors who a"red te stop salling flowers "ftr being warned by the Town's bylaw enforcement officers. These people will only be char. gied if they again attempt te, selI fowers without a licence nt some future date. If convicted, violators could face fines of up te $5,000 for each offenoe. Councillor John Doîstra announced the crackdown on the street corner vendors at Mon- da's Town council meeting. "We'vo had numerous cern- plaints about people coning in from outsida Whitby and solling fiowers all over town," said Dol- strig. "Vie have te protect our local florists, it's time te put a stop to it,»h hasaid. Doistra said vondors were asked to produce the required licence and those who di1 not wera given ana hour ta stop selling and leave thair location. Charges were only laid if the vendors did not obey the warn- ing,,hasaid. Athough Dolstra promised that the bylaw will continue to be onforced, ha noted that it is currently being raviewed by the Town's solicitor and staff. A report on the natter will ha coming ta council in the near future, ha saîd. Following the meeting, DoIstrs doclined ta, indicate the reasor for seeking a legat opinion of the bylaw. Howevor, ha roiterated that bylaw enforcoment officers "will SER PAGE 2 Woodbridge FoarnAi workers go on strike 1 where is itj