TUESDAY
S I N C E
JUNE 17, 2014
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Vol. 119, Issue 93
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Little League crown goes to Beaver Valley Page 11
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
School strike on as talks collapse BY TOM FLETCHER Black Press
An exchange of proposals between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and government negotiators on the weekend dissolved in acrimony Monday, with a full-scale strike in public schools already underway. Negotiators for the BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association met until midnight Sunday, as the union moved from rotating strikes to a full walkout with a “study session” on Monday. The two sides contradicted each other on the substance of the wage offers, and each said the next move is up to the other if a deal is to be reached. BCTF president Jim Iker said a complete strike is “imminent,” after union members endorsed the move in their second province-wide strike vote. Education Minister Peter Fassbender said Monday he is waiting for a response from the union to the latest offer from BCPSEA, which represents the province’s 60 school districts. BCPSEA chief negotiator Peter Cameron said Monday the union’s latest wage offer is a reduction from its previous position, but when increased benefit costs are factored in, it is still more than twice as much compensation as other public sector union settlements. BCPSEA posted a comparison of the two wage offers Monday. It describes the BCTF proposal as a $5,000 signing bonus followed by increases of 3.5 per cent in the first year and 1.5 per cent in each of the next three years, for a total raise of 8 per cent plus compounding. The B.C. Labour Relations Board has extended its essential services order to include provincial final exams and marks for graduating students, so they can apply for postsecondary studies.
J. L. Crowe Secondary School’s 2014 graduating class said farewell to high school Friday night with an emotional send off.
VALERIE ROSSI PHOTO
Crowe graduates ready for next challenge BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
The future looks bright for nearly 170 graduates who proudly received their diplomas and tossed their caps high above a crowd of approximately 800 people this past weekend. A sea of blue took over the Cominco Arena Friday night when J. L. Crowe Secondary grads reflected on the past five years at the Trail high school and looked forward to their next chapter with departing words from comrades, special guests and staff. “As a group, adversity has challenged you directly or indirectly on several occasions this year and there will be more ahead,” said principal David DeRosa. “You have the capacity and the character to move forward
“You have the capacity and the character to move forward and to achieve your goals; we’ve seen it in you .” DAVID DEROSA
and to achieve your goals; we’ve seen it in you.” DeRosa often knew he was in trouble when a Beaver Valley Nitehawk, a high school debate champion, a young man with more film production credits than Martin Scorsese or a young lady, who five years ago spoke no English, approached his office with yet another idea. “No appointments; no heads up; usually
smiles; never enough Timbits,” he laughed. “There were days that I just didn't stand a chance.” Leadership was not something that this class lacked, he said, a constant message shared throughout the ceremony that was further highlighted when a total of 176 awards and prizes equaling $132,000 were doled out to 91 deserving students. At this pinnacle moment, the class was reminded how far they've come from entering the school as “bright-eyed and innocent eighth-graders” by valedictorian Eric Matteucci. “As frightened Grade 8s we walked down the halls, careful not to get in the way of any Grade 12 students,” he recalled. See FORMER, Page 3
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