Like all of you, teachers only want the best for their students.
Despite bargaining for more than a year with the government there has been little progress made at the negotiating table.
We have been patiently waiting for the government to provide the necessary funding required for us to move forward in achieving a negotiated collective agreement. Instead, it has attempted to remove, yet again, the important provisions for class size and composition and minimum levels of specialist teachers that the BC Supreme Court restored. As a result teachers across BC have voted 89 per cent in favour of job action.
How you can help:
• Talk to your child’s/grand-child’s teacher(s) about the supports they need to help our students succeed.
• Check out www.aFairDeal.ca where you can access information and easily “Have your say” in a letter to the Minister of Education and your MLA.
• Talk to friends, relatives, and others in the community about the importance of an agreement that is fair for teachers and that will provide better support for our students.
Five quick facts about any potential job action:
1. A strike vote is a normal occurrence during negotiations of collective agreements and helps apply pressure to both parties during negotiations. Our hope is that a settlement will be reached without job action being necessary.
2. Whatever happens next will depend entirely on progress at the negotiating table.
3. If a first stage of job action does become necessary, it will have no impact on students’ learning. Teachers will continue to be in classrooms teaching, preparing lessons, and assessing students. We will also continue participating in voluntary activities, writing report cards and communicating with parents.
4. If talks stall or the government won’t make fair and reasonable proposals, rotating strikes would be the next step.
5. Any full-scale strike will require another province-wide vote of the BCTF membership.
Be assured that BC teachers are strongly committed to reaching a negotiated agreement with government. We truly appreciate all the support we continue to receive from all of you to help us achieve this goal.
Norm Sabourin, President
Boundary District Teachers’ Association