Northern Connector, September 19, 2014

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Teachers Brandy Engdahl and Teresa McMillan, members of the Nisga’a Teachers’ Union, stand with a poster in New Aiyansh during one of the days the strike was going on. Teachers across the province voted late this week to accept a contract proposal, ending what had been the longest public school strike in provincial history.

Strike draws communities together

By Anna Killen

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NEW AIYANSH - While there are obvious challenges to working in a small remote school district, there are also benefits in the closeness of the community. In that spirit, teachers from the Nisga’a school district in the Nass Valley hosted a series of informal lunches for students and parents in the valley’s four villages last week before rallying Sept. 12 at Lava Lake alongside the Nisga’a Highway as the second week of the teachers’ strike came to a close. The local union’s lunches were meant to update parents on events and to give students a chance to meet their teachers. The lunches were held in village government buildings, not

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school buildings, so as not to violate strike protocol. “It is unique. We just felt it was time for students to come and have a chance to meet their teachers,” said Nisga’a Teachers’ Union local president Rich Hotson. He hadn’t seen too many kids in the playground during the dispute, “so they’re probably doing things inside. Let’s hope their parents have them doing some schoolwork.” More than 100 people turned out in both Kincolith and Greenville, and “a smaller room in Gitwinksihlkw and it was jammed, so it’s been a good turnout at each of the luncheons.” “It was great to see the turnout, really pleased,” he said. The Nisga’a school district has more than 400 students, with

38 teachers if you include teachers on call. “With us, it’s never really been an issue of class size because our district’s been committed to providing as low a class size as possible,” said Hotson, who has been president of the local union for a decade. “Some of the problems come from some of the various needs the students will have. You can have a number of students with special needs, and if the teacher doesn’t have enough time to spend with them that can be frustrating for everyone. “Our board has always been supportive, our argument is not with our local school board, they’ve always been supportive. They listen to our needs and try and meet them,” said Hotson. Platters of prepared meat and

cheeses were driven up from Terrace by a teacher who lived in that town while other dishes were made by teachers, he said. He said teachers want to continue to hold luncheons throughout the school year for parents to ask questions and learn about school going ons, With the strike now over and the new contract ratified following votes this week, schools are to fully open again early next week. The contract is for six years, providing a wage increase of 7.25 per cent which is in line with settlements reached between the province and other public sector unions. A tentative deal was reached in the early morning hours of Sept. 16 assisted by veteran mediator Vince Ready.

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