Prince George, BC – With one month left in the 2011-12 school year, the labour situation involving BC teachers remains very much up in the air…

Both the BC Teachers Federation and BC Public School Employers Association submitted their final written arguments to the Labour Relations Board on Friday, as the employers seek to have teachers resume extra-curricular activities.  President of the Prince George District Teachers Association, Matt Pearce says a written decision from the LRB’s Vice-Chair is expected early this week.

In addition, Pearce says the BCTF will be going to court on Thursday and Friday, seeking the removal of the provincial government’s appointed mediator, Dr. Charles Jago.  Pearce says, "Right now, we’re being forced to participate in a mock mediation process that we believe is in violation of our Charter Rights to collective bargaining."

He says the fact Jago was appointed in February – one month before the Education Minister asked who the BCTF would like to see appointed, Jago’s own admission he had a hand in helping write Bill 22, and his lack of mediation experience all combine to make him the wrong individual to be conducting the process.  Jago has until the end of this month to try and reach a negotiated settlement; if he can’t, he’ll forward non-binding recommendations to the government.

Bill 22 legislated an end to the teachers’ job action in mid-March, imposed a six-month cooling off period, and appointed the mediator.  If a negotiated settlement can’t be found, the government has said it will pass legislation to settle the contract dispute.  The President of the PGDTA says, "That’s the way this government has operated around this entire bargaining process – there has never been any bargaining, there’s just been legislation."

"I think that absolutely creates conflict," says Pearce.  "I think we can see that conflict continuing throughout the rest of this school year.  I think we can see it in September, and I think we’re going to see it for the foreseeable future."  He says the BCTF expects to go to court four separate times within the next year on Charter challenges seeking redress and some decisions "that re-affirm that collective bargaining is a reality in British Columbia."