The New Westminster school district is joining the chorus of those calling for the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government to bring in a mediator to resolve the labour crisis that has shut students out of school.
The school board and the superintendent are concerned that negotiations are not leading to a resolution and ask that both parties “re-double” their effort to find an immediate solution and work with a mediator, says the letter signed by board chair Jonina Campbell.
“The strike has been very difficult on everybody," the letter says. "When you look past the brave faces of our teachers and support staff, you learn that morale is quite low.”
Principals and vice-principals are “exhausted from the demands placed on them,” and students are concerned about their grades and year-end activities, writes Campbell, a teacher in the Richmond school district.
“Our parents are considering options outside the public education system,” she warns. “We believe that public education has never been as threatened as it is now.”
The letter calls for both parties to “take on the mantle of courageous leadership” to resolve the situation, which has meant no report cards for students in kindergarten to Grade 9 and left teachers and support workers in schools with little to no income.
“Please do not disappoint us,” the letter ends.
Negotiations between the teachers’ federation and the government are currently stalled. Both parties agreed to bring in seasoned mediator Vince Ready to help bring the two sides together, as he had done a couple of years ago, but Ready is unavailable.
Despite months of bargaining and ongoing strikes and lockouts, the two sides are still far apart on critical issues of wages, class size and composition.
