‘Big Guns’ Come Out To Rally With PG Teachers
NDP education critic, Rob Fleming (left), BCTF President Jim Iker, and BC Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair, join Prince George teachers and their supporters at a rally outside School District 57's main office this evening 250News photo
Prince George, BC – "You are a wonderful sight – Prince George does it again, thank you very much," BC Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair, told the cheering crowd rallying outside the SD #57 Board office for close to two hours this evening.
A crowd of more than 200 teachers, students, parents, and local union reps – from the United Steelworkers, CUPE, HEU, the BCGEU, PSAC, and Unifor – gathered to applaud speaker after speaker calling on the Liberal Government to negotiate a deal that addresses class size, composition, and fair wages.
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BC Teachers Federation President, Jim Iker, said a whole generation of kids have now been shortchanged by the government's illegal stripping of the teachers' contract in 2002. "Kids who were five years old, who started kindergarten in 2002 are now graduating…they've gone through an entire K-to-12 system in larger classes, less access to specialist teachers."
Iker says teachers have done a tremendous job of maintaining the education system, in spite of struggling for years to do more with less. But he said, with BC funding students $1000 below the Canadian average, "It's time that government saw public education as an investment, and not an expenditure."
Iker said teachers will continue the fight to address class over-crowding and a need for more support – he says parents are demanding it, students deserve it. "And, yes, it's a fight for a fair salary increase because that's also important."
"We have a government that practises the politics of division, that practises the politics of provocation and escalation," said NDP education critic Rob Fleming.
"And British Columbians in communities like Prince George, and in every region, see right through that because they're standing with teachers – parents and non-parents, alike – because they see in our teachers a fight for our public education system, which is the very heart and soul of British Columbia that built this province," Fleming said to rousing cheers.
He says Premier Christy Clark has a responsibility to try something different because what she's practised throughout her political career, when it comes to the education sector, has not worked. He says the Premier has a responsibility to get a negotiated settlement.
Earlier today, Education Minister Peter Fassbender said the government would be willing suspend the teachers' lockout, if teachers would put down their pickets and allow summer school to go ahead. Iker reiterated that it's funding for class size and composition that will bring the two sides together.
Comments
I hope the teachers dont mind their strike fund paying for the big guns to fly around the province and shout rah rah.
Jimmy’s fist pump looks as genuine as christy clarke’s smile.
As for the Ndp education critic, well with 10 or so seats every mla must be a critic of something.
But who really believes in either side of this dispute?
Crooks battling crooks with bs all around.
Come on sheeple! Wise up.
Send the dispute to binding arbitration … oops, I forgot, the government doesn’t like independent third parties like judges and arbitrators telling them that their positions are unreasonable …
http://castlegarsource.com/news/teachers-strike-more-about-bc-governments-contempt-constitution-pay-or-working-conditions-31782#.U6mhN4m9Kc1
This about every workers rights! Union and non union!
Man, Jim Sinclair and Jim Iker really get around. Why just the other day, they were at the BC Lions Football game at BC Place.
Nice, their members are out on strike with no pay and no money in their strike fund, but the two “Jim Bobs” are out at the football game. I wonder who paid for the tickets, the BCFed or the BCTF??
What a freaking joke these two clowns are!!
One lunatic with a machine gun & BC would have been a much better place to live.
You seem like a wise guy hart guy. You have it all figured out. I don’t know you, but you seem to have been deprived of a good education. Maybe you should think about going back to school and pick up a career of some sort. Oops. There is no funding for people like you. Oh wait. E.I. May fund you.
Big Guns or Water Guns?
Posted by: weaksauce on June 25 2014 1:10 AM
One lunatic with a machine gun & BC would have been a much better place to live.
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Tasteless.
Last week there was a pseudo news story about teachers having to access food banks (after a day or so on strike!). Earlier there was talk of no money in the strike fund. Yet there’s money to bring Iker and Co. up to a rally? I have difficulty reconciling the rhetoric some days.
Good to see them here , lets put Chrispie where she belongs I support the teachers 100 % and always will except for the ones who were stupid enough to vote Liberal , them they got what they deserved .Maybe they will think of that at the next election.
Good to see them here , lets put Chrispie where she belongs I support the teachers 100 % and always will except for the ones who were stupid enough to vote Liberal , them they got what they deserved .Maybe they will think of that at the next election.
Posted by: Fedup2014 on June 25 2014 6:23 AM
Good to see them here , lets put Chrispie where she belongs…
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In my opinion, you lose any credibility you may have had when you resort to insults.
Comment Posted by: axman on June 25 2014 5:50 AM
Last week there was a pseudo news story about teachers having to access food banks (after a day or so on strike!). Earlier there was talk of no money in the strike fund. Yet there’s money to bring Iker and Co. up to a rally? I have difficulty reconciling the rhetoric some days.
Maybe they paid for it out of their own pocket. If you want to pick on the unions axman maybe stop assuming.
