It was a tumultuous week of gains and setbacks for the B.C. TeacherB次元官网网址檚 Federation.
Despite a Nov. 29 ruling by the B.C. Labour Relations Board that deemed report cards a non-essential service, the union remains embroiled in stalled contract negotiations as the provincewide teachersB次元官网网址� strike enters its fourth month.
The ruling came in response to an application made earlier this month by the B.C. Public School EmployersB次元官网网址� Association.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a message to our trustees to stop trying to put pressure on teachers and to redirect and focus their attention on the irresponsibility of this government,B次元官网网址� said teachersB次元官网网址� federation president Susan Lambert.
EmployersB次元官网网址� association vice-president Alan Chell was disappointed in the ruling.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to put some pressure back on the BCTF with the goal of speeding up the pace of negotiations,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be back at the bargaining table focusing all of our efforts on trying to work toward a deal, but we are very far apart.B次元官网网址�
Teachers have been abstaining from administrative duties since the school year began.
Meanwhile, no new agreement on class size and composition was reached before negotiations between the teachers and the Ministry of Education broke down last week.
That, despite the fact a B.C. Supreme Court ruling last April found the 2001 removal of class size and composition restrictions in Bill 28 unconstitutional.
B次元官网网址淲here we go from here, I donB次元官网网址檛 really know,B次元官网网址� Lambert said. B次元官网网址淲e have been told that government is crafting what they call corrective legislation, which we expect will be tabled in the new session of the legislature in the middle of February.B次元官网网址�
Government put a constructive proposal on the table, backed by a $165-million investment to better support teachers, Education Minister George Abbott said said at press conference Nov. 28.
B次元官网网址淎t any point, if the teachersB次元官网网址� federation is willing to re-engage on our $165-million-dollar proposal, to talk about how the parties can work together and collaborate on class composition issues, weB次元官网网址檇 love to sit down with them again,B次元官网网址� Abbott said. B次元官网网址淏ut it needs to be a realistic discussion.
B次元官网网址淚t canB次元官网网址檛 involve an additional billion dollars in expenditure at a time when we simply canB次元官网网址檛 afford that.B次元官网网址�
At the time of the Supreme Court ruling, local and provincial teachers' associations called on the province to immediately infuse the 2011-12 education budget with $275 million, which is the amount the Ministry of Education expected to save annually when class size restrictions were lifted in 2001.
A one-year time limit on reaching an agreement was also put in place.
B次元官网网址淔or government to persist stubbornly in this violation of our collective agreement rights leads me to question what kind of a democracy we live in,B次元官网网址� Lambert added. B次元官网网址淚 just donB次元官网网址檛 know what else we can do.B次元官网网址�
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