More than 6,000 students in New Westminster could be back in the classroom Monday if teachers vote to approve a tentative deal reached this week between the union and the provincial government after months of a bitter labour dispute.
Monday would run as a “traditional” first day of school with about two hours of classes, starting at 9 a.m., superintendent John Gaiptman said.
“We are still working on the final details. We will have a traditional first day of school, like what we normally would have after Labour Day,” he told The Record Thursday morning.
Kindergarten students would still be on a gradual entry process, though Gaiptman said he expects it would likely be “quicker” than usual.
“I think that if this plan continues forward, I think it makes sense,” Gaiptman said. “I think it will make sense to parents. I think that they understand that there needs to be some time given, that you can’t just expect people that haven’t been able to get to their classrooms since June to be able to just walk in and go for a full day.”
School boards throughout the province also had to vote to endorse the contract, which was reached after a marathon negotiating session between the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government’s bargaining agent.
Teachers would be able to access classrooms over the weekend to prepare for Monday, should the contract be approved (vote results were available after Record deadlines), Gaiptman said.
As of Thursday, teachers in New Westminster had taken down picket lines.
New Westminster Teachers’ Union president Grant Osborne said they were involved in a district-wide study session, being held at the Justice Institute, where members could pore over the new contract.
“We are focusing on the study session,” Osborne said.
It will be “chaotic” coming back to classrooms that teachers hadn’t seen since the middle of June, he said.
The contract teachers are considering includes a 7.25 per cent wage hike over six years, a boost to health and dental benefits, increased rates for teachers on call and more prep time for elementary teachers.
According to a CBC report, the contract also includes $105-million fund to settle grievances from the ongoing court case – that money will be paid out by the union as a signing bonus.
It also includes a $400-million education fund that will go toward improving classroom conditions, which will include hiring as many as 850 new teachers a year, the story states.
