An Outsider’s Take On BC Teacher Dispute
Monday, March 5, 2012 @ 11:01 AM
Prince George, B.C. – How do you cut through the rhetoric on both sides to learn what the real story is in the teachers’ contract dispute? One way is to get the thoughts of someone who supports neither side and is bright enough to understand what is going on.
Bob Simpson sits in the legislature as an Independent MLA representing the riding of Cariboo-North. Here’s his take on the dispute. The teachers have begun a limited strike as permitted by the Labour Relations Board. In the legislature the government has table Bill 22 which will appoint a ministerial-appointed mediator with very constrained terms of reference, and then addresses the Supreme Court decision around class size and composition. “I think it’s addressing it in a way that the court will rule against the government. The judge in the Supreme Court decision did not buy the government’s arguments that collective bargaining determined class size and composition throughout the history of negotiations with teachers. And what the government’s doing once again is using legislation to determine class size and composition, which I think is completely counter to what the justice had indicated in the case.
Simpson says the first part of Bill 22 deals with the mediator. “What the government is doing is appointing a mediator with basically the bargaining position of the employer as his terms of reference. He says the government is saying “We want you to go mediate the dispute but here’s our position and that’s what’s going to drive what you’re going to do in mediating this.” “They also give the mediator the ability, by law, to compel the BC Teachers Federation to participate, which is an interesting little twist.” “I think what’s going to happen is a legislated agreement. They may as well do it now.”
The second part of the bill is supposed to be addressing the Supreme Court decision on class size and composition. The judge gave the government a year, that year ends April 7th, so we’re at the end of that year of resolving this in a collaborative way. The government contends the BCTF didn’t involve themselves. “The government wants control over class size/composition because it’s a cost factor and they want to control that cost. That’s why they originally brought it into legislation and took it away from the collective bargaining table. Because they’re doing it by legislation again, because they’re basically lifting the 30 cap on 4 to 12, they’re repeating the mistake of Bill 28. I think once again they’ll be ruled against, that class size composition is a bargaining issue, not a legislated mandate.”
Simpson says both sides are displaying a high level of intractability and own a part of the dysfunctionality of this situation. He says he doesn’t have a clue why we have this employer group, the BCPSEA, when governments simply bypass them and legislate an agreement.
Simpson says NDP leader Adrian Dix isn’t coming forward with what he would do to resolve this issue because the public sector unions are stacked up behind the teachers, looking forward to an end to this net-zero government mandate. “However the net-zero, as I understand it, is not that there is no room for wage increases, it’s just that it has to be in a situation where there are cost savings in the system. And I can’t believe that BCPSEA and the BCTF can’t find cost savings in that system.”
Simpson says since 1987, when the BCTF became the bargaining agent for teachers and teachers won the right to collective bargaining, teachers have lost in every contract. “They went from the second-highest earnings Canada-wide to 9th lowest over that time that they’ve earned collective bargaining rights. So there’s something wrong. Socred, NDP, Liberal have never been able to figure out what to do with that particular collective bargaining system so that needs to be fixed.”
Comments
Adopt, adapt, or develop.
So is there any province in this country which has a system which works? Or, at the worst, a system which works better than ours for both sides?
If so, adopt the thing and be done with it.
If it works, but both sides would like to tweak it a bit for BC spcial situations (don’t know what that could possibly be other than higher quality student outcome) then use the basic framework and adapt it to meet BC needs.
If none of the above. Well, then we are into a very costly new development situation which I suspect will never happen.
So, we will just keep on mucking through.
I would suggest federally set maximum class sizes and student teacher ratios developed by a coalition of teachers, MP’s, and members of the public from across Canada. Then tie the wage and benefit packages for all teachers and all publicly funded employees directly to any increases given out in the BC Legislature. BC Legislature increases would also be tied to any increases at the Parliamentary level. This is when Net Zero would really mean Net Zero. Scrap the BCTF and develop a Nationwide Canadian Education Council as the watchdog.
