The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced today that teachers have called for a strike vote to push back against the government’s attempt to reverse the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision on class size, composition and staffing levels.
The BCTF strike vote will take place on March 4, 5 and 6, and results will be announced on the evening of March 6. Once a strike vote is taken, the union has 90 days to activate it with some sort of job action, according to a media release.
“Teachers care deeply about our schools, our students, and our communities. We don’t take a strike vote lightly,” BCTF President Jim Iker said in the release. “However, this government seems incapable or unwilling to let the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association negotiate fairly with teachers. Christy Clark, her government, and BCPSEA (B.C. Public School Employers' Association) are insisting on rollbacks, freezing wages, and ignoring the Supreme Court of British Columbia.”
According to the release, teachers are frustrated with the course of bargaining, as well as the government’s reaction to the recent court ruling, which found that the government negotiated in bad faith in the last round of bargaining.
The teachers are angry that the government is presenting new language “that would yet again strip all provisions on class size, class composition and staffing levels for teacher-librarians, counsellors, special education and other specialist teachers.”
Teachers are also upset that the government is offering a .5 per cent wage increase that is not retroactive.
Job action, if needed, will occur in stages, but any initial action will not include immediate school closures or disruption for students; stop teachers from participating in extracurricular activities, or affect report cards or communication with parents, the release states.
Any escalation of job action will depend on progress at the negotiating table, the release notes.
