CAMPAIGN SUPPORT
The Courier's June 1 online story "B.C. Teachers' Federation backs Musqueam Indian Band in Marpole," cited a teachers' union press release supporting the Musqueam's monthlong protest against a condominium development in Marpole.
In January, intact remains of one adult were discovered on the privately owned site, followed by the discovery of another adult and two infants in April. The Musqueam believe the remains are of their ancestors. The band favours a land swap between the landowners, the province and the city to resolve the dispute and envisions a heritage park on the property.
No one was available at the BCTF to comment Friday, but I caught up with president Susan Lambert this week to find out why the federation decided to weigh in on the contentious subject. The Musqueam's blockade on the Arthur Laing Bridge during last Thursday's morning rush hour played a role.
"We were talking in our office about what was happening and actually some of our staff were caught up in the traffic jam that was created by the protest," Lambert said. "We realized we have a highly successful public education system, although it has deteriorated over the last decade, but the one area that we are still significantly behind in is attending to the needs of aboriginal students."
Lambert blames systemic racism and said even though programs have been introduced in schools to help First Nation students, "We're a long way from addressing the consequences of colonization." She maintains if European remains were found on the Marpole site, development would stop. "[The BCTF] is not just a business union. We're a union that deals with social justice issues because we're teachers in a public education system," she said. "We try as hard as we can to make sure it's a universally accessible system- So when we see that racism being played out in society at large we feel we have to speak out."
The BCTF hasn't donated cash to the Musqueam protest, but that's a possibility. "Sure, if we have advice from our aboriginal advisory committee on that we certainly would consider it," Lambert said.
Last year, the federation contributed $1,000 of inkind donations to the Occupy Vancouver protest. This year, it contributed $10,000 to the Montreal student protests.
The union also donated cash to Japan and Haiti after their earthquakes to build schools.
BCTF full-time table officers can make decisions about small donations. When it gets into the $1,000 range, the executive committee decides and for donations above that threshold the representative assembly makes the call.
Lambert describes the BCTF as "a three-legged stool" that focuses on professional development or professional issues, on social justice, and on the traditional business of a union-bargaining, grievances and legal defense.
I asked her if she's concerned critics might argue the BCTF can't afford to donate to causes when it faces major expenses.
"We are not a union that simply does grievances or bargaining. We are a union that takes a considerable amount of time and puts resources into the precept that society ought to be universally just and democratic and equal," she said.
Does she acknowledge that rank-and-file teachers might have differing opinions on causes such as Occupy Vancouver and Montreal student protests?
"Absolutely. That's why we do it in a democratic way," she said.
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