I would suggest federally set maximum class sizes and student teacher ratios developed by a coalition of teachers, MP’s, and members of the public from across Canada. Then tie the wage and benefit packages for all teachers and all publicly funded employees directly to any increases given out in the BC Legislature. BC Legislature increases would also be tied to any increases at the Parliamentary level. This is when Net Zero would really mean Net Zero. Scrap the BCTF and develop a Nationwide Canadian Education Council as the watchdog.
Despite all of these attacks on teachers in BC, when international tests are examined, students in this province score in the top five in the world. Yet, the minister of education continues to insist that he must make all these changes (strips to the contract) to improve student learning. Lost in the rhetoric is that teachers in this province do exceptional work.
The mainstream media keeps pushing the idea that the number one priority for teachers is a raise. That’s a lie. Teachers put raises after improvements in working conditions and benefits. And parents should be fully aware that their children could go to school in September in classes of 35 or more with no limits in the number of students with special needs in it. This can be done at the discretion of the principal. And, since there is no overall raise in the funding for next year, this type of class could become the norm rather than the exception.
Finally, Bob Simpson crossed a picket line in the 80’s-looked out the window at other workers who were walking a picket line while he sat in a room, did nothing, and collected a salary. He’s about the lowest form of life on earth, as far as I’m concerned. I could care less what the scab has to say.
Net Zero Mandate:
1.A two-year term.
2. No net increases in total compensation costs.
3.Compensation trade-offs – savings found through (mutually-agreed) changes in collective agreements may be used to fund compensation increase.
At least Simpson is in a position to be able to point out the obvious:”Socred, NDP, Liberal have never been able to figure out what to do with that particular collective bargaining system (so) that needs to be fixed.â
Perhaps the BCTF can come to grips with that fact and try to bargain without all the grandiose political acrimony and hoopla!
I’m glad this guy was interviewed. And it appears he’s got a good grip on the issues. And what I find very interesting is that there has been very little out of the NDP, but then I remember, the NDP doesn’t do very much. Hopefully the mediator will draw both sides into some useful dialogue as they are both at fault.
Funny how after the teachers unionized, they’ve gotten very little out of any government. Perhaps it’s time to get rid of negotiators who do squat for you.
Flash, those are some very harsh words to say about a person who crossed a picket line. If he was a member of the union that was picketing, then maybe I can agree with your perspective because its all about solidarity man!
But to paint people who cross a picket line as “the lowest form of life on earth” is a bit over the top. Not everyone has to agree with what a union is striking about and if they are not part of that union, they have every right to ensure that they can make decisions that are in their best interests.
My opinion, this government and BCTF need a reality check.
Sorry to offend anyone with this comment-this is not an official position of the BCTF, but it is mine. And while I’m sorry you are offended, I do not apologize for the sentiment.
He crossed a picket line of the union he was a part of-he accepted the wages, benefits, protections of the union, but when push came to shove, he watched his fellow workers walk a picket line while he collected a pay check. I have no respect for anyone who would do this.
Well sure and how about the union politician who stands by while 28 positions (most of them union jobs held by union men and union women) are “eliminated” by the city and then doesn’t turn up at the “show of solidarity” council photo op behind our wonderful mayor. Have respect for that?
I don’t trust either side……..both spew out BS, carefull to make sure they aren’t lying but they aren’t telling the truth either.
FYI, it was an illegal strike. He clarified it in his response to the bill http://www.bobsimpsonmla.ca/bill-22/
Thanks for clarifying flash. I can understand that position.
Bob Simpson’s view is as outside a view as Enbridge’s view is about tar sands in Alberta.
http://www.bobsimpsonmla.ca/about-bob/bobs-bio-3/
“After teaching for seven years, including a stint as Science Department Head, I left the profession and established a consulting business,”
And for the record, he was no damn good as a teacher either.
Ditto on the no damn good as a teacher.
Woke up with my face in a puddle of drool during his class many a time. Straight chalk board notes with no instruction of any kind.
Also failed as a business owner, husband/father and as a Wannabe Liberal before quitting the NDP.
Nothing but class right there!
To all the fiberal junkies complaining about the time off the teachers get. Well don’t the fibs also get the summer off, Xmas every public holiday along with vacation time and have made themselves better paid.
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