There were plenty of smiling faces in June when the Osoyoos Splash Park officially opened. After several years of planning and many months of fundraising efforts, the new park officially opened at Jack Shaw Gardens. (Richard McGuire file photo)
A strike by more than 40,000 public school teachers across British Columbia – including dozens here in Osoyoos – and the much-anticipated opening of the Osoyoos Splash Park after years of planning and fundraising made headlines in June.
Two weeks before the end of the school year in the middle of June, public school teachers across the province hit the picket line.
Despite some optimism that last-minute talks would result in a deal, the provincial government rejected the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) final proposal.
The union’s latest wage-increase proposal asked for an eight per cent increase over five years, with a $5,000 per teacher signing bonus, BCTF president Jim Iker confirmed.
The BCTF had previously proposed a 12 per cent increase over four years, with the government’s bargaining agent, the BCPSEA, offering 7.3 per cent over six years and a $1,200 per teacher signing bonus if a deal is reached by the end of June.
When the BCPSEA returned to bargaining late on Sunday, Iker said, it had changed its wage proposal to seven per cent over six years.
“It is almost unheard of to backtrack on a wage offer,” Iker said.
Minister of Education Peter Fassbender released a statement saying he was disappointed a deal couldn’t be reached.
“I believe that both parties want this dispute resolved. If the BCTF wants to get a deal done they need to get back to bargaining and put all their cards on the table,” he said. “While they’ve moved on their wage demands, they have not provided clear answers on what other cost items are still on the table. After 16 months, the BCTF is still pushing proposals that literally have blanks in them where there should be dollar figures.
“Students have been turned away from their classrooms and teachers are losing income. The BCTF owes it to everyone to fill in those blanks, table their full set of demands, and respond to the comprehensive settlement offer that BCPSEA has put on the table.
“BCPSEA has worked very hard to put together a settlement that is fair for teachers, fair for taxpayers, and fair to the 150,000 public-sector workers who’ve already reached agreements. As BCPSEA demonstrated last week and through the weekend, they are ready to bargain 24/7. We want to see an agreement by June 30 so everyone can head into the summer with this dispute behind us and the knowledge the system is on a path to long-term stability.”
Except for students in Grade 10, 11 and 12 at Osoyoos Secondary School that were given the opportunity to write provincial exams, the school year ended prematurely for hundreds of students at Osoyoos Elementary School and the local high school.
“We asked all students to take home all of their personal belongings as this will mark the end of the school year,”, said Osoyoos Elementary School principal Bo Macfarlane.
A series of rotating strikes by BCTF members began in May. More than 86 per cent of BCTF members voted early last week in favour of escalating to full strike action.
“This week’s vote made it clear that B.C. teachers care deeply about the state of public education and their ability to meet the needs of all their students,” said Iker. “As well, it showed how firmly teachers are committed to doing what’s necessary to reach a fair deal.
“After 12 years of deep cuts, 3,500 teaching positions lost, and 200 schools closed, we are urging this government to reinvest in public education. Teachers are doing their utmost in an underfunded and under-resourced system, but students are not getting the support or one-on-one time they need. Our kids deserve so much more.
“To get a fair deal and avert a full-scale strike, B.C. teachers are looking for improvements to class size, class composition, and staffing levels for specialist teachers to increase one-on-one time for students. In addition to improvements to student learning conditions, a fair deal must also include a fair wage increase for teachers.”
In other news, the Osoyoos Splash Park officially opened in June.
The warm sun was shining and children and a few adults ran through cool sprays of water as the Osoyoos Splash Park officially opened.
The event provided an opportunity for dignitaries to thank contributors to the park, cut a ribbon and serve hotdogs, water and cake.
Gerald Davis, Osoyoos Splash Park Committee co-chair and director of community services with the Town of Osoyoos, thanked donors and suppliers of technical assistance and work in kind.
He also acknowledged government and corporate grants and noted that plaques will be added this year acknowledging major sponsors.
Mayor Stu Wells praised the location.
“I couldn’t think of a better location,” he said. “This is very, very exciting. What a gorgeous additional park for the Town of Osoyoos.”
Coun. Mike Plante, co-chair of the Splash Park Committee, said he felt “ecstatic” to see the park officially opened after years of hard work.
“As you can see all the kids here, that’s what it’s about,” he said. “Creating an amenity for our community and the families to be able to use it, with great access to the beach. For me, I’m ecstatic that we got this done. There were so many people that were involved that I’ve got to say thank you to.”
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Osoyoos Times
