February 2, 2005_ \ | © Page 4 Strikes Come to OUC Support staff join workers at five other colleges protesting government wage freeze Miss Canada, Miss Teen Canada heading to Southeast Asia Br Dave WEATHERALL CUP QUEBEC BUREAU CIMEF EDMONTON (CUP) — Amanda Klyn.and Nicole Kostrosky are on a mission to’ deconstruct stacotypes about Miss Canada winners and to help children in Southeast Asia. “We're not judged on our appear- ance at all,” said KNostrosky, who is currently tourmg the country with Kiyn collecting teddy bears to deliver to children affected by the tsunami in Southeast Asia. “There's no swimsuit competition for Miss Canada. We were judged solcly on our intellect, public speaking ability and out work with the community.” Kostrosky and Klyn were crowned Miss Canada and Miss Teen Canada in Mississauga last August and began Schools closed, professor killed after severe rains pound province CONTINUED FROM COVER Her death is a shock to students and teachers at Capilano College, said Ben West, chair of Capilano’s student union. “Tt was so unexpected,” he said. “It was so out of the bluc. I don’t know what to think about it.” West, who knew Eliza through their work on school committees, said she worked hard for her students. “We're pretty upset about it,” he said. “The school’s been closed, and people arc happy to have some time off; but maybe we're in shock. “The worst thing is her (14-year- old) daughter Anita, who is in California, and coming home to no home and a dad in the hospitai.” The heavy raintall — over 200 mil- limetres in the past weck in much of. the teddy bear collection Jan. 14 in‘ Vancouver to fill what they describe as an cmotional void left by the tsuna- mi. “All of the emergency needs are being met right now,” said Klyn. “But for kids who have lost everything, it would be nice for them to have some- thing to help ease the trauma.” The two qucens leave in April, Wostrosky for Sri Lanka and Klyn tor Thailand, to deliver the teddy bears, which they hope will be plentiful by the time the initiative wraps up. “We just started in Vancouver on Friday and we've stopped in Red Deer and lots of other places along the way. We got a call yesterday saying that 200 bears had been collected at onc loca- tion, so that’s great,” said Kostrosky. the Lower Mainland — melted a snow pack and tripled the volume of water that local drains had to absorb, said University of B.C. plant opcrations spokesperson John Metras. That rainfall overloaded a North Vancouver water main, forcing Capilano College to close hours after the mudslide. Classes were cancelled, staff was sent home, and as of Jan. 22 the school is still closed. Students and staff had planned a benefit concert for victims of the tsunami in southern Asia on the night of Jan. 21, but it was postponed. “It will probably become a benefit concert for Anita,” said West. At the University of Northern B.C, heavy rainfall tuned the roads and parking lots around campus into dan- gerous sheets of glare ice, forcing the Like the Miss America compcti-: tion, Miss Canada winners do not move on to the Miss Universe or Miss World compctition. Both Klyn and Kostrosky said even if they were cligi- ble to enter, they wouldn't. “It’s not sometliing I’m really that interested in,” said Kostrosky. “Both of us are much more focused on working in communitics within our country, We want to concentrate on important issues in Canada.” Kostiosky, a 20-year-old trom Vernon, B.C., and Klyn, an 18-vear- old from Windsor, Ont., leave in April for Southeast Asia. As Miss Canada, Kostrosky will recive a $10,000 scholarship at the end of the pro- gram, while Klyn will reccive $5,000. campus to-shut down the night of Jan 18, and all day on Wednesday, Jan. 19. At the University of B.C., the school’s bus loop was closed when heavy snow and a frozen ground dis- rupted the pavement. When the rainfall washed much of a foundational layer away, the rest of the loop’s surface collapsed, said UBC Propertics Trust spokesperson Dan Bock. Thousands of students trekked through the mud as buses unloaded at the side of the road, while emergency crews poured a temporary surface over the bus loop. “The weather wreaked havoc on the asphalt,” said Bock. “It was basi- cally unpassable; the buses were bot- toming out on it. “With the rain and the snow, it was really a one-two punch.” By JONATHAN Woopwsarp CUP Britis! Colt Bi BUREAU Cui WANCOUVER | {CUR} = Okanagan University College sup- port staff have joined striking unions from five other British Columbia col- leges, putting up a rotating picket that shut its campuses for one day. This adds another campus to the strikes that cancelled classes at Douglas College, Northern Lights College, Northwest Community College, Kwantlen University College and the B.C. Institute of Technology for one day a week over the past two wecks. “No one’s excited to miss a day of school with cssays duc and deadlines, but students understand why it’s nec- essary,” said Shayne Robinson, presi- dent of the Okanagan Unive rsity College student union. Negotiations between the OUC administration and the BC. Government and Service Employees’ Union broke down on Dec. 17. Last week, 500 staff at 11 OUC campuses — including over 200 students work- ing as teaching or library assistants — voted 77 per cent in favour of a strike. The strike on Jan. 25 was expected to last until 6 p.m., and evening class- cs continued normally. Kwantlen will face strike action Jan. 26, Wages are the main issue in the dispute, The BOGEU, which admin- isters unions at cach college campus, says its members haven't had a wage inercase in over five years. The col- leges say they can’t inercase wages without a change to the B.C. govern- ment’s “zero, zero, zcro” policy on public-sector wage increases. “Tt is time for the provincial gov- ernment to acknowledge that our members have already had their wagcs frozen for five years, and have seen their real incomes fall by seven per cent in that time,” said BEOGEU president George Heyman in a state- ment. “They deserve a fair wage offer that at least allows them to keep up with inflation.” Support workers make between $17 and $20 per hour, and TAs make $10.51 per hour. At the same. time, administrators at the college have scen large increases, including Bob McKenzie at BCIT, who received a pay raise of 40 per cent in the last nwo years to $112,000, Heyman said. But OUC spokesperson Allan Coyle said any administration wage increases were commensurate with increases in responsibility or a change in position, just like union employees would sce their wages increase as they climbed the ladder. OUC could not offer any salary hikes, he said. “We certainly have to negotiate within the ‘zero, zero, zero’ provincial mandate,” he said. “This is clearly a provincial issue.” “It is time for the provincial govern- ment to acknowl- edge that our members have already had their wages frozen for five years,” ~George Heyman Labour Ministry spokesperson Graham Currie said the govern- ment’s position — one of watching and waiting — had not changed in the two wecks since the strike began. “It’s regrettable that students arc being impacted. but we encourage them to get back to the bargaining table,” he said. When striking staff threatcned UBC. students’ graduation three years ago, the government Icgislated striking teaching assistants and sym- pathetic support staff back to work. But “it’s way too soon for government intervention,” said Curric. As for the “zero, zero, zcro” wage freeze, former finance minister Gary Collins said in December that in the uext round of negotiations the freeze would he litted, but that won’t hap- pen until 2006. ‘That's still the position of the new minister, Colin Hansen, — said spokesperson Rob Duffus. QOUC students should take heart, said Douglas College stagecraft stu- dent Raphaella Weissgerber: in two wecks of rotating strikes, she hasn't missed a class. UNBC SSA The UNBC Sikh Students Association (SSA) extends an open invitation to attend Sunday Services every week at Guru Gobhind Sikh Temple. Open to all to explore Sikhism. Free lunch every sunday. The Guru Gobhind Sikh Temple is located at 443 Kelly Street (corner of 5th Avenue, across from Save-on-Foods at Spruceland Mall) Attention Clubs Advertise your events in Over the Edge for free! Drop by the Over the Edge office, or e-mail over-the-edge@unbe.ca for more information.