Parent Rep Hopes LRB Forces End to Teachers Dispute
Prince George, B.C. – Frustrated.
That’s how Prince George District and Parent Advisory Council president Sarah Holland sums up her feelings with the teachers strike going into its second week this month.
She guesses that’s likely why there were few new parents out to last night’s DPAC meeting.
“We had just two parents who haven’t come before and I find that somewhat disappointing. But it’s really difficult to get information out.We don’t have a network to communicate to every parent in the district.”
She says the greatest concern raised at the meeting is what will happen after the dispute is finally settled.
“What happens when we do go back and how can we work to make sure it’s smooth running and calming?”
But until there is a resolution to the crisis in the education system, Holland acknowledges it’s likely been toughest on senior students.
“I’ve talked to some grade 11 and grade 12 students. Grade 11’s are quite worried because they also have exams that are coming up.”
She says it may take the Labour Relations Board stepping in to finally find a resolution.
“My hope is that essential services legislation may need to take a part in this. We’ve heard in the past from the LRB that anything more than two weeks off in a school year could have an educational impact on students. So I would be very curious to see what happens after that two week period from the LRB.”
Comments
Sarah Holland wants this ended using a big stick. Ever heard of democracy Sarah? Your hopes says a lot about your character.
BCTF has agreed to arbitration and the ball is not in the LRB court, it is in the supreme court, in Minister of education Fassbender’s and Minister of Labour Bond’s. She should go and meet her MLA in town instead and voice her frustration like many others.
Apparently BC voters cannot recall an MLA in the first 18 months, so this strike can drag for 2 more months if government does not agree with arbitration.
I do hope this dispute is ended soon. The amount of disinformation is astounding. Depends on what source you choose to get your info from what side they are on.
If they are back soon a few things can be done to hopefully get the full year of teaching in.. first.. cut spring break to a long weekend.. I know there was a change this year to move it around the winter games..but isnt our kids education a bit more important than some sporting event ? Also extend the year a bit to make up for the time, cut out 7 Pro D days.. Just a few ideas.
All I know mud slinging will not fix this.. level headed people will… so lets get some level headed people at the table.
Start by dropping the appeal to the court case. There is no need for it anymore.
1.The Court case is about government not willing to previously negotiate CS-C
2. Government now wants to negotiate CS-C
There is now no reason for a court case. Drop the appeal.
PVal
You can’t simply extend the school year like that. The labour code does not allow for the forced makeup of struck work. If struck work could be forced to be made up then a strike would hold no teeth as the employer would know it will all get made up. As for the Pro-D days, there are 6 of them and these are contractual. They cannot just be taken away. in some districts 2 of them come right at the start of the year so those are already gone.
They where just ideas Smooth :) Didnt say they where good ones 8)
It is not a bad idea. They could likely be negotiated.
I was just thinking this morning that it’s time for the LRB to act and get this over with. Give Iker some ego medicine and lets get on with educating our kids instead of hiding behind them.
Please explain how the LRB can end this? Was there a vote to abolish the union? No! So the LRB has nothing to with it!
“The BC Labour Relations Board is an independent, administrative tribunal with the mandate to mediate and adjudicate employment and labour relations matters related to unionized workplaces.
The Labour Relations Code (the “Code”) governs all aspects of collective bargaining amongst the provincially-regulated employers and employees. This includes the acquisition of collective bargaining rights, the process of collective bargaining, the settlement and regulation of disputes in both the public and private sectors, and the regulation of the representation of persons by their bargaining agents.”
Note their mandate is the acquisition of bargaining rights not taking them away like the Liberals are trying to do. So you see the LRB is on the teachers side.
NoWay: “So you see the LRB is on the teachers side.”
They are? They sided with the Liberals in rolling back teachers pay 10% at the end of last year because the teachers were withholding services.
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2014/06/04/rb-backs-governments-decision-to-dock-striking-teacher-wages-by-10-per-cent/
The education system is an essential service so sooner or later they will b sent back to work.
Negotiations can still happen at that point.
These teacher types need to relax a little bit about their “rights”
And whatnot.
10% pay cut for days not worked JB, is a whole lot different than your constitutional rights.
I wonder how many parents have their kids doing home schooling?
Sorry lildigger the Canadian constitution covers everyone in Canada even teachers!
Education should not be an essential service and it only is because the liberals made it so. If the liberals start to get the LRB involved to get the teachers back to work I hope the rest of the unions in BC stage a general walkout and shut the province down.
When you are payed salary it doesnt matter how much you work, wether it’s 2 hours or 14 hours you get payed the same but i have no idea if there is a clause in the contract stating minimum hours that you have to work. Regardless how did they justify a 10% pay cut they still did there job up to curricular standards.
Essential service is life or limb. The teachers are not an essential service. At least the teachers have the guts to stay out and fight for what is right. We should shut this province down until this government stops bulling people to get what they want. Collective agreements are to be bargained not legislated.
“The union for BC Hydro workers this week asked its membership to set aside $100,000 in collateral from its reserves so the BCTF can secure a loan, while the B.C. Federation of Labour is planning to announce its own financial help on Wednesday.”
Solidarity is kicking in! Read the rest here.
More
The BC LRB decision was based on BCTF’s application to the board after the government’s BCPSEA lockout of May 26, 2014. It concluded that the government’s BCPSEA lockout is not in breach of the LRB code and “the BCTF is free to engage in strike activities”.
What is interesting is what the LRB decision says in par 8:
“I note that the Employer has stated its willingness to ARBITRATE this matter.” Now the government has changed her mind and is not willing to go to “a r b i t r a t i o n” on other wage issues.
How come the Steelworkers and other unions haven’t come out to help defend the right for the teachers to have their win in the courts recognized by the government?
More announcements today Eagleone!
Why aren’t the PACs of BC at their MLAs offices asking why their kids get $1000 less per year of funding than the Canadian average. Less than any province except Prince Edward Island. I thought the Liberals were supposed to be the wizards of finance.
The BC Federation of Labour which is representative of almost all unions in BC including the Steelworkers sent this letter yesterday.
http://bcfed.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/1520-14let-pub-sector-open-ltr-bctf-premier.pdf.
Unions across BC and even Canada have lent support as well as money to the BCTF. In Prince George Union locals have been making donations as well as dropping off goodies to the picket lines. (Special shout out to the IBEW for yesterdays dropoff)
Jack: “Why aren’t the PACs of BC at their MLAs offices asking why their kids get $1000 less per year of funding than the Canadian average.”
This is common BCTF rhetoric. You do know that the Territories (Nunavut, NWT) skew the average, right? Amongst the Provinces, BC is close to the average.
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