The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation launched the first phase of “low-level” strike action Wednesday in response to its ongoing labour tussle with the provincial government.
But New Westminster superintendent John Gaiptman said the union’s minimalist approach to job action, which only targets administrative duties, won’t impact students.
“CUPE will continue to supervise playgrounds. Teachers will continue to do what they do best, which is teach in classrooms. I don’t think that it will be noticeable to any parent or student that we are into phase 1,” Gaiptman said. “I think you are going to see school as usual, and, of course, those of us who aren’t directly involved are hoping that since they are back at the table today that there is movement and that there is a settlement."
During this stage of job action teachers will not supervise students outside of classes; meet with management; provide administrators and principals with written communication; be at a worksite prior to one hour before commencement of instructional time and one hour after the end of instructional time, other than for pre-arranged voluntary activities.
Teachers launched the first phase of job action in response to disappointing progress at the negotiating table.
"On March 6, after over a year of negotiations, 89 per cent of B.C. teachers voted in favour of potential job action to help secure a fair and reasonable settlement," B.C. Teacher’s Union president Jim Iker said in a media release. "The overwhelming vote was a strong and decisive mandate from teachers to put pressure on Christy Clark's government and the negotiators for the B.C. Public School Employers' Association. Teachers hoped that the vote would encourage the government and employer's association to back off key demands, strips and unreasonable positions.”
More than six weeks since that vote, the government and employers' “unfair positions” have barely moved, Iker said in the release.
“The government and BCPSEA continue to demand concessions while ignoring the B.C. Supreme Court ruling on class size, composition and staffing levels. In addition, the unreasonable 10-year term and salary proposals, which include up to two more years of zeros, are still on the table,” he said.
Despite the tough stance, teachers will continue to teach, write report cards, communicate with parents, and participate in their volunteer extracurricular activities, according to the union. Escalation of Stage 1 to Stage 2, which would mean rotating strikes, will depend entirely on progress at the negotiating table, Iker said.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender released a statement last week in response to the strike notice, saying “it’s a little disappointing, but not at all surprising.”
“Over the past few weeks, it appears the BCTF has been more focused on implementing its strike plan than bargaining at the table,” he said. “There has been virtually no movement from the BCTF on their wage and contract positions. The union hasn't moved off its opening position of approximately 13.5 per cent increase over three years, nor has it withdrawn any of its many other monetary proposals.”
The minister said no one wants a repeat of the six-and-a-half month strike from two years ago, where teachers actually took to the picket lines.
