Local teachers are hoping a deal can be reached by September 2 when students are scheduled to head back to school. File photo
Education Minister Peter Fassbender has extended an olive branch to end the teachers’ strike in BC.
Fassbender invited lead negotiators, including teachers’ federation president Jim Iker to meet with him in order to resolve the strike by next Tuesday when students are supposed to head back to school.
“To make that happen, both sides need to focus on the issues that can be mediated and settled immediately and set aside some matters that will be dealt with by the courts,” Fassbender said.
The minister proposed three specific steps to reach a settlement and clear the way for students to go back to school on schedule.
Fassbender asked the parties to set aside the matter of potential grievances stemming from a previous court decision on class size bargaining.
“The demand on potential grievances is nearly a quarter of a billion dollars a year. This matter is before the courts and will be addressed through the appeals process.”
Fassbender said he’s not asking the teachers’ federation to do anything prejudicial to their court case, but setting this issue aside as the appeals process takes place gives mediation a chance to succeed, he noted.
The minister urged the parties to get into mediation as soon as possible.
“I made it clear that setting aside the grievances is not a precondition for mediation, but I stated my belief that doing so would allow negotiations to focus squarely on the key issues at hand: teachers’ wages and class size and composition.”
Fassbender said he hopes the parties can move into a zone where mediator Vince Ready sees an opportunity to start productive mediation.
In the meantime, Fassbender has asked the teachers’ federation to suspend all strike activities for two weeks when Ready starts mediation.
“Government has no plan to legislate an end to this dispute and we are not asking either the BCTF or BCPSEA to give up their right to strike or lockout. We are just asking them to voluntarily stand down and let classes start while the parties are in mediation.”
The teachers’ federation is still adhering to a news blackout by not negotiating through the media.
