Clarifying labour unrest at Catholic school board
In your latest issue of Centretown News you printed a story about the labour unrest at the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board. As President of C.U.P.E. Local 2357, I would like to clarify two issues.
Firstly, as to leave, we are struggling to maintain the leave that we have had for many years and harmonize that leave between the Ottawa and Carleton sectors. At present, there are two different contracts serving the support employees and they need to be merged.
Secondly, the dispensing of medication remains a grave program for our employees. An extensive study was conducted by a joint committee at the former Ottawa Catholic School Board. A few years ago, the Ottawa sector did a study and concluded the best person to dispense medecine was the principal or the acting principal. A school secretary is not trained to safely do this job nor does her schedule allow for it.
Dispensing of medication to students should be done in the safest, most efficient manner. Our students’ health is of the prime importance.
Since the vote was taken, we have met with board administration staff and together are discussing the issues with the assistance of an appointed conciliation officer. We have three additional days of talk scheduled for December. As long as there is dialogue we are moving forward. Both sides are eager to settle this dispute without having to resort to other means. We are optimistic that we can continue to talk.
I hope this makes things a little clearer. It’s important to all our members that the facts and only the facts be stated and understood.
Wendy Schieman
C.U.P.E. Local 2357
Banks should lend more to small business
Although small business creates 80 per cent of new jobs, banks routinely loan two per cent or less of bank assets to small business.
If banks were encouraged to loan 10 per cent of bank assets to small business, perhaps five times as many new jobs would be created. The people who get new jobs from small business eventually go to the banks for credit card business, car loans, mortgages for houses and financial planning.
This will significantly increase national productivity, the wealth of the nation and generate more in taxes. It would also reduce the demand for social services and reduce the rates and cost of crime.
Wayne Mannion,
Poplar Street
Foot bridge a waste of tax dollars
For someone like me paying 56 per cent of my salary to income tax on top of almost $8,000 to property taxes each year, I find your argument to maintain the present level of taxation a little lame, especially after reading the story on page 13 of the Oct. 29th edition entitled “New canal bridge considered.”
Can someone explain to me why we would need to spend millions of (tax) dollars on a foot bridge to cross the canal at Somerset Street when within less than a kilometre of that location there are no less than four bridges already, all of which are equipped with pedestrian sidewalks!?
Surely the $800,000 “set aside” for a “study” and the millions needed to build this potential eyesore could be better spent on social programs.
Ron Bos,
Lewis Street