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DE K A M L O O P S
Thursday, June 12, 2014 X Volume 27 No. 68
THURSDAY
Lawyer a ye Bill Sundhu wa wants to run fo for the NDP Page A3
Kamloops, B.C., Canada X 30 cents at Newsstands
THIS WEEK
How We Met: KTW’ss new series Page A133 Thompson Riv River veerr P Publications uubbliliccaatitio tioonnns Limitedd P Pa Partnership artne ar rrttnneeerrs rshi hip ip
VOTE GETS NOD; WILL THEY STRIKE? By Christopher Foulds KTW EDITOR editor@kamloopsthisweek.com
B.C. teachers have voted in favour of a full walkout to put maximum pressure on the provincial government, but their union has not moved to issue 72-hour strike notice. A total of 33,387 teachers cast ballots on Monday and Tuesday this week, with 28,809 voting in favour of a full strike. There are estimated 41,000 teachers in the BCTF membership, meaning about 80 per cent of eligible voters took part. B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker called it a “very strong message” to the province. “So far, this government has come to the table empty-handed, it’s time to change that,” Iker said. Noting teachers are prepared to go to a full-scale strike, he said it is “a decision we never take lightly” and would depend on how talks proceed with the provincial government. “You’ve got to remain hopeful that government has learned from the past mistakes they’ve made,” said Iker, who referred to the union’s legal battle with the province over class size and composition and “the government’s chaotic lockout.” A full strike would close elementary and middle schools — parents will be advised to make child-care arrangements if necessary — while secondary schools would be open only to conduct exams for Grade 10 to 12 students. The lack of $50-a-day strike pay — the BCTF’s strike fund is expected to be exhausted at the end of this week — was apparently a non-issue for most teachers. The provincial government’s bargaining arm, the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BSPSEA) appeared before the Labour Relations Board after KTW deadline last night (June 11), asking the board to declare the preparation and marking of provin-
cial exams for students in grades 10 to 12 an essential service. Teachers have been without a contract since June 30, 2013. The BCPSEA has offered a six-year contract with a cumulative 7.3 per cent salary increase, along with a per teacher signing bonus of $1,200 if a deal is reached by June 30. The BCTF has countered with a four-year deal with a 9.75 per cent salary hike, along with cost-of-living increases tied to inflation. But, the teachers’ union has been adamant the main point in contract negotiations is class size and composition. Up to 2002, the BCTF had the right to include classroom size and composition (the number of special-needs students per classroom) in its contract. In 2002, the then-Gordon Campbell government (with Premier Christy Clark as education minister) stripped the union of that right. A court ruling in January ordered the B.C. Liberal government to restore class-size and composition numbers to 2002 levels, but Victoria is appealing the decision, arguing the order would cost as much as $1 billion. Education Minister Peter Fassbender was not surprised at the 86 per cent strike vote. “No one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of teachers to shut down schools,” Fassbender said. “The BCTF leadership needs to come to the table with realistic expectations and a willingness to engage in meaningful bargaining. Teachers deserve a raise, but their total compensation demands are about four times more than other recent settlements.” Meanwhile, the union’s rotating strikes are continuing this week, with teachers in the Kamloops-Thompson school district set to walk the picket lines on Friday, June 13, giving students a third day off in the past three weeks due to labour action.
IN MEMORY: Kamloops Mounties dressed in traditional red-serge uniforms take part in a memorial service on Tuesday, June 10, to honour the three Moncton RCMP officers who were killed on duty last week. Local officers were joined by Kamloops firefighters, politicians and about 250 members of the public at the ceremony outside the RCMP’s Battle Street detachment. For more, turn to page A5. Dave Eagles/KTW
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