Burnaby teachers are hoping to garner public support by holding "mark-ins" in the midst of a labour dispute with the provincial government.
On Dec. 2, about 50 teachers showed up in the food court at Brentwood Town Centre. They bought something to eat, sat down at a table and pulled out their pens and paper to make a point.
"Teachers were doing what they would normally be doing in the evening, but the teachers chose to do it in a public setting in order to demonstrate some of the work they do outside classroom," said Patrik Parkes, a grievance officer with the Burnaby Teachers' Association.
Teachers have been on a partial strike since Sept. 6, while the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association have attempted to negotiate a new contract. As part of the job action, teachers are not doing administrative work, issuing report cards or volunteering after hours.
Parkes said some teachers are "feeling beaten up" on because the provincial government is really not willing to bargain.
"We're quite frustrated by that, and we really want the public support," Parkes said. "We're concerned many people don't understand what's going on with bargaining, and we want to be more visible and show how much work we are doing on behalf of students."
Parkes said the teachers' biggest concerns are class size and composition, prep time and wages.
At the mark-in, teachers had signs on the tables listing various things they do, such as attending meetings, consulting with parents, marking, lesson planning, preparing handouts, sponsoring clubs, extracurricular activities and organizing field trips.
"We had some interaction with the public," Parkes said. "I think our point was more to be visible. - It was a good opportunity for teachers from different schools to meet and commiserate about working conditions."
The Burnaby Teachers' Association is holding another mark-in on Jan. 18 at Metropolis at Metrotown.
