THURSDAYJUNE 12, 2014
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TEACHERS’ STRIKE
Walkout mandate
Students here off today; rest of year in jeopardy AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
B.C. teachers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a full walkout, which could begin Monday. Of the 33,387 teachers who voted, 28,809, or 86.3 per cent, supported an escalation in their ongoing job action, though no decision has been announced about when, or if, that will happen. There are 41,000 teachers in the province. Meanwhile the rotating single-day strikes continue across the province, with District 69 (Parksville Qualicum Beach area) out today, June 12. B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker said in a news conference Tuesday that the vote shows teachers are ready to withdraw services, but they still hope to reach a deal with the province first. “If we get that deal, there will be no more job action, there will be no more lockouts and we can go into the summer knowing we’ve got some certainty for September for our students and for our teachers,” Iker said. “So far this government has come to the table empty-handed, it’s time to change that. You’ve got to remain hopeful that government has learned from the past mistakes they’ve made,” Iker said in reference to the union’s supreme court win on class size and composition and “the government’s chaotic lockout.” The union is required to give three days’ notice of a walkout, but the union said it doesn’t plan to walkout Monday (June 16) morning, possibly the afternoon or next day. B.C. Education Minister Peter Fassbender said he wasn’t surprised by the vote and has already felt the pressure, which hasn’t changed, and he agreed with the union that a quick negotiated settlement is still everyone’s goal. See FASSBENDER, page A9
BRENDA GOUGH PHOTO
FREE HUGS: Downtown Qualicum Beach was filled with warmth last weekend as some residents from The Gardens and Qualicum Manor gathered on Memorial Avenue offering free hugs to anyone who wanted one. The event was in celebration of seniors week. Above, from left, Judy Bagshaw and Lyndsay Boers, Recreation Coordinator at The Gardens, showed off their sign.
QUALICUM BEACH POLITICS
Tanner turfed from RDN role LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
Coun. Scott Tanner has been removed as Qualicum Beach’s alternate director at Regional District of Nanaimo meetings following a heated debate in Qualicum council chambers Monday night. Coun. Dave Willie put forward the motion to remove Tanner from his position at the RDN and make
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Mayor Teunis Westbroek the alternate director, following Tanner’s speech to the RDN’s sustainability select committee last month. That’s where Tanner urged RDN directors to stop any changes to the Qualicum Beach’s Growth Containment Boundary (GCB). This was after the majority of Qualicum Beach council voted to amend the town’s Official Community Plan and extend the GCB to
meet the town’s municipal boundary last month, something Tanner voted against. Willie said he has a problem with Tanner’s actions. “Once the matter has been decided upon, the majority rules, the decision is a decision of council,” he said. “It is not proper protocol for individual members to disparage other members of council because they disagree with their opinion.”
See MAYOR TRIES, page A9
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