For months – maybe a year – the talk was that there would be a labour disruption in B.C.’s public education system as the BC Teachers’ Federation attempted to reach a new deal.
Instead, there is likely to be labour peace as a tentative agreement under the B.C. government's Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate was just announced between the members of the BCTF and the BC Public School Employers' Association.
“The mandate focuses on improving services for people and ensuring fair and affordable compensation,” says a news release. “The tentative agreement covers just over 45,000 teachers represented by the BCTF who deliver education to students in the province's 60 school districts. Further details about the agreement will be available once the ratification processes for the teachers and the employer-members of BCPSEA have been completed.”
The BCTF tweeted out some thoughts on the "marathon" bargaining and the looming vote.
"Given the current situation with COVID19, our ratification vote will be different this time around and we are already working on whatt that will look like," read a BCTF tweet.
Currently, about 290,000 public-sector employees are now covered by tentative or ratified agreements reached under B.C.'s Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate.
