Coast Mountain News Thursday, March 15, 2012
$1.00 + HST Vol. 28 | No. 6 Thursday, March 15, 2012 01 12
Serving the Bella Coola Val V Vall Valley lleeyy ll and the Chilcotin
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Aboriginal Arts Development Award recipient Latham Mack Page 4
Marc Hedges photo
School District 49 teachers and supporters stand at the protest area in front of Healthy Beginnings
Teachers protest government legislation at home and across the province CHRISTINA BOUCHER Local SD 49 teachers, along with teachers across the province, began to engage in protests on Monday, March 5 in response to legislation handed down by the government. The main purpose of this protest is to inform the public about recent legislation handed down by the government. On February 28, the
Liberal government introduced Bill 22, the Education Improvement Act, which extends the current collective agreement between the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and their employer. Bill 22 imposes a “cooling off period,” during which there can be no strikes or lockouts while the parties attempt to reach a mediated settlement within the government’s mandate. That settle-
ment would cover the period retroactive to July 1, 2011 and ending on June 30, 2013. The current collective agreement is extended until the end of the cooling-off period, or until the parties reach an agreement, whichever comes first. The government-appointed mediator (not an independent Labour Relations Board mediator) has until June 30, 2012 to ascertain any agreements
between the parties and to make recommendations on outstanding issues. The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that teachers may engage in a full withdrawal of services to a maximum of three instructional days for the first week and one day per week for two weeks after that. The union must give notice of not less than two school days before withdrawing services.
Teachers plan to protest for three days commencing March 5 at which time they can protest one day per week for two weeks until the legislation (Bill 22) is passed. Local BCTF representative Marc Hedges explains the impact that Bill 22 will have on students, parents, and teachers in School District 49: SEE
TEACHERS
ON PAGE
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