Lake Cowichan Gazette, September 10, 2014 by Black Press Media Group

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Lake Cowichan teachers conduct rally E80 is still in there. Davis says students need reading help every E80 is their attempt morning and not for “six weeks twice a to bargain away for week.” an answer for them in “In our class we normally have seven or a court room. We’re eight special needs students but our old saying put all that contract said we could only have three,” she away.” said. “But the other problem with that is the “It would’ve been waiting list for testing is so long, it’s about great if they’d given three years. During that three years there us an answer today. is loads of paperwork and finally when the The liberal caucus was student gets tested, there is no guarantee of talking about what they support.” are going to do with Walters echoed Davis’ thoughts. us ‘greedy, horrible “Last year we were able to put through two teachers that don’t children for testing in our whole school and listen to them.’ They we usually have about 10 or 12 every year were together when that need to be tested. Early intervention is the announcement was the best answer, not waiting three or four made. It’s up to Christy years down the road.” Clark. Make a decision Rolls says the members have been ready to Christy.” go back to work for months. Michelle Davis “We’ve been ready to go back all along,” teaches Grade 4 at she said. “We’ve been out here all summer Palsson Elementary and we have tremendous support in this town Photo Ross Armour and is on the same and we appreciate that because what happens Members of the Lake Cowichan Teachers’ Association conducted a rally last Friday as the ongoing teachers strike page. with our negotiations now and what happens continues. Teachers at the lake want the provincial government to make a decision on binding arbitration. “We’ve been fighting with that court appeal has huge implications for 12 years,” said for kids at the lake. We need to hang onto our which relates to the contract,” said Rolls. Ross Armour Davis. “We’ve won two two schools. We need to have special needs “Clause E80 is the court’s decision. Lets LAKE COWICHAN GAZETTE court cases and we are still fighting for the kids and every kid in our classrooms.” have binding arbitration on everything else same thing.” Fassbender has said the province wants a and as soon as they make that decision, we Members of the Lake Cowichan Teachers’ Davis admits that the potential of a vote to negotiated deal, not one reached through can be back. It’s up to Christy Clark.” Association conducted a rally this past go back to school is an encouragement. arbitration or legislating teachers back to But nevertheless, a vote by the teachers will Friday as the teachers strike rolled on. “It puts us back to work but we are still not work. now take place today regardless. But president Chris Rolls continues to sure what is going to happen with the court Government negotiator Peter Cameron told “First of all, they have to accept what maintain a clear message — teachers at the case and that could take a long time,” she Black Press earlier this week arbitration was was put out to them,” said Rolls. “[If] that lake want to go back to work as soon as said. “We are still wondering about class size unlikely because it would put the province at happens and Jim Iker and our executive possible. composition and help for special needs kids.” risk of an extremely expensive outcome. talk with the government and they start the The teachers were positioned at the bridge Kim Walters will be teaching Grade 3 at “It doesn’t seem to be a good solution from process for binding arbitration, we’ll take our Palsson this year and is also hoping for a on South Shore Road and were joined by our perspective,” Cameron said, adding that vote with the results then determined and we quick end to the strike now. numerous parents and children as they binding arbitration takes the decision out of will go back without job action.” waved to passing vehicles. “We don’t have enough specialist teachers,” the hands of both the government and the Rolls is hoping for a quick answer and will The rally came in the afternoon whilst she said. “We have one counsellor that BCTF. have the ballot ready for voting today. earlier that morning the British Columbia comes once a week and that’s just not “The parties end up not really having made “I want to clarify, what we’re demanding Teachers’ Federation announced that a vote adequate. They need to see someone every the hard decisions and owning the outcome,” is essentially the kind of things Clark and to go back to work would be conducted by week. If the counsellor comes today but he said. “And it involves a third party, who Fassbender have been talking about as well. teachers throughout the province once the the issue happens tomorrow, how does that would likely be a labour relations person Out of one side of their mouth they’re saying help that child? We need more counselling provincial government accept a binding rather than an educator, making educational they want to see what happens with the court services. In terms of our learning assistance arbitration proposal and remove clause E80. decisions.” case appeal, even though they’ve lost that “BCTF has now said through Jim Iker and resource, that’s combined, one teacher twice already. But at the same time, they’re and our executive that we will take a vote does both of those roles and I think we are -with files from Kolby Solinski trying to bargain their way out of that by INTRODUCING to go back to work if they agree to binding less than half time this year which againTHE is ALL-NEW 2015 SONATA having E80 in there. They took E81 out but arbitration and take clause E80 off the table, not adequate.”

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