BCTF calls for strike vote, set for the first week of March

Things appear to be going from bad to worse with relations between the Province and the members of the British Columbia Teachers Federation, with the BCTF making plans to hold a strike vote during the first week of March.

“Teachers care deeply about our schools, our students, and our communities. We don’t take a strike vote lightly,” said Iker. “However, this government seems incapable or unwilling to let the BC Public School Employers’ Association negotiate fairly with teachers. Christy Clark, her government, and BCPSEA are insisting on rollbacks, freezing wages, and ignoring the Supreme Court of British Columbia.” -- BCTF President Jim Iker outlining some of the concerns of the BCTF

In a press conference Tuesday and through a press release, BCTF President Jim Iker outlined some of the concerns that his membership has with the current state of negotiations with the Liberal government of Christy Clark.

Offering up the thought, that behind closed doors the Government was acting in bad faith. Suggesting
that in the opinion of the teachers, the government was continuing to provoke the teachers.

BCTF President Jim Iker

He added that the Provincial Government was conducting negotiations, as though the recommendations from the recent Supreme Court victory by the BCTF never were made.

Among those many issues that are of concern to the BCTF, one that would appear to be non starter from this point on; are the plans of the BC Liberals to have in place a ten year contract with the teachers of the province.

That proposal from the Liberals was rejected last June by 96 per cent of the BCTF membership. And judging by the comments of Tuesday, that won't be much of a discussion point moving forward.

In wrapping up the surprise announcement of Tuesday morning, Iker explained the mechanics of the province wide strike vote, which will be conducted March, 4, 5 and 6.

With results to be announced in the evening of March 6th.

The BCTF outlined that Job action, if recommended by its membership would take part in a number of stages. But would not impact on the following areas:

--result in immediate school closures or disruption for students.
-- stop teachers from participating in extracurricular activities
-- affect report cards or communication with parents

The final comment on the situation from the BCTF was that any escalation of job action would depend on whatever progress takes place at the negotiating table.

You can review more of the BCTF position points from the Tuesday press release.

Video of the BCTF news conference can be viewed here.

The British Columbia Government and Ministry of Education has not offered comment yet, on the latest twist in the deteriorating nature of labour relations between the province and its teachers.

As developments continue to evolve towards the March strike vote, further background on the issue will be updated on this article on the blog through the week and beyond.


February 27-- Global BC-- Tough talk on the BCTF bargaining table (video)
February 27-- Van Province-- B. C. Teachers' union needs to name its price now
February 27-- CBC Radio-- The Toxic climate in the BCTF B. C. Government dispute (audio)
February 27-- CBC Radio-- Government Negotiator with BCTF (audio)

February 26-- Van Sun-- BC Liberals hire legal superstar, upping the ante in festering teachers dispute
February 26-- Canadian Labour Reporter-- B. C. Teachers' Federation calls for a strike vote
February 26-- Victoria T C-- B. C. Teachers union announces strike vote for next week

February 25-- BCCPAC-- B. C. Teachers' Federation calls strike vote
February 25-- CKNW - Interview with Jim Iker (audio Vault 12:15 PM to 12:45 PM)
February 25-- CBC-- B. C. Teachers' strike vote to be held  in March
February 25-- The Tyee-- Teachers hiding behind "rhetoric": government negotiator
February 25-- The Tyee-- Stalled negotiations driving teacher strike vote: union
February 25-- Globe and Mail-- BC Teachers to take strike vote as negotiations with province grow more tense
February 25-- CTV News-- B. C. Teachers' union to hold strike vote next week
February 25-- Global BC-- B. C. Teachers to take strike vote next month
February 25-- Van Sun-- Peter Fassbener responds to BCTF strike vote announcement
February 25-- Van Sun-- Public bargaining between teachers, government leads to predictable results
February 25-- Van Sun-- BCTF calls for strike vote in March
February 25-- Vancouver Courier -- B. C. Teachers' Federation to hold strike vote

Cross posted from the North Coast Review

Negotiations between Government and BCTF postponed

It will take a bit longer than planned for the two sides to return to bargaining, as negotiations between the Government and the BCTF will take a short break.

The cause of the most recent delay in discussion is that  both sides are awaiting a facilitator to move their talks forward.  Though while they wait, they now have a new theme introduced to their agenda, that being the prospect of a new appeal to the recent court decision from the BC Supreme Court.

Monday, the Provincial Government announced that it was planning to go back to courts and appeal that recent decision of Madam Justice Griffin, which provided a court room victory to the Teachers' union in the long running legal sessions between the two sides.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender made his announcement of the planned appeal on Tuesday, outlining why the Province was not willing to accept the decision of the courts.

He expanded on the topic Wednesday morning with Bill Good on CKNW (8:30 to 9:00 AM February 5 audio vault)

As might be expected that decision by the provincial government  has not been received well by the BCTF.

Wednesday, the lines between the two sides perhaps hardened even further if possible, providing for just another challenge to negotiations, as the two sides await their facilitator.

B. C. Teachers' bargaining dates postponed until facilitator available

The need of a facilitator is something that will clearly be required with the two sides far apart on pretty well every issue and with the lines of communication between the two sides seemingly rather limited.

Among the more controversial of topics that may be under discussion when the two sides return to the table will be the idea of a ten year contract as desired by the BC Liberals.

Something which at this point would seem to be a non-starter and perhaps now to be rendered to the land of fanciful thinking, a place perhaps where it was destined to begin with.

As though to highlight the current course of discussion (or lack there of) a small scale twitter war appears to have broken out this week as the BC Liberals highlight some of their talking points, quickly answered by the BCTF)

As the tweet and re-tweets continued through the day, the North Coast was well represented on the twitter feeds, with Prince Rupert's Joanna Larson offering some thoughts on the ongoing theme.

Considering all of the current back and forth of the last few days, it all might suggest that it's going to be a fair amount of time before all the rhetoric dies down and any sense of constructive dialogue is taking place.

With another lengthy appeal process now underway and positions on both sides becoming even more polarized than before.

It would seem that education will remain the hot button issue in the province for the foreseeable future.

Some reviews of the recent developments can be found below:

Vancouver Sun-- Government documents hidden from public view
Vancouver Sun-- Government's appeal of court ruling makes fiscal sense
Vancouver Sun-- Approaching bargaining table with dirty hands
Vancouver Province-- 'I'm not declaring war'
Vancouver Province-- Back to the barricades - Where will B. C. Teachers' court victory take us?
Victoria Times Colonist-- BCTF ruling interpretations complicated
Victoria Times Colonist-- Teachers have advantage in negotiations
Globe and Mail-- B. C., teachers going back to war
Surrey Now-- BC Liberals' war on union smay create a new tax
The Tyee-- Minister says appeal of BCTF court win will protest students, taxpayers
The Tyee-- Enough, BC Libs! Quite Making Up the School Rules
BCCPAC blog-- Government's appeal sparks more education conflict

Cros Posted from the North Coast Review