Teachers in Osoyoos will be joining 41,000 colleagues across British Columbia by not reporting for their scheduled duties early next week as the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) announced Thursday its members will be withdrawing services from Monday, March 5 to Wednesday March 7.
While school facilities will remain open under the supervision of school district staff, students will not be receiving any instruction and are being asked not to report to school if at all possible, said George Abbott, the province’s Minister of Education, who spoke to reporters across the province and Canada Thursday afternoon.
“We are, therefore, requesting that parents keep their children home on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and there will be no bus service on these days,” said Marieze Tarr, chair of the board of trustees with School District 53.
StrongStart programs, early learning programs and evening programs that utilize school facilities should not be disrupted, she said.
“It is the sincere hope of the Board of Education for School District No. 53 that this dispute will be concluded quickly and that normal school operations will resume as quickly as possible,” said Tarr. “In the meantime, we will do our utmost to keep you informed in a timely manner over the next week.”
Tarr said the board will not take sides in this dispute as they respect the teacher’s right to engage in the three-day walkout starting Monday.
“I believe we will have to let the process run its course and work within the parameters that have been set out over these next few days,” she said. “With the introduction of a mediator, hopefully a settlement can eventually be reached to the satisfaction of both sides.”
Abbott said his ministry remains disappointed the BCTF has taken this action as it will affect students negatively.
“We are truly disappointed by the union’s decision to hold a three-day strike beginning next week,” said Abbott. “A strike of this nature will significantly disrupt student learning and creates tremendous concern for parents and families.
“The union is in a legal strike position. Under the order from the Labour Relations Board, they are able to fully withdraw for three days, but the order is clear that schools are not to be picketed.
“Parents are encouraged to find child-care arrangements for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, for parents unable to secure alternate arrangements, all public schools will be open and students will be cared for and supervised.
“Schools will be staffed by non-unionized school and district personnel. Given the LRB order preventing schools from being picketed, we also expect all unionized school support staff, such as education assistants, to be present as well. While there will be no instructional time, all staff will ensure students are supervised in a safe environment.
“Further, school-based child-care services, such as pre-school and after-school care, are not affected by the strike.”
Abbott introduced the second reading of Bill 22 Thursday afternoon. The bill would order teachers back to work, while an independent mediator would be hired to work with both sides to try and reach a negotiated settlement in the coming weeks, said Abbott.
“Bill 22 sets a cooling-off period and suspends the teachers’ union strike action while calling on the assistance of a mediator. It also implements the $165-million Learning Improvement Fund and other measures that will play a fundamental role in the future of education in our province,” he said.
“I understand that emotions are running high, and we do not want to inflame the situation by acting precipitously and rushing through the legislation.
“We have been working very hard and have put numerous opportunities in front of the union to try to work through the difficult issues that confront us during a time of collective bargaining.
“It’s unfortunate that rhetoric and name-calling has overtaken a thoughtful and constructive approach to resolving the impasse through mediation. When mediation begins in the near future, I hope the discussion will unfold in a respectful way.”
At 6 a.m. Thursday the B.C. Teachers Federation served notice to employers and the Labour Relations Board that teachers would go on strike Monday.
Late Wednesday, the federation said its members voted overwhelmingly – 27,946 of 32,209 votes cast, or 87 per cent – in favour of escalating their job action.
On Tuesday the board ruled teachers could hold a three-day strike if they gave two days’ notice. Subsequently, they may also withdraw services for one day per week, also after giving two days’ notice. Teachers are not allowed to set up picket lines in front of schools.
At a news conference Thursday morning, BCTF president Susan Lambert said the decision to strike was in response to the “arrogance” and “cynicism” of a government that refuses to improve conditions at B.C. schools, saying resources have been deteriorating for a decade.
Lambert said teachers took the step of voting to strike reluctantly and acknowledged the inconvenience to parents and families.
The BCTF, which represents 41,000 teachers, and the government have been in contract talks for almost a year and without a contract since June. In September teachers began job action and refused to perform administrative tasks.
The union is asking for a 15-per-cent pay raise over three years, while the government is sticking to its “net-zero” mandate – which says public-sector employees can only get a wage increase if they find savings elsewhere in their contracts.
At Abbott’s request Trevor Hughes, assistant deputy minister of labour relations, submitted a report late last week that concluded a negotiated settlement is “very unlikely.”
Once Abbott’s legislation is debated and approved in the legislature, any continuing strike action would be illegal. Huge fines would be imposed for each day of strike action – at least $1.3 million for the union and $2,500 for its officials, and up to $475 for individual teachers.
Lambert called the legislation “provocative and damaging.”
Abbott said because he expects strong opposition to the bill in the legislature, the soonest he believes the bill can be passed into law is the end of next week “and the latest would be the end of the following week.”
“Teachers are determined and united in their opposition to Bill 22 and to the bullying tactics of a provincial government that has deliberately underfunded public education for a decade,” Lambert said.
Asked if there was anything that could avert a strike, Lambert said she would be willing to meet with Abbott if he approached her.
“If I got a call asking me and my negotiating team to sit down and negotiate a reasonable deal, I would be there in a heartbeat,” she said.
Abbott said he would be willing to meet with Lambert and BCTF’s top brass as well, but the government’s position is firm and it’s up to Lambert to contact him.
Asked what the union would do if the government passed new legislation that prohibits strike activity before the end of Wednesday, she said the union members would determine that through discussions with its members.
Ms. Lambert said the legislation does not restore rights stripped from teachers’ contracts in 2002 and does not meet a B.C. Supreme Court decision last year that ordered the government to fix that legislation.
She insisted the dispute is not about wage increases for teachers but chronic underfunding of the school system.
“Sometimes even when you’re afraid, even when the threat is overwhelming you have to stand up to a bully,” Ms. Lambert said.
The province’s 41,000 teachers have been engaged in limited job action since September. In that phase, teachers were not performing administrative work, including report cards.
The labour board ruling detailed the BCTF can escalate its strike to full walkouts – for three days in a row in the first week of ramped-up job action and one day a week after that. The order is to be reviewed weekly. The BCTF is required to give two school days’ notice before withdrawing service.