Our government is broke but we still pay for them to attend function’s including airfare for their spouses.
Bottomless pit of money for the first nations education system.
Nothing left for the public school children who are our next generation of tax paying citizens.
The system is broken. If we don’t fix it then who will for our future. The Liberal Government? The people in this province? I am happy the BCTF and their members are trying to do something. This is not new news this story is going on 12 years. We just forgot about it.
Posted by: 57chevy on June 25 2014 7:01 AM
Comment Posted by: axman on June 25 2014 5:50 AM
Maybe they paid for it out of their own pocket. If you want to pick on the unions axman maybe stop assuming.
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And what colour is the sky in your fantasy world?
Must be great to be an education critic. You never have to back up what you say. NDP education platform – last election – budgeted for aprox same amount of money as the Liberals have offered. It’s on page 55. http://www.bcndp.ca/files/BCNDP-Platform-2013-Web.pdf
Comment Posted by: axman on June 25 2014 8:16 AM
And what colour is the sky in your fantasy world?
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Kind of the same color as your post. But I was more thinking, What kind of id*** would say the teachers went to a food bank and what kind of id*** would say the BCTF fund is dry yet they can come to PG and rally. Call me a CSI and that does not mean crime scene investigation.
Posted by: 57chevy on June 25 2014 10:37 AM
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Kind of the same color as your post. But I was more thinking, What kind of id*** would say the teachers went to a food bank and what kind of id*** would say the BCTF fund is dry yet they can come to PG and rally. Call me a CSI and that does not mean crime scene investigation.
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I really have no idea what you’re trying to say here.
That’s ok axman. Better that you don’t understand.
Posted by: 57chevy on June 25 2014 11:56 AM
That’s ok axman. Better that you don’t understand.
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For the sake of the children, I will commence not understanding. :)
Here’s some of the “id***’s” who say the teachers went to the food bank:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/18/bc-teachers-strike-2014_n_5508619.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-teachers-strike-food-bank-opening-for-surrey-teachers-1.2679584
You can google the press releases about their strike fund being empty.
This is what makes you an id*** Axman. You read things into things that mean nothing. Now read it again and say what you really mean. And if you get it wrong retire your keyboard. As to the strike fund being empty. Maybe so but now you say every rep needs to stay at home. Give your head a serious shake ok..
The Surrey Teachers’ Association will open a food bank this weekend, after giving out $10,000 in food vouchers to its members in just the last week.
Association president Jennifer Wadge says this will be the second time her organization has opened a food bank.
“We did that also in during the two-week strike that happened in 2005. At that time we had other unions, and members of the community donate food and that was a huge help to a lot of teachers, so we are going to do that again this time,” said Wadge.
Don’t forget that the government has kept 10% of teacher’s pay because they locked them out of what is already unpaid time. They have been on pickets for 11 days and there is no more strike pay because continuing to fight the government in the courts for 12 years (rulings the government ignores by the way) has drained it all away. Many teachers are the only income for their family or come from two teacher families and have lost all of their income. Are you really surprised that they might be struggling to pay their bills and feed themselves and their families?
Operation Solidarity!!!
Posted by: 57chevy on June 25 2014 5:19 PM
This is what makes you an id*** Axman. You read things into things that mean nothing. Now read it again and say what you really mean. And if you get it wrong retire your keyboard. As to the strike fund being empty. Maybe so but now you say every rep needs to stay at home. Give your head a serious shake ok..
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Comprehension does not appear to be your strong suit. I never said, “…every rep needs to stay at home.”
If members would rather fly the union brass all over the province while some of them are reportedly starving that’s their business.
aw on June 25 2014 5:52 PM
Don’t forget that the government has kept 10% of teacher’s pay because they locked them out of what is already unpaid time. They have been on pickets for 11 days and there is no more strike pay because continuing to fight the government in the courts for 12 years (rulings the government ignores by the way) has drained it all away.
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Seriously, if you’re a member of the BCTF and you find out that you have no money in your strike fund because the executive drained it to fight the government shouldn’t you be just a tad upset at them?
If I was a member I’d be checking into their expenditures and demanding accountability. That’s a lot of money to fight a couple of court cases.
Seriously, if you’re a member of the BCTF and you find out that you have no money in your strike fund because the executive drained it to fight the government shouldn’t you be just a tad upset at them?
If I was a member I’d be checking into their expenditures and demanding accountability. That’s a lot of money to fight a couple of court cases.
Members may very well be upset about that but do you have any idea how much it costs to fight the government in court? Remember that this case has dragged on for 12 years with the BCTF winning and the BC government appealing, then the BCTF winning and the BC government appealing again. This case might be draining the BCTF funds but remember the government is spending our tax dollars to fund their continued appeals. I’d like to see how many millions that cost us. When the appeals run out do you have any idea of the costs of putting back what they stripped out? Let me save you the suspense … It’s a lot!
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