THURSDAY
S I N C E
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
1 8 9 5
Swimmer set to make waves at Westerns
Vol. 119, Issue 25
105
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INCLUDING G.S.T.
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
SD20 trying to overcome staffing woes
WATER WORK
Casual staff needed to balance workload, says CUPE president BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
ART HARRISON PHOTO
Northern Underwater System employee, Kevin Keraeke (right), got to try the water a little early this year at the boat launch near Gyro Park in Trail as he and fellow worker, Alvie Ostrikoff (left), prepare concrete blocks that will be submerged in the bay to protect the circulation pump that has been installed to improve fresh water flow into the area during times of low river flow. The pump and electrical cable were installed earlier in the week with the blocks, warning buoys, and water intake hose going into the water Wednesday.
Trail council approves boundary proposal BY ART HARRISON
Family Day holiday, council approved the Boundary Extension Proposal, Trail has moved one step closer to which has been sent to the Ministry expanding its boundaries to the U.S. of Community, Sport, and Cultural border, including the soon-to-be-official Development for review. Trail Airport, the Waneta Industrial area, Included in the proposal are annual and the Waneta Dam. payments to cover the potential loss At Trail city council's regular meet- of taxation income and services by the What Type Illness is related to District of ing, held Tuesday night dueof to Monday's municipalities in Regional Times Staff
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Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) Area A, beginning with an initial payment of over $475,000. “The idea is that, if the boundary extension proceeds, the RDKB would be made whole for any loss of tax revenue,” said David Perehudoff, chief administrative officer for the City of Trail. See MINISTRY, Page 3
Dr. Jeffrey J. Hunt N.D. (250)368-6999 E-Mail: huntandhunt@shaw.ca
School District 20's new standard of “moderately dingy” is becoming a reality as the district grapples with lack of custodial coverage, according to CUPE president Roger Smith. The representative of Local 1285 members (including school bus drivers, custodians, clericals and maintenance) said a lot has changed since he started as a custodian 24 years ago. At times he finds himself pulling two jobs in one shift because casual employees are unavailable due to long-term illness or injury coverage and in some instances balancing another job to make ends meet. “The way this is being handled right now, you're burning out the ones who are still working, you're bringing down the standards of other areas because people are trying to do two areas in one shift because there is no coverage,” he said. “There has been a lack of custodial coverage and I'm not laying all the blame on the school board, it's because people are off on long-term leave.” Custodians are not the only employees feeling the pinch. There was a need for direct student support staff (education assistants, child care workers, child and youth care workers) and as a result 17 casuals were added to the call-out list by last September. The range of absences this fall was as low as one to as high as 13, according to a support staff replacements report presented to the board this December. For example on Dec. 11, 2013, there were 13 support staff away, which works out to about 20 per cent absent. Though there were enough people on the call-out list to cover the 13 positions, the availability of the casual workers was another story. The substitute budget (which covers sick leave, vacation, bereavement and family emergency) was on the rise but has somewhat stabilized since it was hit in the 2010/2011 school year with about a half a million dollar increase to approximately $1.5 million from the year prior. Last year, about $1.4 million was spent on substitutes, which is far greater than the approximate $900,000 spent in 2007/2008. See DISTRICT, Page 3
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