Details emerging on teacher bargaining difficulty
Posted March 1, 2014 3:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Teachers will be deciding this week on whether or not to go ahead with a strike mandate. Friday, their union reached out to better explain why job action is on the table.
Union President Jim Iker emailed teachers across the province explaining they’ve been at the bargaining table for over a year, and after more than 40 negotiating sessions the two sides are still nowhere near a deal. Iker claims the government will not even entertain including class-size limits and specialist teachers in the collective agreement this time around.
Iker writes they want the government to understand they need to get serious about reaching an agreement, especially for young teachers which make up almost half of members. Iker claims they’re seeking a better start for new educators who can go years struggling without consistent employment before getting a full time job.
Teachers will vote between Tuesday and Thursday whether to approve job action. Iker assures if teachers vote yes, there will not be school closures, report-card cancellations or student disruptions during initial action.
