A strong message is what BC teachers hoped to send to Premier Christy Clark and her government Tuesday night, June 10, when the results of their province-wide vote were released. Now the union has served notice to escalate job action.
That will mean that Thursday, June 12, was the end of the school year for students in Powell River.
Eighty-six per cent of teachers, out of a total of 33,387 votes, were in favour of escalating job action if need be.
On Thursday, BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) president Jim Iker officially announced that the union had served the government notice it would move to stage three of a plan to increase pressure on the government for a settlement to the contract dispute.
“It’s time to negotiate in good faith, put new funding on the table, and reach a fair deal with teachers that also provides better support for students,” said Iker. “There are still several days left, during which both sides can hunker down, reach a settlement, avoid a full-scale strike and end the government’s lockout.”
School District 47 teachers were out on rotating strikes, part of stage two, on Friday, June 13. Stage two action will be extended to include teacher study sessions on Monday, June 16, said Iker. Teachers will gather off school property on Monday morning and schools will not be picketed.
Iker stressed that the BCTF is prepared to make the moves necessary at the bargaining table that will help bring the sides together, but he added the union cannot be expected to move alone.
Education minister Peter Fassbender responded to the BCTF vote announcement saying that the results were not unexpected, and also recognized there is still time enough to resolve the contract dispute without a full strike.
“It took five days of hard bargaining to get a framework agreement with school support staff,” said the education minister. “They did not need to strike to get a fair deal and neither do teachers.”
School support staff negotiators are recommending to their membership to ratify a deal with the government that provides a modest wage increase in line with settlements in other public sectors.
Fassbender added that the BCTF leadership needs “to come to the table with realistic expectations and a willingness to engage in meaningful bargaining.”
Both sides of the contract dispute have said they would like to see it resolved by Monday, June 30.
The Labour Relations Board handed down a ruling in favour of the government’s application to make grade 10 to 12 provincial exams and report cards an essential service.
A letter to parents regarding the action is available on the school district's website.
A strong message is what BC teachers hoped to send to Premier Christy Clark and her government Tuesday night, June 10, when the results of their province-wide vote were released.
Eighty-six per cent of teachers, out of a total of 33,387 votes, were in favour of escalating job action if need be.
“It’s time to negotiate in good faith, put new funding on the table, and reach a fair deal with teachers that also provides better support for students,” said Jim Iker, president of the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), in a press conference streamed on the Internet.
Iker stressed that teachers are prepared to withdraw services and go on full-scale strike, but that decision has yet to be made.
The union is required by the Labour Relations Board to give 72 hours’ notice (three working days) before walking off the job. If strike notice was given Wednesday, the earliest teachers could go out would be Monday morning.
Iker stressed that the BCTF is prepared to make the moves necessary at the bargaining table that will help bring the sides together, but he added the union cannot be expected to move alone.
Education minister Peter Fassbender responded to the BCTF vote announcement saying that the results were not unexpected, and that there is still time enough to resolve the contract dispute without a full strike.
“It took five days of hard bargaining to get a framework agreement with school support staff,” said the education minister. “They did not need to strike to get a fair deal and neither do teachers.”
School support staff negotiators are recommending to their membership to ratify a deal with the government that provides a modest wage increase in line with settlements in other public sectors.
Fassbender added that the BCTF leadership needs “to come to the table with realistic expectations and a willingness to engage in meaningful bargaining.”
Both sides of the contract dispute have said they would like to see it resolved by Monday, June 30.
Teachers to vote on full strike
Education minister looking at plan for exams and report cards
Provincial exams will happen and students will get their final marks even if teachers go on a full-scale strike before the end of the school year, education minister Peter Fassbender promised Thursday, June 5.
At the time, the minister said he did not know how that would be accomplished, but said he had his staff working on it.
Since then the BC Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) has applied to the Labour Relations Board (LRB) to designate grade 10 through 12 exams and report card for secondary students as essential services.
“The basis for this application is the serious and immediate damage which would be caused to the education programs of secondary students if they are not able to complete end of year examinations (both provincial and school based), to have these examinations marked, and to ensure that final grades be compiled and entered into the relevant systems,” the application states.
BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) president Jim Iker announced Wednesday, June 4, that the union membership would hold another vote on June 9 and 10 to decide whether or not to escalate to a full walkout.
The same day, the LRB dismissed BCTF’s application to have the 10 per cent wage cut deemed illegal.
Iker said Wednesday afternoon that the union’s executive had already decided the night before the LRB’s decision, to take steps “to exert the maximum pressure possible.”
In his decision, LRB vice-chairman Richard Longpre wrote that, “Subject to the designation of essential services, the employer is free to engage in lockout activities including imposing new terms of employment in order to pressure the union into reaching a new collective agreement.”
Fassbender said he was “profoundly disappointed” that the teachers’ union is moving to hold a strike vote on June 9 and 10 and continuing its rotating strikes for a third week. He said that he still wants a negotiated settlement before the end of the school year.
“A full strike is only going to keep more students out of their classrooms, create more disruptions for parents, while teachers and support workers caught in the middle will lose even more wages,” said Fassbender. “There is no bottomless pit of money, and the rotating strikes are certainly not going to help teachers’ and support workers’ pocketbooks.”
BCTF has to give three working days’ notice before teachers can begin a full withdrawal of services.
If a full-scale strike is started within two weeks, Brooks Secondary School students will have finished their classes, but still have exams to write. Elementary students attend classes until Thursday, June 26, and could miss several days of class as a result.
The teachers’ union has 15 days to appeal the LRB’s ruling and could still refer the matter to arbitration.
BC teachers have been on rotating strikes since May 26. The government responded by partially locking the teachers out during recess, lunch and 45 minutes before and after instructional time.
At issue are wages, class size, class composition and the number of specialist teachers. The employer is offering a 7.3-per-cent wage increase over six years. The teachers have reduced their wage demand, but the latest offer was for 12.75 per cent over four years.
“Teachers deserve a raise but the parties are very far apart on wages and benefits,” said Fassbender. “Right now their total compensation demands are about four times more than the settlements reached at other tables.”
The minister has indicated that while the government’s goal is to reach a settlement before the end of June, if that does not happen they are open to continuing negotiations through the summer.
“Our goal remains a lasting, negotiated settlement that ends the disruption for parents, students and teachers and puts the system on a path to stability,” he added.
BCTF announced Thursday, June 5, that the third week of rotating strikes in Powell River will be Friday, June 13, throughout School District 47 and École Côte du Soleil.
