BackTo School

Monday, October 24, 2005 04:05 AM

The Schools are open in Prince George, the busses are running.

Teachers are expected to be off the picket line and back in the classroom following their acceptance of Vince Ready's recommendations.

The vote to accept was 77%, more than enough to end the job action, but short of the more than 90% who voted to hit the picket lines in the first place. "Certainly that sends a message that not all teachers are happy about the recommendations" says Karen MacKay, President of the Prince George and District Teachers Association "But we are upbeat and positive about heading back".

MacKay says, "I think the public needs to be aware that the recommendations are being paid for out of the money the minister is saving by not paying the teachers for the 10-days that we were off."

It's estimated 160-million dollars was saved during the strike and Education Minister Shirley Bond says the Liberals have made a commitment to re-invest those funds as per Ready's recommendations. "But, in addition, we are adding, immediately, 20-million dollars to the budget of public education to deal specifically with class size and composition issues. That will continue next year with an additional 20-million, and the year after."

School District 57 Superintendent Dick Chambers says he expects today to be a pretty normal day, much like after a holiday. Although, he says, he is concerned many of the teachers may be returning to the classrooms grudgingly. And Chambers says, while it may just take time to heal those feelings, "I think probably more important, is for teachers to see some response from government."

The teachers have accepted four seats at a provincial "Learning Round-table" that gets underway in Victoria later today with Bond and Premier Gordon Campbell co-chairing.

As for whether there will be any attempt to make up the classroom time lost, Chambers says it would take a provincial directive. Bond says she'll consult with school districts.
Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Monday, October 24, 2005 04:05 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: spider on October 24 2005 9:12 PM

Judging by her CBC interview, Shirley Bond is already backtracking on her commitment to Vince Ready's proposals.

Posted by: ammonra on October 24 2005 11:11 PM

Did you really expect anything else with their track record?

Posted by: rock on October 25 2005 8:22 AM

Ammonra,I'm curious what you mean by "their track record"IMO the economy is back on track track after years of abuse by the NDP.So in my veiw "their track record"is good.The liberals took a stance(no goverment employees getting a raise until 2007) and they have stuck with it,they are doing what we hired them to do.
Rock

Posted by: bannockburn on October 25 2005 9:23 AM

It is not about salary increases, it is about the governments stated intent to accept unreservedly Vince Ready's proposal.
They are now trying to wriggle out of a part of that agreement. Large class size is affecting students now and the solutions cannot wait until 2007.
Once again we see that this government lacks integrity.
I certainly would not buy a used car from any of them!

Posted by: ammonra on October 25 2005 9:41 AM

Their track record of saying one thing and doing another. Their track record of overturning agreements reached by negotiation. Their track record of using the power of the legislature to kick public employees up the rear end. That track record.

Posted by: rock on October 25 2005 12:56 PM

So basically no different than any other political party.Like I said before ,I will take Gordie and his used car salespeople over the NDP any day of the week.
Rock

Posted by: ammonra on October 25 2005 1:29 PM

Really? You would like used car salesmen to run this province? How is Fred Walls, anyway? Has his court case come up yet?

Posted by: ammonra on October 25 2005 1:33 PM

My apologies, not the bankrupt used car dealership, but Doug Walls, who drove it there. You remember, Shirley's friend and Gordo's relative.

Posted by: camoose on October 25 2005 2:48 PM

I went to bed last night wondering who was next on Gordo's hit list. He has done the teachers, the nurses, the doctors, the lawyers, the health care workers and even the province's retired employees. Upon going to sleep, I had a dream, in technicolour even. In this dream Gordo passed a new set of laws taking away all the perks of the MLA's. Even going so far as to reneg on the pension payments and medical they had earned. Just to make sure that the 26% per cent increase the MLA's have gotten under Gordo's reign was accounted for, a retroactive clawback and then a 100 year wage freeze was put in place. Of course this still wouldn't be enough since the MLA's only sat for approximately 2 months a year so they could be home running used car lots or Wendys. Talk about double dipping. I awoke with a start and realized I had really lost it because there is no way this would happen, except in a fairy tale.

Posted by: rock on October 26 2005 8:00 AM

Ammonra,this is where you and I don't see things the same,you say Doug Walls drove his car dealership under.The way I see it,is this business along with others was just a casualty of the NDP and their destroying of the BC economy.
Rock

Posted by: spider on October 26 2005 9:50 PM

So the NDP makes people into crooks!?

Posted by: lou on October 27 2005 11:39 AM

Money will make anyone go back to work.
The teachers were out for better learning conditions for the kids-but they coward after the Gov. but their own coins under their nose.