The Good Life: Volunteers have good thing growing at Cairnsmore page 13 Valley: Scarf project helps knit together a community page 20
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Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Cowichan teachers’ job action underway Phase one: Supervision duties targeted, as teachers push for new contract Don Bodger
around the province. A full-scale strike in Phase 3 would require a second vote by members to owichan School District authorize. Union members 79 teachers are recently voted 89% to endorse the three-stage joining their strike plan. provincial The government continbrethren in the first stage of ues to push for a 10-year job action this week. deal, but Nilsson said that’s “It’s purely administraunrealistic when the offer tive,’’ said Cowichan Disdoesn’t even keep up with trict Teachers’ Association the cost of living. president Naomi Teachers aren’t Nilsson. “It’s interested in a meant to put some long-term deal pressure onto the under those administration.’’ conditions. The first phase of “It honestly a three-stage strike depends what plan goes into they bring to the effect Wednesday table,’’ Nilsson after the B.C. Naomi Nilsson: said. “I think we Teachers’ Federa- just wants to teach would even sign tion served 72-hour a six- (year-deal) Ashley Degraaf notice following if it had a cost of living. Shawnigan Lake volunteer firefighters attend the scene of a structure fire at Shawnigan Mobile Home Park on Wallbank Road just after 11 a.m. Monday as neighbour rejection of the latest offer Class size and composition Chris Wahl and daughter Hailey watch. from the provincial govis definitely the major issue ernment’s school district for our teachers — espebargaining agency. cially in the valley here.’’ Nilsson said teachers Nilsson indicated it’s unwill still be doing report fortunate kids are stuck in cards and communicating the middle, but valley teachwith parents and extraFriends collecting donations: Most possessions destroyed after blaze breaks out in a mobile home ers are on the same page. curricular activities won’t “They are tired,’’ said She’s currently organizing a donation Details of what his insurance would cover be affected. Ashley Degraaf Nilsson. “Come on (predrive and emergency fund account for her were still fuzzy, he said. “I don’t know if parents News Leader Pictorial mier) Christy (Clark). They neighbour and good friend, who lived in “Everything in the front half sustained will notice much, other just want to teach and they the park home by himself with his Chihuadamage,” SVFD chief Keith Shields conthan the teachers won’t be hawnigan resident Jim Angus just want to teach well and hua puppy. firmed. The back half of the house also saw in supervision,’’ she said. would have been celebrating his they can’t do that right now Angus also has a 10-year-old son, who smoke and heat damage, as well as some of Nilsson said the strike birthday Tuesday. because of the underfundstays with him occasionally, but wasn’t the home’s exterior. plan is quite similar to Instead, the owner of a mobile there Monday. Angus and his dog also “Our guys got their pretty quick,” Shields Phase 1 in 2011-12. There’s ing and it really affects home that erupted in flames morale.’’ weren’t home at the time of the fire. He said, commending his 13-member strong no timeline for escalaMonday was in a state of shock about losNilsson said the funding had left for work with his pup several crew, who spent just shy of two hours at tion of strike action. The ing everything inside the house he’d recently structure doesn’t work and hours before the Shawnigan Lake Volunthe site. CDTA planned to meet renovated. it’s time the government teer Fire Department got the call just after Neighbour Darl Siddall called the fire in. with local trustee Mike Neighbour Kirsten Wahl said Angus realized it. It’s been this way 11 a.m. “Our main concern was his puppy,” McKay while he’s in town lost practically everything in his unit at basically since Clark as“I’m just so glad I took my puppy to said Siddall at Monday’s scene, noting he to address local concerns. the Shawnigan Mobile Home Park off the sumed office as education work and my son wasn’t there when it hap- figured his neighbour would be at work in If the BCTF plan gets south-end of Wallbank Road. minister in 2001, Nilsson pened,” a very distraught Angus said on Victoria. to Phase 2, it will involve “All he’s got is his vehicle and the clothes said. more on page 14 rotating one-day walkouts Tuesday. off his back,” Wahl said Tuesday. News Leader Pictorial
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Fire ruins Shawnigan man’s birthday
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