The New Westminster school district is warning parents that schools might be behind picket lines on Sept. 2 – the scheduled start of the school year.
“This is usually an exciting time of year,” superintendent John Gaiptman wrote in a letter to parents Monday. “Instead, the beginning of the school year is filled with angst and uncertainty.”
Teachers around the province launched a full-scale strike on June 17 after three weeks of rotating strikes.
Little progress has been made over the summer, and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association haven’t met formally in face-to-face negotiations since Aug. 8.
If the two parties don’t reach a settlement within a week, Gaiptman said he expects schools will be behind picket lines on Sept. 2.
If that happens, the school district is asking parents not to send their kids to school.
“While schools will remain open, we expect that teachers and support staff will honour the picket lines,” Gaiptman said. “Although principals and vice-principals will be in attendance at their respective schools, there will not be any regular supervision, instructional or lunch programs available.”
Gaiptman encouraged parents to check the school district website, sd40.bc.ca, for updates on school start-up and the labour dispute.
