The B.C. Teachers Federation is asking its members to support a bold plan of action which could include a full-scale illegal strike or an end to teachers volunteering extracurricular activities, president Susan Lambert said today.
The unions 41,000 members will be asked to vote on the action plan that protests the provinces back-to-work legislation on April 17 and 18, but for now students will be back to school on Monday.
Our members our angry, Lambert said. They think that this bill is so disrespectful to the profession of teaching.
Lambert said the majority of the 700 delegates adopted the plan at the annual general meeting after three days of intense debate. She added there has been no decision on how long a walkout would last.
But under Bill 22, the union still faces hefty fines of $1.3 million for each day of a walkout and individual teachers would face fines of up to $475 per day.
We understand that, and for us its a huge moral dilemma, Lambert told reporters. Courage is not the absence of fear, but we have to, in our view, stand up to the type of dismantling this government is envisioning.
The first phase of the action plan will also include public outreach and a legal challenge to Bill 22, which was passed last week. The 41,000 union members will also be asked if they support B.C. teachers withdrawing their participation in extracurricular activities.
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